Lemon Red Lentil Bake with Fennel & Prunes
Recipe
Ajajajaj! This was this week’s creation and I have to say it’s brilliantly delicious and so easy to make. I wanted to use lentils as they are super cheap and I just love those little buggers. This recipe also combines my two favourite flavours: bitter and sweet.
Equipment: oven, roasting tray, baking paper, baking dish
Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 80 min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 2 red onions
- ½ butternut squash
- 3 tbsp. rapeseed oil
- 300g red lentils, rinsed
- 15 prunes, chopped into quarters
- 1 unwaxed lemon, including the zest
- 1 litre vegetable broth
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. mustard seeds
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- ½ tsp. asafoetida
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. rosemary
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220° C
2. Chop the fennel into thin stripes lengthways; peel the onions and chop them lengthways; peel the butternut squash, discard the seeds and chop them into 2cm cubes. With a silicon brush paint two roasting trays with rapeseed oil. Spread the vegetables equally and roast for about 20 minutes or until golden.
3. Turn down the heat to 180° C. Blitz the lemon zest and the lemon in the blender. In the baking dish place the spices (apart from the rosemary), lentils, prunes, roasted vegetables, lemon blend and pour over the vegetable broth. Give it a little stir and bake in the oven for about an hour, stirring once half way through.
4. Once ready sprinkle the bake with rosemary and pour over good quality extra virgin olive oil.
5. Serve warm with rice or roasted buckwheat.