Lentils with Spiced Carrots and Cauliflower

This is a super easy weeknight meal that is packed with flavor! It is perfect for vegetarians and meat eaters too. I always make extra so I can add this to salads for leftover lunches.

I love cooking with lentils because they’re highly nutritious and an excellent source of plant-based protein. They are super versatile and they add great texture and flavor to any meal. There are several different varieties, but they are all similar in their nutritional components. I prefer soaking lentils before cooking with them to increase their digestibility and to remove the lectins (which can cause inflammation and leaky gut). There will be more about the importance of soaking grains and seeds in a future post, but for now let’s focus on lentils!

Health benefits of lentils:

• They are a great source of protein and iron, making them a great vegetarian option

• They are high in folate and magnesium, which are essential for heart health

• They are high in manganese, B vitamins, zinc, and potassium

• They have high amounts of fiber, which is important for stable blood sugar levels and for healthy digestion

• They are high in polyphenols, which have important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried green lentils

• 2 cups chicken or veggie broth

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

• 4 carrots, chopped into ¼ in. pieces

• 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ tsp salt

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

• 2 tbsp olive oil + more for finishing

• Feta to garnish

Directions:

• Preheat 425 degrees

• Rinse lentils thoroughly, and place in a medium pot with broth and bay leaf.

• Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes (covered) or until just tender.

• Remove the pot from the heat, and keep covered for another 10 minutes.

• While lentils are cooking, mix cauliflower and carrots with cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Arrange on baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes.

• Mix lentils with cauliflower, carrots, and chickpeas- drizzle with good olive oil and top with feta crumbles.

Cauliflower and carrots roasted with spices

The finished product with a garnish of arugula

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion

Another super simple and flavorful side to add to your Thanksgiving meal plan! Maybe you are sensing a pattern here; I love great tasting food, but I don’t feel the need to slave over a dish for hours and hours. My thoughts are, as long as you have high quality, local, and seasonal ingredients (as often as possible), you should only use a handful of other ingredients so as to highlight and enhance the flavors, rather than cover them up! That, and, there’s many other things I need to do throughout the day and can’t spend it all in the kitchen. Pretty sure that’ll resonate with most of you :)

For this side dish, any type of squash will work, but my favorite are butternut and delicata. The smooth, buttery flavor of the squash compliments the sweetness of the roasted onion. Not only does it taste great, but it looks great too!

Easy substitutions:

• You can swap the red onion for a yellow onion

• You can simply roast the squash with coconut oil and a sprinkling of cinnamon for a sweeter flavor profile

• You can try roasting the squash with apple, cinnamon, and sage as well!

Ingredients

• 1 medium/large butternut squash

• 1 large red onion

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary (or 1 tbsp dried)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Cut off ends of butternut squash and carefully slice the skin away

• Halve the squash, scoop the seeds, then cut into ¼ inch pieces

• Peel and halve the red onion; cut into ¼ inch wedges

• Drizzle with avocado oil

• Add salt, pepper, and rosemary

• Bake for 45 mins or until browned and soft when poked with a fork

Preparing the squash

Roasted and ready to be served

Accompanied here by grilled steak, chimichurri sauce, broccoli, rustic bread, and salad