Healthy Vegan - Hot Chocolate Beluga Lentils with Rainbow Carrots

This is not the most attractive looking of dishes that I have shared on my blog, but I think its the perfect time for to pretend and say that I made it for a Halloween party and what you are seeing here are some damn ugly zombie or monster fingers coming out of the earthy ground.  

 Truth is, this is spicy beluga lentils chili or sorts enhanced with chilli chocolate and the so called fingers are actually rainbow carrots. I guess to make this dish look even more horrific, I should have only used the purple carrots, that appear to be more effective in resembling fingers with the wrinkles. 
Despite the way it looks, it actually tasted okay.  
I don't cook that much with Beluga lentils as Puy lentils tend to be my go to in terms of sturdy lentils that keep their shape and do not disintegrate upon long cooking, but don't let that stop you from making this dish (if you dare),  you can use brown lentils, I find them just as tasty, if not more so. 
I served these with sweet potato wedges, soured cream to dampen the hotness, and even for me it was really hot  I am sharing this with My Legume Love Affair #121 hosted by Jagruti Cooking Odyssey.  The challenge was started by Susan from The Well Seasoned Cook and continues thanks to Lisa's Kitchen.  


Other Beluga and Puy Lentil Recipes
Beetroot Bourguignon with Puy Lentils
Leek and Puy Lentil Flan
Gratin of Cabbage with Puy Lentils
Strawberry, Tomato and Puy Lentil Curry
Beluga Lentil Salad with Avocado



Hot Chocolate Beluga Lentils
Serves 6 as an accompaniment
Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 x 400grams tinned tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
1 pint of vegetable stock
220grams beluga lentils, rinsed
200grams rainbow or orange baby carrots, washed
Salt and pepper to taste
50grams chocolate chili, I used this one - broken into pieces
Method
In a wide pan, heat the oil, then stir in the onion and saute over medium heat with the lid on until softening, then stir in the garlic and saute for a few minutes.
Then stir in the chopped tomatoes for them to cook down, when they have cooked down, stir in the spices.
Cook for a few minutes, then stir in the beluga lentils and the stock.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
Halfway through the cooking process, stir in the carrots, cook but ensure there is still some bite.
Season to taste.
Then stir in the chili chocolate until melted.
Cook for a further 10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Adapted from The Wicked Healthy Cookbook. You can find the original recipe for Chocolate Chili Pepper Caviar Lentils here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Healthy Vegan - Smoky Black Kale, Chickpeas and Mushroom Stew

Image
Its been a busy month for me with work mostly.   I have to admit I haven't had much energy or enthusiasm for cooking when I got home.  In fact, t wice last  week we have had Chilli and Potato Pierogi, not homemade but from a  packet.  I have mad e pierogi in the past and would love to have a go at making them again. Today though, I got home and had a little energy to cook.  I made a relatively quick Smoky Black Kale and Mushroom Stew.  Many of the ingredients in this were left over from the Black Kale and Chickpeas Pot Pie I made over the weekend.  I think this  Smoky Black Kale and Mushroom Stew i s one of those dishes best enjoyed a day or two later, as it was just okay.  Smoky Black Kale and Mushroom Stew Serves 2 - 3 Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 200grams mushrooms, sliced 2 clove garlic, crushed Sprig of fresh thyme 1/4  teaspoon chipotle flakes 1 x 400grams tinned tomatoes, crushed 100grams black k...
Read more

Healthy Vegan - Coriander Potato, Red Pepper and Corn Salad

Image
I am quite pleased with myself today.  I feel like between the two of us, we have accomplished something. We got up and spent all morning in the garden allotment plot while the summer sun was out for Springtime.  D tied back the unruly climbing and trailing rose stems.  He also transferred some of the herbs into bigger plots. I cleared a plot today and whilst I was weeding, I found myself  actually enjoying the weeding, removing the woven weeds from the soil was quite therapeutic.  My body will ache in a couple of days, but that's its way of saying - exercise more.  I will share progress later in the week as we intend to spend some more time in the garden allotment plot either later today or tomorrow (providing the heavy rain stays away). I was also quite pleased  to have some left over salad in the fridge (a bit like this one) as I did not want to make something having spent hours in the garden toiling.   This particular Coriander Po...
Read more

Healthy Vegan - Red Harvest Monday

Image
The weather forecasters got it right this weekend in the UK. Saturday was blazing hot and Sunday was pouring with rain. On Saturday, we took a day trip to Glastonbury and Sunday, was  a wash-out for the garden.  If I still had an allotment plot, I know I would have gone to it and worked there and harvested, but as its in the back of my garden, my attitude is somewhat different that which is a shame really and needs to change going forward.  But I did not waste the day, doing household chores and cooking grub in readiness for the working week which includes our lunch, so I was not totally lazy.   As it was raining yesterday, these photographs are from earlier in the week, but I am still going to share them for Harvest Monday. Gorgeous raspberries are starting to make a welcome appearance. I don't have as many raspberry canes as last year I cleared a section in the back garden for a bench and rhubarb plants, so will try to pick and enjoy those ripening that is...
Read more