Tasty Tuesday … Moroccan Dutch Baby with Cinnamon-Spiced Beluga Lentils

by incahootswithmuddyboots
September 10, 2019
30 comments
Cooking, Photography, Tasty Tuesday ..., Uncategorized, Vegan Dishes, Vegetarian Cooking

There are days when dinnertime’s almost here and I still don’t know what to prepare for supper. I’ve never really been a planner and that includes what to eat when. One of my reasons for this is that I like to see what’s fresh and local at either the farm market or the grocery store and plan the menu accordingly. I always prefer to buy produce from local sources, which translates into fresher quality, better prices and also support for our local small growers. The farm market near my house has finally gotten a few more produce stands. I sure hope this young woman returns next year!

So when I wasn’t sure what to make for dinner the other night, I took inventory of the vegetable drawers in the fridge and the pantry before logging onto the WaPo website to check for a tasty recipe that would require lots of in-season produce! That’s when I noticed this Moroccan Dutch Baby recipe. The original recipe called for small mozzarella balls which I didn’t have, but the smoked gouda I did have worked just fine. I think that feta cheese would be really yummy as well!
Before I dove into the cooking part I decided to also make a simple green salad with just a little finely minced red onion, a splash of sherry vinegar and a little olive oil. The greens for the salad got washed, dried and then refrigerated to get crisped up. The “dressing” got added right before serving everything.
Next I started the lentils since they can take 45 minutes or so to cook. If you’ve never tried the tiny black Beluga lentils I encourage you to get some. They cook up beautifully and keep their shape well. They are also high in many nutrients and fiber. Once the lentils were simmering on the back burner I turned my attention to the Dutch Baby! 😉

Cinnamon-Spiced Beluga Lentils

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • olive oil
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • a generous pinch of saffron (Trader Joe’s and Costco have good prices)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  • salt and pepper
  • a couple of bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 cups Beluga lentils, sorted and rinsed well
  • 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (you could use a can) in season
  • 1 or 2 freshly squeezed limes for the lentils at the end of the cooking time

In a heavy pot heat a little olive oil and sauté the onion until soft and golden. Add the smoked paprika and saffron.

Stir and continue to cook until the spices are fragrant.

Add the lentils, mix well and sauté a few more minutes.

Pour enough hot water into the pot to cover the lentils by about one inch. Add the rest of the spices, stir and bring to a boil.

Add the tomatoes, turn the flame down to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered until the lentils are tender.
Adjust the seasoning with the lime juice and add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Keep warm.

While the lentils are simmering away preheat the oven to 425°. Gather your ingredients and either a 8 inch cast-iron pan or round ovenproof casserole dish. When the lentils are just about done, start the Dutch Baby. And once the Dutch Baby is baking, assemble your tomato, cheese and herb mixture for the topping.

The Dutch Baby

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • 2 tablespoons harissa
  • 1/2 cup of milk (I used Bulgarian buttermilk)
  • a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground pepper
  • 2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 oz cheese like small mozzarella balls, feta, smoked gouda, Swiss or …
  • lots of fresh basil or parsley, washed, dried and chopped
  • 2 fresh limes

In a blender, beat the eggs on medium high until they are frothy. Then add the flour, harissa, milk, salt and a little pepper. Blend it until a smooth batter forms.

Put the butter into the pan and heat it in the oven until the butter is melted, but not burned. Remove pan from oven and immediately pour the batter into the dish. Bake on the middle shelf for about 13 to 15 minutes. The baby should be brown around the edges and puffed up. Turn off the oven and let the baby rest inside it for another 5 minutes. This is supposed to help keep its structure.

Remove the Dutch Baby from the oven.

Tomatoes, cheese and herbs ready for the Dutch Baby!

Top the Baby with the fresh tomato mixture and lots of fresh lime juice and enjoy!

This was enough for two dinners for the two of us.
The leftover lentils went really well with a vegan Vegetable Tagine I made the next day.
That recipe I will share next Tasty Tuesday!
🙂

Posted by

My passions in life are vegetarian cooking, gardening, photography, writing, good books, traveling and nature. Thanks for stopping by, Sabine

30 thoughts on “Tasty Tuesday … Moroccan Dutch Baby with Cinnamon-Spiced Beluga Lentils”

      • Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog says:

        I may try Almond Flour one of these days. It may be a good alternative!

        On Tuesdays and Saturdays, i make a gluten-free pizza in which i use frozen packaged riced Sweet Potato and Cauliflower as the base. On that, i put salt-free tomato sauce, fat-free and organic cheese, and all kinds of toppings like red peppers, green olives, mushrooms, and garbanzo beans. I microwave it. It’s more like a casserole than a pizza but it is plenty good. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Missy says:

    Hey Sabine! I’ve only had Dutch babies as a sweet, never savory. I’ll have to give this a try. Thanks for the inspiration. Have a great rest of your week!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. insearchofitall says:

    I’m with Missy here. My mother put canned apple filling in them and topped with syrup. This looks very good. The Lentils I have not heard of that variety. I think I’m basically a lazy cook. I do love my mom’s lentil soup and my sister made some today. She’s a much better cook than I am.

    Liked by 1 person

    • incahootswithmuddyboots says:

      Marlene, I think most people are more familiar with the sweet Dutch baby! I picked about 80 apples off my tiny tree and thought of making a “pie filling”. I got the lentils at the Grocery Outlet. They are organic and from Canada and also really inexpensive. We all have our strengths! There are plenty of days when I don’t feel like cooking either. Do you guys put a little vinegar or lemon into the lentils at the end of the cooking?

      Liked by 1 person

  4. LuAnne Holder says:

    This looks great, Sabine. I will need to make it soon. I’m starting the Whole30 diet in October and will be going paleo for a month, then reintroduce food groups one at a time to see if some foods cause me trouble. That means no legumes for a month. Oh, my! Both my daughters recommend it and both have found foods that do cause problems for them – legumes in particular! Not all legumes, though, peanuts for one and I’m not sure about my other daughter, just know it is in the legume family. So I still have a few more weeks to try this. So glad you posted it now.

    Liked by 1 person

    • incahootswithmuddyboots says:

      I’ve read about both of those diets, LuAnne! Not eating any legumes would be hard for me. I love all beans and lentils. It’s interesting how some of us are and/or become more sensitive to foods over a lifetime. I should re-read the Whole30 book. I think it is more veg friendly! I hope you enjoy your Dutch Baby, LuAnne! 🙋

      Liked by 1 person

  5. LuAnne Holder says:

    Giving up the legumes and grains will be the toughest part. Grains not so much because I mostly just eat brown rice and quinoa. But the legumes will be tough. I, too, love beans, peas and lentils. Lots of beans, limas, garbanzo, black-eyed peas, sweet green peas, black beans!, on and on. The sweeteners will be easy to give up and most dairy except I do use Greek yogurt as a pro-biotic. But both daughters say they feel great and are making wiser food choices now for their specific bodies. We’ll see if I can make it the whole 30 days. Fortunately, my husband is doing this with me. (Sugar will be his hardest.) I’ll keep you posted. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • incahootswithmuddyboots says:

      I’m looking forward to hearing about your diet. Kudos to your husband for joining you! Supporting each other will make it much easier! Have you checked out non-dairy probiotic yoghurt and drinks? We really liked a flax seed kefir which unfortunately has been discontinued. Good Luck! 🙂

      Like

  7. bellamonte says:

    This looks absolutely delicious! I will try this, too, since we’re trying to eat mostly vegetarian. I haven’t visited your blog in a long time, hope all is well!
    I moved my blog to wordpress.org – not sure it was a good idea! 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • incahootswithmuddyboots says:

      Hey Kathryn, what a nice surprise to see you’re still around! Have you thought of moving back to this platform? I miss your movie recommendations! Eating less meat is definitely gaining more popularity. There is so much more support and acceptance now than when I started my vegetarian journey nearly forty years ago. This Dutch Baby is delicious and super easy. Check my blog for more ideas if you like. Hope to “see” you again, here and on your blog! 🙂 Are you still in Silicon Valley?

      Liked by 1 person

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