Joy Bauer’s Ratatouille Lentil Stew and Book Giveaway

Do you know who Joy Bauer is? I most certainly do!

Just in case you missed her on the Today Show, Joy Bauer is their nutritionist. Her new cookbook, Slim and Scrumptious, has recipes that I would serve family and friends any day of the week.

Joy Bauer’s Ratatouille Lentil Stew

On my “must make” list is Joy’s Mac & Cheesy (my darling nephew adores cheese and pasta), Chipotle Chicken (if you know me, you know chipotle makes my mouth water), or Summer Squash Tian. I had no idea what a tian was, but now I do, and vegetable recipes are right up my alley.

Ratatouille Lentil Stew

I’m always on the lookout for lentil recipes, so this lentil stew recipe caught my eye right off the bat. I had everything I needed in the pantry, so why not get started testing a few of Joy’s recipes.

My only advice would be  to cook your lentils thoroughly. My beans took more time than the recipe called for, so they had a bit of a bite. Otherwise, this savory stew recipe is worth the effort to make.

JoyBauer.com is providing four readers with a copy of her latest cookbook Slim and Scrumptious. This  cookbook is filled with easy, family-friendly recipes that get your family on the healthy eating track without a single complaint. If you’d like to receive a copy of Joy’s cookbook leave a comment and winners will be drawn on Friday, June 10th.

Happy cooking!

Joy Bauer’s Ratatouille Lentil Stew
Serves 4 – 2 1/1 cups each

Ingredients:

1 small eggplant
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 medium yellow summer squash, cubed
4 tablespoons fresh finely chopped oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup salt free tomato paste
1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium lemon, juiced

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine eggplant, peppers, zucchini and yellow squash in a large bowl. Spray a two large baking sheets with cooking spray and divide vegetables among cookie sheets, spreading the vegetables out evenly. Spray with cooking spray. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until tender.
3. Prepare soup base by liberally coating a large pot with cooking spray and heat over medium-high.
4. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until vegetables soften. Add a little water as needed to keep from burning.
5. Add tomato paste and fresh or dried herbs and stir into vegetables. Add lentils, broth and 1 cup of water. Season with salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for another 30 minutes until lentils are tender. Add the roasted vegetables to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Stir in lemon juice and serve.

Nutrition per serving:

Calories 383, Weight Watchers PointsPlus 10
Protein 21g
Carb 69g
Fat 6g
Saturated fat 1g
Cholesterol 0mg
Fiber 18g
Sodium 740mg

Please see disclaimer for further details. Nutrition information is compiled with MacGourmet. If you find discrepancies, please let me know. It’s important to  me that I provide you with accurate information.

Last updated by Kristi Rimkus at September 29, 2012.

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