any ideas for lentils?

You can use the quinoa pretty much just like rice... BUT.

Soak it in vinegar for about 15 min before you cook it. Trust me. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

Lentils make a nice hummus-like spread, which is great on crackers or veggies.

We eat tons of quinoa, it's yummy. Use it like you would couscous or rice. It is great with stew, or as a cold salad.

The quinoa I get is very easy, you just add water and cook for 15 minutes, it's the Trader Joe's brand.

------------------
mom to Ari(6) - severe nut allergies, asthma, you name it - and Maya (9), mild excema

thanks!!

Kara

I have a great lentil soup recipe I make at least twice a month if not more, the kids have always liked it even as babies.
1 bag dry lentils, 1 large onion chopped, 7 garlic cloves minced, 4 carrots chopped, 4 (14.5 ounces) low sodium chicken broth, 5 cups water, 2 tbl. olive oil, 2 tsp. Tony Charere seasoning, 2 bay leaves, 4 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp black pepper,1/3 c. dried parsley, 2 lemon slices.
Heat oil, saute: onion, garlic, & carrots for 15 mins. Add cumin, chicken stock & water. Add lentils, tony's, bay leaves, paprika, pepper, parsley & lemon slices. Simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Stir, cover & simmer for 30 more mins.
Now I have to go make it since I thought about it, it is so good and makes alot of soup. Hope you try it, Enjoy!

What kind of lentils did you buy? Some lentils cook up mushy and are great for dips and dals. Some cook up firm and are nice with rice.

I don't soak quinoa, but I do rinse it very well with a superfine sieve. It has a coating of saponins (natural) and can taste very soapy and bitter without adequate rinsing.

ygg

I use the store brand lentils, that just says Lentils on the package. You find them in the isle with all the bagged dry beans on the same isle as the regular rice. I do not soak my beans before cooking them. If you are making a soup don't over stir or play with the pot and the lentils will stay intact.

One of the golden rules of lentil cooking is to add salt once they are cooked. If you add salt before they have softned , the salt will harden the outside shell and make them tough.

Use red split lentils instead of meat when cooking spaghetti bolonaise. For good flavour add ripped basil leaves.

I often make lentil shepherds pie, or orange pie as my kids call it.

soften an onion in pan with oil, cube carrots and par boil in water , then add them to onion, add lentils and water, and simmer until softened, then add veg stock.
while this is cooking boil potatos and then mash.
put lentil mixture in oven dish, then spread mashed potato on top, put in oven until potato is golden .
Serve with a green veg, or if you can eat baked beans, try them.

I use lentils in lots of dishes to improve iron content, add to stews , cassroles and soups. They are a cheap souce of protein.

I am going to try to make meatloaf this week for the first time!!!!

sarah

Quote:Originally posted by Love my babies:
[b]If you are making a soup don't over stir or play with the pot and the lentils will stay intact.[/b]

Green, brown, and black lentils will generally stay intact. Red lentils and split peas generally will not.

I like black beluga lentils--they hold their shape very well. I also like french lentils, which are dark green and somewhat speckled.

ygg

Quote:
I don't soak quinoa, but I do rinse it very well with a superfine sieve. It has a coating of saponins (natural) and can taste very soapy and bitter without adequate rinsing.

This is why I add just a touch of vinegar-- it actually thoroughly takes care of the problem from a chemical standpoint-- acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the saponin. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] (So I glad now that I spent ten years on my higher education.... hahaha!) Seriously, though-- some people are [i]very[/i] sensitive to the bitterness. DD and I among them. I couldn't [i]ever[/i] get it rinsed well enough.

Balsamic vinegar is especially delightful... with a little mirepoix and quinoa, you can make [i]DIVINE[/i] stuffed peppers this way.

I agree that the way to get "intact" lentils is by using the green French/'Puy' variety. Red ones are good for spreads and dips.

Be careful, we were told by my son's allergist that lentils are the most common legume to cross react with peanut. We avoid (not that my son would ever step foot in a room with them anyway).

FYI, my son has never reacted to any other legumes but he still told us to avoid lentils.