Yellow Lentils With Spinach & Ginger

Just one thing to say: Make this please!!! It is so delicious that I made it twice in one week!! It's super easy, healthy, and you might even have most of the ingredients in the pantry already!

Yellow Lentils With Spinach And Ginger from the Mayo Clinic Cookbook

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 teaspoon white or black sesame seeds

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, minced (I've subbed green onions once, and purple onion once- turned out great both ways)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup yellow lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained (I've used red too)

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or broth (I used low-salt veg broth from bouillion)

1/2 cup light coconut milk

2 cups baby spinach leaves, stemmed and chopped, or 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)
Directions

Toast only the white sesame seeds before using. Place the sesame seeds in a small, dry saute or frying pan over medium heat. Cook briefly, shaking the pan often and watching carefully to prevent burning. Remove the seeds from the pan as soon as they begin to turn brown. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, ginger, curry powder and turmeric and cook, stirring, until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the lentils, stock and coconut milk. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, about 12 minutes. The mixture should be brothy; add a little water if needed.
Stir in the spinach, cover and simmer for about 3 minutes longer. The lentils should still hold their shape. Uncover and stir in the salt. Serve hot, garnished with the cilantro and toasted white or untoasted black sesame seeds.

Deeeelicious!!

And for dessert... ;)

Look what I discovered when I tilted my head up in our backyard! A beautiful blooming Japanese Magnolia tree. How wonderful!! This is our first spring at this house..who knows what will bloom next!!

Have a great day!!!