While we're supposed to be heading for summer, the weather's been playing tricks. We've been experiencing overnight temperature fluctuations from 33°C to a low of 10°C, with icy berg winds making it feel way colder.
Yes, as unbelievable as it sounds for those living in the Northern Hemisphere, 10°C is freezing cold for a Durbanite.
Cold weather and I have never been best friends, and I needed comfort food to warm me up.
My veggies-on-wheels supplier had gorgeous graffiti (striped) eggplant, and they were waiting to be turned into a dish of sorts.
A hot tip that really works
If you want your veggies to last longer in the refrigerator, wrap them in paper towels before placing them into storage containers or bags. I guarantee you will be amazed - lettuce especially that quickly turns brown and slimy if you don't use it, will stay crispy and fresh much longer.
Back to cooking...
I told you about the stockpile of canned foods in my pantry, and I found a can of brown lentils that goes very well with eggplant. It also is an excellent source of protein.
I have a recipe for an Eggplant and Lentil Moussaka which I wanted like to share with you, but it was a little more work, and lunchtime was fast approaching, so the next best dish would be a stew of some sort.
I managed to gather all these gorgeous veggies:
𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 & 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙞 𝙀𝙜𝙜𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙬 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙚
Quantities are not exact, you can omit and add any other veggies of choice.
- 1 Onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1 large Carrot, diced into cubes
- 2 Tomatoes, skins removed and diced
- 6 Baby Marrows (zucchini)
- 2 Eggplants, diced
- Fresh Basil
- Oregano
- 1 can brown Lentils
Sautee Onions and Garlic in Olive Oil
Add Carrots and sautee till veggies start to caramelize
Add Eggplant and stir-fry till it just starts to glaze
Add Tomatoes and Herbs, cover with lid and cook approx 5 min
Season to taste - I added salt, Paprika and Cayenne Pepper
Add lentils, stir and cover with lid. Cook till veggies are done
The kitchen was nice and warm from all the steam, and so was I. We (my staff and I) had a meal just in time for lunch.
I played around with different plating and even stepped outside to take a pic. See the difference the tableware and lighting makes!
Outdoors on a different plate.
I hope you enjoyed reading and will share your version with us one of these days;)
𝘽𝙊𝙉 𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙀𝙏𝙄𝙏 𝙁𝙍𝙄𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙎!
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Artwork by @artywink
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Looks delicious
It was, thank you @mysteriousroad
😄😄🙏
Eggplant and lentil stew hearty and delicious.
Thank you @hive.samadi, it was very good!
the lentils added flavor to it... looks yummy and healthy.. but I love eating baby cucumber raw 😊
!PIZZA
I agree, lentils are my favourite! I used baby marrows, not cucumber @jane1289, I also eat it raw. Thanks for popping in.😊
Hi, I really liked this dish, because it is very easy to get the ingredients and quick to prepare. I love it 😋
Regards @lizelle
Very quick and easy, thanks @jessiencasa 😊
Here too now temperatures changes fast, and thanks for the tip about the veggies, the comfort dish you share with us it's so good, today I made stewed veggies too ( but I added sauce) your veggies looks really good and healthy ❤️
I see your post and realize I need to drag my butt of the couch and make something to eat. Yum yum. Your dish looks delish and fortifying. I may be too lazy right now to go through much trouble. Sleep deprivation has the best of me.
By the way we are going into winter soon. I hear you when you say you and winter are not best friends. Here in Montreal, I can say that winter and I are enemies.
Enjoy your coming beautiful weather.😊