Pesto Lentils with Zucchini and Capsicum

 

I'm so happy to share with you an outrageously delicious, simple, filling, and healthy lentil and vegetable dish. When I talk to our friends these days about food and what they are cooking for themselves, many are now eating more simply than ever, particularly during the week. So let's go mental for lentils, they tick lots of boxes.

Lentils are a very modest, low cost and simple ingredient, but they are not to be underestimated in nutritional value. They are packed with good gut fibre and give us a serious plant-based protein hit as well at a fraction of the cost. This dish could be eaten either as a salad or with a salad, as a hot vegetarian meal, or to accompany a piece of chicken or fish. When there's a can of lentils in the pantry, and a jar of homemade pesto in the freezer, there's a delicious meal just waiting to happen in my kitchen. Lentils combined with some colourful fresh vegetables and basil pesto make this a very enjoyable meal. However, there are some  delicious pesto brands available at the supermarkets as well. You do you. 

20 years ago, Mr. HRK and I lived for 12 months in the United Kingdom, in the Lake District, in Cumbria, Northwest England, in a charming village called Cockermouth.  Yes that's right, no typo there, Cockermouth it still is. Mr. HRK applied to do a teaching exchange at Cockermouth Highschool, and was accepted, so over we went, very excited, swapping our house and our car with a lovely British family. The cost of living was high for us particularly on one wage, and Mr. HRK was still being paid in Australian dollars, so my meal planning often included cooking with lots of lentils and fresh vegetables, to stretch the budget. In fact, I was going mental over lentils. So much so, that during Winter, which was very cold, I developed a very sore toe, which I was worried was gout, from eating too many lentils. However, when the weather started to warm up, the toe settled down, so I think it was all the walking I did into the village, on icy roads. We almost became vegetarian during that year, because the cost of meat was exorbitant. However, we always needed meat once or twice a week.

We take a lot for granted here in Queensland, but at the moment with the rising fuel costs and the increase in the cost of food, it could be time to start including more meals like this one again in our weekly diets. 

Serves 2

331 calories per serving

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 yellow or red capsicum, deseeded and cut into roughly 2 cm chunks
1/2 medium zucchini, cut into 2 cm chunks
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 x 400 g can lentils, any variety, drained
1/2 vegetable stock cube, or 3 tablespoons vegetable stock
2 tablespoons basil pesto, homemade or purchased
20 g Parmesan, finely grated
1 crushed clove garlic (optional)
Fresh basil leaves for garnish and more flavour

Method:

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion, garlic, capsicum and zucchini for 5 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown, stirring regularly

• Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softened, still stirring constantly

• Add the drained lentils, crumbled stock cube softened with  2-3 tablespoons water, or ready made stock. Stir in the pesto and season with lots of ground black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, until the lentils are hot, stirring constantly
• Remove fry pan from the heat and sprinkle with cheese to serve.
• Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves.

Cook's notes:

• Using colourful vegetables in a meal like this one, which is based on neutral coloured lentils is important. We definitely eat with our eyes first, I know I do, and the contrast of a yellow capsicum, red tomato and green zucchini complements the serious nature of the lentils in the dish. 
• Some green peas could also be added.
• The quality of the pesto is important for this dish, so the more flavoursome pesto the better. I prefer my homemade basil pesto, but you use what you prefer. 
• Only 331 calories per serving. This recipe was inspired  by one I found in The Ultimate fast 800 recipe book.
• If you are happy to actually cook some green or brown lentils, and not use canned ones, they would be perfect for this dish.

If you occasionally have a meat free Monday, this dish would be perfect, and with more time permitting I might have grilled some chicken to have with it as well. However eating this meal for a relaxed brunch on the weekend would be perfect.

Happy cooking,

Warmest wishes,

Pauline