Spice Market Sweet Potato and Lentil Packets

Last night my boss came to me at 4:15 with dictation that he wanted out by the end of the day. My boss doesn't just dictate something, sign it and send it out. Rather dictation is always a work in progress. He changes sentences, moves things around, rephrases whole paragraphs so the letter says what he really meant. I could have strangled him...

...the only thing redeeming him was the fact that he is out today.

Anyways, all I could think about was he was going to make me late to the gym, which would mean I would get home even later to make dinner with fH. I ended up getting out of the office at 5 on the dot...I am such a rockstar...minus the leather pants.


I managed to get my workout done and was home by 7:30. Not bad if I might say so myself. A few days ago when I went grocery shopping, without really thinking, I ended up purchasing a bag of lentils rather than a can of lentils. Lentils require some amount of cooking. Luckily it takes about 20 minutes and fH is fully capable of following instructions. By the time I got home I had freshly cooked lentils on the stove and a nice and hot oven waiting for me. What a lucky girl I am. I chopped up the sweet potatoes and orange bell pepper and put them in a bowl with the sesame oil. I didn't use green beans because they were all floppy at the grocery store...yuck! In a separate bowl I whisked together the ginger (I didn't mince it finely enough...next time I will grate it), garlic, and curry powder (you really cant overdo it with curry powder...I would add more next time) with veggie broth.

Putting together the packets is quite simple. I used a slightly different technique then the recipe called for. I laid out a length of aluminum foil and put a fourth of the potato mixture on it, and scooped a 3/4 cup amount of lentils on top of the potatoes, I then folded the aluminum foil over on top of the mixture (folded it in half essentially) and rolled up the sides, making a sort of bag. I then poured a 1/4 of the liquid in through the top and rolled the top up. The recipe makes 4 packets. They cook for about 25 minutes.


From: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/spice-market-sweet-potato-and-lentil-packets-424902

Meanwhile, I noticed that the recipe suggested pairing this with quinoa. fH took that task upon himself, and just following the directions on the Costco sized bag of quinoa with veggie broth, it turned out so good! We had never made quinoa before.



*What is quinoa you might ask? Apparently is isn't really a grain...it is a seed, and is related to spinach, beets, and Swiss chard. It is usually substituted for any grain, however. It is rich in protein, iron, potassium and other vitamins and minerals and is a good source of fiber.*

Because I was missing the green from the green beans, I threw some brussel spouts...mmm I love brussel sprouts...

...tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper in the oven. They remarkably were done about the same time as the packets. Everything came out wonderful. The sweet potatoes were perfectly cooked. Sometimes I surprise even myself.

Here is what the finished meal looked like:



Anyways, tonight is left over night. Spice Market Packets again. I love leftovers...it makes life just a little easier, I think.