August 30, 2017
Long story short -- I know many many of you have been affected by Harvey and please know that so many of us are thinking and praying for you -- from all over the world.
you are definitely in our hearts and souls.
Let's talk Lentils.
I have a confession.
It took way too long for me to
embrace the lentil.
I think it was because I remember being served some sort of brown lentil soup in elementary school ---- I don't think I actually tasted it (looked weird) ---- I was in the cafeteria line purely for the cornbread muffin.
When I started crockpotting every day in 2008 I
began receiving emails from readers asking for lentil recipes and I must admit I ignored them for a good six months or so ---
because who wants to eat lentils?
It turns out, I do.
(oops!!)
:-)
I now LOVE lentils, and throw a handful in to lots of my stews and soups. Lentils are inexpensive, packed with fiber and have a surprising amount of protein for such a tiny little legume (18 grams per 1 cooked cup).
These are my absolute favorite lentil recipes.
Enjoy!!
The spices in this soup make it anything but boring. The base is lentil and garbanzo beans with carrot and celery. The spices are cumin, garam masala, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
A lentil dish with honey and soy sauce--two condiments I would never ever ever in a million years would think to pair with lentils, but it works! The combination is sweet and tangy and different. I get the nicest emails about this dish. It's a great side to bring along to a potluck
gathering.
This, here, is SUPER FOOD. Not SUPER in that it tastes like oreo cheesecake or chocolate mousse, but SUPER in that it has a bunch of super foods in it: lentils, tomatoes, garlic, and kale.
and it tastes good,
too!!
This is a basic, no-frills minestrone soup. It's vegetarian (vegan, too!) and packed with more flavor, vitamins, and minerals than anything you could possibly get from a can.
This is the lentil dish we make the most often in our house. Sometimes it's more stewish if I add more broth -- and sometimes it's more casserolish if the lentils absorb the cooking liquid.
I made this dinner last week and have been eating the leftovers each day for lunch. I use whatever smoked chicken sausage is on sale (I really like the Aidell's brand) -- the kids like the sweet chicken apple sausage, but I really like the garlic and artichoke variety.
If you're new to lentils or think your family might be hesitant to try them, give this recipe a test. I think you'll really like it!
lots of love to you, wherever you are, and HAPPY SLOW COOKING!!
steph
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