Braised Lentils and Glazed Carrots

Ingredients

• FOR THE LENTILS:
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 Tbsp of Mombacho Café Nicaraguan Blend
• 2 cups Umbrian lentils
• 1 Qt chicken or vegetable stock, enough to cover the lentils
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 1 bunch kale, tough stems removed and rough chopped
• Salt to taste; serve with lemon wedge
• FOR GLAZED CARROTS:
• 10-13 carrots, peeled and trimmed, tops reserved
• Olive oil to coat
• 1 tsp Mombacho Café
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Steps

1. FOR THE LENTILS:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Heat dutch oven to medium-high heat and add oil.
3. Add carrots and onion and sauté until slightly caramelized.
4. Add Mombacho Café to bloom in the oil until it becomes fragrant.
5. Add the lentils and the stock and bring to a boil.
6. Lower to a simmer and cook 30–45 minutes or until tender.
7. While lentils are cooking, peel carrots.
8. Rub whole carrots with oil, salt, spice and maple syrup.
9. Spread onto sheet pan, and roast at 400F for 30–40 min until just tender but still have a bite (unless you like mushy carrots)
10. When carrots are almost finished, reduce heat of lentils to low and add coconut milk and kale; turn off heat and stir kale into lentils, it will cook from the residual heat
11. Add salt as needed.
12. Serve in a bowl topped with glazed carrots, carrot tops and lemon on the side.