Health benefits of lentils:
- Excellent source of fiber which helps control blood sugar levels and helps keep things moving through our digestion system.
- Affordable and low-fat source of protein.
- Good source of essential nutrients like iron for blood health, folic acid for health pregnancy and making new blood cells, and magnesium which helps lower blood pressure!
Purchasing and cooking tips:
Look for lentils near the rice in most grocery stores OR in the bulk section which can save you additional money and packaging. You’ll find red, green, brown, yellow, even black lentil varieties. Red and yellow lentils are great in soups or stews. Green or brown keep their shape better and make great taco filling!
Follow the directions on the package or simply rinse lentils under cold water and then combine 1 cup dry lentils with 3 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat so they’re gently simmering and cook until soft (usually about 20-30 minutes).
Lentil recipe suggestions:
Red Lentil Soup
Lentil Tacos using your favorite taco seasoning
Ethiopian Red Lentils & Greens with Brown Rice
This Sweet Thai Sauce is a little sweeter and a little thicker that the Thai Sauce use in the Thai Beef & Basil Rice Bowl, great for tossing with roasted Brussels sprouts or other veggies! You can buy premixed sweet Thai sauces at most grocery stores BUT blending your own allows you to make sure it suits you and your family’s taste, as well as limited added salt. This sweet Thai sauce contains fish sauce a good source of omega-3s; a type of fat which prevent heart disease, depression, dementia, and arthritis.
Sweet Thai Sauce:
1⁄4 Fish sauce
2 Tbsp. tamari
2 Tbsp. Rice vinegar
3 Tbsp. Sugar
Ras el Hanout, meaning “head of the shop” in Arabic, is a traditional spice blend in North African countries. While each spice shop, cook, or family may have their own blend of preferred spices, below is an easy starting point for mixing your own Ras el Hanout. Feel free to add or subtract to match your families favorite flavors.
Ras El Hanout
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
All the above spices can be found in most stores bulk spice sections- a great way to save money and packaging!
Purchasing fresh herbs can be a splurge, but adds so much salt-free and fat-free flavor to dishes. Make sure you’re using every last bit by storing the leftover herbs in a way that will last until your next recipe.
- Store herbs (other than basil) in the fridge upright in jars (stems down) filled with 1-2 inches of water just as you would a bouquet of flowers.
- Fresh herbs can also be frozen by chopping and freezing in ice cube trays full of olive oil. Pull out cubes as needed for pasta dishes, to add to soups, or even your breakfast eggs!
