Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

(Serves 4-6 as main dish or 6-8 as a starter or side dish)

2 -3 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes or so

1 cup red lentils (look for the small, quick cooking kind; I usually buy mine at Trader Joe's)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups of water or vegetable stock
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ginger
    (you can substitute 3 tsp curry powder for all the above spices)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil (or other oil)

Preheat oven to 400F.
Toss cubed sweet potatoes in oil and salt and pepper and spread on baking tray.
Bake for about 20-25 mins until cooked through (toss once to cook evenly).

In the meantime, in large pot, saute onions until soft and slightly browned.
Add garlic and spices and saute for 1-2 mins to release aroma.
Add lentils and stock and simmer for about 15-20 mins until lentils are tender (may take longer if you have a different kind of lentils).
Add roasted sweet potatoes and serve.

Note: I often use a mix of lentils and quinoa in this recipe, substituting directly for the 1 cup of lentils. A 50-50 mix works well. If you have the quick-cooking red lentils, both the lentils and quinoa will cook in about the same amount of time, so it's an easy substitution. I like to soak the quinoa in water for 15 mins and then drain before adding to the stew to remove bitterness and make it easier to digest.