How many times have you said to your family members, “What do you want to eat for dinner?”  Then you prepare the meal that they wanted.  I’ve learned that it’s important for me to ask myself that same question.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a vegetarian, eating absolutely no meat, but I could go a much longer time without eating meat than my husband.  Over the years, we have adapted, accommodated each other’s food preferences and struck a happy medium.  We eat way less red meat than we did years ago, a lot more seafood and way more vegetarian dishes.

But this week it was all about me because my husband was away on his annual golf trip to Myrtle Beach.  Everything I made for dinner was exactly what I wanted to eat!  One night, I decided to make a dinner entre featuring lentils.  My husband, who doesn’t really enjoy the taste of lentils, eats them as he suffers in silence…mostly.

I liked this quick, tasty and healthy recipe so much that I thought I would share it with you and invite you to share some of your favorite recipes as well.  As you know, the tagline on our website is, “Be seen. Be heard. Inspire.”  Sharing the recipes of our members and archiving them on our website for all to explore is a great way for us to be seen and heard, connect with others and strengthen our community!  Bon Appetit! Submit your recipes here.

Stewed Garam Masala Lentils with Buttery Shrimp

Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 35 min Difficulty: Easy Servings: Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil

1 large shallot, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

4 whole canned tomatoes

1/4 cup of canned tomato juice

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup dried red lentils

1 1/4 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (about 24)

3 cups baby spinach

2 tablespoons canned unsweetened coconut cream or heavy cream

Chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon butter or oil in a large wide pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot softens, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, canned tomato juice, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are soft, about 2 minutes.

Stir the lentils into the tomato mixture until coated, then add 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and thick, 12 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with the remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon garam masala and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Let stand 10 minutes. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter or oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir the spinach and coconut or heavy cream into the lentils until the spinach wilts, season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls. Top with the shrimp and any juices; sprinkle with the cilantro.

Nutrition

Calories: 470
Total Fat: 16 grams
Saturated Fat: 10 grams
Cholesterol: 202 milligrams
Sodium: 919 milligrams
Carbohydrates: 46 grams
Dietary Fiber: 18 grams
Protein: 36 grams
Sugar: 5 grams