Category Archives: legumes

Curried Carrot Sprout Salad

by legumes, recipes, vegetables, vegetarian

In the tastes-better-than-the-picture category we have today's lunch offering.  A conversation earlier in the day with my friend Blujay about ways to use sprouts brought up the idea of putting them into a curried carrot salad.  


Salads are so wonderful in the warmer months, keeping a couple on hand in the fridge means you always have something for lunch or dinner.  I love the idea of assembling a bunch of different salads for a composed plate as a refreshing way to make a meal.  If you don't happen to have fresh sprouts on hand you many grocery stores now carry them although they're certainly easy to make and I think it's better to get them fresh, it's certainly easy to do.




Curried Carrot Sprout Salad


6 large carrots, topped and shredded
1 C. fresh bean sprouts
1/4 C. dried currants
1/4 C. raw sunflower seeds
1/4 C. chopped walnuts
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1 t. curry powder
salt to taste


Mix all ingredients together
Let sit in fridge for at least two hours to chill and for flavor to settle




Bean sprouts are very healthy.  The act of sprouting forces the bean to convert some of it's starches, this makes it more easily digestible.  Many of the nutrients are increased by sprouting as well, especially vitamin A, vitamin C and some of the B vitamins.  They can be made year round using very simple equipment, just a pot, a sieve and an insulated space.


I use mine in salads, green smoothies, blended into soups and sometimes just as a snack.  They are delicious




Homemade Bean Sprouts


1/2 C. assorted dried beans (I like adzuki, mung, lentil and black beans)
Sort through beans and rinse
Put in a metal pot, cover with water and set in the oven overnight (oven is off)
In the morning drain and rinse the beans well
Return to the oven
Repeat until beans have 1/2″ long tails


Rinse and eat
May be stored in the fridge but make sure they are fully dry before you do that to avoid spoilage


Note:  when making your sprouts it is helpful to put a note stating “sprouts” on the oven door so that people don't preheat the oven without looking and accidentally cook your sprouts.  Just saying…

Luscious Limas

by legumes, recipes, vegetables, vegetarian,

Recently we had a our friend Eric over for dinner. As part of the meal we served this lima bean dish which is one that everyone likes. Eric not only had seconds, he asked for the recipe. I figure anytime you have a teenaged boy willingly eating lima beans and asking for more you've got a recipe that is a definite keeper.

 
Lima beans cannot be eaten raw as they contain a compound which turns into cyanide, however once cooked this compound is inactivated.  Lima beans are a good source of soluble fiber, with 13 grams in a one cup service.  This, coupled with their low glycemic index, make lima beans a good food for anyone looking to support more balanced blood sugars. 
 
Other benefits include:
 
  • An excellent source of iron, one cup offers nearly 25% of the daily recommended intake
  • Protein - one cup of lima beans can provide 15 grams of protein
  • A wonderful source of folate which is an important B vitamin that is vital for DNA synthesis and repair while also supporting cellular and tissue growth
  • Rich in isoflavones which have been shown to be anti carcinogenic for breast cancer 
  • A good source of potassium which supports protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism as well as supporting nerve and muscle function
  • There’s a good amount of manganese in lima beans; this co-enzyme supports metabolic activity as well as bone health
  • Also a good source of magnesium which is required for over 300 enzymatic functions in the body
 
Lima beans are tasty and versatile. They can be added to soups, stews, are delicious creamed, turned into a mash, and can be wonderful either baked or slow cooked.  This recipe is one of our favorites, especially when we can get fresh lima beans from the farmer’s market.
 

Luscious Limas

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 med. red onion diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 2 C. lima beans
  • 1/2 C. vegetable broth
  • olive oil
  • 1 t. nutritional yeast
  • salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Saute the onion in the olive oil until just starting to soften
  • Add the celery and saute 2 more minutes
  • Add the lima beans and vegetable and cook on med-low until limas are cooked through
  • Add extra broth if needed
  • Sprinkle with nutritional yeast
  • Add salt and pepper to taste

 
Tuscan Lentil Stew

Tuscan Lentil Stew

by gluten free, grains, legumes, recipes, tomatoes, vegetables, vegetarian

I love lentils

This recipe is one that I created as sort of an Italian style ratatouille, a French peasant stew. I substituted the lentils for the eggplant to give a protein boost and it's a great variation. Served over polenta with a side of spinach sauteed with garlic, lemon and Italian spices it makes a fabulous meal. So I've decided to call it Tuscan Lentil Stew. Whatever you call it, it sure is delicious! And the leftovers, if there are any, are even better than the original because the flavors continue to mellow and combine even after cooking.

Lentil nutrition

Lentils referred to in Indian cuisine as daal, come in a number of different colors/types. There are the traditional brown lentils that most of us see at the grocery store. You can however also buy red lentils, which have less fiber, the dark French green ones, a yellow lentil, and a type called Masoor which are brown on the outside but red on the inside. When combining lentils with a grain, such as rice, you get a complete protein as all of the essential amino acids are present.

Lentils are tasty little legumes which pack a powerful nutrition punch. High in fiber, protein, folate, iron, potassium, folate, and manganese, they are quick-cooking and easy to use in a wide variety of dishes and cuisines. They don't require lots of soaking and can be quickly prepared and ready for a dish without too much effort.

 
Tuscan Lentil Stew
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 C. lentils rinsed and picked over
  2. 1 onion chopped small
  3. 3 cloves garlic minced
  4. 3 zucchini cut into 1/2" slices
  5. 1 bell pepper diced
  6. 3 tomatoes diced
  7. 1 1/2 t. Italian herbs
  8. 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
  9. 2 T. olive oil
  10. 2 1/2 C. vegetable stock
Instructions
  1. In a stockpot heat olive oil and saute onion and garlic until onion is starting to soften
  2. Add the herbs and bell pepper and saute one more minute
  3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on med-low until lentils are done, about 30 minutes
  4. You may need another 1/2 C. of stock
  5. Salt to taste
Notes
  1. Delicious served over polenta and topped with fresh grated parmesan cheese
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
 
Easy Polenta
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 C. cornmeal (I prefer fresh ground but you can use store bought, be sure it's organic corn)
  2. 1 tsp. salt
  3. 3 C. water
Instructions
  1. Bring water and salt to a boil
  2. Reduce water to a simmer
  3. Very slowly add cornmeal (this is important to avoid lumps)
  4. Cook approximately 20 minutes until mixture thickens
  5. Remove from heat and pour into a pie plate (for triangles) or a cake pan (for squares)
  6. Let polenta set for 10-15 minutes
  7. cut and serve
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
 

Updates for Tuscan Lentil Stew

This continues to be one of my most popular recipes. I love when I hear back from readers who make my recipes.  Here are some of the comments I've received
 
Claire writes, “Tonight I invited my girl friend over for dinner and used your recipe to cook the lentil dish . I added a lot of Italian seasoning and ground basil and the aroma when the stew was simmering was just fantastic. Both my friend and I enjoyed the flavor as well. She needed to add some salt to it as I didn't put salt. But for me this dish is so flavorful, even without salt I didn't feel like it was missing anything (plus the chicken stock already contains sodium). I like the combination of the colors, textures, and flavors of the Italian seasoning, tomatoes, onions, and lentils, which really works! We served it over brown rice and it was great!

Thanks for your creativity & recipe. I have always enjoyed reading your posting about nutrition and yummy recipes. Keep up the great work!“

 
Carol wrote in and shared a number of wonderful thoughts:
 
  • Her method for making polenta “I put the mixture into the top of a double boiler and then don't need to keep stirring or even to check it, until it is about ready and it does not scorch if I don't check right on time.” – This is a great idea and I plan to try the double boiler method the next time I make polenta. One of the things that I like most about this method is that it removes the possibility of scorching which can be a problem.
  • “I don’t have any “Italian spice” mix but assume that it would include basil, oregano, parsley and perhaps a bay leaf and or some rosemary I’m really looking forward to trying, tasting then relishing this dish this evening.” – My personal mix, which I use for an Italian style seasoning if I happen to be out of my favorite Penzey's Italian Herb Mix, is 1 tsp oregano + 1 tsp basil + 1/2 tsp thyme + 1/2 tsp rosemary (crushed in a mortar and pestle) + 2 tsp parsley. This makes more than you need for the Tuscan Lentil Stew recipe but is delicious on a lot of things.
  •  
    “I’m eating the stew right now; it is delicious. The lentils (which are a small dark variety) cooked up fine in the half-hour with just a prior rinsing, no soaking needed. I cubed a ball of buffalo mozzarella into the polenta after it cooled for 10 minutes, before transferring it to a round pan to firm up. Now, with the hot stew on top, the cheese melted into the wedge and the topping of freshly grated Parmesan on top give it all an extra, rich fillip. Thank you for sharing this recipe.“ – I love the idea of cubing some mozzarella into the recipe and can see how that would add a tasty texture to the polenta. 
If you're looking for more delicious recipes using lentils:
 
photo courtesy of Claire Wang
 

No-knead Mesquite Bread

by baking, bread, gluten free, legumes, recipes

Those inventive folks over at Craftzine.com have come up with a new twist on the, by now, ubiquitous no-knead bread. Laura, one of the Editorial Assistants, found my post about mesquite flour and emailed me to let me know about this really fun article on how to harvest and process mesquite to make the flour. It includes a recipe for No-Knead Mesquite Bread which they said I could share with all of you. Living here in Texas I know we have mesquite, but there isn't any in my area. I'm going to have to learn to identify it though so that if I find any in my travels I can harvest the pods.

No Knead Mesquite Bread Recipe

3 cups white flour
3 tbls mesquite flour
½ tsp yeast
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups of water

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl
Add water and mix
Stir with fork (mix will be sticky)
Cover in a bowl, let sit overnight
Place bread dough on cutting board covered with towel for 2 hours
In metal bowl bake in sun oven @ 350 for 1 hour

photo courtesy of: Wendy Tremayne
beans

How To Eat Beans

by legumes, questions

My friend Sam writes, "Do you have some tricks to help me to eat beans? Me who HATES the texture of beans or anything remotely chalky. We do like Mexican but I won’t touch re-fried unless they are buried under cheese. I don’t like lentils in any way, shape or form."

Benefits

Beans are a great; high in fiber, B vitamins and protein they are an excellent food to add to the diet. Different beans have different micronutrients so varying the types of beans that you eat is a good nutritional choice. Right now beans are available fresh from the farmer's markets.

Recipes

They are very tasty, not chalky and make a great addition to a lot of different dishes such as my peas-y peas and celery.

Another great way to eat beans is to use them to make a spread like hummus. Hummus is made from chickpeas, but you can make something similar with other beans. Add spices and herbs to flavor it anyway you want; this makes a great dip for veggies, pita bread, or crackers.

One of my favorite ways to eat beans is to take cooked beans (although canned beans are fine too), mash them up with sauteed minced onion and garlic, add some chopped parsley and curry powder and make patties out of it. Pan fry the patties, stuff them into a pita with frisee lettuce, chopped tomato, and a delicious sauce (suggestions include tahini, spicy yogurt, or a falafel sauce) and you've got a great meal with beans.

A third suggestion would be to take dried beans, grind them into a flour (a grain mill works best for this although there is a KitchenAid attachment that will also do the job) and then add that to a tomato sauce for casserole dishes or put the flour into baked goods. You'll still get the protein and nutrients from the beans but they won't be so obvious in your food.

As the saying goes, beans are good for your heart. Eat some today.

Other Bean Recipes:

Peas-y Peas And Celery

by legumes, recipes, vegetables, vegetarian,
A recent trip to the farmer's market introduced me to a new pea I had never tasted before, purple hull peas. Related to black eyed peas, they are both cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) which are very common in the Southern part of the United States.  They are sometimes also called field peas.
 
I was familiar with black eyed peas but had only ever eaten them after they had been dried and needed rehydration.   These were fresh and I wasn't quite sure what to do with them.  
 
After browsing cook books and the internet and finally decided to use them in a family favorite, peas and celery.  Turns out they fit right in and made this tasty dish even better.  The fresh purple hull peas were absolutely amazing.  They were creamy and tasty; now our new family favorite is.
 

purple peas celery

Peas-y Peas and Celery

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 T. vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 C. vegetable broth
  • 1 C. fresh purple hull peas
  • 1 C. green peas
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 t. butter

Instructions
 

  • Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion begins to soften
  • Add broth and vegetables and bring to a low boil
  • Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until beans are just tender
  • Drain liquid, toss vegetables with butter, salt and pepper

I'm sure you'll like them too.  So much that I'm sharing this recipe from the farmer's market for their summer succotash.  As the farmer points out, if you can't get purple hull peas you can always substitute fresh baby lima beans, fresh cranberry beans, or fresh black-eyed peas.

 

The Power Of Mesquite And Hawthorn: Ancient Foods For Modern Health

by baking, gluten free, legumes, protein, questions, sweeteners

Mesquite Flour

My friend Misty recently asked me, “What do you know about mesquite flour?” Mesquite (genus Prosopis) is a deciduous, leguminous tree that thrives in Texas and Mexico, extending as far north as Kansas and westward to Southern California. While many use the wood to impart a flavorful smoke to barbecued meats, mesquite also serves another purpose.

Before moving to Texas, I had heard of people using mesquite flour, which is high in protein and fiber, and was originally part of the Native American diet among Southwestern tribes. Further research revealed that mesquite flour boasts a favorable nutritional profile, rich in calcium, manganese, iron, zinc, and the amino acid lysine. Its high soluble fiber content and low glycemic index make it a potentially good option for diabetics, despite its reported sweet flavor.

Traditionally consumed by the Pima Indians, mesquite flour’s decline in their diet is linked to a rise in diabetes cases among them. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that the slow digestion and absorption of starch in traditional foods helped protect susceptible populations from diabetes. These foods included corn, lima beans, white and yellow teparies, mesquite, and acorns. Additionally, an ethnobotanical study highlighted in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology noted mesquite's potential for diabetes treatment.

Given its leguminous nature, mesquite flour lacks gluten, making it suitable for quick breads, cakes, muffins, and cookies rather than yeasted bread. Moreover, the flowers of the mesquite tree are attractive to bees, leading to the production of flavorful mesquite honey, which you can find online along with recipes for using mesquite flour. It seems somewhat similar to another legume flour, carob, which I’ve discussed previously; both are sweet, high in fiber, and provide good protein content.

Hawthorn for Health

In another inquiry, Karen asked, “What do you think about using hawthorn berries to help prevent the flu?” While I’m not an herbalist, I did some digging and can share my insights.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is a small tree or shrub predominantly found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Often grown as a hedge, its leaves are edible in salads, and the fruits (berries, known as haws) are commonly used in jams, jellies, syrups, or to flavor brandy for liqueur. Hawthorn’s herbal properties are known to be cardiac, astringent, and diuretic, with the blossoms and berries being the most utilized parts. It’s primarily effective for lowering high blood pressure, aiding diarrhea, and promoting cardiac health. However, I could not find specific information on using hawthorn berries or their powder as a flu preventative.

To avoid the flu, the best methods remain the obvious ones: wash your hands frequently with soap (especially monitoring small kids who may skip the soap), avoid contact with anyone infected, and consume immune-boosting foods like garlic, ginger, cayenne, and vitamin C.

As an interesting side note, I learned that the oldest known hawthorn, the Hethel Old Thorn, is reputed to be over 700 years old and is located in Norfolk, East Anglia, United Kingdom.

Beans and grains for amino acids

What You Need To Know About Amino Acids

by crockpot, grains, health, legumes, protein, recipes, vegetarian

Amino Acids Are The Building Blocks

We don't often think about the amino acids in our food and their impact on our health. But they play a really crucial part to health. This post addresses the important thing that we need to know about amino acids and shares on of my favorite recipes.
 
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and there are twenty altogether. Eight of the twenty are considered “essential amino acids” because we require them but our body cannot manufacture them so we must get them from our food. These eight are phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, leucine, and lysine.
 
Animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs, contain all eight. But different foods such as legumes, seeds, and grains do not.  Therefore they must be combined to create a complete protein. Legumes are high in the essential amino acid lysine, but they are low in methionine grains have both methionine and cysteine but are low in lysine.  Combining them allows you to get a high-quality protein with all of the essential amino acids. 

Going meatless

There's a lot of media attention to the idea of reducing how much meat we're eating. Including a suggestion for ditching the meat at least one day a week and switching to Meatless Mondays. 

If you are a meat eater who is simply trying to eat less meat, incorporating a vegetarian plan one day a week can be a great way to get started. But it's important that you don't become a carbotarian and simply add lots of pasta or simple carbohydrates for your meatless meals. While getting proper nutrition from vegetarian meals requires a little more thought and effort, it is not difficult.

Amino Acid Food Combinations 

In many cultures there are a lot of recipes that call for a mixture of legumes and grains that then create a complete protein. 
  • a Korean dish called Kong bap is a mixture of seven grains and four beans.  Because this dish contains beans (adzuki beans and green peas) and grains (barley, rice, Job's tears, sorghum, and corn) it provides all of the essential amino acids.  This dish also has soybeans which are considered to be a complete protein by themselves. 
  • South and Central America have many dishes that call for a combination of beans with corn
  • In the Middle East, there is hummus or falafel (made from chickpeas) and whole wheat pita as a common option
  • India brings us dal (lentils) and rice 
Grains and legumes are not the only combinations that make a complete protein.  Nuts and seeds can also be combined with either grains or legumes as a good source of protein.  
 
The idea is to ensure that if you are not eating meat that you are not simply adding legumes to your diet but that you are adding them with whole grains and/or seeds to get proper nutrition.

Delicious lentils for dinner

One of our favorite dinners is a curried crockpot lentil and rice dish.  This recipe originally came from a Lebanese friend of mine and is called M'judra, I've modified it a little over the years and it's one of our regular choices. Especially because the crockpot makes this an easy option.
 
This pairs really well with an Indian spinach dish called Palak and a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers with a spice called Chat Masala.  It's a tasty, healthy and satisfying meal.  I make it with a fair amount of curry powder because that's how we like it, if you need to reduce the curry powder it will still be delicious.
 
Curried Crockpot Lentils and Rice
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 C. rinsed lentils
  2. 1 C. rinsed red rice (can use brown rice if you prefer)
  3. 1 green pepper, diced
  4. 1 onion, diced
  5. 2 T. curry powder
  6. 1 T. nutritional yeast
  7. 1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
  8. 3 1/2 C. vegetable broth
  9. 1 T. olive oil
Instructions
  1. Saute the pepper and onions in the olive oil until just starting to soften
  2. Place all dry ingredients into the crockpot
  3. Add broth and stir well
  4. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (check at 4.5 hours to see if you need a little more water)
  5. Add salt to taste after done cooking
Notes
  1. Note:  Don't add the salt while cooking because it will delay the lentils from softening
The Ingredient Guru, Mira Dessy https://theingredientguru.com/
Check out my other recipes using lentils:

 

Image by carlo sardena from Pixabay