***Side note: If you haven't seen the clip from wifeswap of the young southern gentlemen who gets upset with his "mom" for the week (or is it two?) when she throws out all of the junk food, I suggest you youtube it. (Yes, I just used youtube as a verb.) Just type in " bacon is good for me".
My nutrition professor asked that we all email her a recipe for a dish we think is nutrient dense, and more importantly one that we like, so that she could share them all with the rest of the class. A cookbook of sorts if you will. I am taking classes at a community college in Oakland, and a lot of my classmates come from low income neighborhoods where food security is of major concern. In West Oakland there are 53 liquor stores, and not a single grocery store. Fortunately, there are several initiatives taking place in order to bring healthy, whole foods into this particular neighborhood. I'm looking forward to volunteering with City Slickers Farms (I found out about them via this awesome person who started the edible garden on campus). City Slickers go into low income neighborhoods and build with a promise to maintain organic, urban gardens. Now that I have more time on my hands (I gave my two weeks at my brewery gig!!!!!!), I can't wait to get them dirty! Anyways, I am rambling. My point is a lot of these young adults were raised in neighborhoods where exhausted moms pick up a bag of Mickie Ds on the way home from a long shift, or stop at the corner store to grab a can of spam and a box of mac and cheese. Thus, my goal was to provide a recipe that included non evasive ingredients (okay maybe the spices can't be found at the local Oakland corner store), and I wanted to provide an idea for something that takes little time, is easy, and makes a lot that stores easily...and of course, is healthy. FYI, I started my Thanksgiving post a few days ago, but got distracted. I figured since I had to do this assignment for school, and it had to do with food, I'd go ahead and post it. So, without further ado..
2 c. veggie broth
3 c. water
1 tsbp. oilve oil
1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (or two cups stewed tomatoes OR fire roast fresh tomatoes!)
1 can green chilies (or 1/2 c. chopped fire roasted chilies)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. minced cilantro
Combine lentils, broth, and water in a large pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes partially covered. Meanwhile, in a skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chilies, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Continue to saute for another 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce with the lentils. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes more, or until the lentils are tender. Add a bit more water if the lentils become too thick (I like mine thick!). Stir in the lime juice and adjust spices right before serving. Garnish with cilantro.
I adore this recipe. It is perfect as summer fades into fall and you start craving cups of soups, and other warm liquid-y dishes. Lentils have this incredible ability to absorb the flavors of foods they are cooked with, and trap the seasonings so that they do not fade into the background. Beyond being delicious, lentils are nutrient packed making them a mighty member of the legume family. They are a good source of cholesterol lowering fiber, and help with blood sugar disorders by preventing blood glucose levels from rising too rapidly post meal time. Lentils also contain high levels of protein, including the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine. They also supply 6 important minerals, and two B vitamins. Lentils provide all of this with virtually no fat. Serve them up with rice, and you've got a complete protein. This dish contains little salt, which is a big plus for your body. The recipe is adaptable meaning that you can put whatever you have lying around in the pan (e.g. giner, corn, etc.), and it still tastes insanely good. The lime juice added at the end gives this dish just enough acidity to add a brightness often lacking in lentil soups/chilies. Serve this lentil chili over roasted vegetables for a heartier meal loaded with the macro/micro nutrients your body (and soul) appreciates.
My nutrition professor asked that we all email her a recipe for a dish we think is nutrient dense, and more importantly one that we like, so that she could share them all with the rest of the class. A cookbook of sorts if you will. I am taking classes at a community college in Oakland, and a lot of my classmates come from low income neighborhoods where food security is of major concern. In West Oakland there are 53 liquor stores, and not a single grocery store. Fortunately, there are several initiatives taking place in order to bring healthy, whole foods into this particular neighborhood. I'm looking forward to volunteering with City Slickers Farms (I found out about them via this awesome person who started the edible garden on campus). City Slickers go into low income neighborhoods and build with a promise to maintain organic, urban gardens. Now that I have more time on my hands (I gave my two weeks at my brewery gig!!!!!!), I can't wait to get them dirty! Anyways, I am rambling. My point is a lot of these young adults were raised in neighborhoods where exhausted moms pick up a bag of Mickie Ds on the way home from a long shift, or stop at the corner store to grab a can of spam and a box of mac and cheese. Thus, my goal was to provide a recipe that included non evasive ingredients (okay maybe the spices can't be found at the local Oakland corner store), and I wanted to provide an idea for something that takes little time, is easy, and makes a lot that stores easily...and of course, is healthy. FYI, I started my Thanksgiving post a few days ago, but got distracted. I figured since I had to do this assignment for school, and it had to do with food, I'd go ahead and post it. So, without further ado..
Lentil Chili
Serves a few people for a couple of days
2 c. veggie broth
3 c. water
1 tsbp. oilve oil
1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (or two cups stewed tomatoes OR fire roast fresh tomatoes!)
1 can green chilies (or 1/2 c. chopped fire roasted chilies)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. minced cilantro
Combine lentils, broth, and water in a large pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes partially covered. Meanwhile, in a skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chilies, chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Continue to saute for another 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce with the lentils. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes more, or until the lentils are tender. Add a bit more water if the lentils become too thick (I like mine thick!). Stir in the lime juice and adjust spices right before serving. Garnish with cilantro.
I adore this recipe. It is perfect as summer fades into fall and you start craving cups of soups, and other warm liquid-y dishes. Lentils have this incredible ability to absorb the flavors of foods they are cooked with, and trap the seasonings so that they do not fade into the background. Beyond being delicious, lentils are nutrient packed making them a mighty member of the legume family. They are a good source of cholesterol lowering fiber, and help with blood sugar disorders by preventing blood glucose levels from rising too rapidly post meal time. Lentils also contain high levels of protein, including the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine. They also supply 6 important minerals, and two B vitamins. Lentils provide all of this with virtually no fat. Serve them up with rice, and you've got a complete protein. This dish contains little salt, which is a big plus for your body. The recipe is adaptable meaning that you can put whatever you have lying around in the pan (e.g. giner, corn, etc.), and it still tastes insanely good. The lime juice added at the end gives this dish just enough acidity to add a brightness often lacking in lentil soups/chilies. Serve this lentil chili over roasted vegetables for a heartier meal loaded with the macro/micro nutrients your body (and soul) appreciates.
