In recent months I have started to included lentils in my cooking. It’s a great, filling food that I love to eat. My little family aren’t so keen but I’m working on them with a few dishes I think they will enjoy. Lentils are a great source of fibre, protein, magnesium, vitamin B, zinc and potassium. Plus they can be eaten all year round too.
The edible seeds are from the legume family and they are a common food in North Africa and Asia. Nowadays most of the production of lentils is in Canada. Lentils are very often overlooked even though they are a cheap way to get a wide range of nutrients. They also have amazing healthcare benefits and can help with a lot of aliments.
Lentils also make a great alternative to meat in many diners. During the week we like to eat vegan or vegetarian meals but at the weekend we will eat meat. Recently I have been including lentils in many of my mid week meals. Therefore I thought I would share 5 my my favourites below.
Does your family not like certain foods and if so, which ones? Let me know in the comments below and please don’t forget to like and follow me.
Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Lentil Loaf
Bread is not a food I tend to eat these days. I’m gluten intolerant but to be honest I’m not a fan of gluten free bread either. Although, I’ve started to make my own savoury loaves which I eat in the morning with egg and avocado. I’ve made a variety of flavours but I have never made one with red lentils before.
So I decided to try my quinoa loaf with red lentils and sweet potato. The results were amazing and this was a simple recipe to cook too. I was surprised at the moisture in the loaf and the fact it had loads of flavour. It was delicious with eggs and avocado for breakfast too.
Slow Cooked Red Lentil and Cod Curry
Winter is not my favourite time of year but what makes it bearable is the warming foods I make for my family. I love it when I find a new recipe to try too. Although I have adapted many part’s of Kerry’s recipe, I thought it was still yummy.
For this recipe I have made my own curry paste which is simple and easy to do. Plus I have also used homemade chicken stock or you could use homemade vegetable stock if you want to make it vegan. Oh and I cooked mine in the slow cooker and not on the hob. Apart from those adjustments everything was fairly similar. It’s definitely one of my new favourite curries.
Our local farm shop tries to stock fruit and vegetables from the local area. Obviously there are a lot of fruit and vegetables that have to be flown or brought in from other parts of the world. However I always find a good selection of local veggies.
So while I was shopping last week I was inspired to make a Lentil Cottage pie. I probably should name it after the shop I bought the vegetables in but I don’t think my readers would understand the title. So instead it’s just a Vegan Lentil Cottage Pie, but it’s a delicious pie. Well worth a try.
My husband Howard will always have poached eggs on toast for his Saturday morning breakfasts. As I’m gluten intolerant I can no longer enjoy this breakfast with him. I know I could eat gluten free bread but I’m really not a fan. Instead I now have homemade savoury pancakes or breads that I bake myself with quinoa flour.
Normally I make myself bread or pancakes at the weekend and store them in the freezer. I had completely run out of both these items. So I opened my pantry. My eyes were roaming around when I spotted the red lentils. I decided to give the lentils a try in my pancake mix. The results were delicious and I really enjoyed eating them with poached eggs for breakfast.
Aubergine and Sweet Potato Lentil Bake
Quick, simple, easy and healthy is the best kind of meal for mid week. When I don’t have a lot of time during the week and sadly don’t want to spend that long in the kitchen, I need meals that will be simple to cook and still good for my family.
The idea for this dinner came from a combination of different YouTube cooking videos. Yes, I hate to admit it, I’m addicted to YouTube and not just cooking videos. Anyway I was watching a series of vegan cooking videos and this idea just popped up in my head.
For a vegan meal I think this is one of the tastier meals I have cooked. It’s full of flavour and it includes really healthy ingredients. My son was not the biggest fan but my husband really liked this dinner. It’s a great mid week meal that’s healthy and delicious.
These lentil meals are a great way to fill the family on a budget and they are super healthy as well. Lentils make a fantastic meat substitute and they are freezable too. So all of the meal above can be made in batches and frozen for another occasion. However you decide to eat these dishes, as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 