Home Food Sweet Lemon, Lentil, and Pomegranate Tray Bake with Roasted Carrot, Zucchini,...

Sweet Lemon, Lentil, and Pomegranate Tray Bake with Roasted Carrot, Zucchini, and Fennel

Sweet Lemon, Lentil, and Pomegranate Tray Bake  with Roasted Carrot, Zucchini, and Fennel

This one-pan dish is the perfect combination of caramelized vegetables, tender lentils, and juicy pomegranate seeds, all drizzled with an addictive lemon sauce. You can use canned, drained lentils instead of dried, but if you start boiling dried lentils before you chop the vegetables, it’ll take about the same amount of time as using canned in the end. Feel free to punch up the vinaigrette with 1/2 tsp (2 mL) minced fresh ginger, garlic, or Dijon mustard.

Time-saving and big-batch baking

Freeze any leftovers or double the recipe and freeze in a freezer-safe, oven-safe casserole dish. To reheat, bake from frozen in preheated 375 F (190 C) oven for about 30 minutes, until hot. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
Shopping local

If COVID-19 has taught us anything about food security, it’s that buying local matters. Buying local means being less dependent on imports. More money stays in the local economy and can be directed into public services, including hospitals and schools, via taxes.

And on the environmental side, while Canada has plenty of large-scale monocrop farms, by supporting small-scale organic farms you’ll help encourage biodiversity, improve soil quality, and put your money where your mouth is by supporting a model of sustainable agriculture for future generations.

Ingredients

1 cup (250 mL) dried green or brown lentils

4 cups (1 L) water

1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground turmeric

1 bay leaf

1 tsp (5 mL) salt, divided

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 onion, peeled and cut in 1/4 in (6 mm) slices

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut in 1/4 in (6 mm) slices

2 cups (500 mL) carrots, cut in 1/4 in (6 mm) slices

2 cups (500 mL) zucchini, cut in 1/4 in (6 mm) slices

1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper

2 tsp (10 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup (125 mL) pomegranate seeds

 

Sweet lemon vinaigrette

2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice

1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey or cane sugar

1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

1 roasted garlic clove, from above

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).

In medium pot, bring lentils, water, turmeric, and bay leaf to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
Drain well. Transfer to medium bowl and stir in 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt.

On rimmed baking sheet, toss whole garlic cloves, onion, fennel, carrots, and zucchini with 2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt. (If your baking sheet tends to stick, line with parchment paper before adding vegetables.) Add lentils. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Stir and return to oven for 10 minutes more. Remove 1 roasted garlic clove for vinaigrette.

For sweet lemon vinaigrette, in bowl or resealable jar, whisk or vigorously shake together lemon juice, honey, black pepper, and salt. Slowly whisk in or shake in oil until emulsified. Press in pulp of 1 roasted garlic clove and whisk or shake to combine. Return garlic skin to vegetable tray. Taste and adjust vinaigrette with salt, lemon, or honey.

To serve, divide tray bake among 6 plates, top with pomegranate seeds, and drizzle with sweet lemon vinaigrette.

Each serving contains: 215 calories; 10 g protein; 4 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 36 g total carbohydrates (9 g sugars, 14 g fibre); 541 mg sodium

Previous articleSweat It Out
Next articleCarrot and Date Cupcakes

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Must Read

Sport-Related Concussions

We’re slowly coming to recognize that concussions are more than just a knock to the head. We owe it to ourselves, the weekend warriors and parents of young athletes, to stay up to date with the latest

Testosterone 101

Testosterone plays important roles in the body—it’s not just for mucho macho. “T” also contributes to bone density, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, facial and body hair, and the production

An Effortless Menopause

Every woman experiences menopause. Symptoms related to this life transition can pose challenges. Find out more about the menopausal transition and the other important body systems at play, such as the

Feeding the Brain

“You can’t wink your eye without nutrients being involved, never mind think, remember, learn, or sleep.” So says brain expert Aileen Burford-Mason, author of The Healthy Brain: Optimize Brain Power at

Success for Children with IBD

Increasing numbers of children are being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis—and nutritional therapy is important in managing these diseases. A dietitian explains how extremely restri