It’s been quiet in this little blog space of mine lately – but that is a clear indication that it has been anything but quiet in “real life”. The kids have their ever-growing array of school and after school / weekend activities and the hubs and my work schedules have been pretty jam-packed. So it’s probably no surprise that we feel as though we are always running from one thing to another.
Oh yeah, and then there was the big family trip we took to Japan! But more on that in another post…
Needless to say, I have quite the growing backlog of recipes that I want to share (if not, at the very least, to remind me of some of the delicious eats we’ve had recently).
Take this Red Lentil Dahl (or is it Dal or Dhal?)for instance, that made its way to our dinner table a few months ago.
Back when the morning frosts were still going strong, and the daylight hours were short. I popped the ingredients in my slow cooker before I went to work, and was rewarded with not only a glorious aroma when I returned home later that day, but also the ability to get dinner on the table in a flash. From memory – C & J had swimming after school on this particular day, so the hearty and belly-warming dahl was a welcomed hit when they walked in the door.
I served the dahl with rice and coriander, and although not pictured, I’m pretty confident I also added a dollop of natural yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
A perfect meal to warm us from the inside out (with leftovers for lunch the next day too!)
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- 3 cups red lentils rinsed and drained
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 onion sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 800 g tinned tomatoes
- rice, coriander, yoghurt and lemon juice to serve
Ingredients
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- Place all ingredients (except for the toppings) into a slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cover - and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- Serve with steamed rice, coriander, a spoonful of yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
There are some dishes that, despite their humble appearance and ease to make, are really something special.
With simple ingredients, and created easily in the slow cooker, the result was a hearty dinner soup (with lots of leftovers for lunch and for the freezer too). 
Day 2 – Teriyaki Chicken Bowls 
Chicken, grilled with a little teriyaki marinade, served with the pre-cooked ramen noodles, carrot, grilled zucchini, greens, coriander and sesame seeds.
Just reheat and eat. Served with a toasted English muffin (also from the freezer!!), one half topped with cheese and tomato, the other topped with ham and avocado. 
Last time we crumbed them, but this time I went with something even simpler. Just defrosted and pan-fried, and topped with a marsala sauce (made simply with a good splash of marsala and cream, seasoned). Served alongside potato mash and steamed beans / zucchini.
Day 5 – Savoury Mince with roasted sweet potatoes
I defrosted the beef overnight, then reheated it gently in a frypan, before adding some store bought massaman curry sauce, zucchini and beans. Simmered until cooked through and the meat was back to its tender self. Served with brown rice, spinach and fresh coriander – and you’d never have guessed that the beef had been in the freezer only the day before!!. 
These pizzas ended up being a great way to finish off leftover veggies we had in the fridge too – zucchini, spinach, tomatoes and pineapple. All topped and ready to bake!
On the menu? Souvlaki bowls! Filled with grilled lamb (that I had marinated in lemon, garlic and oregano), pearl couscous and roasted vegetable salad and greens. Topped with some natural yoghurt and hummus and, of course, the Lebanese bread – which was perfect for dipping!
Yes I think this love affair will be a long one!
We loaded up the soft tortillas with the pork (of course) and a variety of other toppings – including red cabbage, a spicy green coriander sauce, lime mayonnaise, and grilled pineapple. 
And our craving for Mexican food was thereby sated!