Happy Sunday, beautiful kittens! Are you having a nice weekend? Currently, I am writing this in a hotel room as I will be attending a conference tomorrow and Tuesday – quite anxiously as well as I will be talking at said conference: I am going to deliver a workshop which is something I usually do online, but this is the first time I will do it in person. Wish me luck! After this, I will be off for the rest of the week and while I have a couple of things planned (i.e. taking my cat to the vet; spring/summer cleaning), I am going to take it as easy as possible. Last week was also another busy week and this Spinach Casserole with Lentils and Quinoa by ElaVegan was a great quick dinner and lunch that I am sure you will enjoy too!

Ingredients 

• 150 g (3/4 cup) dry quinoa or rice
• 150 g (3/4 cup) dry red lentils
• 1/2 Tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 400 g (14.1 oz) frozen spinach thawed
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) dairy-free cream or canned coconut milk
• 125 g (1 1/2 cups) vegan cheese shredded

Instructions 

1. You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions. First, rinse, then transfer the quinoa or rice to a large saucepan, cover it with plenty of boiling water, and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
2. Then add the red lentils and simmer until both are tender. Don’t overcook them as they’ll continue to cook while in the oven.
3. Also, preheat the oven to 356 °F/180 °C and lightly oil a 9×9 inch (23×23 cm or similar size) casserole dish. Then, peel and finely chop the onion.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Once hot, sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes, then add the thawed spinach and cook until it’s heated through and the excess liquid has evaporated.
5. Transfer the cooked quinoa and red lentil mixture and the chopped spinach mixture to the prepared baking dish. Add all the spices and the dairy-free cream (or coconut milk) and stir well.
6. Sprinkle over the vegan shredded cheese, then transfer to the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly, melted, and slightly golden around the edges.
7. Finally, remove the spinach quinoa casserole from the oven and leave it to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx