If I’m going to be making food for my mother in law, it can be anything overly fragrant. That’s too bad because I like food from all over the world. Many of these dishes are very fragrant. She doesn’t even want anything that is to garlicky. She’s worried about her breath smelling bad. I get it to some extent. If I was going to an event where I would be socializing a lot, I wouldn’t want that either. However, she stays home most of the week. When working with someone with dementia, sometimes they get weird fixations. She would have never turned down a homecooked meal no matter what cuisine it came from. Dementia changed all of that.

So I am doing something that would be Indian, but a bit more toned down. I am starting with a recipe from Alexandra’s Kitchen for Addictive Black Lentils with Spinach. I am using black lentils because I have some split black lentils to use. I also see that it needs some more vitamins A and C. The protein is pretty good. I think this will be a good middle ground recipe.

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replaced the yogurt with a plant-based alternative to remove the dairy.
• I added Brussels sprouts to the dish to add more bulk and increase the A and C.
• I increased the servings from 2 to 4 to reduce the calories.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Black Lentils with Spinach

Serves 4

• 1/2 cup split black lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half
• lemony-yogurt sauce (recipe below)

Lemon Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup plant-based plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Place the lentils in a small pot and cover with water by at least an inch. Bring to a simmer. Simmer till done. Times will vary considerably. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Make sure the lentils are cooked, but not mushy. Taste before draining them. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions. Stir. Cover the pan and immediately turn the heat to low. I like to cook the onions super slowly for the entire time the lentils are cooking. Open the lid to check on the onions periodically, allowing any water trapped in the lid to drip back into the pan.
3. While the onions cook, heat the oven to 500F. Place the Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan covered with foil. Mix 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and pour over the sprouts. Mix and then place the sprouts cut side down on the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 12 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 12 minutes. Set aside.
4. When the lentils are done, remove the lid from the onion pan and turn heat to medium. Add the vinegar and cook until it reduces and becomes almost syrupy. Add the lentils and stir to combine. Add the spinach then turn off the heat. Leave the spinach alone for a minute or two, then use tongs or a large spoon to incorporate the leaves into the lentils. Taste. Adjust with a splash more vinegar if necessary.
5. Stir together the yogurt and lemon until smooth; then smear that over a serving platter, before topping it with the spinach and lentils.