Lentil Sage Roast, Roasted Carrots, Black Pepper & Garlic Grits

This meal was perfect for our cold apartment tonight. Not only did it make the whole place smell wonderfully but it heated it up quite nice so we could enjoy it in a fire-place like setting. This is easily the worst thing about cooking so much in the summer, but in the fall and winter it just makes everything toasty and warm.

Lightly sauteed Lentil-Sage Field Roast with herb-roasted carrots, fresh spinach and grits speckled with plenty of black pepper and soft, sweet caramelized garlic.


Roasted Carrots
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 tbl organic light brown sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 450.
Toss the carrots with all of the ingredients and roast for 10-15 minutes until tender and slightly caramelized. Save any remaining roasting oil to drizzle lightly over the spinach salad.

Lentil Sage Roast & Spinach
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 quarter loaf Lentil-Sage Field Roast, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach leaves

Saute the field roast in oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve with carrots, grits and raw spinach drizzled with any remaining roasting oil from the carrots.

Black Pepper & Garlic Grits
1 head garlic, end trimmed
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable broth or water1/2 cup quick grits (not instant)


Preheat the oven to 450. Drizzle the oil, herbs, salt and pepper on the cut side of the garlic head and place cut side down on a piece of foil. Wrap up into a pouch and roast for 1 hour or until golden brown and soft.
Bring the broth and 1 1/2 tsp black pepper to a boil in a small pot. Slowly stream in the grits while whisking and turn the heat to low. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, whisking every couple minutes. If the liquid dries out too much, add a bit more to loosen the grits up.
When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze out all of the cloves and oils into the grits and whisk to combine and break up the garlic.