A few weeks ago, my friend Catherine McCord sent me a copy of her new cookbook, Weelicious. I met Catherine at the BlogHer Conference in Seattle this past summer. I immediately knew she was destined for great things. She is passionate about her blog, and she’s really dedicated herself to creating healthy food options for busy families on the go. Catherine’s site Weelicious is super successful, and I’m sure her new cookbook will be, too. It’s full of quick, healthy, kid-friendly recipes and cooking tips. It’s not a kosher cookbook, but it does have lots of options for those who keep kosher. Busy families will love this book, it’s full of fun and easy ideas to nourish your family.
When the weather begins cooling down and the skies are overcast, there’s nothing quite like a slow cooker meal to warm the tummy and comfort the spirit. I adapted the following recipe from Catherine’s “Slow-Cooker Lentil Veggie Stew” in the Weelicious cookbook. The original recipe is a great base to work from. I decided to spice it up a bit– which little kid mouths might not appreciate, but in our family everything gets the spicy treatment! I added cumin, black pepper, and cayenne to the mix. I also threw in some cauliflower to add some texture and bulk to the soup, while keeping things low cal. Catherine suggests topping the stew with plain yogurt, herbed goat cheese, feta, crème fraîche, or grated Parmesan. We stirred in some Greek yogurt and lowfat sour cream because it’s what we had on hand. Both were terrific, they added a nice creamy touch to the broth. Obviously you can leave the dairy products out to keep the stew vegan or pareve. I also threw in a few seasoned breadcrumbs, they sopped up the soup and tasted awesome. On its own, the stew is simple, natural comfort food– gluten free, low fat, low calorie, and vegan. Good for the body, good for the soul. What could be better?
I have two Weelicious cookbooks to give away this week! Enter to win your own copy by leaving a comment below, along with a valid email address, letting me know the answer to this question:
What was your favorite meal when you were a kid?
All entrants will be subscribed to my weekly newsletter (unless you are already subscribed). Two winners will be chosen at random and notified via email. Contest ends at 5:00pm PST on Friday, October 12, 2012.
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CONTEST ENDED. Congrats to Toni and Mary Ann!
New giveaway posting soon.
Learn more about the Weelicious cookbook, and buy your own copy – click here.
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Slow Cooker Lentil Cauliflower Stew
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried lentils
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups of onion)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 pound cauliflower, chopped into very small florets
- 2 leeks, white and green parts only, halved, washed carefully, and chopped)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (very spicy-- add 1/4 tsp or less for a milder flavor)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 32 ounces diced tomatoes with juice (1 large can)
- 2 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard
Optional Toppings
- Plain yogurt, herbed goat cheese, feta, crème fraîche, grated Parmesan, Greek yogurt or lowfat sour cream
NOTES
Instructions
- Sort the lentils, discarding any stones or impurities. Rinse the lentils in a wire mesh strainer.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion for about 4 minutes, till softened. Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute.
- Pour the softened onions and garlic into the slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients (minus toppings).Cover the slow cooker and turn heat to high. Set timer to 6 hours on high, or 8 hours on low, until the lentils are tender.
- Serve hot with your choice of toppings.
Amy Horowitz-Thomas says
My favorite meal as a kid was anything served with my parent’s homemade crinkle-cut french fries!
Heather says
My fav meal as a kid was chicken nuggets with a side of broccoli… I think it was the only meal I woul eat until u was 7 lol.
Shira Kestenbaum says
this stew looks beautiful!
My favorite meal as a child? I would have to say Friday Night dinner. My late mother used to make the same meal almost every week, and we all looked forward to it. There was probably a first course, such as soup or fricasee, but the piece de resistance was roast chicken over rice. My mother would take a big roasting pan, pour in a layer of rice, and place whole spiced chickens over the rice. Then it all went into the oven to roast. I don’t know exactly how she did it, if she used water or oil or nothing, but I know that I have never been able to duplicate that taste. That chicken represents our Friday night dinners – that special “spice” that is generations of Jewish mothers!
Marianna in Berlin says
How nice to see one of my favorite bloggers mention one of my other favorite bloggers! 🙂 I have been looking for a way to add cauliflower to my cooking and this soup will definitely be on my meal plan very soon, it looks awesome!
My favorite meal as a kid was what my family called the “Great American Sandwich” – toasted rye bread with Helmann’s mayo, yellow mustard, Hebrew National salami (wouldn’t touch it nowadays), lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes! Not really sure in retrospect what made this “American” though …
anad says
The *mayo* makes it American 🙂
Jill says
This recipe looks great- can’t wait to try it!
Prans says
Very nice and healthy recipe. Also a quick tip for the lentils to cook faster if not using a slow cooker. The lentils can be soaked for an hour or two before they are cooked. This will reduce the cooking time.
My favorite meal as a kid was my mom’s palak dal and shaami kababs !
Beachmom says
Thank you for this recipe – LOVE lentils and this looks yummy!
Denise says
My favorite food as a child was my grandma’s chilli
Anita says
Looks delish!
My favorite meal as a kid was tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Diana says
One of the many favorites that really brings back great memories is my mom’s chicken soup. It was always so comforting. I still love chicken soup.
Debbie S. says
perfect fall recipe as the leaves are turning! love the healthy benefits as well. thanks! my favorite meal as a kid was my mom’s “crummy” chicken, which sounds like an insult but was her cornflake crumb coated chiken which had been dredged in Russian dressing first! the pan drippings are still my favorite 🙂 thanks, Tori!
Aly says
The stew looks yummy. I certainly never saw lentils as a kid.
My favorite dish growing up would be spaghetti with meatballs. I lived in an Italian neighborhood and I loved getting invited to my friends’ houses for dinner. Yum.
Kat says
Live and work from my RV so love recipes like this. I happen to be a big fan of both lentils and cauliflower so this is going in the slow cooker this weekend, since it is supposed to be a rainy, cool weekend (near Phoenix) after a long, triple-digit summer.
Craig Wilgenbusch says
My favorite dish as a kid was grilled cheese and tomato soup, with a dill pickle spear on the side. I love to do upscale versions of it now, with fancy cheeses, fruit, and carmelized onions on the sandwhich. SO COMFORTING!
Kathy S says
Macaroni & cheese…
(I’ve since been spoiled by recipes for mac & cheese that are muuuuuch better than the box version I grew up with. There’s no comparison!)
Lesley says
This looks delicious, like everything on your site!
My favorite meal as a kid was spaghetti with mushroom soup meat sauce… not Kosher, but amazing!
Dana says
I love my moms matzoh ball soup. It was, and will always be, my favorite dish.
Hindy says
This stew looks fantastic!
My favorite meal as a kid was a bowl of buttery pasta with parmesan cheese and garlic. Pure comfort food.
Toni says
My fave as a kid was Hamburger Helper. Sigh…
Robin from Israel says
Yum, sounds – and looks – delicious! I’ll definitely be trying this one as soon as the weather cools off a bit more.
My favorite meal as a kid? Macaroni and cheese, or else a holiday meal with all the trimmings :).