Spicy Red Lentil Dhal

I've been making this dish for many years, and I thought it was about time that I blogged it. It's an adaptation from a book I bought when I was doing my yoga teaching studies, called "The Practical Encyclopedia of Whole Foods" by Nicola Graimes. Not only is it one of my favourite vegetarian dishes, it is also one of the tastiest.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large carrot. diced
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
2.5cm piece fresh root ginger, grated
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 cup split red lentils
400ml/ 1 2/3  cups water
400ml/ 1 2/3 cups coconut milk
4 large tomatoes, chopped
juice of 2 limes
4 tbsp chopped coriander
1/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted (to serve)

Method:

Heat the oil in  a large saucepan. Fry the onions for about 5 mins or until softened. Add the garlic, carrot, cumin, mustard seeds and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the seeds begin to pop and the carrot softens slightly.
Stir in the ground turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala, and cook for 1 minute or until the flavours begin to mingle, stirring to prevent the spices from burning.
Add the lentils, water, coconut milk and tomatoes, and season well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking.
Stir in the lime juice and about 3 tbsp of the fresh coriander, then check the seasoning. Cook for a further 15 minutes until the lentils soften and become tender. To serve, sprinkle with the remaining coriander and the flaked almonds.
Serve with naan bread or brown rice, depending on your preference.
Enjoy x

Quinoa & Pomegranate Salad

I made this salad recently as a main meal for me, and a side dish for my carnivorous husband and we loved it so much I had to share it. It was something I put together with the ingredients I had on hand, so I was pretty pleased with the results. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup quinoa
2 hot cups water
1 vegetable stock cube
1 lemon, juiced (use half juice for quinoa, and the other half for the dressing)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup mixed fresh herbs of choice (I used coriander, mint and parsley)
1 spring onion, sliced finely
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
extra olive oil, to drizzle over salad
50g goats cheese (optional)

Method:

Put the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the quinoa and lightly stir through the hot oil for a minute or so to bring out the flavour.
Add the hot water and stock and allow to simmer (lid on) for around 10 mins. Just before all the water is absorbed, add half of the lemon juice and allow to simmer (lid off) for the remainder of the cooking time, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Pop the lid back on and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and place the quinoa onto a serving platter to dry out a little more.
Add the remaining ingredients, season well and enjoy at room temperature.