Moroccan Lentil Stew
I visited my Grandpa last Sunday and came home with about 10 lbs of fresh tomatoes from his garden. What does one do with that many fresh tomatoes besides make sauce? Well, I found lots of uses for them! I love my Grandpa's Tomatoes, and every year I anxiously await them. It is so nice of him to share so many with me, and I am very appreciative. My grocery bill always goes down, because I enjoy all of the tomatoes in my recipes when they become available instead of buying canned, dried or of course fresh for my salsas, soups and sauces. Many of the tomatoes end up fresh in my lunch salads or roasted and paired with pastas, but I immediately dried a bunch of these in the dehydrator. They are honestly the best tasting dried tomatoes I have ever had. I dry a bunch every year and enjoy them for the next couple months (because they only last me that long, I use them a lot).
Some of the batch I dried on Sunday was put to use right away. I decided to make a Moroccan Lentil Stew because it was kind of a rainy day, and I am ready for Fall. Normally I might have used canned tomatoes in something like this, but the dried ones are so lovely, and way more flavorful. Lentils are a staple in my diet. I eat them almost daily, and whenever any omnivore asks me where I get my protein they are my first answer (of the long list because as fellow vegans know, there are lots of vegan protein sources). I enjoy simple stews made with them the most. They are comforting, always delicious and easy to make because lentils cook faster than most beans. Lentils are just awesome!
Anyways, I had some cauliflower and zucchini on hand, and they made it into the stew as well. I used my Moroccan spice blend in this which is super aromatic and once you start cooking this people will show up in the kitchen in no time! My home smelled delicious. It cooked up in less than 45 minutes and very little hands on time (which is always important, I know you all have other things to do while you are home as do I). It was super satisfying. The intensely flavored tomatoes infused the spiced broth, and the veggies and lentils had soaked it all in. Sooo good. If you had some flatbread to serve this with, that would be awesome, because trust me you want to soak up the juices. If you would like to make your own dried tomatoes like I used in the recipe, simply cut them into 1/2 inch thick wedges, spread them out on a lined dehydrator tray, sprinkle with a little sea salt and dry for about a day and a half at 115F degrees or until they are completely dry.
Moroccan Lentil Stew
Serves 1-2
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/8 tsp chipotle pepper
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1/3 cup dried lentils
- 2 1/4 cups filtered water
- 1 cup cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a medium stock pot. Add the onions and sautee for a few minutes until softened, then add the garlic and herbs and spices and sautee a minute more.
- Add the salt, tomatoes, lentils, and water and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes until the lentils are starting to get tender.
- Add the cauliflower and zucchini and cook for about 10 more minutes until they are tender. Add the lemon juice and serve!
