Sweet Potato and Lentil Empanadas

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021 itsangie3 Comments

Hi everyone, thanks for stopping by my blog.

This recipe is a healthy, delicious vegetarian empanada. I’ve used sweet potato which are quite a versatile ingredient in cooking, I’ve grated it for this recipe to achieve a smooth mashed consistency without it being boiled and loosing all of its nutritional content. I really enjoyed eating these empanadas because the ingredients all compliment each other well and the pastry was smooth with each bite.

Recipe: Sweet potato and lentil empanadas (makes 6)

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil, for frying

1/4 onion, finely diced

1 large sweet potato, grated

65g lentils, cooked

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

Pinch of chilli flakes

Pinch of salt

Sprinkle of thyme

1/2 tsp brown sugar

Splash of water

Use my empanada recipe here <<

Use my kale pesto recipe here <<

Method

Prepare all of the ingredients and heat the oil in a frying pan.
Once hot and the onion and cover with a lid for 3 minutes on a low heat, this will soften the onions without burning them.
Next, mix in the sweet potato along with the spices and add a splash of water so it doesn’t dry out.
Cover with the lid again and allow the sweet potato to fully cook for 10-12 minutes.
After that, add the lentils and cook for a further 2 minutes and stir.
Leave the sweet potato mixture to cool down. In the meantime, preheat the oven to gas mark 6 and lightly oil a baking tray.
Roll out the empanada pastry and cut out the pastry using a medium sized bowl.
Spoon some of the sweet potato mixture onto the pastry and top with a little of the kale pesto.
Fold the other half of the pastry over and crimp the edges using your fingers all the way round.
Repeat the above 2 steps until all of the mixture is used up and place each one on the prepared tray. Leftover pastry can be put in the freezer for another time.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and serve.

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Curried Lentils and Rice

June 23, 2021 itsangie1 Comment

Hello everyone, I hope your day has been well.

So when I was making this recipe I never had curry powder in the cupboard so I looked online and found a mixture of spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander and ginger) that when combined make a great curry alternative. I have really been enjoying eating lentils recently, they have an earthy and nutty flavour to them that would really compliment any dish.

Lentils are a great staple food to have in your cupboard because you can sprinkle them into most dishes, like curries, soup or any rice dish. They are a great source of fibre and protein and a healthy gluten free option. This recipe overall is full of flavour and definitely one to try!!

Recipe: Curried rice and lentils (serves 1-2)

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 small onion, finely diced

1/2 tsp curry powder (or an even mixture of turmeric, cumin, coriander and ginger)

Sprinkle of thyme and salt

300ml boiling water (you may need more)

48g lentils

64g rice

Method

Heat the oil in a pot for 1 minute before adding the onion, cook this for 5 minutes on a low heat stirring regularly. Add the curry powder, thyme and salt, cover with a lid for 2 minutes to continue cooking.

The onions should be slightly soft at the point, add the boiling water to the pot and bring to boil.

Next add the lentils and rice, leave on a gentle simmer until fully cooked, roughly 20 minutes but keep checking.

Give the ingredients a final mix to combine everything together and serve.

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Stuffed Conchiglioni Shells

April 26, 2021June 30, 2021 itsangieLeave a comment

Hey Everyone, thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Today I’m sharing a delicious recipe for all the pasta lovers. When I think of pasta, it’s usually fusilli or spaghetti that comes to mind but pasta shells are a little more sophisticated and give off the impression that you know your way around the kitchen. These stuffed conchiglioni shells are a perfect way to make a basic pasta dish seem impressive without the fuss. I’ve used a mixture of vegetables for the filling but you could also add any meat of your choice. This pasta dish was something I enjoyed making and the end result is pretty filled pasta shells.

I love one dish meals because once the pasta shells have been filled, it goes into the oven and you can sit back and chill whilst you wait for it to cook. This pasta is very filling and full of so much flavour, definitely something to make when hosting friends or family.

Recipe: Stuffed conchiglioni shells (serves 2/3)

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 small onion, finely diced

Handful of kale, shredded

1/3 broccoli, diced

1 heaped tbsp of corn

1 heaped tbsp of peas

Pinch of chilli flakes

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp pesto

400g pasta sauce

200ml water

140g pasta shells

50g cheese, grated

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 and set aside a 24cm x 24cm oven dish.
Prepare all of the vegetables and put into a bowl, mix in the salt, chilli and pesto.
Pour the sauce and and water into the oven dish and mix well.
Then, one by one stuff the pasta shells as much as possible and gently place into the sauce. Repeat until the oven dish is full, sprinkle over the grated cheese and cover with foil.
Bake in the oven for 50 minutes minimum until the pasta is cooked and serve with a salad.

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Rice and Lentil Empanadas

April 13, 2021April 13, 2021 itsangie4 Comments

Hello everyone, I hope your day has been well.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, it’s vegetarian for a change and is a great side dish. These empanadas are filled with lentils, brown rice and kale, all hearty and nutritious. Although the filling is fairly healthy, it doesn’t take away from the great flavour that comes through from the rich tomato puree which really brings everything together. I do find that empanadas can be quite dry depending on how moist the filling is, so a dipping sauce, salsa or chutney would go down well.

Recipe: Rice and lentil emapanadas (makes 6)

Ingredients

45g brown rice, cooked

95g lentils, cooked

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 paprika

1 tbsp tomato puree

1/2 tsp oregano

Pinch of salt and pepper

Use my empanada pastry recipe <<

Use my kale pesto recipe <<

Method

Separately cook the rice and lentils according to the packet instructions.
Add both to a bowl along with the other ingredients and mix everything together until well combined.
Set aside to cool and down and preheat the oven to gas mark 6 and lightly oil a baking tray.
Roll out the dough and use a 3 inch cutter to make the pastry shapes.
Spoon 1 tbsp of the rice and lentil mixture onto half of the pastry, then 1 tsp of the kale pesto recipe on top.
Fold the pastry over the top and crimp the edges using your fingers to secure the empanada.
Repeat the above step until all of the filling is used up.
Place each empanada onto the prepared tray and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the top is slightly golden.