L is for La La La Lentils

So while this song may not have anything to do with lentils specifically, I couldn’t help but find myself singing it when I realized I had gotten to L. (The la la’s kick in around 1:04 so you can sing along too!) I also think that the song has a beautiful message:

Sing, sing a song
Sing out loud
Sing out strong
Sing of good things not bad
Sing of happy not sad.
Sing, sing a song
Make it simple to last
Your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear
Just sing, sing a song.

written by Digby Diehl

Sesame Street will always have a special place in my heart.

Now, onto the letter L…

As we’ve talked about before, there are a ton of non-flesh sources of protein and lentils are an amazing choice packing 19g of protein in every cup. Lentils are chock full of fibre, magnesium and folate making them great for your cardiovascular system and blood sugar levels.

Lentils are super easy to prepare since they don’t need to be pre-soaked. Just give them a good rinse and pick through them and toss any sad looking ones. They come in a wide variety of colours, but the ones I use most commonly are the red and green/brown kinds.

Some of my favourite lentil recipes include the lemon-lentil soup from my first cooking class with Meghan (you can also find it in her 5 days Vegan tutorial), snobby joes and the lentil black bean salad from La Dolce Vegan. I also like to include substitute them in recipes where meat is called for, like in this soup inspired by last year’s soup extravaganza!

Lentil Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

1 c dry lentils, rinsed (or 1 can lentils, rinsed)
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 lb tomatoes, pureed in blender or food processor
2 cups chopped green peppers
3 cups water
1 cup cooked brown rice

Sauté onion until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Place in a slow cooker with the remaining ingredients on low for 6-8 hrs or place in large soup pot and simmer 1 hour.

I also love lentils’ cousins, the other members of the legume family! (It just dawned on me that I could have called this post la la la legumes as not to exclude anyone… what can I say, it’s been a long week!) They’ve all got a lot going for them being low in fat and calories as well as high in fibre, iron, protein, a source of B vitamins and they’re very inexpensive to purchase. What’s not to love? Legumes, including lentils can contribute to a well-balanced healthy vegan (or not) lifestyle.

Do you enjoy lentils, legumes or Sesame Street?