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Healthy vegetarian recipes: Lentil Recipes

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Vegetarian recipes: Cooking with lentils

Lentils are a tasty healthy addition to any diet. Red lentils in particular are easy to use since they don't even have to be soaked beforehand. Included here is my favourite lentil soup recipe and a recipe for curried lentil stew. I like to make my soups and stews the night before I am going to eat them to allow all the flavours to mature.

Lentils are high in protein and low in fat. Protein is used to build keep every cell in the body healthy and essential for vegetarians to add to their diet. Lentils also contain folate, magnesium, essential amino acids, iron and vitamins B, A and C. These are one of the super foods, a great source of anti-oxidants that fight against cancers, heart disease and strokes. The high fiber content helps keep a healthy bowel and reduces the risk of diseases of the alimentary tract. Lentils are a slow release food to they are ideal for maintaining a level blood sugar level, essential in preventing food cravings when you are on a weight loss diet. This is also great for diabetics.

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Contents at a Glance

When people ask me why I'm eating vegeta...
Vegetarian recipe
Preparing and using all of the butternut...
The one and only - load of old lentils
Recipe for homemade Lentil Soup
Essential kitchen equipment

When people ask me why I'm eating vegetarian

I simply say...
cos carnivores taste funny

Vegetarian recipe

Curried Lentil Stew

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion - cleaned and diced
3 cloves of garlic - crushed
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon dried coriander
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1 butternut squash - peeled and diced into large chunks
1 sweet potato - peeled and diced into large chunks
4 ounces red lentils - washed
1 pink vegetable stock (broth)
1 can of light coconut milk

Instructions

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over low heat. To check when oil is hot enough, add one or two pieces of diced onion, when the onion begins to fry, add remaining onion and cook until it is transparent

2. Add crushed garlic, cumin, ginger and coriander and cook for 1 minute only.

3. Add diced butternut squash and diced sweet potato. Toss to cook the vegetables with the oil, garlic and herb mix.

4. Cover pan with a tight lid and allow the mixture to 'sweat' for 5 minutes.

5. Add lentils, the coconut milk and vegetable stock and stir well.

6. Allow the mix to come to the boil slowly.

7. Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 40 minutes until vegetables are soft

Serve with rice and fresh greens

Printable Version

Preparing and using all of the butternut squash

An added bonus!

I hate waste and with money being tighter than ever I am conscious of having to make the very best of everything, so I make sure I use every little bit of the squash: skin, pulp and seeds. Here's how.

To prepare butternut squash
Wash the butternut squash under running cold water
Divide the squash into rings 2-3 inches thick
Divide the rings into halves.
Scoop out the seeds and set aside
Peel off the hard skin and set aside
Dice

In a small saucepan put the seeds and skin in an inch of water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, make sure it doesn't dry out.
Drain through a sieve into a bowl, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush down the pulp through the sieve.
Use use the stock for soups and stews or to mix with vegetables.

Arrange the seeds on a roasting tin,
Roast in a medium oven for 20 minutes to give a tasty snack of pumpkin seeds

The one and only - load of old lentils

Not Just a Load of Old Lentils Pb (Essential Rose Elliot)

by: Rose Elliot

Amazon Price: $2.05 (as of 05/31/2012)

Recipe for homemade Lentil Soup

old-time favourite!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium onion - diced
2 medium carrots - diced
2 medium potatoes - diced
4 oz red lentils - washed and drained
1 pint vegetable stock
black peppar

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium onion - cleaned and diced
3 medium carrots - peeled and diced into circles
3 medium potatoes - peeled and diced into chunks
4 ounces red lentils - washed
1 pint vegetable stock (broth)
salt and black pepper

Instructions

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. To check the oil is hot enough, add two or three small pieces of chopped onion, when the onion begins to fry - add remaining onion and cook until it is transparent.

2. Add chopped carrots and potatoes.

3. Stir to coat with onion and oil mix.

4. Cover the pan with a tight lid and 'sweat' for five minutes.

5. Add lentils, stock and pepper.

6. Bring to the boil.

7. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are soft.

8. Remove from heat - using a hand (stick) blender, blend to a smooth consistency but leave some potatoes and carrots whole.

Serve with crusty bread.

Second day soup is EVEN better.

Printable Version

Essential kitchen equipment

Stick blender

Every kitchen should have one!

Cuisinart CSB-76TQ SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Turquoise

Amazon Price: $34.95 (as of 05/31/2012)

A hand-held blender is ideal for making soups and soft-fruit smoothies. They are so easy to use, easy to clean and easy to store. Make life easy!

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What's here at a glance

When people ask me why I'm eating vegetarian
Vegetarian recipe
Preparing and using all of the butternut squash
The one and only - load of old lentils
Recipe for homemade Lentil Soup
Essential kitchen equipment
Please take a minute to share this page
Kitchen decor
Leave a little lovin'

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Thanks for reading. Don't worry if you don't see your comment immediately, I have to approve it first to weed out spammers

Reply

Mujjen Jan 21, 2012 @ 4:17 am | delete

I love lentils, cook them all the time. We even make lentil pizza!

Reply

LindaJM Jan 7, 2012 @ 8:27 pm | delete

I've got to try your recipes - they look soooo good!

Reply

terrapin719 Jan 7, 2012 @ 12:44 pm | delete

My husband is experimenting with lentils in the kitchen right now actually. It's not something we used often before, but he is determined to make it a new favorite.

Reply

Janiece Jan 7, 2012 @ 12:41 pm | delete

Your Curried Lentil Stew sounds great!

Reply

Ronlove Nov 21, 2011 @ 1:11 pm | delete

Nice lens

Reply

termit_bronx Oct 20, 2011 @ 12:43 am | delete

I'm hungry now!

Reply

tokyonights7 Oct 19, 2011 @ 2:16 pm | delete

I love making a lentil broth! So tasty, especially with parmesan cheese grated on top!

Reply

jptanabe Oct 19, 2011 @ 1:28 pm | delete

Mmmm, yes, love lentils! And with the weather turning cooler lentil soup sounds just perfect. And I really should get my act together and make lentil curry with butternut squash - that would be delicious. Blessed.