Cooking with lentils adds so much versatility to your diet and menu. There are many benefits to using lentils in your repertoire, mainly being that they are a nutrient rich legume full of protein and low in calories. Since I started cutting back on the carbs I consume and trying to replace rice in most dishes and entrees, I have turned to lentils quite a bit. And you will not really feel the loss because lentils offer such hearty and satisfying meals. There are endless recipes, but this is one basic one I love to use as substitute for rice or pasta sides. It pairs well with chicken, meat, seafood, and even as a filling meal on its own. Lentils are a fiber all-star, providing both soluble and insoluble. This means they are a great source for cleaning out your intestinal tract, improving digestion, and relieving constipation and other irritable bowel syndromes. They are also heart healthy legumes, rich in magnesium and folate which helps keep your arteries clear and improve the flow of oxygen throughout your body. These high fiber seeds are also excellent sources of slow-burning carbohydrates to provide you with long lasting energy. Because of this they are also excellent blood sugar stabilizers, so diabetic or pre-diabetic people will benefit greatly from consuming lentils in lieu of pasta or rice. Lentils are also high in iron which will improve energy levels, and coming without the fat, cholesterol, and high calories of red meat lentils make for a perfect meat substitute as well. 

Well, I hope you are now convinced to eat a bowl of lentils every once in a while. 

So here is my basic lentil pilaf. You can use a variety of root vegetables to add depth and flavor but onions are definitely always in the mix here. A tablespoon of garlic always tops that off. I like to add chopped fennel or celery if I have some and a few diced carrots. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper and simmer in either broth or water. Throw in a cup of fresh spinach at the top of your pot at the very end of cooking to add some extra greens, iron, and plenty of beneficial phytonutrients. I love spinach and lentils. Yum!

French lentils are a hardier, green lentil that holds its texture and shape better when cooked. So, if you are new to lentils which can get smushy if you do not cook it right, start with green lentils. You can boil them just like pasta, strain them, then toss with your sautéed vegetables. 

Brown lentils are more typically used in Middle Eastern cuisine to make kushary, mjadra, and other dishes. These can get a little too soft if you do not watch the pot. They cook similarly to rice. 1 cup of lentils cooks in about 3.5 cups of water. The key is to let it boil for about 10-15 minutes first to get the cooking going, then turn it down to low.

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You should sort (for dirt or bad pieces) and wash the lentils well.

Sautee chopped onion, minced garlic, and add cumin and salt. When softened, add the lentils, water and simmer until cooked. If using green lentils which cook faster and keep their shape well, simply boil in water with half an onion then strain. Add the strained, cooked lentils to sautéed onions, carrots, and other vegetables.

Lentils are the perfect side to salmon! One of our favorite meals!

Lentil Pilaf

2014-04-11 03:31:24

a healthy and hearty savory side dish

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

1. 1 c brown lentils
2. 4 c water (or 2 c water and 2 cups broth)
3. 1 tsp cumin
4. 1 tsp salt (to taste)
5. pinch of pepper
6. 1 medium onion, diced
7. 1 clove garlic, minced
8. 1/2 c chopped carrots
9. 1/2 c chopped fennel or celery (optional)
10. 1 tbsp of olive oil

Instructions

1. Sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil over high heat and add the spices.
2. Add the lentils and water.
3. Stir well and bring to a boil.
4. Boil for about 10-15 minutes until the liquid is at level with the lentils.
5. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
6. In a separate pan, sauté the remaining vegetables until tender. Toss with the cooked lentils and serve.

Notes

1. The other vegetables are not cooked in the same pot as lentils because of the long cook time lentils require. The vegetables will get overcooked and too soft if you do this.
2. Another option would be to boil green lentils for about 15 minutes in water with half an onion. Strain and toss the cooked green lentils in a pan with the sautéed vegetables.
3. Add fresh spinach to the pot at the very end of cook time to steam for about 1 minute.

By Noha ElSharkawy

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/

Your other baker friends will be green with envy when they see and taste how fluffy and gorgeous these pancakes turn out! Not only because they are delicious, but because they are packed with spinach! The lovely green hue does little to the taste because the spinach is ground so fine in the Vitamix blender. All you are really getting is the healthy benefits, but the spinach itself is tasteless. Spinach is packed with more than the required daily value of vitamin A, vitamin K, manganese, and folate and plenty of iron, anti-oxidants, and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. If you are struggling to get your kids to eat healthy spinach as I have been, then you will just LOVE this recipe. Not only is it full of spinach but it is made with whole wheat flour, less than 2 tbsp of sugar, and healthy vitamin D milk and eggs. I have little to protest in this recipe. You could use only 1 tbsp of sugar in the recipe if you plan to use syrup, but because I only topped it with fresh fruits and pureed raspberries, I added an extra dose of sugar. 

The green color is very vibrant and fun, and there are a TON of excuses to eat a fun green pancake! Use any of these reasons to get your kids excited about breakfast and a spinach packed pancake (tip: you don’t HAVE to tell them there is spinach): St. Patricks day, those MSU game fans (I’ll take BLUE thanks), Halloween, conjuring Incredible Hulk powers, make a “Very Hungry Caterpillar, or just a green monster kind of morning!

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This recipe yields one of the best pancakes I have ever tasted and it is adapted from allrecipes.com; find it here. I substituted the white flour for whole wheat flour and pureed the spinach with the milk to make a nice bright green spinach milk. I was thinking about how we add spinach to all of our smoothies because its flavor is so discrete, so I thought it would be a great addition to pancakes as it would not really alter the recipe. For the topping, simply puree fresh or frozen and thawed raspberries and add sliced bananas. It is the perfect balance of sweet and tart! So here it is! Enjoy!

Best Ever Pancakes (with spinach!)

2014-01-19 11:22:07

Serves 2

Healthy, fluffy, and delicious, this is the PERFECT pancake to feed your family!

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
2. 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
3. 1 tsp salt
4. 2 tbsp sugar
5. 1 1/4 c milk
6. 2 c fresh baby spinach
7. 1 egg (at room temperature)
8. 3 tbsp melted butter
9. 1 tsp vanilla extract
10. 1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed raspberries

Instructions

1. Puree the baby spinach with milk in a blender until fine and milk is green and smooth.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a larger bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Add the milk and melted butter.
4. Gradually add in the flour mixture and whisk until well incorporated.
5. Spray a griddle with butter and turn the heat to medium high. Drop a ladle full of batter on the pan to form circles. Allow it to cook until you see small bubbles form (about 1 minute). Flip the pancakes and cook for about another minute on the other side.
6. Puree the raspberries until liquid.
7. Serve with the pureed raspberries, your favorite syrup, or other fruit toppings.

Notes

1. Omit the spinach to have regular colored and a classic fantastic tasting pancake!

By Noha ElSharkawy

Adapted from Dakota Kelly (allrecipes.com)

Adapted from Dakota Kelly (allrecipes.com)

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/

Creamy mushroom soup is really much easier than you think. It’s also nice to know exactly what is in this soup since you are making it in your own kitchen! Go take a look at your canned mushroom soup ingredients…cringe? Once you try this easy and tasty recipe- you will not be buying cans again! So go ahead, buy those fresh tasty mushrooms you’ve been eyeing! 

I use baby bella mushrooms because they have such a rich hearty flavor. Mushrooms are an excellent source of nutrients; they are the only fruit or vegetable source of vitamin D, are high in B vitamins which boost metabolism, are high in antioxidants, and also offer a significant amount of selenium which helps the body develop red blood cells. Check out this helpful WebMD source for more details about mushroom’s health benefits. 

All those people who are buy sildenafil canada experiencing with impotency and erectile dysfunction. In this condition women experience reduced http://respitecaresa.org/bid-on-childrens-art-to-help/ levitra sale sexual desire which affects them psychologically How does it work?Sildenafil being a PDE5 inhibitor raises the distribution of nitric oxide NO in the body. Just like taking an aspirin – some people may experience relief with generic levitra 10mg only one pill, while others may need to take the bacterial culture and sensitivity test experiments, and take antibiotics like erythromycin, kanamycin, ciprofloxacin, josamycin, norfloxacin, cephalosporin according to experiments situation. Male Edge order cheap viagra Extra is ideal for the patients who have been facing such issue. The recipe involves a little bit of butter, some cream, broth (I used chicken for the flavor but you could use vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian), and 2% milk (use cream if you want a really thick and hearty soup). I wouldn’t expect the soup to be completely low fat as it IS a cream soup, thus the use of some butter and cream, although it is minimal compared to most other recipes! I also make this soup completely vegan and dairy free sometimes if I am blending it with vegetable broth and some extra roasted vegetables such as bell peppers and tomatoes. Although it is a different texture, it still tastes absolutely fantastic!!! The unexpected kick and secret ingredient giving the soup its gourmet flavor involves some all spice, nutmeg, and thyme. Sprinkle some chopped chives or parsley on top and your taste buds are going to have one memorable experience! I hope you enjoy!

Cream of Mushroom

2013-11-25 12:12:05

Serves 5

A deliciously velvety cream of mushroom soup perfect for a cold winter night! Also the perfect base for a homemade green bean casserole!

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 c chopped baby bella mushrooms
2. 1/2 c onion, diced
3. 1 tbsp garlic, minced
4. 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
5. 1/4 tsp of nutmeg
6. 1/4 tsp all spice or pumpkin spice
7. 1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock
8. 1/4 c flour
9. 1/3 c cream
10. 1/2 c milk
11. salt and pepper to taste
12. 3 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. In a large pot, sauté the onions over medium high heat until they are soft. Add the mushrooms and garlic and 1/2 tsp of salt. Sauté until mushrooms are soft. Scoop out half of the mushrooms and reserve.
2. Add the thyme by rubbing the leaves off of the sprig, the nutmeg, and pumpkin spice.
3. Turn the heat down to medium-low. In the center of the pot, add the butter and the flour and stir into a paste. Add the broth immediately after and stir continuously until creamy.
4. Turn the heat down to low. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup mixture until smooth. Add the milk, reserved mushrooms, and the cream and stir. Once the soup comes to a simmer, turn down to low and cook for 5 more minutes.
5. Serve with croutons, a crust of bread, or crackers and enjoy!

Notes

1. This soup is an excellent base for many casseroles including the traditional green bean casserole!

By Noha ElSharkawy

Sugar & Garlic https://sugarandgarlic.com/