Postpartum Recipes: Coconut Spinach Lentils

This recipe is adapted from The Food for Life Cookbook by Tim Spector. I love that you can make it with store cupboard/freezer items. It’s packed with protein, fibre and lots of iron. If you fancy more protein you can serve it with tofu, fish or chicken and for those who like it, add some fresh chilli at the end.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 onion, sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds

• 1 tbsp garam masala

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)

• 1x 400ml tin coconut milk

• 1x 400g tin green lentils (including the liquid)

• 2 tbsp nurtritional yeast (or 1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled)

• 300g frozen spinach

• 130g cashew nuts

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and saute until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a little longer, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Stir in the spices and cook for another minute or so then add the coconut milk, lentils (with the liquid). Half fill one of the tins with water and add this. Reduce the heat and leave it to simmer for around 10mins until it’s reduced a little.

Add the nutritional yeast or vegetable stock cube and simmer, stir to make sure they’ve been dissolved. Add the spinach and cashews, stirring occasionally to encourage the frozen spinach to defrost and separate.

Serve with fresh chili or freeze for up to 3 months.