Still Vegetarian

I know I said this many times and I am sure I will say it many more- how busy a week has been. Well, but this one has truly been a bit crazy yet great. I haven't got much sleep and today is the first day I had the opportunity to catch up on my zzz's. Sleep is magical and I need  lots of it in my life to be my optimal best :) So as I am drinking my coffee and eating my breakfast I am planning out my day and week.
My vegetarian lifestyle is still in full swing and I feel great about it. My "whole food" part was cheated a little as I had few sweet goodies baked by my momma and some bread (sandwiches) when running around (once in a while it's fine).
So today I scoped out this yummy recipe that I am eager to try. Sounds delicious! I am a big fan of many Indian / Middle Eastern dishes, not only for their great taste in addition for fantastic health benefits that come from their amazing spices. So when I came across this recipe, I was excited to try it and in case you would want to try as well, here it is:

Split Pea- Spinach Dal with Cauliflower
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Throughout India, a meal is not complete without some variation of this spice-tempered legume dish. Cumin and turmeric provide slightly bitter notes, but the dish has an overall salty-savory flavor. The dal is more of a stew than a soup; for a thinner version, decrease the final simmering time.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)


Ingredients

3 1/2 cups water, divided
1 cup dried yellow split peas
1 bay leaf
2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 cups torn spinach

Preparation

Combine 2 1/2 cups water, peas, and bay leaf in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 50 minutes or until tender. Add 1 cup water, cauliflower, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.

Heat butter and oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add cumin and next 5 ingredients (cumin through cloves); cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion mixture to pea mixture. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until thick. Stir in spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts.


Nutritional Information

Calories:183 (18% from fat)

Fat:3.7g (sat 1.4g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:11.4g

Carbohydrate:28.8g

Fiber:2.6g

Cholesterol:5mg

Iron:3.4mg

Sodium:649mg

Calcium:75mg

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Recipe Via