Honey Baked Lentils and Rice

I know this doesn't look like much but oh. my. goodness. this is SO good. I've tried many lentil and rice recipes and this one is hands down our favorite. My husband and kids don't even like lentils and won't eat them any other way but they love this. I adapted the recipe from Becca's recipe called Honey Baked Lentils. I wanted to make ours a little more substantial since we eat it as a main dish so I added rice and changed up the measurements a bit. It works great as a healthy side dish as well. I prefer it cooked on low for half the day in the crock-pot. You can bake it in the oven but it just didn't come out cooked as even because of the rice added.

Here's my take on it:

1 c lentils
1 c brown rice
4 1/2 c water
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dried minced onion (fresh onion floats to the top)
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 minced clove of garlic)
1 tsp salt (or more if needed)
pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in the crock-pot and cook on low from about noon till dinner. This stuff is addicting. The flavor is SO good!

If baking in the oven: 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Soaking Beans

I borrowed my mom's copy of Nourishing Traditions since mine is packed away in the garage....and I read page 495 so that I could better answer Amy's question from way back. And here's what I learned.

In addition to what I said here about soaking beans for the benefit of avoiding unwanted um, ur, gas and for the sake of speeding up cooking time, soaking beans also aids in making them easier to digest.

One thing I didn't know is that you should always skim off the foam that appears while cooking them. Discard the foam.

Another tip is to soak them always using lemon juice when soaking.

Soak for 12-24 hours in a warm place to make them as digestable as possible. (this fits in with Nourishing Tradition's practice of fermenting foods so that they are easier to digest.)

Here is the basic recipe in NT:
2 cups beans
warm water to cover

If making black beans, mix in 2 tbsp whey or lemon juice. Whey is the liquid that separates from yogurt. You can either buy it in specialty health stores, pour it off of your yogurt or make it by hanging your yogurt in cloth over night and letting the whey drip out of it into a bowl. Your yogurt will now be cream cheese. The whey is the basis for most fermenting methods.

Leave in warm place for 12-24 hours depending on the size of the bean. Small beans 12 hours, large beans 24 hours. Drain, rinse (don't skip this part), cover with fresh water and cook either in a pot on the stove simmering for 6-8 hours or in a crock-pot on low for 8 hours. Add more water if needed. Skim foam off of the top as needed. Do not salt until they are done cooking. Salt slows down the cooking process.

The best seasonings for beans are:
salt
garlic
onions
taco seasoning

I should mention that if you sprout your legumes/beans even for a day or two that it will increase their nutrition emmensly but it can also alter the taste as well. I have not experimented with sprouting beans that I use for cooking yet.

I hope this post was helpful when it comes to soaking legumes.

Series- MOA Rice and Beans

Rice and beans are two of the cheapest food products in the WORLD and the healthiest. You can not go wrong with this combo either. In fact, in many countries rice and beans are the stable food. Not just Mexico if that is the first one that comes to mind. Many countries in South America have rice and beans as their stable food, like Brazil for example. Going to the other side of the globe, many Asian countries have rice and beans (usually varieties like Adzuki beans and other pod bean varieties) such as China and Japan. Countries like Indonesia also have rice and beans as a major component in their diets.

Why? Why would so many people groups of the world have rice and beans as such a major component to their diets? Well, rice and beans are plentiful and affordable as they are here in the U.S. The best part is that they really are great for you. They are both detoxing foods (pull bad things out of your body) and beans are a protein (leaving you well nourished and full).

I buy my brown rice (be sure you are eating brown rice to get the full benefits of the fiber and to keep your blood sugar in check because it's a whole grain) in bulk. I buy 25 lbs at a time. Scan through our label called Dinner and Side Dishes to see lots of ideas for using rice like in chicken rice burritos, fried rice, spanish rice, etc.

I buy my beans in 5 lb bags. Some of the beans that I like and use are:
pinto beans (bean dip, refried beans, beans for burritos, layered bean dip, frito taco salad)
white northern beans (chili, taco soup, mashed for wraps)
navy beans (chili, taco soup, baked beans)
adzuki beans (cooked with garlic and added to wraps or burritos or eaten alone)
black beans (taco lasagna, burritos)

Sometimes I also use black eyed peas, red beans, kidney beans, etc. for things like 3 bean salad and chili.

Don't forget this old post about beans.

I treat legumes like beans too. My two favorites are chick peas (garbanzo beans) and lentils. If you click on my beans/legumes link on the left you'll get a whole list of recipes for beans and legumes.

So, lately, when I do my meal planning (I only plan out dinners), I've been making sure I work rice and/or beans into our meal plan at least 2 times a week for dinners. That doesn't count when we have rice for breakfast (ricemeal), rice/beans at lunch, or when we have pasta (which I try to work in 1 night a week). We only eat brown rice pasta which puts even more brown rice into our diet.

Next I'll share with you another thing we do for dinner to make organics affordable and I'll give you the formula I'm currently using for meal planning. See ya Friday.

Any other thoughts on rice and beans? I can hear Dave Ramsey saying it right now! "RICE AND BEANS!", "RICE AND BEANS!" .....

Gourmet Veggie Wrap

My good friend (who needs to start a cooking blog) made me lunch one day this summer and it was so good! She's a health nut like me and she always finds and makes the most amazing food! This recipe was from a magazine (one that I'd like to start getting a subscription to EatingWell) and one day I tried to make a copy-cat version using what I had on hand. Here is my take on it but below you can link to the original recipe. Now I love using the bean/avocado spread for just about any sandwich or wrap.

1 can or 1 1/2 cups cooked white northern beans
1 avocado mashed
1/4 tsp taco seasoning
dash of salt
dash of pepper
sprinkle of garlic powder
pinch of dried minced onion
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp poppyseed dressing
2 tbsp italian dressing

Mash the beans and avocado together. Spread the bean/avocado mixture on the tortilla/wrap. Mix the remaining ingredients together. Make it into a wrap using any of the following...

tomatoes, spinach, red bell pepper, olives optional.....
whole wheat tortilla or other wrap

This is SO GOOD!


link to original recipe

Vegetarian Rice and Bean Burritos

I try to keep cooked beans and brown rice in the fridge all week so that I can make many things with them. They are both healthy food items that are filling and versatile. One of my favorite ways to eat them is wrapped up. Here they are wrapped as a burrito with no meat....just the beans and rice seasoned with garlic and salt and topped with sour cream, salsa and avocado. YUM!

Sprouting

I've wanted to try sprouting for several years now ever since I learned of the incredible nutritional value in sprouts. I can tell you that when I'm eating them, I have a huge amount of energy. It's really amazing. So, I researched and researched some more. Then I got brave and decided to try my hand at it. So far my favorite is lentils. I'm eager to try mung beans and broccoli seeds.

My method:
I use wide mouth mason jars and a sprouting screen but you can use cheese cloth if you want to. These pictures were taken before I switched over to the screen. The sprouting screen just makes it so easy to rinse them.

Put about 1/4 cup of beans/legumes or about 1 tbsp seeds of your choice in the mason jar, rinse and then fill about halfway with water and soak over night. In the morning drain the water and rinse.

For the next couple of days rinse several times a day, at least 2 times but preferable more often than that. I tend to rinse mine every time I come into the kitchen and think of it so about 7-10 times a day. The less often the more chance of them tasting bitter.

After you see sprouts that are your desired length then you can rinse them one last time and put the lid on them and store them in the fridge. When you are ready to use them you can steam them first if you want to (advised to do so for beans and legumes even when serving cold on salad). They will keep in the fridge for about 1 week.

I like my sprouts to be at least a 1/4 of an inch long if not longer but the desired length is up to your own preference.

Sprouts can go on about anything. You can puree them to make a spread (recommended for chick peas that you are turning into hummus dip), you can cook them and use them like you would in your established recipes, put them on sandwiches, or you can serve them cold with dressing or even on a salad. I love sprouted lentils on my green salads.

Tips:
Research is coming out that alfalfa isn't the safest seed to sprout due to the canavanine in them. I have not studied this at length but have read this a few places. If you like small sprouted seeds for sandwiches, I would suggest looking for broccoli seeds to sprout. Seeds for sprouting can be found in health food stores.

I also suggest purchasing a book about sprouting if you are wanting to learn more. I'm sure your library has some books on this as well. I like this one.

I would also suggest purchasing a sprouting screen for your mason jar. It's an inexpensive and super useful tool for sprouting. This one would do perfect.

I know a few of you have tried sprouting and I'd be interested to know your favorite sprouts to grow at home. Please share in the comments!

Garlic Adzuki Beans

My mom introduced me to this new bean. They are so good even though I know they don't look like much in the pot. They are a reddish bean with a white stripe on them but when you cook them they turn this dark purple. They are really good for you and if you want to read a snippet more about them you can here.

I like to soak them overnight and then cook 1 cup in about 3 cups of water for about 45 min. to 1 hour. Then I mix in some butter and sprinkle with salt and garlic powder (but you could use one whole minced garlic clove or more if you like garlic!). They are so good with garlic.

This Japanese and Chinese bean may be hard to find in a regular grocery store. Look in Asian markets, health food stores, or mail order.

Healthy Refried Beans/Bean Dip

pre-soaked pinto beans
1 diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
olive oil
salt to taste

Pre-soak beans over night. Drain water. Cook beans covered in water (I cook them in my crock-pot for about 8 hours on low). Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil. Drain beans (reserving the liquid) and add to skillet with onion. Begin mashing the beans adding in the reserved liquid as needed to make the beans creamy. Saute while doing this process until beans are bubbly and the consistency you like. Add salt to taste.

Serve hot or freeze for later use. Makes a wonderful bean dip as well.

Note: You can also do the reverse process by draining the liquid from the crock-pot and adding the sautéed onions and garlic to the beans in the crock-pot. Mash the beans in the crock-pot and add some of the liquid back in. Cook on low for one hour or on high for about 30 min.

Healthy Quesadillas

Chop up fresh spinach and sliced avocados to add to your quesadillas.

You can also try adding:
a sprinkle of ground flax seed
a sprinkle of wheat germ
chopped cooked broccoli
chopped cooked cauliflower
chopped sauteed kale
chopped fresh onion
sliced fresh leeks
a few beans
a little corn
some cooked lentils
some sauteed sliced cabbage
or some rinsed sauerkraut

White Bean Chili

1/2 pound of dry white beans (great northern or navy work well)
1 pound ground turkey cooked (or ground beef or omit it for vegetarian)
2 medium onions diced
1 bell pepper diced (red, yellow, or orange)
1 clove of minced garlic
1 packet of chili seasoning (or your own chili spices)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1-2 cans diced tomatoes (depending on how much you like tomatoes)
1-2 cans water
salt and pepper

Soak beans overnight in water. Drain water and put beans in slow cooker with remaining ingredients. Cook on low all day till beans are tender.

Serve with grated cheese, sliced avocados, minced fresh onion.

Variations-
-add other types of beans as well
-serve over baked potatoes

Tip-
soaking dry beans overnight does two things- 1. it softens the beans to speed up cooking time, 2. it helps release the content of the beans that causes, well, you know, the music you get the next day from that magical fruit.

Beans, Beans, Beans

I've been asked about more recipes for beans and I'll go ahead and include other legumes in that. For some reason I don't really think of "recipes" when it comes to beans but rather what I can add beans into. There are the basic bean recipes that most people are familiar with like
baked beans
chili
refried beans

but then there's this whole world of adding beans to several meals. You can cook a whole pot of beans and add your favorite seasonings and some like it with a ham hock but you can also add beans to meals that we don't always think of. For instance salad. Salad is a great place to add beans.

Fresh green salad - try adding garbanzo (aka chickpeas) or kidney beans. Better yet, add a few scoops of three bean salad on top of your green salad
Texas Caviar- this is a salad made with corn and beans...I'll be making it and posting it on here eventually. But basically any type of chunky corn or bean salsa is a great place to use black beans or black eyed peas. So consider making a 3-bean salad or some other bean salad that you like.
Soups - you can add beans to most soups either whole or mashed to thicken a soup. Try adding Northern White Beans pureed in veggie soup or whole beans to a pasta soup (like minestrone). Don't forget to add a legume like lentils to your soup cooking. They have great flavor and add another healthy food source to your meal.
Dip - You can puree your beans and add olive oil and seasonings to make a healthy bean dip. My kids love this. Hummus is made from chickpeas as well and is a good dip that kids usually like. make a layered dip with pureed pinto beans for chips...using sour cream, cheese, and guacamole.
Spread- Hummus or other bean dips make a healthy spread to put on sandwiches instead of mayo!
Side Dish- How about serving a lentil/rice side dish. I've seen several recipe for this and I made one recently in my crock-pot that I'll be posting soon. Once I made this huge pot of them I served it as a side dish with dinner and often use some of the leftovers to thicken my homemade soups. My kids tell me that they don't eat lentils but they eat them in soup this way! I've seen beans and rice as a side dish too. Try adding some spices like curry to give it some kick.
Mexican Style- You can add beans to just about every Mexican style meal in one way or another. Add beans to your taco salads, your taco soups, your tacos! Mash them for bean dip (which we already mentioned), mash them to use them in burritos and on tostadas. Use beans as the main ingredient to your taco lasagna to make it vegetarian.

I continue to look for more bean recipes though as they are a healthy way to feed my family in a very cost effective way.

Tips for getting kids to eat beans if they hate them:
mash them, puree them, mix them in (it's all about being sneaky)
serve small beans instead of huge ones (like black beans and black eyed peas and chickpeas instead of lima beans and kidney beans that are so big!)
serve white beans (kids seem more open to eating a white bean than say a red or black bean.
put a small amount into a recipe (this gets them introduced to them without serving a huge scoop of plain beans on their plate)

Friday I'll be posting my White Bean Chili recipe

Lentil Split Pea Stew

I love this kind of soup. My mom makes soups like this all the time and I grew up eating this kind of soup. I created this out of items I needed to use in my fridge but you could substitute several of the items if you'd like to. It was so filling and thick.

1 c lentils
1 c split peas
4 c water
1 box chicken broth
1 chopped leak (or 1 tbsp minced dry onion or 1/4 chopped fresh onion)
2 c chopped kale (stem cut out)
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 c pasta
dash of garlic powder

Mix together everything except the pasta in a large pot. Bring to a bowl and simmer for about 45 min. Add pasta for the last 10 min. OR combine everything except the pasta in crock pot and cook on low from 9am till dinner or on high from noon till dinner. Add pasta for the last hour of cooking.

Serve with bread and butter.

Starting a soup 101:
If you are wanting to make soups and need a basic way to start, you can make most veggie soups or Italian based soups by starting with 1 box of chicken broth/stock, 4 cups water, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt (and more to taste), and 1/4 chopped onion. From there you can get creative. You can always add a 1/2-1 cup of pasta or rice to give your soup some stability....I always add something like pasta because I know it's something my kids will like in it. =0)

Layered Bean Dip

Have you made layered bean dip lately? One of my favorite summer things...yum.

I use:

vegetarian refried beans

guacamole or mashed fresh avocados

sour cream (I always use Daisy cause it doesn't have other stuff in it)

Mexican style shredded cheese

salsa or fresh chopped pico de gallo

olives

chopped cilantro

tips:

~if you want it hotter you can add a minced (seeded) serrano chili.

~sprinkle the bean layer with some garlic powder for an added flavor

~squeeze fresh lime juice over the top for a citrus zing

Taco Lasagna

My good friend told me about this recipe. I still haven't gotten her actual recipe from her....hint hint, Rebekah! but here is my take on the idea. It turned out so delicious!

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey, beef, or shredded chicken
1 taco seasoning packet
12 corn tortillas

4 c frozen corn (defrosted)
4 c Mexican style shredded cheese
1-2 15 oz cans of beans (I used 1 can of black beans)
1 15 oz can Mexican style diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes chopped
3 green onions chopped
1 4 oz can Ortega green chilies

Saute meat till cooked, drain and add seasoning packet mixed according to packet directions. Mix together tomatoes, beans, onion, and green chilies. Spray a 9x13 glass pan with non stick spray or olive oil. Lay 6 tortillas on the bottom in a flat layer. Spread with half of the seasoned meat and half of the bean mixture. Sprinkle on half of the corn and half of the cheese. Layer the remaining 6 tortillas and spread with remaining meat, bean mixture, corn, and cheese.


Bake at 400 degrees for approx. 20 min. You can also cook for longer at a lower temp. Serve with your choice of chopped cilantro, avocado, sour cream, salsa, chips...or as my kids like it, with Ranch dressing!

Variations~
~make it vegetarian by omitting the meat and adding extra beans (that's actually how Rebekah makes it)
~add your own favorite ingredients like salsa, olives, cilantro, etc. to the layers
~use flour tortillas instead of corn

Taco Soup

Again, I don't really have a recipe for this...tried to find one for awhile and get one from some ladies that have made some good batches of this but I've never gotten a recipe so I decided to try throwing it together myself and this is what I came up with. It turned out quite well and was pretty healthy. Taco soup has never looked appetizing to me so I was quite surprised to discover that I love it.

You can also leave the meat out and make this completely vegetarian if you like. You really have total control over the measurements and ingredients. This is what I used to make mine the other night but you surely could add more ingredients. I've had it with sliced olives and corn in it and all kinds of yummy things.

2 cans pinto or black beans drained and rinsed.
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 lb cooked ground turkey
1/2 diced yellow onion
1 taco seasoning packet
2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cans water

Brown meat, garlic, and onion in a large pot with a little olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low boil. Simmer for about 10-15 min. Serve with cheese (I use Mexican style cheese), salsa, sour cream, and chips.

Variations:
~omit the meat and make it vegetarian.
~add more ingredients like corn, olives, more tomatoes, etc.
~make it in your crock pot and keep it on low till dinner.
~make it as a freezer meal.
~if your kids don't like beans, try mashing them and stirring them in which will thicken your soup so you may need a little more water. You can make it as liquidy as you like.

Bake Overs

I promised you a new cooking method so here it is. =0)

For years women have been making the family casserole meal for many of their week night meals and serving these casseroles at potlucks and to guests. It's time to give the casserole a face lift. Drum roll please.......I bring to you, Mary Jane's Bake Over. What's a Bake Over you ask? A Bake Over is basically a casserole flipped over (EXCEPT IT CAN BE REALLY HEALTHY!). It's a convenient one dish meal which makes clean up nice and easy. There are so many variations of the Bake Over that you can get really creative with your own version.

A casserole flipped over? Yup. What you do is, saute your veggies in some olive oil or butter, dash of seasoning of your choice, add meat and/or cheese if desired and then top it with a bread dough like you would a pie crust. Put the skillet in the oven and bake. Once it's done you take it out and flip it onto a serving platter.

But it doesn't stop there. The Bake Over can be made for breakfast (using breakfast items including eggs with a biscuit top) or even for dessert (using fresh berries and fruit with a cookie dough crust).

I discovered Mary Jane's "Bake Overs" while reading one of her books, , at my mom's cabin. I was so taken with this idea. I really wanted to try it out but some of the root veggie recipes she suggested didn't sound that appetizing to me. So, I've been working at coming up with versions of this "Bake Over" concept that are healthy but appetizing to the every day palette. But, if you are trying to stay on a vegetarian diet or even a whole foods diet, these can be very basic and healthy! So, after studying her book and her website, I began experimenting. Now, I bring to you my very own Bake Over. See following post...


I recommend you buy her book if you are farm girl at heart or browse her website. She also has a wonderful magazine. You can purchase directly from her site her "Bake Over sampler" which is a starter kit complete with a specially made pan to make her bake overs in. She sells several bread mixes to use for the top of your Bake Overs which would make this a very simple way to make them. I have chosen to use my own pan and my own bread recipes and store bought mixes (like cookie dough and corn bread) to duplicate this idea. I'd post some of her fabulous pictures here but they are all copyrighted. So, DO click on her website links and view for yourselves. I'm happy to promote her business. =0)

So, get creative and try your own variations! Hope you enjoy this new method of cooking!

There is a method to the Bake Over which is this:

4 cups veggies
or
4 cups fruit
(for a 10-12 in skillet)
and 1 package mix

Bakeover Ingredients

Some things to try in your bakeovers....

Veggies for your Bakeovers:
artichoke hearts
asparagus
beans
beets
broccoli
brussel sprouts (slice them in half to release their bitterness)cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
celery
chard
fennel bulb
jicamakale
mushrooms
onions
parsnips
bell peppers
potatoes
rutabagas
hot peppers
spinach
squash
scallions
tomatoes
tomatillos
turnips
yams
zucchini


Fruits:
apples
apricots
bananas
blackberries
blueberries
huckleberries
boysenberries
cherries
figs
gooseberries
kumquats
mangos
peaches
papaya
pears
pineapple
raspberries
rhubarb
strawberries

Meats, Nuts, Packaged Products:
Cheeses - cheddar, Asiago, Parmesan, feta, cream cheese, jack, Havarti, mozzarella, etc.
chicken
sausage
bacon
ground turkey
beef
venison
fish (boneless precooked)
tuna
black beans
coconut
sauerkraut
tofu
almonds
Brazil nuts
cashews
peanuts
pecans
pine nuts
poppy seeds
pumpkin seeds
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
walnuts
eggs

Seasonings:
garlic
chili powder
fresh herbs
pepper
salt
soy sauce
BBQ sauce
ranch dressing packet
Lawry's season salt
Montreal steak seasoning
Mrs. dash
Italian seasoning
dried herbs (basil, oregano, etc.)

Batter Mixes:
corn bread
biscuits
focaccia bread
fry bread
pizza dough
herb breads
our dough
beer batter bread
cookie dough
brownies
scones

Frito Taco Salad

This is a kind of taco salad. I grew up having this and our family calls it Beef Ole. My kids call it Frito Salad. It's easy and yummy. This is a great meal for camping because it's easy and you can prep it ahead of time.

Cook ground beef or turkey in a skillet and add taco seasoning.

Serve over Frito chips.

Top with your choice of the following:

grated Mexican cheese

lettuce

tomatoes

olives

cilantro

avocado

green onion

Last goes the dressing (whatever you like on top):

sour cream

ranch

salsa

guacamole

For a vegetarian version...substitute beans for the meat and cook the beans in the taco seasoning to give them the taco flavoring.