Braised Lentil Stew by Cathy Erway

Cathy Erway comes to Good Day New York to share her story about how making food at home and not eating out every night saved her money, saved her time, and helped her lose weight. She blogged the entire experience and turned it into a book, "The Art of Eating In." She is sharing her Lentil Stew recipe.

BIO FROM PUBLISHER: Erway is a Brooklyn-based food blogger and freelance writer. Her blog is based on a two-year mission to forego restaurant and take-out food in place of home-cooked meals. Cathy began cooking at an early age, learning from her parents, who are both avid cooks and adventurous eaters. She studied creative writing at Emerson College. She has written for The Huffington Post, Time Out NY online, and various small online magazines, and has a feature article in Edible Brooklyn. She has hosted, competed in, or served as a judge at numerous cook-offs in NYC and participated in fundraiser events for Slow Food USA. Cathy has also taught cooking classes at Garden of Eve, a Long Island based farm.

• NOT EATING OUT IN NEW YORK
  
• THE ART OF EATING IN

BRAISED LENTIL STEW WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

1 cup lentils
3 to 4 cups vegetable stock (preferably homemade)
About 2 pounds assorted root vegetables - carrots, turnips, rutabaga, celery root, chopped to about 1- to 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste (or substitute 1 ripe tomato, chopped)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread chopped root vegetables on a baking tray and coat with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for about 10 minutes; check and flip around on the pan with tongs.

Roast another 10 minutes, or until just crispy on edges.

Meanwhile, cook the onions in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent (about 6 to 8 minutes).

Add the lentils and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stirring.

Add the tomato paste, garlic and a ladleful of stock, and stir over medium or medium-low heat until absorbed.

Continue adding stock (like when making risotto) and stirring until absorbed and until the lentils are tender and the consistency of the dish is that of a thick soup.

Season with salt, pepper, and optional cayenne pepper, to taste.

Melt in the optional butter.

Serve in individual dishes topped with the roasted vegetables and the optional parsley to garnish.

Makes about four servings. Cost per serving: $1.25.