Ingredients:
Basmati rice and split lentils (in equal measure)
¼ butternut squash
½ red pepper
½ green pepper
1 large red onion
Half a cup of Quinoa
1 red chilli
2 garlic cloves
Chopped tomatoes
Red kidney beans in chilli sauce
200g sweetcorn
100g spinach
Vegetable stock cube
Cumin
Coriander (fresh)
Coriander (ground)
Paprika
Chilli Powder
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Tomato purée
Mixed Herbs
Method:
This recipe is something my girlfriend originally made me as a backlash to me doing most of the cooking, so I adapted it to make it all delicious and am now gifting it to you lovely readers.
Make sure to follow each step (don’t cut any out, we don’t do half measures unless they’re red peppers) and your Valentine’s date will have their socks knocked clean off.
1) Bring the Quinoa to boil in vegetable stock. Reduce to simmer and leave for 10-15 minutes.
2) At the same time (multi-tasking, good lord this is going to impress) add 1 part basmati rice and 1 part red split lentils to a pan, bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes (Jamie Oliver, heart, eaten, something).
3) On a low heat, begin to fry the onions, peppers, butternut squash and garlic cloves. After 2-3 minutes add in the tomato puree and chilli and stir gently.
Keep frying on a low heat until all the veggies are nice and fried in the pan. If you want to look really cool, learn to do that cool one handed flip frying thing, then whoever you’re cooking for can marvel over how much of a loser you are.
4) Add your spices. Add however much, or however little you want, but make sure you add them all- we season our food in this house.
5) When your spices are all tucked up in the food nice and cosy, bop in those kidney beans (with sauce) and chopped tomatoes, give it a good old fashioned stir, or shake, depending who you are.
6) At this point, your pre made rice and quinoa should be looking all mighty fine, you’re gonna want to keep checking up on your rice to make sure you haven’t got the ole’ burn pan, but otherwise part drain your quinoa so there’s a bit of stock left and then pour it all into the chilli mix for a bit of extra flavour.
7) Chop your spinach into finer strips (not whole leaves) and chuck it in for 30 seconds with your sweetcorn, just so it starts to wilt nicely.
8) Make bed of lentil rice on the bottom of your bowl, part the waves like Moses and spoon in some of the chilli, garnish with fresh coriander because it makes you look real fancy, then serve as you wish (I chose a to serve with tortilla chips and fried kale, but homemade guac or salsa will do the trick.
