Spiced Lentil bowl with Smoky Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown or green lentils
• 1 organic garlic clove, minced
• 2 + 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/8 tsp Cha's turmeric
• ½ cup Lundberg brown rice
• 2 cups organic kale
• 1 organic lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium organic carrots
• ½ cup walnut pieces
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 2 tbsp Goodness Me! coconut oil
• ¼ cup organic pomegranate arils
• Handful organic microgreens
• Himalayan salt and pepper

Method:

1. Spiced Lentils: In a large pot, add 1 cup of lentils and 3 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until lentils start to become tender. Drain excess water from the pot, and add all of your seasonings. Do not salt the lentils until this point as it will cause them to get tough.
2. Brown Rice: Add ½ cup of brown rice to a small pot with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water has evaporated. Allow to cool for a few minutes before seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Massaged Kale: Remove the leaves from the stems and shred the kale with your knife. Add the juice of one lemon, 1 tsp of zest, 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Allow to sit for a few minutes before using.
4. Roasted Carrots: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel and thinly slice 2 medium carrots, place them on a foil lined baking sheet, drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, and season with 2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning halfway to ensure even cooking, or until golden brown.
5. Candied Walnuts: Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp coconut oil. Add ½ cup walnuts to the pan and lightly toast them to bring out their nutty flavour. Add 2 tbsp maple syrup and a pinch of salt to the pan, coat the nuts in the syrup/oil mixture, and evenly spread them out on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the syrup starts to caramelize. Leave to cool before use (they will harden as they cool).
6. To Assemble:
7. For each bowl, place ½ cup of steamed brown rice and 1 cup of massaged kale in the bottom of the bowl. Add ½ cup lentils, ½ cup roasted carrots, and drizzle with the smoky tahini dressing. Top with candied walnuts, pomegranate arils, and a handful of microgreens. Can be served warm or cold.

Serves: 2

Smoky Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp Goodness Me! extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp tahini
• 3 tbsp organic lemon juice
• 3 cloves minced organic garlic
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• Water, if needed

Method:

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until well combined. If you find it is too thick, add a touch of water to thin it out.

Recipe contribution by Chef Jessica Anderson

My passion for nutrition and wellness has always stuck with me throughout my culinary career, and being someone with food allergies myself has driven me further to understand how to create food that not only tastes good, but is good for you. As a Red Seal certified Chef, Culinary Management graduate, and nutrition enthusiast, my desire is to use my business to make enjoying an excellent meal simple, nutritious and delicious for all. 

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