October 18, 2017
So this Monday I had a friend over who is about to move to Melbourne, which I am absolutely devastated about! I mean, I know what it’s like, Melbourne is really cool, and there is heaps of awesome stuff there mainly involving food and wine. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to miss her a lot! I guess it is yet another reason to go and visit Melbourne more often, and hopefully I can stop hyperventilating into a bag worrying about all my friends leaving Brisbane (it’s a real thing, coming from someone who did it herself).
Anyway, I decided to invite her over for dinner instead of going out, because I’m trying to save money and eat healthy, both of which go out the window when I go out to dinner…it really becomes anyone’s game! So I decided that I would cook for her, and we could relax and drink some wine at home. I think my new apartment is turning me into a bit of a homebody, I’m loving hanging out there! It was also nice to show her around because I am a bit house proud.
So when I was thinking about what to cook, I have to admit I was a little selfish. You see, last week I geared myself up to cook lentil bolognese for myself on Monday night, and I was so excited to cook it after a long day, but then realised I had no lentils. You know when you get something in your head, and you get excited about it, only to be disappointed? Yep, I got that over my dinner, and for the next week I couldn’t let it go. My roommate in Melbourne had cooked it a few times, and I decided I wanted to give it a crack myself, so it really bugged me that I didn’t get to do it! Also, I am mildly obsessed with my veggie spiraliser, so any excuse to whip it out has got me hooked!
So I decided to cook this for my friend, given it was a Monday night and this whole #meatfreemonday is something I’ve been trying to mildly follow. I was a bit worried she wouldn’t like it given it isn’t the most normal thing to cook when you have someone coming over, and we often eat pizza and pasta together. I find some people are quite skeptical of this whole ‘zoodle’ craze, so I thought it might be a long shot! But I had back up cheese in the fridge in case it wasn’t a hit, so I decided to steam ahead.
This recipe is awesome for a weeknight meal. It is so quick to make, and really cheap as well! It also gives you the feels of comfort food that you’d get from a good spaghetti bolognese, but without the heavy feeling after. I’m not going to try and sell it as on par or better than this italian classic, but if you are looking for a healthy, vegetarian alternative, look no further!
- 1/2 brown onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 1 can lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried chili flakes (optional)
- 2 large zucchinis
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Over a medium heat in a large fry pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until onion is translucent.
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Add the shredded carrot to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for about 3 minutes.
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Meanwhile, get your spiraliser and spiralise your zucchinis into thin strips. They should get the look of pasta, so think this thin. Add to a pot with a little bit of water in the bottom, and set aside.
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Add the lentils to the onion, garlic and carrot and cook for about 2 minutes before adding the canned tomatoes and water. Sprinkle the salt and pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley and dried chili flakes over the sauce, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
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Meanwhile, place the pot with the zucchini on a medium heat and cover. Cook until it has softened, about 5-10 minutes.
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Serve by straining the zucchini noodles and placing in the bottom of the bowl. Top with the sauce and some salt and pepper to taste.
And there you have it, I told you it was easy! Honestly this recipe is so quick and simple, it is perfect for a weeknight meal. I love how many veggies it packs in as well, almost as good as your mums spaghetti sauce with the hidden vegetables! I myself barely noticed the missing pasta or meat because it tasted so good, and I know I felt a lot better after eating a bowl of this than if I were to eat a bowl of pasta (minus the enjoyment factor, I would never hate on my favourite food).
My friend ended up enjoying this so much that she asked me how soon it would be on my blog, so here it is for you! I knew I must have been on to a winner when she wanted it so badly, so I hope it reminds her of the good times when she is in Melbourne freezing! And eating all the good food, so I guess this will be a good detox recipe for her to have on hand!
I love how simple this recipe is. It is one of those great chop, set and forget recipes that I love to cook during the week. You could also easily change up the veggies you use depending on what you have on hand. I was going to add mushrooms but my mushrooms had seen better days (they were meant for last weeks cooking). I love how Moorish the flavours were in this recipe, especially as it was raining. It was the ultimate comfort food without the guilt afterwards.
What are your favourite meatless meals? I’d love to try more!
Until next time, happy eating!
Ella xx
