So … I took a little hiatus last week. Things did not go according to plan and I couldn’t get up some new recipes. But. The lovely Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic made my Skillet Lasagna and wrote a lovely interview with me. I was so flattered, no one has ever wanted to interview me before! So head on over there and read all about moi. While you’re there, make sure to follow Kim on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Pinterest so you can keep up with all her shenanigans.
Lentils are one of the world’s most consumed foods. And for good reason, they are cheap, simple to prepare and packed with heathly vitamins and minerals and filling protein and fiber. I make a lot of lentils, mainly because I think they are a fun challenge to work with. Yes, you can always make lentil soup, and I’ve done quite a bit of that, but there are many other ways to enjoy them.
A while back, I made some lentil cakes that turned out really well. They were so filling and tasty and made great leftovers. So I wanted to make a new version using my current favorite condiment: harissa. I am totally obsessed with harissa and have started using it to spice up many diffent dishes. I decided to try it with some red lentil cakes and add some other tasty mediteranian flavors.
Lentils are consistently rated one of the world’s healthiest foods. Filled with B Vitamins, folate, calcium and phosphorus, they are also a great source of protein and iron, making them a staple of vegetarian diets all over the world.
I was very lucky to receive some tasty spicy harissa courtesy of Mina Harissa. Following the traditional Moroccan preparation. The red pepper sauce is made with only 6 simple all natural ingredients; red chili pepper, red bell pepper, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt. It has a wonderful consistency, not dry or oily like some of the others I’ve tried. You can check out their products and learn more about the different varieties on the website.
RED LENTIL CAKES WITH HARISSA
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 carrots, peeled
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.5 cups dry red lentils, rinsed
- 1.5 cups water or low sodium broth
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, washed
- juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup almonds
- 2 tbsp harissa
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten (vegan substitute: flax egg)
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- In a food processor, finely chop garlic, onions and carrots
- Saute garlic, onions and carrots in 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat until softened, 4-5 minutes
- Add lentils and water to pot, cover and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat to med-low and cook until lentils have absorbed all the water. They should be soft, but still maintain their shape
- Remove lentils from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes
- In a food processor, chop parsley and almonds
- In a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients with the lentils
- Carefully shape lentil mixture into patties and place on a greased cookie sheet. Aim for hockey puck sized
- Bake lentil cakes for 20 minutes and serve with lemon wedge and harissa
