This delicious and simple recipe (discovered on the BBC Good Food website and amended) is good enough to serve to guests at a dinner party and works equally well as healthy mid week dinner. Or you could make it and store portions in the fridge and have it cold over two or three days as a fantastically healthy lunch. I made it for a friend who came over to dinner and ate the left-overs the next day.
This vegan meal has good levels of protein and contains your full five-a-day in just one meal. It’s low in fat and high in fibre. Cauliflower is from the cruciferous vegetable family and so has powerful cancer fighting properties. The red cabbage and carrot slaw is packed full of anti-oxidants to slow down the ageing process. The sweet potato (and the carrots) are rich in beta-carotene which supports skin and immune health. Garlic helps to kill off unfriendly bacteria in the gut and supports the cardiovascular system. And it’s gluten free!
The ingredients for two/three people are:
2 large sweet potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cut into large chunks
1 cauliflower, cut into large florets
2tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp coconut fat and 2tbsp olive oil (you can use extra olive oil in place of the coconut fat)
200g Puy lentils
500ml vegetable stock
One small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic
thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
2tsp Dijon mustard
2 limes, juiced
2 Carrots
1/4 red cabbage
1/2 packet of fresh coriander
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees fan or gas mark 6. Place a large baking tray in the oven with the coconut fat until it melts. Then add the sweet potato and cauliflower along with the garam masala to the baking tray, mix everything well and then spread everything out. Add three garlic cloves (unpeeled), season and roast for 30-35 minutes until cooked.
2. Gently fry the onion in a saucepan until it is soft. Add in the lentils, the vegetable stock and a crushed clove of garlic. Bring to the boil and simmer until lentils are cooked but not mushy. Stir occassionally and add a little water if it starts to get too dry. Drain.
3. Remove the garlic from the tray and squish them to squeeze out their insides. Combine the garlic with the olive oil, the ginger, mustard, a pinch of sugar and 1/3 of the lime juice. Whisk and then add to the warm lentils. Stir through and season to taste.
4. Coarsely grate the carrots and finely shred the cabbage and roughly chop the coriander. Squeeze over the remaining lime juice and season to taste.
5. Divide the lentil mixture between the plates (or containers if saving and chilling). Top each with the cauliflower and sweet potatoes and a serving of the carrot and cabbage slaw.
This is a perfect complete meal; however, you could add some sliced hot nan bread to the table if you wished.
Enjoy!
