Curried Squash and Red Lentils

I've revamped my blog and would like to share my cooking with you all in a more accessible way by posting recipes included with my photos. Part of why I like to cook and share meals with friends, family, and even strangers is because we can all be united by eating the same foods together. I want to share the things I create in my life with others in order to create a universal love for good, healthy, and conscious eating. This kind of eating is nothing fancy. It doesn't require spending large sums of money at hip grocery stores. It doesn't mean slaving over a hot stove for hours on end and following a complicated recipe to a tee. Rather it is a quiet kind of revolution, one that honors simple living. It might mean digging through some dirt in your back garden or chatting with a farmer at the local farmer's market. But in my opinion, these are all keys to the good life. 

Curried Squash and Red Lentils 

Adapted from Shutterbean

This dish is one I have made many times over the past couple of months after finding it on one of my favorite blogs of all time, Shutterbean. I like the idea of a one bowl meal and the flavors in this dish make me feel warm and satisfied. It also can be varied depending on the vegetables you have in your fridge, one of those "kitchen sink" type dishes that you can pretty much hide whatever you like within the lentil goodness. 

Ingredients: Serves 4. 

I halved the ingredients to make enough for dinner and a leftover lunch but kept the quantity of carrot and celery the same because I'm a veggie fan. I also added zucchini, you know, just because. 

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons grated ginger

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 cup red lentils

4 cups water

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Melt butter and olive oil in a large pan. Add squash, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, ginger, and salt. Cook until onion is done. Add spices along with lentils and water. Cook covered, stirring periodically and checking to see if more water is needed until lentils are fully cooked. Add lemon juice and garnish with fresh cilantro.