Do you avoid beans? Do you find them difficult to cook? Are they too time consuming with all the soaking? Do you buy a few cans to make chili or grab a container of hummus without ever thinking about the huge variety of bean dishes you’ve never tried?

Pulses are nutritious, tasty, and affordable. There are so many new recipes to choose from and a lot of classic recipes as well. Yes, there’s beans and rice, baked beans, split pea soup, bean soup, lentil stew and more. There’s also pasta made from pulses and nutritious gluten free flours to use for baking and frying.

Pulses make a great addition to any diet. They are a wonderful source of protein, fiber, and nutrition. And they are delicious!

Pulses include:

• Dried peas – split and whole
• Beans – all varieties
• Lentils – multiple varieties
• Chickpeas – also called garbanzo beans

Pulses and Digestion

Do you avoid beans because they are difficult to digest? Do they give you gas? Well, you’re not alone, but this, too, can change.

• You need to start with small servings and work your way up to larger servings to increase your body’s natural enzymes.
• Soak your pulses, including split peas and lentils.
• Consider using added enzymes. Beano is a well-known example. Beanzyme is a vegan option.
• Many people soak their beans overnight (but don’t soak lintels for more than 6 hours or they’ll get soggy).

Long Soak Method

Soak beans in a glass or stainless steel bowl or pot. Use filtered water. Cover beans with at least 4 extra inches of water. (They soak up a lot of water). When you’re done soaking them, drain and replace the water.

Quick Soak Method

Bring beans to a boil. Remove from heat and allow beans to soak for 1-4 hours. Drain, rinse beans, replace water, and cook.

Peas

Split peas make a quick an easy soup. For every cup split peas, add 2-4 cups or more of water. (Depending on how thick you want it and whether or not you add other vegetables.) Bring to a boil then turn it down to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes – until peas are soft. You can eat it as it is, process it in a food processor or blender, or process half and recombine.

That’s the basic recipe. Where you go from there is up to you. Some choose to use chicken stock or vegetable broth instead of water. Many recipes call for finely chopped onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Some also include potatoes. You can add butter, bacon fat, or a dash of olive oil. Consider adding bay leaves, thyme, mint, pepper, marjoram, rosemary, parsley, or a combination of spices. Add salt when it is cooked.

• Meat eater? Include bacon, ham, or sausage.
• Vegetarian? Top soup bowls with shredded mozzarella and chopped tomatoes.
• Vegan? Add garlic and caramelized onions for a simple soup. Add other veggies for a more complex soup.

Garbanzo Beans

These beans have garnered quite a reputation in the last decade as hummus gained in popularity. The rather expensive store bought dip is easily made at home for a fraction of the price, and it’s fun to play with.

Soak your beans overnight or use the quick soak method. Before cooking, strain the beans and rinse well.

Cover with 2-3 inches of water, bring it to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1-1 ½ hours. You can use a pressure cooker for faster results or a slow cooker if you have the time and patience. Check the water level and add water if needed.

You can also make hummus with raw garbanzo beans. First soak them for 24 hours. Change the water and rinse the beans at least once during that time.

Hummus

• 2 cups of cooked garbanzo beans
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 TBL tahini or another nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond)
• 2-2 ½ TBL lemon juice

Add ingredients to a food processor with an S blade or a blender.

You can add whatever you want to add to make variations. Try adding any of the following:

• Cooked or raw red pepper
• Jalapeno or habanero peppers
• Orange and orange zest
• Lemon zest
• Garlic (2-3 cloves or more, cooked or raw)
• Avocado (use lime instead of lemon and add a pinch of cumin)
• Spinach or zucchini
• Artichokes
• Sundried tomatoes or oven roasted tomatoes
• Pumpkin (1 cup pumpkin puree plus a little cinnamon and cayenne)

Lentils

Like beans, there a million recipes for lentils. You can make soups, casseroles, curries, fillings, spreads, salads, baked goods, and more. Our current favorite is a weekly creation using whatever leftover greens we have in the fridge.

Kristina’s Lentil Stew Recipe

• 8 cups green lentils (you don’t have to, but I prefer to soak them)
• 2 medium onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 cups roughly chopped greens (can be spinach, kale, collards, chard…whatever you like)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 zucchini, quartered
• 1 dash garam masala
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin seed
• 1/2 tsp dried ginger
• 1 dash smoked paprika
• 1 dash chili flakes (more if you like spice!)
• 1/4 tsp dried coriander
• 6-10 whole cloves
• 5-10 bay leaves
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tbsps coconut oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 4-6 cups vegetable broth
• Cilantro and lime wedge to garnish

Let the oil heat in the pressure cooker (if you don’t have a pressure cooker, use a large stew or stock pot) on low heat. Put the garam masala, curry powder, cumin seed, dried ginger, smoked paprika, chili flakes, and coriander in the oil to toast them, stirring occasionally.

Add the onions and garlic after about 30 seconds. Let them simmer 2-5 minutes or until they soften.

Pour in the apple cider vinegar, coconut milk, and tomato paste. Stir. Let those combine for a minute. Turn up the heat to a medium and add in the greens, sweet potatoes, and zucchini. You can use these specific vegetables or what you have on hand or those you prefer, like carrots, other squash or something else (I do not recommend broccoli). Give the greens and other vegetables about 5 minutes to simmer and soften. If at any time in the cooking process you need more liquid, add some of the stock.

Add the lentils in on top of your mixture. Fill the pot to the top of the lentils with broth. Put the bay leaves and the cloves in a spice ball or tea strainer and add them on top.

Seal the pressure cooker, turn the heat on high, and leave the lentils to cook for roughly 12 minutes (times may vary based on your individual pressure cooker).

If you aren’t using a pressure cooker, bring the whole pot to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer and let it cook for 20-30 minutes until the lentils reach the consistency you want. Serve in bowls topped with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

The recipe itself is vegan, but you can add meat if you like or substitute chicken broth. Sausage works well with this recipe. You can also top it with some feta cheese or yogurt. Play around with your veggies and spices to see what you like best.

The end result will be a hearty, healthy, warming stew with minimal fuss and lots of flavor.

Conclusion

If you are ready to cook with pulses, you can easily find thousands of great recipes on the Internet. Don’t be afraid to make them from scratch. A little planning is all it takes to save money, make the best, and avoid adding cans to the landfill. Just remember – soak well, rinse well, and start off with small servings.

Related Reading:

• Homemade, Vegan Nut Milk Recipes and More
• Raw Hummus Recipe
• 10 Vegan-Friendly Sources Of Protein
• Things Health Nuts Do With Their Food

Recommended Products:

• Digestive Enzymes

Sources: 

• Eating Pulses is Easy – Pulses
• 10 tips for better bean digestion; a few announcements – The Full Helping

There is no doubt that lentils are one of the most versatile of all the legume family. Indeed it is not only their culinary usefulness that they are well known for.

In Egyptian times they were used as bubble packing for ancient artefacts and sculptures for shipping. The word lens is the Latin for lentil and derives its name from the shape of these little nutrition packed wonders.

The cultivation of lentils as a food goes back to well before the Egyptians, to Neolithic times (roughly 10.000 years ago). It was during this time that farming came about and lentils were one of the earliest crops to be cultivated, originating in the Middle East. It is no surprise then that there are so many references to the lentil in the Bible. The French dish Esau potage is a lentil broth named after Esau. In the Old Testament, Jacob bought the birthright from Esau with a dish of stewed lentils. Then there is the arguable notion that Lent was named after the lentil as the majority of people were too poor to be able to afford fish at this religious time and therefore had to rely on lentils for sustenance.

But it is for their culinary uniqueness that we are looking to this humble legume. There are few foods that are so versatile. They can be made into anything from pates, dressings, soups, dhals, fritters and salads.

They are packed full of beneficial nutrients as well as being a very rich source of soluble fibre, and being the third richest vegetable source of protein there is.

A study of dietry patterns and risk of heart disease following 16,000 middle aged men in the U.S., Finland, Netherlands, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Greece and Japan over a period of 25 years, found that after analysing the data, diets with a high legume content were associated with a huge 82% reduction in risk of heart disease!

Another study published in the ‘Archives of Internal Medicine’ confirms that a diet high in soluble fibre, such as lentils, helps prevent heart disease. Out of 10,000 adults, those eating the most fibre (21 grams a
day or more) had a 12% reduction in coronary heart disease and 11% less cardiovascular disease. Those that ate the most water soluble fibre fared even better.

The fact that lentils are excellent for heart health is not only in the fibre content, but also the significant amounts of folate (folic acid) and magnesium they supply. Folate has long been associated with heart health as it helps to lower levels of homocysteine. This is an amino acid that damages artery walls and is a serious risk factor for heart disease. When folate is present it converts homocysteine into cysteine or methionine, both of which are benign. Folate is also a crucial nutrient for pregnant women. Up to 70% of birth defects such as, spina bifida and  neural tube defects have been shown to be due to a lack of folate in the diet. Most doctors advise women of child bearing age to increase their intake of folate as it is not just during pregnancy but also prior to conceiving that there is a great need for folate.

The magnesium content in lentils adds another heart helping dimension. Magnesium is known to help the arteries and veins ‘relax’ which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Studies have shown that not only are low levels of magnesium associated with heart disease, but that after a heart attack low levels promote free radical injury to the heart.

It doesn’t stop there either. Lentils are an important source of B vitamins, particularly B-3. They are also high in iron, zinc and calcium, which is why they are so popular as a substitute for red meat. The iron is better absorbed by the body when eaten with vitamin C rich foods such as dark green vegetables. One of my favourite dishes is Indian spiced lentils, or dhal, with spinach stirred in at the last minute. A bowl of that with a hot naan bread makes a substantial and very healthy lunch for about a $1.00 a portion! Frugal food needn’t be bland and boring. It is high in protein too, being as good a source as some cheaper cuts of meat. Whilst they are deficient in only two amino acids, this is not the case once they have sprouted. When sprouted they contain sufficient amounts of all amino acids. In addition to this, their nutritional value goes up in sprouted form too.

Apart from the fact that they get a bad rap as being boring ‘hippy’ food, there is not a lot that you can say bad about the humble lentil.

Packed with goodness, nutrition and incredibly versatile as you will see in the following recipes. As with the acorn and mighty oak parable, these little guys should not be underestimated……

Lentil Varieties

There are numerous varieties of lentils but some of the most common are:

RED SPLIT (CHIEF)

These are perhaps the most common of all. They are good for soups and purees as they tend to puree when cooked and don’t hold their shape. A good use for them is to thicken stews or casseroles. Instead of reaching for the gravy granules or artificial thickener, try adding a good handful towards the end of cooking when making your next casserole. You’ll find it absorbs the excess liquid and provides a good protein boost to your meal.

BROWN LENTIL

Again these break down and become mushy if over cooked, but if cooked carefully they will retain their shape. They are good added to sauces or broths.

YELLOW LENTILS

These are actually split mung beans and are very similar to red lentils except they are a bit firmer.

BELUGA LENTILS

These are an incredibly attractive lentil, so called because when they are cooked they glisten like caviar. They retain their shape and remain firm when cooked. Excellent as an accompaniment to meals and also in sauces or dressings.

PUY LENTILS (FRENCH GREEN)

These to my mind are the king of lentils. Small and robust, they too keep their shape after cooking and are adaptable to a whole host of uses from pates to stuffing’s for vegetables to sauces and dressings. Green and brown lentils are also higher in nutrients than their red and yellow cousins.

BKACK LENTILS (URAD DHAL)

Again these are actually a bean and if they are shelled and split they become white lentils. These are widely used in Indian cooking. It is no surprise that India is the biggest producer of lentils in the world. But it may come as a shock to know that Canada is the second highest producer!

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 Big Green Outer Leaves Savoy Cabbage
• 6 oz Puy Lentils (French Green Lentils)
• 1 Small Onion or 3 Shallots Finely Diced
• 1 Clove of Garlic Finely Chopped
• 20 fl oz Mushroom or Vegetable Stock
• 8 oz Finely Sliced Mixed Wild Mushrooms
• Handful of Marjoram Leaves, Chopped
• Truffle Oil (Optional)

Method:

1. Take the central tough core out of the middle of the outer leaves and then plunge into boiling water for about a minute, and then remove and put into ice cold water to stop the cooking and preserve the bright green colour.
2. Meanwhile heat a saucepan with a good shot of olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic until softened.
3. Add the lentils and then the stock. Simmer (Not Boil) for 20-30 miunutes or until the lentils are softened, (you may have to add a little more stock). There should still be a little liquid left in the pan with the lentils.
4. Blitz the lentils to a puree in a food processor.
5. Saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil until softened. Add the marjoram and season with salt and pepper. Stir into the lentil mixture with a tablespoon of truffle oil, if using.
6. Allow to cool and set for several hours.
7. Take a 6 oz ladle and line with cling film.

Nutrition

The high fibre and folate content in lentils has been shown to be very beneficial in heart health. It is also rich in magnesium which helps the walls of arteries and veins to relax which helps with blood flow. Lentils are rich in iron which is better absorbed with Vitamin-C, dark green  vegetables such as savoy, are a rich source of Vitamin-C.

Mushrooms have long been associated with fighting cancer in Asia. In Japan lentinan, found in Shiitake mushrooms, has been shown to inhibit tumour growth. Mushrooms are also a good source of polysacharides , which help boost the immune system. Chinese black mushrooms (wood ear) contain an anti-coagulant substance which thins the blood and helps prevent clots. The effect has been likened to that of aspirin.

Chef’s Note:

These are an excellent, nutritious and very elegant way to cater for vegetarians or vegans at a dinner party. The fact that they can be made ahead of time and frozen is an added bonus. You can also make a wonderful meat version of this dish by very slowly roasting lamb shoulder with garlic and rosemary until the meat is falling off the bone. Shred it up and mix with a little of the fat and juices and use in the same way as you would for the lentil filling. Again it is superb with parsnip puree.

All ingredients should be organic whenever possible!

Ingredients (8-10 Burgers):

• 1 cup dry lentils, well rinsed
• 2½ cups water
• ½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup rolled oats, finely ground
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 cup bread crumbs (we recommend sprouted grain bread, stale, and torn into small pieces and ground in a food processer)

Method for Lentil Burger Recipe:

1. In a saucepan place lentils, water, and salt, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer until water is nearly gone and lentils are soft, with splitting skins (about 45 minutes).
2. Sauté the onion, carrot, and bell pepper in oil until softer (about 3 minutes) then add garlic and continue for 30 seconds.
3. Mix the lentils, onions, carrots, pepper, turmeric, and soy sauce in large bowl.
4. Add the ground oats and bread crumbs, mix.
5. Form the lentil mixture into patties (should still be warm), which can now be frozen, refrigerated for a few days, or cooked immediately.

Cooking (2 choices):

1. Heat some oil in a frying pan at ,medium to medium-high heat and place a burger on top. Fry until brown (1-2 minutes). Repeat on other side and serve.
2. In an oven at 400º bake on a greased baking sheet for about 15 minutes.

All ingredients should be organic whenever possible!

Related Reading:

• Lentils
• Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium
• Five Super Protein-Rich Vegan Foods for Healthy Living
• Lentils and Wild Mushrooms In Savoy Leaves