1.20.2014

lovely lentils

Today I made Olivia red lentils. And to be honest, I had a spoonful  bowlful myself. They were amazing. I had never cooked lentils before & I can say they are quickly becoming a staple of my own diet.
For those of you who don’t know what lentils are, here is a mini lesson: 
“A small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, lentils are edible grain legumes; an annual plant of the legume family grown for its lens-shaped seeds. There are many types of lentils (but I used split red lentils today). With about 30% of their calories, lentils have the 3rd-highest level of protein by weight of any legume or nut. They also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1 and minerals.”
I thought this recipe was definitely worth sharing for all of you mamas out there with hungry little eaters, so here goes.
L O V E L Y L E N T I L S
Makes approximately (20) 1-oz cubes.
I N G R E D I E N T S
1 small onion, diced
3-4 stalks of celery, diced (+ leafy tops, they add a TON of amazing flavor!!)
½ cup carrots, diced
2-4 oz sweet potatoes, cooked (I grabbed a few cubes of what I had roasted this past weekend from the freezer)
2 cups low sodium organic chicken stock
1 cup dry split red lentils
S&P // 1 TBSP Coconut or Olive Oil 
D I R E C T I O N S
1. Heat coconut oil in dutch oven (or large pan). Add diced onion, celery and carrots; cook through, adding S&P to taste.
2. Add in cooked sweet potatoes and 1 cup dry lentils; stir until mixed
3. Add chicken stock over the lentils, bring to a boil & then reduce to a simmer
4. Cook approximately 15 minutes or until lentils have softened
5. Puree in food processor & freeze or serve!
(Be sure to help yourself to a taste before pureeing it! I added a little bit of realbutter to finish it off!) 
Another Tip I Wanted to Share….Are you ever left with half a carton of chicken stock after using only a cup or two in a recipe? It will only stay fresh in the frig for 3-5 days, so instead of wasting it, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it! Store it in the freezer until you need it for a recipe. It will naturally melt into hot food so it’s a no-fuss way to be sure your chicken stock never goes to waste!

More baby food recipes coming soon!

No comments:

Post a Comment


Back to Top