Sweater Weather

The weather has turned chilly here in the Sunshine State, was able to turn off the a/c and actually open the windows yesterday! It's not cold by the rest of the country's standards, but at least we can dig out our favorite sweaters for a day or two.  Of course, when the temperatures drop, we all want warm & cozy comfort food, which is where this next dish comes in.

Red Lentil Thai Chili. Yep, another Thai dish for you, you are going to love this one! It uses two of my favorite foods - red lentils & sweet potatoes, both lurking in my pantry, just begging to be eaten!

This recipe comes from Post Punk Kitchen, Isa's recipes are always a sure bet! I tweaked the original a bit, leaving out the oil and only using 1/2 a can of coconut milk to cut down on fat/calories. I also used my Crock-pot instead of stove top, allowing me to dump everything into the crock in the morning and forget about it 'til almost dinnertime. I posted this at my other blog a while back, it's definitely worth a repeat performance!

Slowcooker Red Lentil Thai Chili

(print-friendly) 

• 1 large yellow onion, diced medium
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced medium (I use green any color, whatever I have on hand)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes cut into ¾ inch chunks
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can lowfat coconut milk (I used half a can I had saved from other recipe)
•  ½ cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• Limes for garnish (optional)

1. Put all ingredients except for coconut milk, cilantro & limes into slowcooker.  Cook on Low for 8-10 hours, or until veggies are tender.  Add coconut milk about 1/2 an hour before serving, allow to warm through.  Stir in cilantro just before serving, garnish with extra cilantro and a squeeze of lime if desired. 

Makes Approximately 10 Servings

Per Serving: 295 Calories; 4g Fat (12.3% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 51g Carbohydrate; 18g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 743mg Sodium.  4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus

I hope you're enjoying your day, whatever the weather!

Michele~