N-Friendly Fusion

For supper tonight I am throwing together a kind of buffet of Middle-Eastern / Indian items that are nutritarian-friendly, if not purist. I thought I'd share . . .

SPICED LENTILS AND BEEF (beef optional)

Tasty-Bite Madras Lentils (one package)
2 cups cooked, crumbled ground beef (could be substituted with cooked lentils or red beans or TVP if you like TVP)
3 dates, snipped up
3 slivers candied ginger, snipped up (authentically prepared by my friend M. in Jordan!)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander (ground my own!)
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Combine with water to a good consistency, heat


LEMONY SQUASH AND TOMATOES

1 bag frozen zucchini and yellow squash slices
1/2 onion, sliced
1 can chopped tomatoes (mine were accidentally "chili-ready")
small segments of sliced lemon, with peel
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, sliced

Combine and heat, adding salt to taste


ON THE TABLE:

Tasty Bite Chunky Chickpeas

Steamed Rice

Cooked frozen green peas

Plain yogurt with cucumber dressing, cilantro (I freeze little patties of pureed cilantro in the summer), and honey stirred in

Sourdough bread (homemade by daughter)

Verdict: Excellent! The lemony veggies with the sweet lentils/meat worked very nicely, and the yogurt sauce was good on the latter. It all worked well together as a meal, and I threw it together in just thirty minutes or so (plus extra time for the rice). This is a good use of prepared items with additions from my own produce and staples.