Gluten-Free Living Recipes: Fiesta Veggie Lentil Stew #glutenfree #dairyfree #vegan

This is a very hearty lentil stew with a great mix of veggies.  I usually prepare this on a Monday evening, after having a weekend full of parties with high fattening foods.  This dish is gluten-free as well as vegan.  I highly recommend to all of my clients having at least two vegan dinners a week to decrease intake of high saturated fat meats and increase more plant proteins.  This is a great start to improving heart health as well as lowering those bad cholesterol levels.  In addition, this recipe is great for leftovers!  For a finishing touch, I love adding mashed avocado.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups Vegetable Stock
• 3 Celery (chopped)
• 3-4 Carrots (sliced)
• 1 Red Pepper (chopped)
• 1 Yellow Pepper (chopped)
• 3 Red Potatoes (cut into small squares)
• 1/2 cup Red Lentils
• 1/2 cup Green Lentils
• 1 cup Basmati Rice
• 1 1/2 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Mild Curry
• 1 tsp. Grated Ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1/2 Avocado (mashed)

1. Combine all ingredients in a large cooking pot. 
2. Bring stew mix to a boil. Stir and reduce heat.
3. Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes until vegetables and lentils are soft.
4. Turn off heat and let stew cool before serving.
5. Enjoy!

**Baby Note: This can also be a great pureed food idea for your baby.  You can eliminate or decrease the spices if they are hard on your baby's tummy.