Green Options » lentils

Alkaline Eating for Better Body Chemistry, PH Levels, and Overall Health

Lucille Chi — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:43:11 +0000

Going to a body and nutrition expert with my husband is one of the best things we’ve done for ourselves. What was the key take away? Warning! Turn Alkaline!

Turn Alkaline? Are we magicians? Well according to biochemists we are! You can change your body chemistry with what you eat!

Chemicals have seeped into foods, air, and water, which in turn lower our system’s ability to control the chemistry of our body fluids, increasing illness and chronic disease.

The sad fact is that most food consumption in the wealthiest nations has shifted from nutritious raw foods to low nutritional value processed foods and we need to shift it back. Now that our total biological terrain is at risk, we urgently need to do some clean up by shifting our body chemistry back to the raw, organic foods it was designed to function on as we’ve evolved.

Below I’ve listed out a quick list of the good foods (alkaline) to treat your body to often…

Spicy Red Lentils with Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

Sharon Troy — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:57:54 +0000

This week, I made a decision to incorporate more raw foods into my diet. My new goal is to eat at least one raw meal a day, and to transform my kitchen into an entirely raw one. I’ll be documenting the steps I’m talking, and go further into the reasons why in my next several posts.

My first step though is getting rid of all of the wonderful food I’ve got stored up, but will now be eating less of, like grains, beans, and soy products. I can’t think of a more delicious way to clean house than this red lentil recipe I created last night.

I’m still stuck on what to name this dish. My husband called it “Mediterr-Indian” because of the spices that borrow from both cultures. It’s pretty low on fat, and good for people with food allergies, as it’s nut, soy, and wheat free, and of course, vegan. The recipe for the lentils, and the roasted cauliflower after the jump:

Weekend Grub: Curried Lentils & Quinoa With Veggies

Megan Prusynski — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 14:06:59 +0000

I live on the Palouse (a region of eastern Washington and northern Idaho), which is famous for its rolling hills and crops such as wheat and lentils. When I think of eating locally-grown foods, lentils instantly come to mind. In fact, lentils are taken quite seriously here. In nearby Pullman, Washington, there is even an annual Lentil Festival celebrating the lovely legume. No, I'm not kidding.

The Palouse is known as the most important lentil growing region in the United States, producing about a third of all lentils grown nationally. So obviously, local lentils are easy to come by around here, and thankfully they don't have to travel far, which makes them a very sustainable option. There is a large lentil farm just a few miles east of me, and many varieties of local and organic lentils abound in the Co-op's bulk bins. Lentils are a great vegan source of protein, fiber, and other nutrients, so they are one of my favorite kitchen staples.

There are many varieties of lentils, with a range of beautiful colors and textures. Green lentils and red lentils are quite common, but there are also yellow, brown and black varieties. I prefer red lentils because they cook very quickly. For the following recipe I also used quinoa, which is a small, versatile grain that is high in iron and protein, making it another great vegan staple. You can add any veggies that are in season, I just used whatever I could find in the fridge! Be sure to use local and organic ingredients whenever possible, and buy in bulk to cut down on packaging waste.

Curried Lentils & Quinoa With Veggies
Serves: 2 - 4. Preparation time: 30 - 45 minutes.

1 small head of cauliflower, broken into pieces
1 Tablespoon canola or olive oil
1/2 a yellow or red onion, diced
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1/2 a zucchini
1/2 cup fresh snap peas
3/4 cup red lentils
1/2 cup quinoa
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
2 Tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
dashes of: salt, pepper, cumin, and cinnamon to taste
fresh chopped cilantro

Chop the cauliflower and steam. (I use a pot with a steamer basket over about 1 inch of water).

Dice onions and mince ginger and garlic. Heat oil in a large saucepan or soup pot and when it's hot, sauté onions, garlic, and ginger in it. Meanwhile, snap the ends off of the snap peas and dice zucchini. Once the onions are softened, add the peas and zucchini to the saucepan.

After about 5 minutes, add the lentils, quinoa, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Add all spices and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until quinoa and lentils are tender. Add the cauliflower once it is crisp-tender. Cover the pot and simmer, stirring often, and add more liquid if the mixture looks dry.

Once the lentils and quinoa are soft, taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from heat, add chopped cilantro, and serve. I like to top mine with a dusting of nutritional yeast for extra vitamin B12.

Cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) would also make a great addition to this recipe, as they go very well with curry.

If you'd like to experiment with raw and living foods, summer is a great time to do so! And you don't have to give up lentils to eat raw either. Lentils can be soaked and sprouted for optimum nutrition and digestibility. Just soak lentils in water overnight (about 8 hours), then strain them into a colander and set it on a bowl. Leave the lentils in the colander for about 3 days, rinsing each day in clean water, until small "tails" sprout from the lentils. Once the "tails" are about 1/4 inch long, the lentils are ready to use or store in a jar in the fridge. I like using sprouted lentils on salads, in soups, and in raw burritos.

For more vegan recipes using lentils, see VegCooking.com. For more information on raw and living foods and lots of delicious raw recipes, I suggest the wonderful book RAW: The UNcook Book by Juliano Brotman and Erika Lenkert. Enjoy those lentils!