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Braised Lentils, Beets & Squash
This is the kind of recipe that's easily variable, depending on what you have on hand. If you don't have fresh herbs, you can substitute dry. I don't keep dried parsley in my kitchen, but perhaps a teaspoon of dried basil would be a flavourful substitute. Also, I always consider amounts of vegetables to be guidelines: after all, I'm not going to cut a piece out of a beet just to get a precise measurement. Just use roughly the same weight of beets and squash and call it a day.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, cut in 4 lengthwise and then sliced thinly
- 1 red chile pepper, seeded and minced
- about 1 lb red or golden beets, coarsely shredded
- about 1 lb butternut squash, coarsely shredded
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup lentils (brown or green)
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (chop the stems and add separately)
- 1/4 cup white wine
How To Make This Recipe
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Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
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In an oven-proof skillet or braising dish heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and chile pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes. Add the shredded beets and squash, and the parsley stems if using. Cook for another five minutes or so, stirring from time to time. Add the stock, lentils and fresh herbs (or dried, if substituting) and stir well.
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Cover the skillet or dish and put into the oven. After 30 minutes, taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Stir in the white wine and put back into the oven, uncovered, for another 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
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To serve, garnish with additional chopped parsley.