2019-08-01 Eat Well

Red Lentils with Kale & Coconut

Recipe / Meg Thompson

Is it a soup, dal or curry? That I am not sure of, but I do know that

this is a simple and nourishing meal that is wonderful served with brown

rice, a lovely bread, or as is.

Serves: 4

1 onion, peeled & sliced

4 cloves garlic, peeled &

roughly chopped

Thumb-sized piece of ginger,

peeled & finely grated

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

2 cups tomato puréed or

tinned tomatoes

2 cups water

¾ cup red lentils, rinsed & drained

200mL coconut milk

2 pinches sea salt

Black pepper, to taste

2–3 large kale leaves

Sauté onion, garlic and ginger in

olive oil until onion is soft.

Transfer to slow cooker and add

remaining ingredients except kale.

Cook on high for 3 hours, or until

lentils are cooked through.

In final half-hour of cooking time,

add kale and taste, adding extra salt

or pepper if desired.

Serve with extra drizzle of

coconut milk alongside rice or your

favourite cooked grain.

Coriander Eggplant

Recipe / Meg Thompson

Eggplant cooked in a slow cooker gives it a beautiful, silky texture that works

so well in a curry. I love the little surprise pop of the coriander seeds in your

mouth as you eat this celebration of our nightshade vegetables.

Serves: 4

300g eggplant, sliced into 1cm slices

½ red onion, sliced

½ zucchini, sliced into 1cm slices

¼ cup sundried tomatoes, roughly

chopped

¾ cup cooked kidney beans (or beans

of choice)

¼ cup olives, halved

3tsp coriander seeds

Black pepper, to taste

1 cup passata or tinned tomatoes

½ cup stock or broth

Fresh coriander, to serve

Sprinkle sliced eggplant with salt

and leave to sit for 5–10 mins.

Blot slices with clean tea towel

or piece of paper towel and slice

further into finger-length slices.

Transfer to slow cooker with

remainder of ingredients and cook

for 4 hours on high or 6–8 hours on

low, or until eggplant is soft.

Enjoy with your favourite grain or

sourdough to scoop up the gooey

eggplant goodness.

Pumpkin Chickpea Pasta

Recipe / Meg Thompson

A child-friendly dish that can be made even simpler by cooking

the pasta together with the rest of the ingredients. I prefer the

texture from cooking the pasta separately, as in the recipe here;

however, it is an option. Just add the pasta towards the end of

cooking, checking to be sure you have enough liquid and adding

a little extra stock if necessary.

Serves: 3–4

½ brown onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled

& chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

if you can

2 cups peeled & roughly

chopped pumpkin

½ cup cooked chickpeas

1 cup stock or broth

Sprig fresh thyme or rosemary

300g pasta of your choice

1–2 cups baby spinach leaves

Salt & pepper

Sauté onion and garlic in olive

oil until soft.

Transfer to slow cooker

with nutmeg, pumpkin,

chickpeas, stock and thyme,

and cook on high for 3–4

hours or on low for 6 hours,

until pumpkin is very soft.

Meanwhile, cook pasta as

directed in salted water and

drain well.

Towards end of cooking

time, add cooked pasta and

spinach to warm through.

Taste and add salt and

pepper if desired.

Red Lentils with

Kale & Coconut Pumpkin Chickpea Pasta

Coriander Eggplant

Photography: Meg Thompson

26 | EatWell

RECIPES

slow cooker

EWL026_020-029 CR Slow Cooker Meals-PR.indd 26EWL026_020-029 CR Slow Cooker Meals-PR.indd 26 5/08/2019 2:31:38 PM5/08/2019 2:31:38 PM

RedLentilswithKale&Coconut

Recipe/ MegThompson

Is it a soup,dalorcurry?ThatI amnotsureof,butI doknowthat

thisis a simpleandnourishingmealthatis wonderfulservedwithbrown

rice,a lovelybread,orasis.

Serves: 4

1 onion,peeled& sliced

4 clovesgarlic,peeled&

roughlychopped

Thumb-sizedpieceofginger,

peeled& finelygrated

2 tbspoliveoil

2 tspcurrypowder

1 tspgarammasala

2 cupstomatopuréedor

tinnedtomatoes

2 cupswater

¾cupredlentils,rinsed& drained

200mLcoconutmilk

2 pinchesseasalt

Blackpepper,totaste

2–3largekaleleaves

Sautéonion,garlicandgingerin

oliveoiluntilonionis soft.

Transfertoslowcookerandadd

remainingingredientsexceptkale.

Cookonhighfor3 hours,oruntil

lentilsarecookedthrough.

Infinalhalf-hourofcookingtime,

addkaleandtaste,addingextrasalt

orpepperif desired.

Servewithextradrizzleof

coconutmilkalongsidericeoryour

favouritecookedgrain.

CorianderEggplant

Recipe/ MegThompson

Eggplantcookedin a slowcookergivesit a beautiful,silkytexturethatworks

sowellin a curry.I lovethelittlesurprisepopofthecorianderseedsin your

mouthasyoueatthiscelebrationofournightshadevegetables.

Serves: 4

300geggplant,slicedinto1cmslices

½redonion,sliced

½zucchini,slicedinto1cmslices

¼cupsundriedtomatoes,roughly

chopped

¾cupcookedkidneybeans(orbeans

ofchoice)

¼cupolives,halved

3tspcorianderseeds

Blackpepper,totaste

1 cuppassataortinnedtomatoes

½cupstockorbroth

Freshcoriander,toserve

Sprinkleslicedeggplantwithsalt

andleavetositfor5–10mins.

Blotsliceswithcleanteatowel

orpieceofpapertowelandslice

furtherintofinger-lengthslices.

Transfertoslowcookerwith

remainderofingredientsandcook

for4 hoursonhighor6–8hourson

low,oruntileggplantis soft.

Enjoywithyourfavouritegrainor

sourdoughtoscoopupthegooey

eggplantgoodness.

PumpkinChickpeaPasta

Recipe/ MegThompson

A child-friendlydishthatcanbemadeevensimplerbycooking

thepastatogetherwiththerestoftheingredients.I preferthe

texturefromcookingthepastaseparately,asin therecipehere;

however,it is anoption.Justaddthepastatowardstheendof

cooking,checkingtobesureyouhaveenoughliquidandadding

a littleextrastockif necessary.

Serves:3–4

½brownonion,diced

2 clovesgarlic,peeled

& chopped

2 tbspoliveoil

¼tspnutmeg,freshlygrated

if youcan

2 cupspeeled& roughly

choppedpumpkin

½cupcookedchickpeas

1 cupstockorbroth

Sprigfreshthymeorrosemary

300gpastaofyourchoice

1–2cupsbabyspinachleaves

Salt& pepper

Sautéonionandgarlicinolive

oiluntilsoft.

Transfertoslowcooker

withnutmeg,pumpkin,

chickpeas,stockandthyme,

andcookonhighfor3–4

hoursoronlowfor6 hours,

untilpumpkinis verysoft.

Meanwhile,cookpastaas

directedinsaltedwaterand

drainwell.

Towardsendofcooking

time,addcookedpastaand

spinachtowarmthrough.

Tasteandaddsaltand

pepperif desired.

Red Lentils with

Kale & Coconut Pumpkin Chickpea Pasta

Coriander Eggplant

Photography: Meg Thompson

26 | EatWell

RECIPES

slow cooker