sweet potato and lentil casserole

Hello my sweet friends ;) I could talk Yams, just like that, over a tea with a friend… and I would mention how good and nutritious they are, how versatile, and I would mention all my favourite recipes with sweet potatoes…. Of course, not every friend is up for the yam-talk…. so, I’d test out the waters first… dip my toes in a bit with some other type of ‘sweet’ talk ;D

This is a great recipe I have recently made for dinner again, so now, it’s my go-to recipe for something healthy, vegan and gluten-free, but also high in protein and fibre with the lovely add-in of lentils ;)

If you recall, I have made the Lentil Casserole, sans Sweet Potatoes/ Yams before – and that was also a huge hit! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Lentil Casserole

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato (yam)
1 cup of dry red lentils (sliced are best as they cook faster)
1 medium onion
2 medium carrots
1/4 of celery root
1 tsp dried basil and oregano
dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for cooking
fresh dill or basil for top

Directions:

Cook the lentils as per instructions (make sure there’s not a lot of liquid in them near the end).
Shred the sweet potato/ yam, carrots and celery root in a food slicer (or grater will work fine).
In a large sauce pan (large enough to hold all your ingredients later), dice and sautee the onion and set aside.
Add the shredded ingredients to the onions and cook for about 5-15 minutes.
Add the cooked lentils to this and mix to combine all the ingredients well.
Season to taste with salt & pepper, basil and oregano and a bit of cayenne pepper.
Scoop onto an oven-safe dish and bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes.
Sprinkle the fresh dill on top and serve.
Enjoy!

Yams hit the shopping cart pretty much every time I do a larger food run ~ I make them the super-star of many meals, or sometimes just hide them in with other foods on the dinner plate.  When we do have them as part of an enjoyable family gathering, someone – usually my 4 year old yells out “Who’re you calling a Sweet Potato!” – that line from Toy Story 3 gets me laughing-to-myslef every time I pick up a sweet potato at the grocery store. And I think that sometimes I get them, unknowingly just for that reason ;)

I hope you’ll try out this recipe soon, and tell me how you like it ;D xo