Dry Lentil Stew with Sausage and Squash
Morita chiles are red, fully mature Chipotles. This gives them a unique, medium – hot smokey flavor which is popular in many Southwestern dishes. These can be added to sauces (including Mole) to add smokey flavor and maintain the red color of the sauces. These peppers are about 2-4 inches in length, 1 inch in width, and have a deep brick reddish brown color. The word Chipotle translated to smoked chile. Consider the Chipotle a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the hottest). Scoville heat units 7,000-25,000.
Suggested Use:
Use Morita in enchilada sauces, chili, stews, barbecue ribs, and corn bread. Their smoky quality combines well with poultry, meats and fall squash.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound gluten free hot Italian sausage (or chicken sausage), casings removed
1/2 small red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 cups grated squash or pumpkin
2-3 cups diced tomatoes
1 chipotle chile, rehydrated in hot water and diced
1 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste
1 cup small brown lentils (or red lentils)
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups water or broth
1/2 cup quinoa (optional)
for garnish: lime juice and diced cilantro
Instructions
Cook quinoa according to package directions (optional).
Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, breaking up the sausage into smaller pieces with a spatula. Add red onions, chipotle, and garlic and cook for a few minutes.
Add squash, cumin and salt. Cook for a few minutes.
Add tomatoes and lentils. Cook for a few minutes. Add white wine. Bring to a boil.
Add water or broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered until lentils are cooked through (20-30 mins)
Serve over quinoa (optional), garnished with chopped cilantro and lime juice.
Slightly adapted from a recipe from avocadopesto.com