Spiced Tomato Lentil Stew

February 23, 2015

One day, when I'm well organized, I could have this recipe up and running for Ash Wednesday, a day typically reserved for fasting according to the Catholic Faith. However, given that this dish is wonderfully filling and quite delicious, it's really no sacrifice. So, if you're a Catholic wishing to exercise discipline and austerity, perhaps this recipe isn't for you. But if you want to follow the "rules" but grumble when required to eat humbly, this recipe is for you.  ENJOY!

Spiced Tomato Lentil Stew

GTLF: Hearty Soups and Stews P. 88

Serves 4, 20 min working time, 1 hour total time

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground ginger

1 pound small red potatoes, quartered

1 1/2 C lentils, rinsed and picked over

two 14 1/2 oz cans no salt added stewed tomatoes, chopped with their juices

1/2 tsp salt 

16 oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained

10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 min. Add the paprika, cumin, coriander, and ginger, stirring to coat.

2. Add the potatoes, lentils, tomatoes with their juices, 3 1/2 C of water, and the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes and lentils are almost tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Stir in the chick peas, cover, and cook until the potatoes and lentils are very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach and lemon juice and cook just until the spinach is heated through, about 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 7 g fat, 545 calories, 0.7 g sat. fat, 96 g carbohydrate, 32 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 507 mg sodium.

TIPS:

1. This stew came out much drier than it appears to in the GTLF book. I struggle with consistencies often. My best guess is to cook this recipe on a low to medium heat as opposed to a medium, high heat. Another idea is to keep this dish covered. When you cover the dish the naturally occurring condensation stays inside the pan and doesn't evaporate as completely as if it were uncovered.  Good luck. If you do add more liquid, let me know what you suggest... I'm toying with the idea of some broth, plain water, or tomato sauce. Whatever you do add, you might have to adjust the calorie count.