Lentils with Butternut Squash and Walnuts

1 medium butternut squash, seeded, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces (wet it with water and nuke it for a minute in the microwave to make it MUCH easier and safer to peel and cut)
1 shallot
1/2 large onion
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp curry powder
3/4 cup dry lentils
3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste (1 tsp each in this recipe)

Preheat oven to 425.

Toss chopped squash with curry powder and 2 tbsp of the oil, spread in a shallow baking dish and cover with foil, making a couple slits to let steam escape. Bake for 30 minutes.

Saute onion and shallot and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil until they turn soft and translucent (5-6 minutes). Add to squash mixture in the oven and mix it up well. Top with walnuts. Return the squash pan to the oven and bake uncovered another 15-20 minutes. Check on it every now and then to make sure walnuts and onions don't burn.

Meanwhiile, cook the lentils in boiling water until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, and add to a big bowl. Add cilantro, lemon juice, salt and pepper and mix it up well.

After squash mixture is done (taste test it -- it should be tender), add it to the lentil mixture in the big bowl and mix it all up very well.

Makes 5 main course servings of a little over a cup each.

Number of Servings: 5

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user ORPHEA.