Purple cabbage advertises it’s own antioxidant levels with it’s beautiful colour. Combined with lentils, brown rice, spinach and walnuts this dish makes a warming winter meal so dense in nutrients and fibre that you will feel satisfied and full for hours. The added maple sweetness is always a hit with my children, the cabbage issue has finally been resolved in my house.
What you need:
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
Half a red onion - chopped
Purple cabbage – roughly 205g uncooked, finely sliced
150 g spinach – washed
220g brown rice – rinsed
140g green lentils – rinsed (opt for a fast cooking brand, cooking time 20-25mins)
50g walnut pieces – briefly roasted
1 tbsp maple syrup
Handful of raisins (optional)
Salt
Pepper
How you do it:
In a frying pan dry roast your walnuts for a few minutes stirring constantly until they develop a rich, nutty smell. Put the nuts aside to cool.
Rinse the rice and lentils together then cover with cold water, add a little salt and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile heat the oil in the previously used frying pan, add onion and cabbage and fry on medium heat stirring frequently until the cabbage starts to soften and changes colour to a brighter pink.
Drizzle over the maple syrup and caramelise for a couple of minutes, it can get a little sticky so keep stirring to prevent it from burning.
Add the spinach and stir until it starts to wilt. Drain and briefly rinse the cooked rice/lentil mix with hot water before adding it to the cabbage mix.
Gently mix everything, season to taste before adding the walnuts and a sprinkle raisins.
