Lentils with Kale, Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

Blogging comes with its own interesting set of pressures. Checking in consistently, responding to comments and questions, writing relevant, witty (I hope!) posts, and regularly visiting the blogs I love to stay updated with everyone's posts. It's an exciting field, constantly evolving and always engaging.

With food blogging, there's also the added pressure to constantly be posting something new. That means I have to constantly be cooking or baking something new. I can't just pull old favorite recipes off the shelf and remake them each week.

I'm feeling that pressure right now. All I want to do is cook something with chocolate and peanut butter, but I can only think of making these. They really are perfect. I've made them three times, and I've loved them every single time.

I want to make them again tonight, but it means I won't have anything new to share with all of you. I've been searching for new recipes for a bit too long, and I might decide that tonight I just don't care. These cookies are worth the no new blog post sacrifice.

Luckily, it's been easier with my savory cooking lately. Since I decided to try to go dairy-free at home, almost everything I've made has been new.

This lentil dish is divine. It's loaded with tender kale, sweet potatoes and carrots that still have a bit of crunch left. The lentils provide a perfect base and add a great creaminess. Moroccan seasoning wakes the dish up, and it provides a taste I rarely see in my dishes.

p.s. If you have any favorite chocolate peanut butter recipes, please share them here! I'm desperately in need.




Lentils with Kale, Sweet Potatoes and Carrots 
recipe adapted from Eat, Live, Run

This recipe made about 8 dinner-sized portions. Quantities could easily be adjusted up or down.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and diced
3 large carrots, lightly peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
6 cups vegetable broth, boiling
1 1/4 cups brown lentils
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
1 teaspoon Moroccan seasoning (a mix of cinnamon, cumin, pepper and turmeric--feel free to create your own blend)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, potatoes and carrots, and stir. Continue cooking, stirring regularly, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Add garlic and kale, and continue stirring until the kale softens, about 3 minutes.

Add boiling vegetable broth, brown lentils, chili pepper and Moroccan seasoning. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low so the mixture simmers.

Allow the lentils to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Stir occasionally.

Remove from the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.