Minty lentils, pillowy quinoa and zesty shakshuka to feed the belly! If you're looking for something light and filling lentils are one of those items to keep in your pantry. They cook fast, have a ton of protein, and are easily adaptable for a variety of spring dishes. As a suggestion, you can add lentils to salads, soups, and rice as a simple and whole-food ingredient.
SHAKSHUKA BREAKFAST TWIST
I love using this non traditional shakshuka recipe for breakfast, so I make a whole pot that lasts a couple days, and use the left overs for other meals. Today I paired it with lentils and quinoa as a side dish. Here’s my twist on the recipe.
VEGAN FRIENDLY
Since it’s lemon season I love adding a zest and squeeze of lemon juice to the shakshuka and the lentils (if you have extra lemon juice save the rest for a drink!) to brighten it up. Want a vegan option? You can substitute extra veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onions. This recipe includes high protein from the lentils and the quinoa so go ahead add an extra spoon of shakshuka! Also, I like to buy a couple different types of rice and quinoa to have on hand. For this recipe I used Trader Joe’s tricolor quinoa that is super tasty and easy to make. Luckily I had one bag left in my pantry.
• Lentils
Dry lentils 253 g/ 1 c
1 ¾ c water
1 tsp salt
__________
1 ½ tsp mint
½ tsp dill
½ tsp za’atar
⅛ tsp pepper
Place lentil, water, and salt in a small pot and set to boil. Once boiling bring it down to a simmer and add an additional 1 cup water, 1 tsp mint, dill, za’atar, and pepper and mix till incorporated. Place lid on for 5 min to simmer. Keep on low till other sides are ready. Add remaining mint to serve.
• Quinoa
198 g/ 1 c organic tricolor quinoa
Place in small rice cooker
2 c water
5 tsp extra virgin
⅛ salt
⅛ pepper
Set to cook. Should be ready in 15-20 min.
While lentils + quinoa cook make the shakshuka
• Shakshuka
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced garlic
1 c red bell pepper
¼ cup diced red onion
1 28 oz can whole plum tomatoes with their juices, diced
salt + pepper, to taste
1 c spinach
2 - 4 large eggs
¼ c chopped basil
½ lemon, squeezed (sliced for garnish)
Using a skillet brown the garlic on medium low heat. Add water + veggies and cook on medium heat till golden.Decrease heat to a simmer and add the can of plum tomatoes with juices, spinach, and salt + pepper to cook for 5 minutes. Crack in 2 - 4 eggs and place the lid on the skillet to cook for 4-5 minutes till eggs become poached in sauce (egg whites a re no longer clear). Top with squeezed lemon + basil to serve. Enjoy! xx
Grab any herbs you have on hand as a garnish. The more the merrier!
Egg Substitute: replace with veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, and green onion.
Be generous with the lemon juice. It goes great with everything!
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