Lentils Part 2 with Tasty Recipes

Lentils can help keep your digestive system working “regularly”, help you keep blood sugar levels healthy, and help you keep healthy cholesterol levels. How? The fiber they contain is both soluble and insoluble. Fiber also helps keep you fuller longer, which helps you eat less. While you can buy canned lentils, they are so easy to cook from dried that I really encourage you to give it a try. Here’s a basic recipe:

• 1 cup washed and drained lentils
• 3 cups water
• Sea salt and pepper

Bring lentils and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender, about an hour. Drain excess liquid if needed. Add seasonings to taste. While lentils are for more than just soup, it can be a great place to start. Here are a couple to get you started: Hearty Lentil Soup and Lentil Soup with Smokey Ham. And here are some “more than soup” ideas:

• Turn lentils into a salad with chopped veggies and a favorite vinaigrette dressing. Try this over a bed of baby spinach leaves with a slice of hot crusty whole grain bread. Get started with this Lentil and Couscous Salad with Arugula.
• Stew or simmer lentils and serve over whole grains, like in this Red Lentils with Garlic and Onions.

• Cook up this delicious Slow Cooker Chickpea and Lentil Stew while at work one day.
• Stuff cooked and seasoned lentils into pita bread with sprouts and veggies for a great sandwich.
• Roll them up in whole grain tortillas with avocado slices and fresh tomatoes.

• Make Lentil Walnut Burgers on whole grain buns.
• Mix them with hot cooked grains.
• Serve them over hot cooked pasta.
• Turn them into a non-meat loaf.
• Make them into a bean dip or spread, like this Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Hummus.
• Serve them as a bed for steamed or sautéed veggies.
• Try them as Lentil Tapenade.
• Try them curry style. Here’s a recipe for Lentil Curry with Cashews and Yogurt