I decided to go simple this week with a vegetarian dish.  Nothing fancy and still working in some non-meat dishes into our rotation.  It’s rare I run across a recipe that is only for one serving, but the recipe for Red Lentil Tagine with Pistachios from MyFitnessPal is one such recipe.  What I like about this recipe is the ingredients are something I would normally find in my kitchen.  I have almost everything I would need for this recipe with the exception of the currants, pistachio and sweet potato.  Those are easy to find in most grocery stores.  Sweet potatoes more so this time of year.  Here are the original stats:

This particular recipe is not too bad on the stats, but I will need to increase the protein and vitamin C.  The rest are pretty good.  Here’s what I changed:

• I added 1/2 package of tempeh to increase the protein.
• I added one red bell pepper to increase the vitamin C.
• I increase the servings to 2 to reduce the calories.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Red Lentil Tagine with Pistachios

Serves 2

• 1/4 cup (48g) red lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 1 cup (133g) cubed sweet potato (about 1/2 of a small potato)
• 1/2 cup (80g) chopped onion
• 3 ounces chopped red bell pepper
• 3.75 ounces tempeh cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cups (480ml) water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried currant
• 1 tablespoon shelled pistachios, chopped
• 1/4 small lemon, for serving

1. Place the lentils, sweet potato and onion in a 1 quart pot and add the water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low; cook for 20 minutes, stirring halfway.
2. While the lentils are cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Add the tempeh and brown.  Set aside.
3. After 20 minutes, the lentils should be tender. Uncover and raise the heat to medium. Stir in the salt, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika and currants. Cook about 7 minutes, stirring, until the soup is thickened and fragrant.
4. Serve topped with pistachios, browned tempeh and a lemon wedge on the side to squeeze over the top, to taste.