This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Iron, Phosphorus and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber and Folate. Preparing the beans: One cup of dry beans makes four average servings, either in a bean dish or in a soup. Spread out the measured beans so that you can poke through them pick out any extraneous materials, especially any small pebbles. Unless the beans are unusually dirty, they'll need just one rinsing to remove storage dust. Cover the beans in a pot or pan with water, stir them around by hand and pour the water off. Now the beans are ready for soaking or cooking. Soaking the beans: Beans absorb water rather reluctantly. Soaking them in water before cooking reduces the cooking time by 30 min. if simmering, and by 5 min. if pressure cooking. Some may say you don't need to soak lentils -but it helps ensure more even cooking and eased digestion, so it's recommended. Have water cover the beans by a couple of inches when soaking starts. The beans can be soaked overnight or during the day, 3-8 hours or longer. In very hot weather keep the soaking beans in a cool place or they will tend to sour. Simple from Scratch: As a rule, no salt is added until the beans are soft, since salt tends to draw the moisture out of things. Remember, beans take time, or pressure, to cook. If presoaked, pressure cook lentils for 10 min. at 15 lbs. pressure. If not presoaked, add 5 min. cooking time at 15 lbs. pressure. For cooking without pressure, if presoaked, bring to boiling, then simmer lentils 1 hour. If not presoaked, add 30 min. to cooking time. You may also add presoaked lentils to a soup pot or rice. (Tassajara Cooking: Norval Delwyn Carlson) Susan Nikseresht’s Lentil Soup Recipe
In this recipe, you can use red rice, wild rice or brown rice, half the amount of lentil that you decide to use.
Cook lentils and rice together with the vegetable stock or water (whichever you prefer). Meanwhile, cut onion and garlic into small pieces. Saute onion in a frying pan with coconut oil till golden, then add garlic and saute one or two mins. Add a spoonful of tumeric and a spoon of cumin (preferably powdered) and salt/ pepper to taste. Set aside. Add shredded cabbage and seaweed to the lentil and rice after rice/lentil are cooked if you like your vegetables crunchy when you serve. Add the mixture of fried onion and spices. Wait for 5 to 6 minutes and stir well. Garnish with chopped parsley and/or basil and cayenne. Sprinkle fresh lemon juice on top before you bring it to the table. You can also add some butter at the end to melt in the pot before serving. Enjoy and don’t forget to thank God. North African Lentil Soup Ingredients: 1 cup lentils 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads 2 medium carrots, sliced 1 celery rib, thinly sliced 1 small turnip, peeled and diced 1 cup diced tomatoes with juice 8 cups vegetable broth 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Instructions: Rinse lentils several times in cold water, setting aside to drain. Heat garlic in olive oil in large saucepan, being careful not to scorch garlic. Add onion and saffron and cook, stirring, until onions are tender (add a few drops of water if onions try to stick). Add carrots, celery, and turnip, cooking 10 minutes over low heat. Add lentils, broth, tomatoes, and parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer over low heat 1 1/2 hours until lentils are tender and broth is slightly thickened. Add lemon juice just before serving. |
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