Lentils & Barley with salsa

Up until now, I only really used lentils here and there in soups/stews/chili.  But, a friend on facebook posted this recipe, and of course I had to make it. 

As I was eating my delicious meal, I thought to myself "this is my next recipe for the blog!"


Ingredients:
- small onion, chopped
- garlic, 3 cloves chopped
- 1 1/2 cups lentils (I used red lentils this time round)
- 1/2 cup barley
- 24 oz salsa
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 3 tablespoons flax seed
- spice suggestions: cayenne pepper, cinnamon, black pepper, paprika...all to your taste

** feel free to top this dish with sunflower seeds...totally what I am going to do next time!

Directions:
1. sauté onion in olive oil

2. add garlic, and sauté that a bit too

3. add the rest of the ingredients into the onion/garlic, and give it a good stir

4. cook on medium heat until the lentil and barley is soft, which is about 45 minutes or so.

Make sure to stir often enough so the bottom does burn.  So, it takes 45 minutes to prepare...but, the prep time was so minimal that is why I consider this a minute meal.

Friends, making this nutrient packed dinner takes hardly any time so there is no excuse for not trying this.  And yes, both my kids ate it up! 

*****

Let's talk lentils.  Here is a link to the lentil write up on my favorite nutrition site, world's healthiest foods.  These little guys are quite powerful.  The do everything from lower cholesterol to fill you with tons of fiber (insoluble and soluble!) to making your heart healthy.  Not to mention, certain types of lentils have a good amount in iron in them. 

Don't be afraid of the lentil.  They are very easy to prepare, and they pick up the flavor of what you are cooking with.  They are as easy to prepare as rice, and are loaded with good-for-you stuff. 

As for the barley, that is good for you too!  Barley also has a ton of fiber.  Plus, it gives this dish a bit of a bounce with each chew, so that makes it a bit interesting. 


Smacznego! 

Avocado Salad, with corn, black beans, tomatoes and salsa

With just a couple of ingredients, you make this avocado salad.

To make things easy, here is a picture of all the ingredients:

- 3 avocados (make sure they are ripe!  They should give gently when squeezed)
- 1 can corn, rinsed
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- handful of tomatoes
- 1/4 cup salsa
- salt to taste
- cumin to taste.

1. To prepare the avocado, slice it in half all the way around the pit.  Open the fruit, and hit your knife blade against the pit.  Turn the knife slightly, and the pit will release.  Then pull the peel away.  The most nutrients are right between the peel and the fruit, so you want to keep as much fruit as possible.  Then dice the fruit, and place into bowl.

2.  Add corn.

3. Add tomatoes.

4. Add black beans.

5. Add salsa. I say 1/4 cup in the ingredient list, but feel free to add more and less to your liking. 

6.  Add salt and cumin to taste.

Give it a good mix to incorporate everything.  Remember, the more you mix it the creamier it will get.

I served this salad with flour tortillas and fruit.  If you want to keep tortillas out of the picture, you could use cucumber or bell pepper slices. 

** Remember, my little ones are 5 and 3, so I need to be mindful of the heat level.  It would be fantastic with some red onion and jalapenos! 

Smacznego!

Quinoa with black beans, corn, and salsa

If you can make the time to make mac and cheese for your kids, then you can make this!

This is a simple recipe with only 4 ingredients:

- 1 cup quinoa (pronounced keen-whah)
- 1 can black beans (rinsed)
- about 1/2 bag frozen corn
- about 1/3 cup salsa

After rinsing 1 cup quinoa, combine it with 2 cups water.

Bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat and cook for about 15 minutes.  It cooks pretty much the same way rice cooks.  It looks like this when it is ready:

When the quinoa is ready, simply add the black beans, corn, and salsa.

Let the mixture heat up for about 5 minutes to heat everything thoroughly.

Done!

CC had two helpings!

As I said earlier, if you can make the time to boil water for mac and cheese, you have time for this!


*****
Don't be afraid to make quinoa.  I buy mine at Whole Foods.  As I mentioned, it cooks like rice, so you can do it.  It is a grain, and tastes like, well, a grain I guess.  It doesn't really have much flavor, and picks up the flavors you cook with it.  It is crazy good for you! It has protein, and full of phytonutrients and antioxidants. 

As for the black beans?  Holy fiber batman! Black beans also have a good amount of protein.  This food is just loaded with good stuff.  Check out whfoods, and you can read all about it. 

I urge you to read about the foods you are eating.  It makes you understand the importance of eating the right foods.  The right foods actually WORK for your body.  I hate to hear people snacking on nuts and saying "oh, I shouldn't be eating these."  You should!  Nuts are good for you!  Know what you are eating.

Who wants colon cancer?  Who wants heart disease?  The need for good foods all start once children are off breast milk, so it is important to achieve nutritional excellence early in life.  But, it is never too late to start.  Make the change!  Add healthy foods to your diet!