Lentil Salad, and soak your beans

So do you remember me saying that I usually skip the step where you are supposed to soak your beans and lentils and some grains before you start cooking them? I just recently found out why it is that you should do that and it makes total sense. If you soak them, because the are seeds, you start to "wake them up". They get ready to sprout which releases more nutrients and also makes them more digestible. Now I know, I'll be soaking my beans from now on.

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I made this tasty salad for the first time last weekend to use up some leftover lentils, IT tasted reaaly good so I'm passing it on.

Lentil Salad

4-5 cups cooked black organic lentils (These should be soft enough to chew without tasting chalky, but still firm)

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder or cajun seasoning

2-3 celery stacks finely sliced

Large handful of cilantro, chopped fine, stems and all.

1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced

4-5 jumbo garlic stuffed green olives, sliced

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl and serve.

This tasted so good I had it for breakfast the next day too.

Yay!

I was starting to feel depressed about this losing weight thing because I didn't feel like I was making much progress. Until today when I tried on my jeans, my comfy jeans from before I was pregnant, and I can do them up, and zip, with out even sucking in! They still feel too tight compared to how they used to fit, but two months ago the buttons had a 5 inch gap that I could not close because of the belly in the way. Maybe in another month or two I'll fit into my skinny jeans. I'd guess I'm an 8 now, still a ways to go to get back to 4.

I'm thinking about your questions, Becca gave me a tricky one, I"ll post when I have something.

In the meantime, here is a link to one of my favorite ways to serve vegetables, year round but especially in the summer. Roast them.

Okay, I admit it. I'm in a food slump. We've been sick and sleep deprived and I'm just making food and serving it while trying to stay ahead of the laundry and the pee on the toilet rim. I know it's such a glamorous job this mommy thing isn't it?

I think to myself, "I could post the recipe for beef dip that I invented last week", and then I think, "That that seems kind of lame", but really you're here for recipes and cooking ideas aren't you? So here you go.

Crock Pot Beef Dip

In the morning take a raw london broil brown it a little in a skillet and place it in the crock pot. Season with thyme, onion flakes, garlic, pepper, oregano, and a little bit of salt. Add about 3 tbsps soy sauce, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp red wine, and a splash of hot sauce. Cook on the low setting for 6 or more hours, until the meat pulls apart with a fork.

At dinner time take enough whole grain rolls for your family, slice in half and place on a flat cookie sheet. Add two slices of Monterey Jack cheese to one side of each bun. Toast under the broiler in your oven, or toaster oven, until cheese is melted. Pull apart the beef with a fork and place inside each bun to form a sandwich. From the crock pot take the juices, they taste delish, and give everyone at the table their own bowl of the "au jus". Let them dip their sandwiches in the juice before every bite. Serve them vegetables too.

Some things to add for grown-up palates are horseradish, whole seed mustard, and chopped pepperoncinis.

If anyone is still reading after my almost two week hiatus, what do you want to know? Ask and I will answer.

So it's passover tonight and I'm again making Charoset because we all agree that mine tastes the best. This is a special food that is specifically for the passover Seder and is meant to resemble the mortar used by the children of Israel during their period of slavery in Egypt, it is eaten in remembrance.

However, I always make a massive batch of Charoset because once the meal is over it is rapidly consumed by everyone on Matzos until it runs out. I just realized as I was making it that not only is it tasty, it's a pretty healthy snack to serve at any time of year, so here is my recipe.

Charoset

6 or 7 apples cored and peeled and then finely pureed, or a 14 oz jar of sugar free organic apple sauce.

1-2 cups of almonds, walnuts, pecans, combined, or just one kind of nut.

1 cup raisins or dates

the seeds from 10-15 cardamom pods

1 tsp cinnamon

(Tradition calls for the ingredients to be held together and sweetened with wine or honey so I add a little bit of each in honor of this, but you don't need it for every day snacking.)

In a blender grind the nuts and cardamom until they are a fine powder, pour out and combine with the pureed apples. Next puree the raisins until they are in small pieces also, add to the apples nuts and cardamom. Stir in the cinnamon and serve on matzo crackers, or any cracker.

Store in the fridge. Eat within a couple of days.

This recipe tastes great and is full of fiber protein and nutrients.