A hearty Moroccan stew with an array of fresh veggies and protein-rich lentils.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 stalks of carrots, peels and chopped
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp grated gingerroot
2 cups brown or green lentils
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup raisins
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small red or orange pepper, chopped
2 cups fresh baby spinach
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a very large skillet or dutch oven on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, vinegar and spices. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add lentils, broth, tomatoes and raisins, then turn on high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered until lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Add peppers and spinach and heat covered until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over rice or couscous, with a side of pita bread.

I love Moroccan flavours and I also adore lentils, so this dish was something I really enjoyed. My family…not so much. I guess like the food blog where I adapted this from says, this stew appeals to women more than men. This was certainly true in my household. Tony ate it but didn’t say anything about it. That’s a bad sign, because he tends to abide by the rule ‘if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.’ The kids were much more vocal in their dislike, especially Cole, who said “this dinner is pretty much not very good Mommy.” Oh well, I tried.
I froze the leftovers and was thinking of adding some feta cheese to it and wrapping it in phyllo pastry or pitas, just to spice it up a bit and maybe fool my family into enjoying it a little more. We’ll see!

-Recipe adapted from Polwig.com

****Please see Moroccan Lentil Pie for a great way to use leftovers for this meal.