Lentil, Bean and Spinach Curry

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned lentils
• 1/4 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 cup plain, low fat, probiotic yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red hot chili peppers
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, grated
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
  
• 1 16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  

Directions

1. Rinse and drain beans and lentils and set aside in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, stir together tomato puree and yogurt. Season with turmeric, cumin, and dried chili. Stir until creamy.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, and ginger; cook until onion begins to brown. Stir in spinach; cook until dark green and wilted. Gradually stir in yogurt mixture. Then mix in tomatoes and parsley.
4. Stir lentils and black beans into mixture until well combined. Heat through, about 5 minutes.

Curried Chicken

I have adjusted this recipe somewhat from a recipe for curried goat. You can use goat if you want, but I prefer to use chicken thighs. The special spice in this recipe is turmeric, which is an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. Serve this over wild and brown rice with a side of your choice of greens.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground parsley
  
• 1/2 cup water
  
• 2 inch piece ginger, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons picante hot sauce
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 lb chicken thighs, boned and skinned
• 1 cup water
  

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Brown chicken on all sides & then remove from pan and set aside. Stir in the chopped onion, and cook until the onion turns translucent and the edges begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pepper & garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in the parsley and cook 1 minute more. Pour in 1/2 cup of water & stir, bringing any browned bits up from bottomof pan.
2. Stir in the ginger and continue cooking until the ginger is incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the picante hot sauce, salt, and turmeric; continue cooking 2 minutes. Finally, stir in the chicken meat and the remaining 1 cup of water and again scrape up any brown bits on bottom of pan. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.