Lentils on Crispy Sweet Potatoes
Written by Rachel, Posted in Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Legumes, Lentils, Lunch, Main Dishes, Potatoes, Quick and Easy, Roasting, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian
I wonder if you may have some sweet potatoes left over from Thanksgiving. Hiding in the dark pantry, waiting to be used. Purchased with the best of intentions… Sound familiar? I was out of town for Thanksgiving, so I didn’t get to use any of my sweet potatoes. I had quite a collection. They needed to be cooked.
I thought that red lentils, with their slightly mushier texture, might be nice over top of some crispy sweet potatoes. I’ve done something similar with leftover chili served over crispy potatoes. Why not with lentils and sweet potatoes?!
I like crispy potatoes (sweet or regular) with lots of seasoning. This time I went with salt, cayenne, coriander, ginger, and pepper. I also really like potatoes with paprika and chili powder. Uhh luuuk it uhh laaat.
Sorrynotsorry.
Tossed with a bit of olive oil, onto a baking sheet, and into the oven.
I’d never tried red lentils before. I think I usually use green. Use whatever you have on hand. Just vary the cooking time depending on your lentil. (Red lentils cook a bit faster, like closer to 10 minutes, green lentils take a bit longer.) Okay? Okay.
Every once in a while it’s like the perfect storm and I have no garlic or onions in the house. Disaster!! Tim brought me some garlic yesterday. Relief! (Also, we aren’t completely out of onions, but are running low… if you were worried.)
The garlic cooks for just a minute, then some dijon, balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of coriander, ginger, and salt is added.
They’d been added to the lentil pan, after the lentils were drained and set aside. Then added back in to mix it up with the other flavors.
Sweet potatoes pop out of the oven. Crispy outside, tender inside.
Sometimes I like to have cilantro with sweet potatoes. Like today. And like this time a few weeks ago.
It’s chopped up and plomped on top of the Greek yogurt, on top of the lentils, on top of the sweet potatoes.
Food tower.
This dish is best with a bit of each component in every bite.
I’ll show you what to do with any leftover lentils in January!
Happy Eating!
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato, cubed
- 2 T olive oil
- to taste salt
- 1/8 t cayenne
- 3/4 t coriander
- 1/4 t ginger
- 1/4 t pepper
- 1 C red lentils
- 2 C water
- 1 t olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 T balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 t dijon mustard
- to taste salt
- pinch coriander
- pinch ginger
- Greek yogurt, for topping
- cilantro, for topping
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
- Toss sweet potatoes through pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes (or until they're done on the inside), flipping once halfway through.
- Add lentils and water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, or until lentils are cooked to desired tenderness. Drain lentils and rinse. Set aside.
- Add 1 t olive oil to the lentil pan. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute over medium-low. Add vinegar, mustard, salt, coriander, and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds. Add lentils and cook for 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
- Serve sweet potatoes topped with a scoop of lentils, a dollop of yogurt, and a sprinkle of cilantro.
