3 Recipes

Written by

Nicole Catenaro

in

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Mineral-rich foods can help you stay healthy as the seasons shift

Red Lentil and Spinach Soup

Thick and comforting, this creamy textured soup is the one you’ll want as the weather turns cool. It’s full of nourishing, mineral-rich ingredients such as red lentils and leafy spinach. Its flavour gets a great start with a rich and aromatic vegetable base featuring garlic and ginger and subtle smoky flavour from sweet paprika. The finishing touch comes from a squeeze of lemon to balance all the flavours.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated gingerroot
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup finely diced onions
  • ½ cup finely diced celery
  • 1 cup finely diced carrot
  • 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt divided
  • 1 ¼ cup diced potato
  • 1 ½ cups red lentils
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock divided
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1 lemon zested and cut into wedges

Method
 

  1. In large saucepan over medium-low heat, sauté garlic and ginger in olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and celery and continue to sauté for a further 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add celery, carrots, sweet smoked paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir and continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Next, add potatoes and lentil, stirring well to coat, and 4 cups of stock. Simmer, increasing heat to medium if necessary, for approximately 20 minutes, until lentils and potatoes are soft. Add spinach, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 cups stock. Cover with lid and cook for 5 minutes or until spinach is just wilted.
  3. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle lemon zest over each serving. Serve wedges on the side and squeeze into soup before eating.

Sautéed Mustard Greens with Egg

These mustard greens are full of immune-fighting garlic and ginger, plus a bit of spice. The egg yolk provides the perfect sauce and tempers the slight bitterness of the mustard greens. This dish cooks up in minutes and makes a perfect, easy meal at any time of day.
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Servings: 1
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 ½ inch piece of gingerroot sliced into fine matchsticks
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 6 ounces curly mustard greens centre ribs removed, washed, and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 organic egg
  • 1 teaspoon chili crisp (optional)

Method
 

  1. In medium-sized skillet, over medium-low heat, add olive oil and sauté garlic and gingerroot for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Add chili flakes, wait a few seconds until they sizzle, then add mustard greens. Stir to combine, then cover with lid. Raise heat to medium for approximately 2 minutes, until greens are just wilted and tender. Remove lid, stir a minute more to combine, and add lemon juice.
  2. Remove to serving plate and pile up greens in a small mound, being sure to scrape all garlic and ginger out of pan. Cover to keep warm while you poach or fry an egg using your usual method, keeping the yolk runny but warm.
  3. Place egg on top of greens and, if desired, garnish with your favourite chili crisp for an added spicy kick. To enjoy, cut into the egg yolk and mix it into the greens.

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Celeriac Top

A hearty shepherd’s pie is the ultimate in cold-weather comfort. This vegetarian version is as savoury as it is nourishing with mineral-rich lentils, vegetables, garlic, and paprika. Topped with an earthy celeriac and potato mash studded with fragrant thyme, the dish sings with rich flavours that are sure to please a crowd.
Print Recipe
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lentil base
  • 3 garlic cloves unpeeled
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 ½ cups finely diced onion
  • 1 cup finely diced celery
  • 1 cup finely diced carrot
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 cup le puy, french-style green, or beluga lentils rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock divided
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
Celeriac top
  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut in eighths
  • 1 pound celeriac peeled and diced in similar sized pieces to the potato
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Method
 

  1. For lentil base, in small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat unpeeled garlic cloves in olive oil for approximately 10 minutes, turning occasionally and lowering heat if necessary to prevent burning. Once garlic is soft but not brown, turn off heat, remove garlic, and reserve oil.
  2. Squeeze soft centre of garlic cloves into small dish and set aside.
  3. In large saucepan or skillet, add 3 tablespoons of reserved garlic-infused oil over medium-low heat. Add thyme sprigs and bay leaves until thyme begins to sizzle. Raise heat to medium and add onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and add salt. Sauté over for approximately 10 minutes, until onions are translucent.
  4. To reserved garlic cloves, add paprika and remaining 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil then mash together.
  5. Add garlic mash to saucepan of vegetables along with tomato paste. Cook mixture, stirring to prevent burning and to fully incorporate. Add balsamic vinegar and soy sauce to pan to deglaze. Next, add lentils and 1/2 cup of stock, stirring well to scrape up any bits stuck to bottom of pan. Add a further 2 cups stock and keep at a simmer for approximately 25 minutes. Partially cover with lid during this time, allowing a gap for steam to escape. After 25 minutes, remove lid and add remaining 1 1/2 cups stock in 2 batches over the next 15 minutes, until lentils are fully cooked and you are left with a loosely textured stew. (The lentils will continue to soak up liquid after cooking, so you don’t want the mixture to be dry).
  6. Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs and discard. Add freshly ground black pepper and stir. Transfer lentil mixture to a 10 inch baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula or palette knife.
  7. While lentils are cooking, prepare celeriac topping. Steam potatoes and celeriac until fork tender (see tip). Remove to a bowl and let stand for approximately 10 minutes for steam to evaporate. Add salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme leaves, and butter. Mash and mix to combine until smooth.
  8. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  9. Drop spoonfuls of the celeriac topping over top of lentil mixture in baking dish. Cover lentils completely, making rough swirls with a spoon or palette knife. Bake for 40 minutes, until piping hot, bubbling, and browned on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

https://youtu.be/_GHxMaH7P08

By Helena McMurdo

Recipes Courtesy of Alive Magazine

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