What does rapper Dead Prez and Lentils have in common?
I was pretty amazed to find a rap like this. This week it is all about lentils and their amazing nutritional benefits. Plus, an awesome vegan lentil recipe not lentil soup.
When I was on my way to Amargosa Opera House & Hotel I passed what looked like the only clumping of trees in the vast dusty, empty desert. I added the pin on my maps to look into it later. Turns out, Ash Meadows Natural Wildlife Refuge in Amargosa Valley, Nevada is the epitome of mirage in the middle of the desert.
What makes this area special is how the preserve is made possible by 10,000–year-old natural “fossil water” spring-fed pools formed from an underground system thousands of years ago and is still flowing beneath the surface as part of a massive underground waterway.
In some areas, water bubbles up forming beautiful crystal-clear spring pools. If you take the time to look you will witness the silvery blue and grayish green pupfish frolic in the swaying strands of algae while red dragonflies playfully swoop by.
This meadow is also home to the endangered Devil’s Hole desert pupfish rumored to be the only place in the world you will find these. You can not see them from the cavernous hole, however, the last count showed the numbers are increasing.
The best time to visit is from the end of September to the end of May when the temperatures are manageable. You can drive through and listen to an audio tour, hike the trails or walk the boardwalks surrounding the springs and sit awhile on the benches and soak up the sounds of nature and watch the pupfish frolic in the water. I found going right at daybreak is the most magical time. You have the golden hour of light, no people and easily become still with nature.
The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. There are no fees or admission required to visit Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge There are a couple of entrances into the park. 8757 Spring Meadows Road S. Amargosa Valley, NV 89020-9632
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Lentils, lentils, lentils
Lentils are this week’s theme thanks to my Daughter’s boyfriend. I wanted to make a vegan dish for him using my HotLogic and it did not disappoint. I have not had lentils in a long time. Probably since I left Toronto where I used to frequent the Lahore Tikki House on Gerrard in Little India.
Lentils are a part of the legume family which includes beans, peanuts, and chickpeas. Did you know lentils come in numerous colors and are found throughout the world? Lentils can be soaked, germinated, fried, baked, or the most common method, boiled.
There are numerous types of lentils, the most common I have listed below.
Brown lentils
Different shades of brown you can find, ranging from light brown to almost black.
Take about 20 to 30 minutes to fully cook.
Green lentils
Can vary from khaki green to a bright green in color.
They hold their shape and texture very well.
Takes about 45 minutes to cook
Red lentils
Vary in color from a golden yellow to a deep red.
They have a sweet and nutty taste
Takes about 30 minutes of cooking time
Become quite mushy often used in soups, stews, and curries.
Black lentils
Also known as Beluga lentils and Indianhead in Canada
Very small in size look almost like caviar and are pure black
Hold their shape, quite versatile
Can be roasted and pureed.
They cook in about 25 minutes
In general, lentils are an excellent source of protein and are a great source of iron. One cup of cooked lentils is filled with naturally occurring nutrients include;
Fiber
Thiamine
Niacin
Vitamin B6
Folate
Pantothenic acid
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Zinc
Copper
Manganese
What is most interesting, these are the nutrients most Americans eating the standard American diet are deficient in.
I cup of lentils does have 39.9 grams of carbs with 15.6g of fiber which is 24.3 g net carbs. So it is a wee bit more than the allotted 20 grams of carbs per day. A 1/4 cup would be about 6 net carbs, so it can be done.
So, What does Dead Prez and lentils have in common?
I came across Dead Prez 2000 song “Be Healthy from the album Let’s Get Free
Of course, I had to listen. The entire song is about how to live a healthy lifestyle. Here is a little excerpt;
…Lentil soup is mental fruit
and ginger root is good for the yout'
Fresh veg-e-table with the ital stew
sweet yam fries with the green calalloo
careful how you season and prepare your foods
cause you don't wanna lose vitamins and miner-ules
and that's the jewel…They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy
my goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy
cause true wealth comes from good health, and wise ways
we got to start taking better care of ourselves…
The song goes a little south, but still, the message is fierce. An artist that gets it. Being healthy is where it is at. Wish I could rap like that! Now, this is truly good for the music for the soul.
In the recipe I am sharing with you below I used a 1/2 a cup of red lentils thus if you are watching your carbs, this dish is doable unless you eat the entire thing in one sitting. I don’t think you could, it is loaded with good belly-filling fiber.
Sometimes we have to look at the bigger picture. Because lentils are an excellent source of fiber, they help to support regular bowel movements. Your beneficial immune-supporting gut bacteria love lentils. They eat the non-digestive parts and in return create B vitamins, minerals, and Butyrate which is an immune-building compound.
Here is a cool tip
Lentils have what is called resistant starch. This resistant starch feeds our gut bacteria. When lentils are cooled or stored in the refrigerator overnight, the resistant starch gets even better. Eating a tablespoon of refrigerated lentils cold will directly feed gut bacteria. You can warm up the rest of the dish of course.
Lentils are perfect in the prevention of diabetes Type II and III as well as heart disease and high blood pressure because of their rich source of polyphenols. Red and black lentils will contain more polyphenolic compounds than green and brown.
An 8-week study looking at people who were overweight or obese and type 2 diabetes found eating 1/3 cup (60 grams) of lentils each day increased levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and significantly reduced levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides.
One of the labs I have clients get is homocysteine. Homocysteine is a marker used by doctors to assess heart disease. From a nutritional standpoint, it can assess a potential B12, B6 and folate deficiency.
Lentils are a great recommendation because they are a great source of naturally occurring folate, B6 and B12 thus why studies find lentils an excellent addition to the diet.
Polyphenols procyanidin and flavanols, found in lentils are known to have strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects even after it has been cooked
A question I get asked a lot is how can I lose weight. Could Lentils play a role?
Because of the excellent sources of protein, B vitamins and fiber, lentils are an incredibly good food to add. Fiber fills you up, and you eat less. Fiber feeds the beneficial bacteria that help maintain a healthy weight. Fiber also helps to balance blood sugar which means less stored fat.
What about lectins?
Yes, lentils contain lectins, however, I think there are too many good foods out there that are being pushed to the way side because of lectins.
I do believe there is a place for lectins if adhering to a blood type. Did you know lectins may actually possess anticancer and antibacterial properties?
What about Phytic acid?
The same goes for phytic acid. Lentils do not contain phytic acid however, the structural compound when combined with stomach acid results in protection against cancer. In a study looking at lentils, phytic acid, and digestion;
The result indicates that PTA-CS-MNP nanocomposite can inhibit the proliferation of colon cancer cells without causing any harm to normal cell.
In other words, phytic acid compounds have strong antioxidant and anticancer properties which means, there is a symbiosis between plants and human health, despite what we have been led to believe that phytic acid is not good for us.
How to prepare Lentils
Lentils are super easy to prepare. Typically wash the lentils over running water until the water runs clear.
Add lentils to a pot of water, bring to a boil and cook over low heat. You just need to follow the instructions on the package. Each type of lentil has a different cooking time.
To make it even easier there are precooked lentils and canned lentils. For the canned version, be sure to give them a good rinse before heating.
Cooked lentils can last up to 5 days refrigerated. And you should be able to freeze lentils for up to 3 months. To make it easy to use from the freezer, portion out the amounts and store them in a waxed paper baggie or in a glass dish with a tight-fitting lid. You can easily add lentils refrigerated or frozen to any dish you are whipping up.
For my recipe below, the first time I made the dish I added the lentils dried with all the other ingredients plus 4 cups of water. I found the lentils were a bit al denté for my liking. The second time around I cooked the lentils on the stove according to the package and then added them to the dish to cook in the HotLogic.
Whether you are a vegan carnivore or somewhere in between, add lentils to your diet for its wonderful tasty health effects!
Class A Recipe
My daughter’s boyfriend is vegan and I respect his choices. I was excited to make something completely vegan and have it taste-tested. Turns out, this delish dish was a hit!
If you are not worried about vegan, you can swap out the veggies bouillon cubes for two sticks of powdered bone broth instead. You can also swap out the coconut cream for whipped cream or plain thick Greek yogurt.
If you have leftover lentils this is the perfect dish to use them up. If you do not have any lentils on hand, cook some up and get going on this hearty tasty dish.
Lentil Coconut Cream Chilli
Prep time 25 minutes
Cook time 4-6 hours
HotLogic Max Oven
Gluten free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, Healthy, and Delicious
Freezeable without the coconut cream
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes or a small bag of small purple potatoes or fingerling potatoes
6 cups of water (enough to cover the potatoes)
1 tb Celtic sea salt
2-4 cups potato water***
2 tb coconut oil
1/2 cup dried red lentils
1 1/2 cups water
28 oz canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cubes, low sodium garden veggies bouillon cubes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Thai red chili paste
1 large carrot, sliced thin (about 1 cup)
1 stalk celery, diced, (about 1 cup)
3 bay leaves, fresh or dried
Garnish
1 can coconut cream
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, freshly chopped
Add the can of coconut cream to the refrigerator, upside down.
In a medium pot, add 6 cups of water, and 1 tablespoon of Celtic sea salt, place on the stove and bring to a boil. Meanwhile cut potatoes into chunks (don’t peel them). If you are using small fingerling-type potatoes, still chop the potatoes into quarters and add them to the pot.
Place lid on top and allow potatoes to come to a boil then turn heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
***Drain, keep the potato water, and set aside. Place potatoes back into the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and mash the potatoes. You can either add the mashed potatoes to the HotLogic Max Oven with the Lentil soup now or an hour or so before serving.
In a medium, pot add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse the red lentils using a sieve until water runs clear; strain, and add to a pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce it to a low simmer, then cover and cook the lentils for about 10 minutes. There may still be a little liquid in the pot. Turn off the heat and set aside.
While the red lentils and potatoes are cooking; add the 28 oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes to an 11-cup glass dish. Add a little water to the can to rinse out and add to the dish. Add the two cubes of garden veggies bouillon cubes and mash to mix and dissolve into the tomatoes.
Using a small-holed grater, grate the 4 cloves of garlic. Or, you can mince them with a knife. Add to the tomato dish.
Add the 1/4 cup Thai red chili paste to the dish;
***If you want a thicker dish, add 2 cups of the reserved potato water and thoroughly mix the contents.
*** If you want a thinner, soup-like consistency add the 4 cups of the reserved potato water
Mix all the contents until well incorporated.
Using a mandolin, thinly slice carrots into rounds and add to the dish. Dice the 1 stalk of celery and add to the dish. Add the lentils and any water to the dish, give it a good stir, add the 3 bay leaves to the dish, and push down into the mixture.
Cover the dish with non-bleached parchment paper, add the lid on top and add to the HotLogic MaxOven plug it in and let the HotLogic do its magic for 4-6 hours or longer. If you feel it is a bit thick, stir in a 1/2 cup of hot water.
To serve in individual bowls;
Take the canned coconut cream, and open the top lid with a can opener. Carefully scoop out the coconut cream only into a bowl, leave the liquid in the can, and set aside.
Finely chop fresh cilantro, about a 1/2 cup, set aside
Add 1/4 cup of mashed potato to the bottom of a bowl, or on a plate add the mashed potato and indent the middle to create a bowl.
Pour 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the lentil soup over the potatoes (or in the “potato bowl”). Using a tablespoon as a scoop, scoop the coconut cream on top and sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro over top. Serve immediately
I am excited for you to try this. Enjoy.
If you read all the way to here, I have one question for you. Are you a lentil fan? Let me know.
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Have a wonderful healthy happy week
~Karen