Since my family loves lentils, I keep a few cans of organic canned lentils on hand to use when we want a meal with this nourishing legume in a hurry. To make this dish a little fancier, try using beluga lentils, as I’ve recommended in earlier recipes. These diminutive, gleaming black lentils contrast attractively with the spinach and dried tomatoes.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings as a side dish

　　8 to 10 ounces baby spinach

　　Two 15-ounce cans lentils, drained and rinsed (use beluga lentils, if available)

　　2/3 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, with about 2 tablespoons of their oil

　　2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste

　　Pinch of ground cumin

　　1/2 cup minced fresh dill or parsley, or more to taste

　　Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Rinse the spinach. Place in a medium skillet with just enough water to keep the bottom moist. Cover and steam until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain in a colander, and press out excess liquid.

　　

Step 2

Combine the the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir together over medium heat. When hot, stir in the spinach. Check the seasoning and serve.

　　

Menu Suggestions

Step 3

I’ve recommended this as a speedy companion dish several times in this chapter. See the menus with Quinoa with Cauliflower, Cranberries, and Pine Nuts (page 92), Curried Cashew Couscous (page 93), and Lemony Couscous with Broccoli (page 94). With any of these choices, complete the meal with a salad of your choice from the Recipe Not Required suggestions on page 192.

　　

nutrition information

Step 4

Calories: 193

　　

Step 5

Total Fat: 10g

　　

Step 6

Protein: 8.5g

　　

Step 7

Carbohydrates: 20g

　　

Step 8

Fiber: 9.5g

　　

Step 9

Sodium: 205mg

　　Reprinted with permission from Vegan Express: Featuring 160 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Meals by Nava Atlas. Copyright © 2008 by Nava Atlas. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Nava Atlas is the author of nine cookbooks, including The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, and Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and two teenage sons (all vegans).