Recipe: Slow-Cook Moroccan Pumpkin & Lentil Casserole

This is a really yummy and warming bean and vegetable bake!

This picture doesn’t really do it justice. However I can tell you it was good!

It is Vegan casserole because there are no animal products at all, which is great for those who don’t want to eat meat or just want to increase legumes and lentils in their diet. Don’t let the label ‘vegan’ scare you. Vegan food doesn’t have to mean gross or tasteless- this is a very flavourfull dish! I actually made this to be more focused on the beans rather than the fact that it was vegan aswell.

It is high in fibre dish (due to the legumes). This casserole also contains Pumpkin, which is high in the antioxidant beta carotene. Beta carotene converts to vitamin A in our body, which contributes to many important functions.

When tomato is cooked with olive oil it increases the digestibility of lycopene, a carotenoid. I used Shiitake Mushroom in this recipe.

This dish is slow cooked at a low temperature for a long time. The Beans are also soaked before cooking, in water and Kombu (I soaked for 2 hours although soaking for longer is also greatly beneficial in order to reduce the phytic acid (phytate). Germenantion and also fermentation can continue to reduce the phytic acid content. Phytic acid (Phytate) is found in many seed grains, cereals, tubers and roots. It is an anti-nutrient meaning that it prevents other nutrients from being absorbed by binding them. The nutrient that Phytic acid particularly binds are mineral nutrients including iron, zinc, calcium, manganese and magnesium.

Recipe: Slowcook Moroccan Pumpkin and Lentil Casserole:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a pumpkin, skin removed and diced
• 1 tsp. of cinnamon
• 1/2 an onion or 1 small onion, chopped roughly
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 nob of ginger, sliced thinly
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 can of mixed beans (get one with chickpeas), soaked with kombu and water for 2-24 hours (beforehand). Nb: you could also used dried beans that you would need to be soaked for 24 hours- 48 hours).
• 6 dried Shiitake mushrooms, chopped up and soaked in water.
• Pepper and coriander, for serving.

How  to make it:

1. Soak the chopped Shiitake mushrooms in some warm water.
2. In a cast iron pot, saute onion and pumpkin with about one tablespoon of olive oil, till the onion is soft and the pumpkin starts to soften a little.
3. Next add the beans and stir again. Add the chopped tinned tomatoes, a little bit more olive oil and the cinnamon. Stir it all together.
4. Lastly add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, shiitake mushrooms and their water.
5. Put this in the oven at 140 degrees C (or a bit lower) and cook for two hours or until the liquid reduces and the top forms a crunchy layer.

Serve with a pinch of ground pepper and a sprig of coriander on top.

Nutrition References (for futher reading):

• http://urbanext.illinois.edu/pumpkins/nutrition.html
• http://www.nutritionjrnl.com/article/S0899-9007(05)00297-2/abstract
• http://www.pp.bme.hu/ch/2002_1/pdf/ch2002_1_08.p
• http://www.grainfieldsaustralia.com/US/lactobacillus_research/digestibility_grains.shtml
• http://www.ilsi.org/file/ironphyt.pdf

Michelle

© Copyright: 2009-2012 Michelle Robson-Garth. Please ask permission first when using any text or images on healthfoodlover.com. See the disclaimer here. Have a look at the recipe index for more health food lovin’ recipes. Join the Facebook page & follow Health Food Lover on twitter.

Michelle

Health Food Lover is Michelle Robson-Garth. Michelle is a degree-qualified Naturopath (BHSc) and Massage Therapist. She is also a passionate writer, recipe-creator and all-round foodie from Melbourne, Australia. © Copyright: 2009-2012 Michelle Robson-Garth. Please ask permission first when using any text or images on healthfoodlover.com. Read the disclaimer here. Have a look at the recipe index for more health food lovin’ recipes. Join the Facebook page & follow Health Food Lover on twitter.

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