Puy Lentil & Coriander Pesto Bake with Sweet Potatoe Cauliflower Mash

Puy Lentil & Coriander Pesto Bake with Sweet Potatoe Cauliflower Mash

Christmas has passed, it was wild. Amongst the many great experiences of Christmas like spending time with family and friends, I received a gift of The Happy Pear Cookbook. This book is brimming with simple vegetarian recipes and I am working my way through it each week.

This week I made the “Puy Lentil Pesto Bake with Sweet Potatoe Mash”, I made one alteration I used Sweet Potatoe & Cauliflower Mash. I also used 200 grams of puy lentils instead of 400 grams. In my opinion this dish tastes like a Shepherds’ Pie minus the mince. It is great to have in the fridge, very convenient for lunches or a quick snack.  I served it with zoodles and drizzled pesto and almonds on top.

The health benefits of coriander, sweet potatoe and cauliflower are outlined below (Grotto, 2011):

• Coriander: good source of iron, magnesium and manganese – fresh coriander is delicious.
• Sweet Potatoe: packed with vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin C, B6, manganese, potassium and fiber.
• Cauliflower: low carbohydrate content, source of fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, biotin and folate.

To learn more about vitamins visit the Linus Pauling Institute.

Recipe:

2 Medium Carrots, chopped

100 grams Green Beans, trimmed and chopped

300g Sweet Potatoes

300g Cauliflower Florets, chopped

200g Puy Lentils

2 Bay Leaves

½ tsp. Thyme

50 ml Tamari Sauce

100 ml Non Dairy Milk

Salt & Pepper

Pesto (Nut free, dairy free)

Fresh Coriander – I used 6 bunches

3 Garlic Cloves

¼ tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

100 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

100 ml Water

Pinch Salt & Black Pepper

* Pop all ingredients in food processor and blitz until smooth, pour into a storage jar.

Method:

Wash & Chop: carrots, green beans, cauliflower florets, cube sweet potatoes leaving the skin for extra fibre.

Rinse: Puy lentils and pop them in saucepan with carrots, bay leaves, thyme, tamari sauce, 500-600 ml water, season with salt & peppers. Cooking time: 30 minutes.

Oven: Pop chopped cauliflower on a tray , drizzle with oil roast at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. This will be used for the mash.

Saucepan: add cubed sweet potatoes, cover with water and cook until soft.

Mash: Pop sweet potatoe and cauliflower in food processor add non-dairy milk, salt & pepper – blitz until mash consistency

Pesto: mix 3-4 tablespoons through the lentil mix.

Pyrex Dish: Pour lentil mix into a square Pyrex dish (25 cm x 25cm) and top with mash. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 180 – makes it nice and crispy.

Be sure to keep me posted if you try and test these recipes by posting on Twitter: @WhelehanLynne or Instagram @makeandbakefromscratch #makeandbakefromscratch

References

• Grotto. D, RD, LDN. (2001) 101 Foods that could save your life. Bantam Books. New York.