Green Lentil Stew with Spinach and Corn, Quinoa with Edamame (No Added Fat)

This is the last night of my Dad's few week visit, and I thought that I would prepare a green lentil dish. Green lentils cook in a 1 part to 1.5-2 parts liquid over 15-20 minutes under pressure. I love citrus and thought that I'd include some fresh squeezed navel orange juice in the liquid. Here is what I did.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups green lentils
• 2 cups (a bit more than 1:1.5 ratio) water
• 1 cup fennel root chopped into 1/4" cubes
• 1 1/4 cups carrot chopped into 3/8" cubes
• 1/4 t turmeric
• 1/2 t ground cumin
• Vegan bouillon cube
• 1/2 cup onion cut into 1/4" cubes
• 1t lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 t (or to taste) salt
• 1c corn kernels
• 1c chopped spinach

Process

1. I rinsed the lentils then put them in my Instant Pot pressure cooker, along with the water (I actually substituted the juice of two navel oranges, about 1/4 cup, for part of the water), fennel, carrot, turmer, cumin, and bouillon cube, and cooked for 18m.
2. After the cooking was done, I waited a few minutes and gently released pressure, then tried the lentils. The citrus was not noticeable, so I added the lemon juice and remaining ingredients.
3. Because I used frozen corn and spinach, I turned the Instant Pot on for another minute under low pressure.
4. When I was ready to serve, I opened the pot slowly, and served.

I also made some quinoa with edamame.

 

Results

Lately, my wife and daughter have been enjoying dinner more than I have, and today seemed to be the case, again. Dinner was good, but the two of them enjoyed the lentils more than I did. My Dad seemed to also enjoy the meal.

I was quite pleased with the texture of the lentils; I wanted a thick stew that I could serve on a plate, rather than a dhal, and that's exactly what I got. The Instant Pot pan had just a bit of sticking, which means I put just under the right amount of liquid in. The lentils were not very soft, but were certainly cooked and ready to eat, even for somebody like my Dad who likes soft food.

I loved the simple combination of the edamame and quinoa! It was the star of the meal, but just for me.

Ideas for the future

I forgot to add ginger to the lentils. Next time, the lentils may benefit from maybe a 20m cook time. I should try cooking lentils entirely in citrus juice. Let me remember the quinoa and edamame and make it again soon!