Curried Lentils with Poached Eggs and Cumin Carrots

If you've never had lentils before, now is the time to dive right in. Although I'd enjoyed them at restaurants, I'd never made them before this foray. However, they came out absolutely deliciously and my husband and I were both eagerly going back for more. These legumes are also stuffed full of folate, fiber, iron, protein, potassium, and many other vitamins and minerals. They're also fat free with just 230 calories in an entire cooked cup. Who could ask for more?

To complement the curry spices in the lentils I also made some carrots with cumin. Normally carrots only rank in the "so-so" category for me, but these were amazing. Whether you normally make them or not, I encourage you to go for it. Let me know in the comments how it goes!

Time: 1 hr
Difficulty: medium (poaching eggs is slightly tricky!)
Cost: $9.51



Curried Lentils with Poached Eggs
Time: 55 min

Ingredients:
1 c red, small, dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 tsp olive oil
1 c onion, chopped
1 c tomato, chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp white vinegar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 c fat free Greek yogurt
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Put 3 c water in a pot. Add the dried lentils and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover, and let the lentils simmer for 20 minutes. At the end, the lentils should be tender. Remove the bay leaf.

Get a pan heating over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the onions and tomatoes. Saute 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss in curry, cumin, red pepper, and garlic. Saute for another 2 minutes. Finally, add the lentils. Stir well to combine and cook 1 more minute. Remove from the heat.

Finally, you'll need to poach the eggs. Fill a large skillet with water to the 2/3 point. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat so it's at a steady simmer. Carefully crack an egg into a custard cup or small bowl. Carefully pour the egg into the pan. Repeat quickly but carefully with the other 3. Let the eggs simmer for 3 minutes and then carefully remove them with a slotted spoon.

Pout half of the lentils on each of 2 plates. Put two poached eggs on top of each pile of lentils. Sprinkle the black pepper over the top, dollop on the Greek yogurt, and sprinkle on the cilantro. Enjoy!

Servings: 4
Serving size: 2 eggs and about 2 cups cooked lentils
Nutrition: calories 387; carbs 55g; fat 12g; protein 34g; sodium 174mg; iron 41mg

Cumin Carrots
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb baby carrots, halved
2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp cumin

Get your oven pre-heating to 425 degrees.

Combine the carrots, olive oil, and cumin in one bowl. Toss to combine evenly. Put on a prepped cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender and lightly browned.

Servings: 2
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition: calories 119; carbs 19g; fat 5g; protein 2g; sodium 176mg; iron 11mg