Curried Lentil Pilaf with Dried Tart Cherries

This is a festive dish that is so easy to make and can be made for every day, or even a holiday meal! It can also be used as a great stuffing for roasted delicata or acorn squash.
vegetable broth or water, as needed
½ onion, chopped
1 medium/large ripe and juicy tomato, chopped
½-1 cup chopped or sliced mushrooms
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, chopped or grated
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
½ teaspoon curry powder or to taste
½ teaspoon turmeric
2-3 teaspoons Bragg’s aminos or ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Black pepper to taste
1 cup cooked & drained brown or green lentils (available canned or cook yourself- see below)
2 cups cooked quinoa
¼ cup tart dried cherries or dried cranberries or currants
- In a heated dry skillet, add the onion and sauté a bit to brown, then add the tomato, mushrooms, carrots, garlic and seasonings and stir well on high heat.
- Cover and reduce the heat to low and allow this mixture to cook/simmer until the carrots and onions are tender, adding a bit of water or broth to avoid burning.
- Uncover and fold in the lentils, rice and quinoa adding vegetable broth to moisten and soften the grains as needed.
- Fold the cherries or cranberries, cover and heat the entire dish through, while softening the grains and infusing the flavor.
Anti-inflammatory Quinoa (Serves 6)
Soaking quinoa for an hour or so and draining before cooking increases the amount of servings to 7-8 1 cup servings and creates a fluffier quinoa. Adding turmeric and black pepper increases the anti-inflammatory properties of any foods. Adding them to the cooking water in this recipe creates a pleasing yellow color adding savory flavor to the quinoa.
1 ½ cups quinoa, rinsed
Water to soak
2 3/4 cups water for cooking
½ teaspoon turmeric
black pepper to taste
- Soak the quinoa, covered by about 1 inch of water, for an hour or more. Drain and rinse.
- Bring all ingredients to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir well. Reduce the heat to a low-simmer. Cover and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, replace the cover and let it rest for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy or chill for salads.
Cooked Brown/Green Lentils
1 ½ cups Brown Lentils
Water to cover (twice)
- In a large pan, place the lentils and cover them by about 1-2 inches with water. Allow them to soak 2-8 hours.
- Drain and rinse the lentils. At this point you can allow them to sprout for a few hours, or cook them.
- Place the lentils back into the pan, cover them with water again by about 2 inches. Cover, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20-30 minutes until they are soft (not crunchy).
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