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.
—
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.
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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.
Ber says
Put this in the crock this morning as we are off to the museum for classes. I will use frozen cauliflower and spinach as that is what I have on hand. To do this I will not add them until the last hour or so of cooking so they do not over cook.
Chaya says
Made this the other day while home from work due to Sandy’s visit! Came out delicious except my husband and I actually found it to be a drop too thick even with the 8 cups of broth. When re-heating it the next day I add about 2 cups more water and let it simmer on the fire for about 40 minutes and it was the perfect consistency. What a great, hearty soup!!
Meghan-Rose says
I just made this for dinner! Absolutely delicious, but I’m wondering if 8 cups of broth is really necessary? I used 4 and that was enough…any more and it would’ve been very soup-y and less stew-y.
Tori Avey says
Hi Meghan-Rose, the original recipe calls for 2 quarts (8 cups), which produces something between a soup and a stew– sort of like a very thick soup. After slow cooking it thickens nicely. Good to know that 4 cups works for a more stew-like consistency!
Jenny says
I love lentils, I feel so healthy when I eat them. This looks delicious!
Samantha says
Favorite meal as a kid: peanut butter and jelly sandwich with bananas and cinnamon on top (still love it now).
Suzy says
Can’t wait to try this stew. My favorite comfort food as a kid was my mom’s traditional mac n cheese. I can still smell it cooking in the oven!
laura says
I love lentils and make it all the time. Will use this recipe next week, need the kale.
My favorite food as a child was everything, and we were the meat and starch family. The one thing that was yummo was when my grandmother would come over with Ebingers Blackout cake or the apple pie with the strips on the top. Ebingers was located in Brooklyn and Queens in NYC. When the owner died the recipes went with them.
Craig says
Making a half order of this now. Went off the reservation a bit and substituting half the stock for red wine and adding beans. I’ll report back.
Dolores Gerber says
My mom’s cheese enchiladas are the best! She still makes them for me when I go visit Texas. The smell of her red chile sauce when you walked in the door, hmmmmmmmmm! I’m going to call her right now! I miss my mami!
Elainesl says
My favorite meal was anything my mother made, really. She didn’t have a wide or fancy repertoire, but what she cooked was delicious. I guess I’ll nominate her stuffed cabbage because I’ve never had its equal: parboiled cabbage leaves stuffed with chopped beef with a little rice holding it together, simmered in a sweet and sour sauce that included raisins, crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, brown sugar, and crumbled ginger snap cookies which both thickened and flavored the sauce. Yum.
sherri says
my favorite food was spaghetti which we hardly ever had, because my mom made a home made sauce which took many vegetables and many hours. i would love a copy of weelicious!
Nancy says
I just put this recipe together this morning and it’s cooking in the slow cooker now. I thought the cauliflower would be mushy after cooking that long so I substituted some diced butternut squash. I left the kale out but will put it in an hour or 2 before the end. I also had to omit the leeks because they were extremely expensive. Looking forward to the tasting!
anad says
Seems like we’re doing favorite meals! Just about anything my mother made was my favorite – even liver. The only thing I hated was when she made tongue. Never ate it. Too damn ugly.
Liane says
Yum – my mom used to make lentil soup for us – loved it.
Favorite childhood meal – My dad would make us Campbell’s Tomato Soup and grilled cheese (Velveeta & white bread, naturally) on Saturdays. The fact he didn’t cook all the time is what made it special, I think.
Nancy says
I am making this as I type – so excited for this recipe – thank you!
Marina says
My favorite meal as a kid was homemade russian potato salad and cold beet soup
Bonnie says
So many favorite meals to chose from. Whose mom isn’t the best cook ever?!! Her homemade tomato soup, her spaghetti and meatballs and don’t laugh, but my mom made a mean peanut butter and homemade pickle sandwich ;D #kitchenlovebymom
Esther says
My favorite meal as a kid involved my mom’s stuffed cabbage, but tomato soup and grilled cheese on a winter Sunday was also a keeper.
Shelley says
This look amazing!
We will be having this for Shabbat lunch this week. I couldn’t get kale, so we’ll be throwing in spinach instead!
Favorite childhood meal? Scallopped potatoes! My Mum would make them rarely, citing they were too fattening, but whne she did make them, she made them well!
Jenn says
As a kid I loved baked sweet potatoes, still do!