Search Results for: lentils

Dahl with Fresh Ginger

April 15, 2020 by towers

Dahl is a spicy lentil stew made with red or orange lentils. Unlike the green or brown larger-sized lentils which are purchased unprocessed and can be sprouted (see recipes), the red or orange lentils are available processed (dehulled, split, and polished) so they will not sprout. They can still be soaked overnight and rinsed well before cooking to reduce some of the anti-nutrients naturally occurring in legumes. They cook quickly because of the processing and soaking.

Usually served with basmati rice, dahl is also good with steamed vegetables and/or some kind of bread. The spices are warming and anti-inflammatory and the dish is very nourishing. I found organic orange lentils at our co-op and was excited to make a pot of dahl on a chilly, overcast Spring day. Make enough for leftovers as it is still very good re-heated.

Makes 6 servings

2 cups dry red or orange lentils, preferably organic, soaked in 2 quarts of water overnight, rinsed very well in a strainer, and drained

2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp ghee

4 Tbsp. grated, fresh ginger (peeled first)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth and 3 cups of water, or 6 cups of water

6 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and crushed through garlic press

2 tsp. ground turmeric

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cayenne (optional)

salt to taste

fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnishing (optional)

Melt 1/4 cup of the ghee in a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute 5 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, and 3 cloves of the garlic (crushed) and stir over medium heat for another minute or two–don’t let the garlic brown. Carefully pour in the broth or water and add the lentils. Stir well and increase heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer under a cracked lid stirring occasionally. Allow to simmer for an hour or until it reduces to the consistency you desire.

About fifteen minutes before serving, melt the remaining 1 Tbsp ghee in a small sauce pan. Add the cumin and cayenne if desired and saute over medium heat for a few minutes while stirring. Add the remaining 3 cloves of crushed garlic and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Use a potato masher to pulverize the lentil mixture to a creamy consistency (or use an immersion blender). Add the cumin/garlic mixture and stir well. Salt to taste and add more cayenne if desired. Spoon into bowls over brown basmati rice or steamed vegetables and garnish with cilantro if desired.

Lentil Arugula Salad with Noodles

January 11, 2019 by towers

Sprouted lentils again? Well yes, because they are so quick and they store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks once you have them sprouted. For sprouting instructions and a brief discussion go here. We use organic brown rice fettuccine for noodles. Remember that pasta made with any grain–even gluten-free grain– is concentrated starch and may cause blood sugar stress. My solution is to limit the amount I add to a dish and dilute with plenty of vegetables.

Serves 2

1 large onion, chopped fine

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 cup of lentil sprouts

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp. organic tamari

cayenne pepper to taste, optional

1 cup cooked brown rice fettuccine

4 cups young arugula leaves (2 cups per serving)

Cook the noodles following the instructions on the package–use a handful that is about an inch in diameter and break the nookles into 4 inch pieces before you put them in the boiling water. After draining the noodles leave them in the pot so they stay warm but stir a Tbsp. of olive oil into them to reduce stickiness. Set aside.

Saute the onions is a skillet with 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Stir for a few minutes over medium heat. Add the cumin and stir. Add lentils and cook for 5-10 minutes stirring every few minutes. Add yeast, tamari, and cayenne if desired. Stir well and heat for a few minutes. Add cooked noodles and toss to mix well.

Serve over bed of arugula.

Lentil Stew

November 28, 2018 by towers

Previous posts on sprouted lentils say it all. When I sprout lentils I use 2 cups dry and get about 5-6 cups sprouted. They will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week to 10 days. These are so easy to make a quick meal that it is worth remembering to sprout some once a month or so. Here’s my latest that was inspired from seeing the lentils and some turkey broth that I made after Thanksgiving dinner in my fridge.

2 cups lentil sprouts

1 large onion

2 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tsp. cumin powder

1/2 tsp. coriander powder

cayenne, a pinch, optional

2 cups turkey or chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a medium-sized soup pot. Add the chopped onion and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes giving an occasional stir. Add the spices and stir well. Add the lentils. Stir well. Continue heating on medium heat for another few minutes stirring to prevent sticking on bottom of pan. Add broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Can be served alone or over millet grits, rice, or noodles. (I use organic brown rice fettucine.)

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Lentil Soup

February 28, 2018 by towers

If you haven’t tried sprouting lentils yet, this recipe will perhaps provide some incentive. Your soup will be easier to digest and cook much more quickly. Directions for sprouting can be found in an earlier post here. Do not substitute dry lentils as they will not cook thoroughly when you follow these directions.

Makes about a gallon of soup

2 quarts of sprouted lentils (1 quart dry)
3 large carrots, chopped fine
1 quart of chicken broth

Place these three ingredients in a large soup pot and bring to boil and immediately reduce the heat so that the mixture just simmers. Cover with a lid that is left cracked open. Now proceed by preparing the next mixture.

2 Tbsp ghee
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions
3 leeks
4 stalks of celery
1 quart of water
1 can of organic classic coconut milk
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
2 Tbsp organic wheat-free tamari
1-2 sea salt to taste

Prepare the vegetables. For the leeks, cut off 2/3 of the leaves but don’t discard–wash well and then save them for adding to your next batch of broth. Take the leek “roots” and slit into quarters and wash well as dirt tends to get trapped inside. Chop the leeks, celery, and onions into 1-inch sized chunks. Melt the ghee in a separate soup pot (a smaller pot is fine) from the lentils and add the olive oil. Add the chopped vegetables and saute until softened for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the spices but not the tamari. Stir for a few minutes. Then add the water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat so the mixture simmers. Leave this simmering until the vegetables are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the coconut milk and tamari. Stir well. Now add this mixture to the big soup pot that contains the lentils. Add enough water to make a thick soup (not a stew). Taste and add salt as desired.

Quick Lentil Salad

January 27, 2016 by towers

You will need sprouted lentils to make this recipe so please review my previous post on lentil soup that discusses how to sprout lentils. The reason this recipe is quick and also easy on the digestive system is because of the use of sprouted lentils. (Don’t try to substitute!) You can’t buy sprouted lentils most places but it is very easy to sprout them yourself and they keep in the fridge for a week. Once you have them you can make this dish, the soup, or lentil burgers over the course of the week. Prepare the salad first and then make the lentils so that you can serve immediately.

Serves 2

Salad

4 cups mixed greens/lettuce–I used endive and arugala but any lettuce or lettuce mix is fine

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

feta cheese to garnish, optional

Lentils:

2 cups sprouted lentils

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

6 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp. ghee (you could substitute coconut oil)

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 tsp. tamari

1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)

salt and pepper to taste (add at the end)

Mix all the salad ingredients together except the feta cheese. Place 1/2 the mixture in each of 2 large salad bowls.

Now prepare the lentils. Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and stir for a minute or so but NOT long enough to brown.. Add the lentil sprouts and carrots and stir well. Stir this mixture over medium heat until the lentils wilt and then add the broth, tamari and cayenne. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid cooks off. The mixture should be moist but not soupy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon half the mixture on top of each of the 2 salads. Garnish with feta if desired. Serve immediately.

Simple Lentil Soup

December 19, 2013 by towers

Legumes that are sprouted before being cooked are much easier to digest and the cooking time is reduced. People who get gassy from eating beans will often report that sprouting before cooking reduces or eliminates this problem. To sprout, soak 2 cup of lentils in a 2-qt. mason jar (or you can use 2 quart-sized jars and 1 cup of lentils in each jar) by filling with water and leaving for 12 hours. Drain, rinse well with plenty of water, and drain again. Turn jar on its side–this prevents the beans from getting dried out. Leave them by the sink and rinse and drain them in the morning. When the sprouts (the little white shoots that grow out of the beans) are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long the beans are ready to use. Lentils are usually ready by the 2nd day of sprouting.

Serves 8–I usually freeze half

2 cup of dry lentils, soaked and sprouted as described above

2 medium to large onions, peeled and chopped

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tsp. cumin powder

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

sea salt and black pepper to taste

cayenne to taste, optional

Saute the onions in the olive oil in a soup pot for 5 minutes stirring a few times. Add cumin powder and stir well. Add rest of ingredients and stir. Pour in enough water to cover well (at least 2 quarts). Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low immediately so the soup just simmers. Cover with a lid cracked open. Simmer at least 2 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can make this soup in a crock pot and leave simmering all day. Optional garnishes: pecorino grated cheese, chopped cilantro, tamari.

Lentil Burgers

August 13, 2010 by towers

Sprouted Lentil Burgers

Legumes that are sprouted before being cooked are much easier to digest and the cooking time is greatly reduced. The two legumes that sprout the most readily are lentils and garbanzo beans. To sprout, soak 1 cup of beans in a quart jar by filling with water and leaving for 12 hours. Drain and rinse well and drain again. Turn jar on its side and do not put a lid on it. Being on its side prevents the beans from getting dried out but they can still “breathe” without a lid. There are plastic lids that fit on wide-mouthed mason jars that you can buy in health food stores that have holes for easy straining/rinsing. Leave them by the sink and rinse and drain them in the morning and evening. When the sprouts (the little white shoots that grow out of the beans) are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long the beans are ready to use.

1 cup of dry lentils, soaked and sprouted as described above—this will be about 2 cups of sprouts.

1 medium onion, chopped

extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup walnuts (may substitute sunflower seeds)

2 tsp. cumin powder

2 tsp. prepared mustard

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes, optional

¾ tsp. sea salt

black pepper or cayenne pepper (optional)

Saute chopped onion in 2 Tbsp. olive oil until soft, stirring often and adding cumin powder once onions are soft. In a food processor place the lentil sprouts, sautéed onions, and the rest of the ingredients. Process until mixture is well ground and homogenous. In a frying pan, brown on both sides in 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. Serve warm with mustard or ketchup.

Dahl with Fresh Ginger

Lentil Arugula Salad with Noodles

Lentil Stew

Lentil Soup

Quick Lentil Salad

Simple Lentil Soup

Lentil Burgers

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