A New View of Healthy Eating: Mindful Mirepoix into Delicious Quinoa Red Lentil Dish

By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

Today was a very mindful, quiet, reflective day and for quiet self care,, I decided to create a new dish inspired by today’s version of mirepoix. Most of us know mirepoix as carrots, onions, and celery as a base to build the flavor profile of a dish. Today, in my intuitive mirepoix I used onions, leeks, garlic, carrots, bell peppers and a little sea salt. I added organic quinoa and red lentils to create a simple, nutritious meal with pseudograins and protein-rich lentils.

Excerpt from A New View of Healthy Eating

Experiment with Mirepoix

Mirepoix, the aromatic vegetables used at the beginning of the cooking process, builds the flavor profile of a dish. Different cuisines around the world typically begin their cooking with different combinations of vegetables. Experiment with various aromatic vegetables to create a wide variety of flavored dishes.

French: onions, celery, carrots

Italian: onions, celery, carrots, plus parsley, garlic, fennel

Mediterranean: onions, tomatoes, garlic, fennel

Spanish: onions, garlic, tomatoes

Asian: garlic, ginger, lemongrass

Cajun “Holy Trinity”: onions, celery, green pepper

German: carrots, celery root, leeks

Enjoy the process from mirepoix to the delicious quinoa lentil meal.

Today’s intuitive mirepoix: Green onions, leeks, fresh garlic, carrots, and bell peppers.

Cook: Add 1 cup quinoa, 1 cup red lentils, 1 cup homemade veggie stock, and about 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Simmer, covered with lid, for about 20 minutes.