And we are back to our weekly staple – lentils. When I am really pressed in time, I resort to red lentils because they are guaranteed to be cooked within 15-20 minutes. Also, unlike other types, red lentils don’t need to be soaked. If you would like to use them in a salad, then you would need to take them off the heat after just 10 minutes. Otherwise, keep them for 15-20 minutes to turn them into a puree or 25 minutes to make them really mushy. I personally love the mushy texture especially in contrast to the firmer vegetables in a stew.
Lentils was one of the very first foods I introduced to Soren when he was about 6.5 months old. My personal favorites are French lentils but I started with red ones because of its soft consistency and shortly after introduced all other kinds.
Lentils are really a powerhouse of nutrition. To learn more about this amazing food, why we like it and how we eat it read here.
FOR PREGNANCY: When I was pregnant with Soren, I ate a lot of beans and lentils. Besides high quantities of protein, they contain a lot of folate, which we need for cellular growth and regeneration and to prevent fetal deformities. Doctors always prescribe folic acid to pregnant women. Folic acid is a vitamin B9, a synthetic version of naturally occurring folate. While I still took prenatal vitamins, I tried to get the most vitamins from food.
On the topic of pregnancy and what we pass on to our unborn babies during that time, Annie Murphy Paul gives a wonderful presentation of a scientific study What We Learn Before We Are Born. Watch it; it’s really fascinating.
It could be just that Soren inherited my taste for lentils (being influenced in the womb) or it might be because they were on his plate that early (6.5 months); whatever the reason, they are his favorite food. I am lucky because it’s so easy to pack a lentil stew with all kinds of vegetables and spices. You are basically delivering a nutritious multi-vitamin-multi-mineral in a spoonful.
To take it to another level, I served it with my new Green Sauce made with parsley, cilantro and basil. It deserves a special post – Click here to view.
And how easy and quick it is to make! In this particular stew, I used rainbow carrots but you can use any carrots you like. And in general, you can substitute and add as much as you want with my recipes (except for baking). They are not really recipes, they are soft instructions which you can modify.
- 1.5-2 cups red lentils
- A bunch of spring onions (or ½ yellow onion)
- 3 celery stalks
- 4 carrots (I used rainbow carrots)
- 2 cups of chopped green beans
- 2 small potatoes
- 1 large garlic clove
- Wash and prepare all the vegetables: finely chop the onions, celery, cut carrots in large circles, chop green beans into 1 inch pieces, cube potatoes, mince the garlic.
- In a large pot, warm up 3 tbsp of olive oil and sauté all the vegetables together for 8 minutes stirring frequently. If using a steel pot without a non-stick surface, add a bit of water to prevent from sticking too much.
- Wash the lentils in a colander, add them to the vegetables. Toast them stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes. Add enough water to cover the lentils by 1 inch. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover with lid and cook for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are soft and mushy. These guys always fall apart and make a nice creamy stew.
- Right before turning off the heat, it's nice to add some turmeric. It's an amazing anti-inflamatory spice without any flavor, which adds golden color to dishes.
- TIP: turmeric stains pretty badly especially before it's cooked in a dish so handle with care.
