Braised Lentils with Crispy Parsnip Croquettes

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenBraised Lentils with Crispy Parsnip Croquettes

Skill Level	Intermediate

Preparation Time	25 minutes	Total Time	55 minutes
Servings	8	Cost Per Serving	$1.81

Braised Lentils

1 cup	French Lentils, cooked and drained
1 can (28 oz)	Whole Plum Tomatoes
1	Stick of Celery
1	Medium Carrot
1	Small Onion
2 cloves	Garlic
1	Fresh Chili (optional), finely chopped
1 cup	Water or Vegetable Stock
1/4 cup	Parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp	Dried Mushrooms (porcini or shiitake) (optional)
1 tbsp	Olive Oil or Grape Seed Oil
To taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Parsnip Croquettes

2	Medium Parsnips, roughly diced
2	Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, roughly diced
1/2 cup	Zucchini, grated (squeeze as much water out as you can)
1	Egg, beaten
1/2 cup	Breadcrumbs
1/4 cup	Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 tsp each	Dried Basil, Dried Oregano
1/2 tbsp	Olive Oil or Grape Seed Oil
To taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic and chili to a food processor, and blend until mostly pulverized into small pieces.
Place a large sauce pot over medium high heat, Add the oil and the pulverized vegetable mixture and stir. Cook while stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes, water and lentils. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the dried mushrooms (optional). Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. Season to taste.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the parsnip and potatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes, until soft. Drain as much of the water out as possible and cool. Mash with all remaining croquet ingredients except the oil and combine well. Form into 2-inch balls and flatten slightly into a patty.
Place the croquet patties onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drizzle with a little oil and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve with the braised lentils.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for Braised Lentils with Crispy Parsnip Croquettes.

Lycopene is an antioxidant that gives tomatoes, watermelon, red and pink grapefruits and guavas their colour. Lycopene may help boost the immune system and lower overall inflammation and “lousy” LDL cholesterol levels.
Diets that include lycopene-rich foods may lower prostate cancer risk. Lycopene may lower the risk by decreasing the production of hormones that are needed for prostate cancer cells to grow and divide.
Cell and animal studies suggest that lycopene can help prevent and slow the growth of prostate cancer as well as breast, lung, liver and skin cancers. More research in humans is needed to see the long-term effects of lycopene on cancer prevention and growth.
Because foods contain several types of vitamins, minerals, fibre and other plant nutrients, it is difficult to tell whether lycopene by itself reduces cancer risk. That’s why it’s important to eat foods rather than supplements, and to eat a variety of vegetables and fruit.