One of my favorite crockpot dishes for fall offers an Indian twist on a fall favorite – sweet potatoes. Adding green or red lentils and cooking in coconut oil amp up the healthiness of this hearty dish.

Curries come from India, where chefs prepare flavorful blends of spices, herbs and chiles to cook with vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas and lentils. Various proteins are made into curries as well, like chicken, lamb and goat. Commercial curry powders began to be produced in the 18th century, as British colonial government and military members desired a quick spice blend to cook the dishes they’d enjoyed in India. Curries are often wet, meaning the vegetables and meats are cooked in a thick sauce. Rice or naan bread is served to sop up the sauce.

Start by sauteeing your onion and ginger over medium heat.

Once that gets soft and flavorful, you can take it off the heat and add it to your crockpot. Next, add in your peeled, diced sweet potato, carrots and peas (if you like) and your spices.  Cover the mixture with vegetable broth and let it cook on high for two hours or on low for six hours.

Once the mixture has cooked down, I like to mash it with a potato masher until it gets to a smoother, stew-like consistency.  I have it with basmati rice, and I usually freeze some for later.  This dish is delicious and filling, a great work lunch for fall to pull out and heat up quickly.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

1 1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup dried green or red lentils
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small bag frozen peas and carrots
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder or 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth

 

 

Sundays in our house mean waking up early to go for a run, watching football, going grocery shopping and prepping breakfasts and lunches for the week. I’m trying to detox from meat and eat clean, so I decided to make a couple of different kinds of oats and some chopped salads in jars.

There’s hardly anything simpler than throwing some oats in a container, adding some kind of fruit, some nuts, honey and spices. These quick-prep breakfasts are delicious and nutritious, and make busy mornings getting three kids out of the house to school easier on me.

I get tired of eating the same thing every day, so I made two different variations. For the first, I put 1/4 cup of organic, quick-cooking oats in a container. I added about three tablespoons of canned pumpkin, a tablespoon of local honey and a handful of pecans and pistachios. A sprinkle of cinnamon and pumpkin spice fills these breakfast bowls with fall flavors. For the other two bowls, I tossed in about 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries, a teaspoon of lemon zest, some pecans, local honey and about 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg.

For lunches, I made an Israeli chopped salad, with diced tomato, cucumber, red onion and green pepper.  I topped them with some feta cheese, oregano, olive oil and salt and pepper. What is today referred to as “Israeli” chopped salad originated in the Palestinian territory, and was adapted by the various kibbutz communities in Israel. The vegetable mix can vary based on what is fresh and in season, but typically includes tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers along with herbs and lemon juice. For my other two salads, I tossed in some baby spinach, diced red onion, tomato, arugula, bleu cheese and diced strawberries.  Then I drizzled some olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top.

I’ll probably add a banana as a snack and have a cup of yogurt with my salads at lunch. Prepping everything on Sunday afternoon means I have a week’s worth of fresh, delicious meals that were inexpensive to make and easy to prepare.

Do you prep your meals for the work week on Sundays? What are your go-to meals?