Green beans & tomatoes with lentils
This recipe is adapted from a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, or CBD. They are a wonderful organization fighting to save earth’s species from extinction.
Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes (including time to cook the whole grain)
Ingredients:
1 cup whole grain (brown rice, millett, quinoa, amaranth, kamut, etc.)
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped or minced (more if you really like garlic)
1/4-1/2 cup red wine (optional)
2 cans no salt added (or low sodium) diced tomatoes
2-4 fresh tomatoes, diced (optional, but really good)
1-2 Tbsp cumin (depends on how much you like cumin; start with 1 tbsp, taste, add more if you wish)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4-1/2 tsp salt (optional)
12 oz fresh or frozen green beans, stems removed and cut into 1-inch pieces (Brussels sprouts also work really well with this recipe instead of green beans; cut the Brussels sprouts in half or quarters)
1 cup brown or green lentils (you can soak them overnight if you wish, but not required); or 1 1/2 cans of lentils (no sodium or low sodium)
4 cups water if cooking lentils from scratch or 1/2 - 1 cup water if using canned lentils.
1 lemon
Directions:
Start cooking your whole grain of choice so that it’s ready when your vegetable and lentil mixture is ready.
If using dry lentils, start cooking your lentils. Combine the lentils and 4 cups water in a pot Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are soft but not mushy, about 15 minutes.
In a separate pan, saute the garlic in water or wine (if using) on medium-high heat and cook for 1-2 minutes until the water or wine cooks off. Add the tomatoes, cumin, cayenne, and salt and cook for 5 minutes. If the mixture looks thick, add 1/2 - 1 cup of water for more liquid. Add the green beans or Brussels sprouts and cook for another 5 - 8 minutes on high heat until the green beans or Brussels sprouts are cooked to your liking. Add the lentils and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the lentils are warm. Feel free to add more water if you’d like the mixture to be more liquidy. Taste the mixture and if it needs a little more flavor, add more of any of the seasonings.
When everything is ready, serve the lentil mixture with the whole grain, and squeeze some lemon on top for a delicious and nutritious meal! The lentils also go well with potatoes or sweet potatoes.