Lentils: The Little Legume That Could!

One of the fun things about homeschooling is cooking new recipes that go along with what you are learning.  One of our favorites of all time (and it was a surprise that we ALL liked it) is Lentil Soup.  

Lentils come in a variety of sizes and colors.  Green petite lentils, black lentils, and red lentils are common varieties.

They are considered extremely healthy and are a great "meatless" option to add into your meal rotation.  Not to mention a frugal buy.

Health benefits:
*Great source of plant based protein (lean too, very little fat!)
*Heart Healthy 
*High fiber that helps lower cholesterol
*Contains Magnesium, Folate, iron and tons of other great vitamins.
*Creates energy and stabilizes blood sugar 
*some studies have shown they help prevent breast cancer
 

One downside to lentils is that they do best when soaked and cooked for 25-50 minutes.  To soak, combine rinsed lentils with water at 90-100 degree water and 2 tsp. salt.  Let sit for 2-3 hours before cooking.  Rinse and cook according to directions.  I often forget to get them started and that can be frustrating if you have lunch planned for lentil soup.  

I recently found a new product that saves me soaking time and cooking time:

Since they are sprouted and dried they will digest easier and cook faster.  Which is a huge game changer!  Plus NO more soaking!  Woo hoo!

Here is our favorite recipe for lentil soup (it is more a guideline then a true recipe):

In a large soup pot saute 1 chopped/minced onion in 2 TBSP coconut oil or olive oil

Add 1 clove of garlic or powdered garlic, brown.

Add 4 cups of water or chicken broth, bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium low and add 1 cup of lentils, 1tsp. powdered cumin, and 2 tsp. Real Salt.

Let cook until tender and soft.  Anywhere from 5-20 minutes.  If you like more broth add more liquid.  We like our lentils super salty (yum) so we add more salt when eating them.

Beating the Blah's of Chicken

Ever had those days where the chicken is still somewhat frozen, its 5:00, and the wild ones are hungry?  And I mean HUNGRY?  And you can't think of what to DO with said STILL frozen chicken?  No time for rice, or anything complicated.

Rustling through my cupboards I stumbled upon a few ingredients.  One of which was balsamic vinegar.  I have been wanting and wanting to do something with it so I figured tonight was the night.

Somewhat thawed chicken slices much easier then fully defrosted chicken, so I decided to do a kinda stir-fry-ish type dish.  I sliced the chicken thin, heated up my pan and QUICKLY browned it in some Earth Balance Soy Free Butter.  I combined my seasonings, poured them over my chicken and let it cook through.  

Meanwhile, I just roasted some summer squash and zucchini drizzled with olive oil and dusted with garlic powder in the oven.

Supper was served in about 20 minutes.  Not to shabby.  And the wild ones were quickly tamed.  (for now!)

Balsamic Vinegar Chicken

2-3 lbs. chicken sliced thinly
2 TBSP Earth Balance Soy Free Butter 
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme (not powdered)
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown chicken in butter.  If there is a LOT of liquid in pan, pour off.  Combine balsamic vinegar and spices, pour over chicken.  Cover and let simmer until done.

The verdict was mixed.  But I found it nummy, worth a repeat.  However next time, I would love to serve it over rice with stir-fry veggies.  YUM!

Happy Accidents! (in the kitchen that is!)

Being that my dearest is a meat cutter, a perk is sometimes he brings home a beautiful cut of meat.  (such as the picture above.)  Downside, is sometimes I have NO idea what dinner will be until he brings something home. 

Well, on a gorgeous summer night, he brought us home some steaks as a special treat.  A once a year kind of a treat.  And I had NADA, ZIP, ZERO, NOTHING to got with it... or so I thought.

I had some leftover cubed summer squash and zucchini left from a cooking class (totally unrelated recipe, that perhaps I SHOULD share at some point.) 

I tossed the cut left overs in rimmed baking stone.  Drizzled garlic olive oil on it from the Stillwater Olive Oil Company.  I just love, love, love their oils.  Did you know they have butter oil that is dairy free and can be used as a butter substitute for those of us that are dairy-free?

I washed and cut a few more zucchini, summer squash, and halved some cherry tomatoes.  Drizzled a bit more oil... Added some Real Salt, dash o' pepper.  Baked at 400 until tender.  Baking time will vary according to the size of said chopped veggies, so you may have to experiment and occasionally check out the tenderness level.

To serve, we add a bit of regular Parmesan for the dairy-can-eat people and a bit of non-dairy parm substitute for the dairy-free people.

Simple, delicious, fast, cheap, nutritious... all those great words a summer cook wants to hear.

Maybe this should be dinner tonight.  YUM!

Teff Crepes

I love crepes.  The thin, bubbly batter that becomes a rolled treat dusted with powdered sugar and topped with real maple syrup.  YUM!

Sadly, I hadn't found a good gluten free recipe to love.  The crepes would rip or be gummy, just plain ol' not tasty or appealing.

Then recently I had a brainstorm... TEFF!  We love teff pancakes, they hold their shape, stay fluffy, don't crumble or get soggy with syrup.  So why not try to make crepes with this great grain!

I basically altered my pancake recipe a bit, and compared it to other great crepe recipes. 

Let cool on a wire rack before storing leftovers

Cook until the top of crepe looks dry, then flip.  Look at all those great bubbles!

Enjoy!  

We sure did!

Teff Crepes

1 cup teff flour (we like the brown, but ivory works too!)

1 TBSP baking powder

1/4 tsp. Real Salt

2 TBSP coconut oil melted but not hot

1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP vanilla

1 Egg or 1 TBSP arrowroot

1 1/2 cup coconut milk (may need more to get a thin batter)

Put all your ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Preheat a cast iron pan over medium high heat.  I use a 8 inch, but 12 inch will work too.

Lightly grease pan with coconut oil (you shouldn't have to do it again)

Pour about 2 TBSP or 1/4 cup batter into pan and swirl to cover the entire bottom of pan.

Cook until crepe no longer is wet on the top.  Carefully loosen edges and flip.

If you aren't eating all that you make, let cool on a wire rack and freeze.

PS There isn't a "pretty" finished picture with them rolled up and dusted with powdered sugar because I turned around and the crepes were all gone!  Yup, those boys devoured them.  Oh well.  :)

Crock Pot Chili

Chili in a Crock Pot

2 lbs Thousand Hills Grass Feed Ground beef ~ browned and drained

2 ~ 29 oz. diced tomatoes

2 ~ kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 cup of onion diced

2 TBSP coconut oil

¼ cup diced celery (or use some celery salt)

2 TBSP tomato paste (or more to taste)

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder (add up to 2 TBSP chili powder depending on how much heat you want)

1 ½ tsp pepper

2 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Brown and drain hamburger.  Melt coconut oil and cook onions until soft in cast iron pan.  Add all ingredients in crock pot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  

TIP:

I find it easy to brown large amounts of ground beef and freeze in 2 lbs. package for quick meals.  Saves clean up and you have ready to go meat for chili, tacos, you name it...

Tilapia, Its Whats for Dinner.

Of all the weird things my allergen free kiddos can't eat, it has to be salmon, or maybe its just that I miss it so much.  I loved eating it with a drizzle of soy sauce and broiling it to a crispy outside perfection with a tender, moist inside.  Cod is out for our oldest son and a few other types of fish.  My dearest can't eat shellfish.  This really limits our intake of yummy omega producing meat sources.

BUT, the one we can all eat and enjoy is tilapia.  We eat it a few ways...

Drizzle fresh squeezed lemon over it and top with a sprinkle of dill or place a lemon slice on each piece and top with dill.

OR

Using my bread coating recipe I use for chicken. I just fry it in a cast iron pan and finish baking it in the oven.

OR

MY NEW FAVORITE WAY!  (I saw this on Mennonite Girls Can Cook and had to adjust it to fit our family)

Pesto and Tomato Tilapia
6-8 Tilapia fillets (we use about 2 per person)

Pesto
1 cup packed basil  (I keep an indoor basil plant, and just love it.)
1/4 Parmesan (I omit this, but optional for dairy free is Parma)
1/4 walnuts toasted (traditional is pinenuts)
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
(this did not work in my blender, so I used my standard alternative~ the coffee grinder)

Red Sauce
3 roma tomatoes
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. of grated lemon peel or lemon juice if peel isn't tolerated
1 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of sugar
(optional is parmesan about 1/2 cup)
Blend or pluse in your blender

Top fish with pesto and then red sauce.  Bake about 10-15 minutes until fish is flaky and tender.  Serve.  Enjoy. 

NOTE: if you have pesto on hand and red sauce this could be a 15 minute dinner.

The picture doesn't do it justice.  It looks a little nasty even(?)  But the taste is wonderful.  I think this would be awesome on noodles as well or garlic bread.  OH yum!

Got this from Trader Joes.  We use it all the time for pizza sauce, garlic bread etc.  Smells good too!

Yummy Garden Goodness

If I hold these babies up, they are over 8 feet tall.  No joke!

Toasted bread, with fresh grape tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil then broiled.  When tomatoes are gooey, add fresh basil and mozeralla cheese with either fresh garlic or garlic powder.

Remember my Abundance post.  Yes, my children have resorted to playing with their veggies!