Super Lentils.

afolckomer
Aug 15, 2015
3 min read

My brother-in-law, despite being called out on it numerous times, continues to refer to these fun little things "Let-nuls"...

... and I think my sister would agree, it's impossible to hear him say that without laughing, which already kickstarts the whole therapeutic process of any lentil dish!

But hey! Not only do lentils come in a variety of colors and types, this nutty flavored, member of the legume family is packed with fiber and protein and will only set you back about 2 bucks for a nice bag of them! They're an excellent vegetarian staple that is low in fat, but high in folate, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. And they typically come in brown, red or green. Ah, choices :)

One hundered grams of Lentils (about 3 1/2 ounces) will get you about 25 grams of protein for the serving. Legumes, such as lentils, are considered to be very effective at removing arterial residues of fat and cholesterol. In addition to benefitting the heart and circulation, lentils are a natural diuretic, and they stimulate the adrenal system. Although they have a mild flavor, they're quite the boost to your kidneys, and most importantly, they're thermal nature is neutral so there is plenty of room to play around with food combinations.

I cook with lentils all the time. One of my favorite lentil dishes is inspired by a Turkish appetizers called, Mercimek Köftesi. This recipe is courtesy of Almost Turkish Blogspot.

What you will need:

1 c red lentils

1/2 c fine ground bulghar wheat

1/2 c olive oil

2 c water

1 medium red onion

1 tsp cumin

2 tbsp tomato paste

~1 tsp salt

juice of one lemon

1/2 bunch of green onions

1/2 bunch parsley

Something green and leafy- Romaine, swiss chard, green leaf, kale, collards, etc. (optional)

Wash lentils and boil them in 2 cups of water until it almost soaks the water. In the last 10 minutes or so, as the lentils are starting to soften, add bulghur and salt. Cover and cook until bulghur expands and softens. After you turn the heat off, you can keep it covered to let them soften further for about 20 minutes of so.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and add the chopped red onion. Cook until transluscent. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Before you turn the heat off, stir in the cumin.

This tomato-onion mix can now be added to the lentils and bulghur. Next add chopped parsley, green onion, and lemon juice to the lentils. Mix all well.

You'll notice this makes a sticky mixture. Traditionally, a spoonful of the mix is wrapped in a piece of Romaine lettuce and eaten as a lettuce wrap. It's delicious by itself, but could also be tossed into steamed greens or used as a salad topping if lettuce wraps aren't your thing. I have them on collards in the picture. Feel free to get creative!

I like this recipe because it is filling, tonifying and nourishing. From a Chinese Medicine perspective, there is an ingredient for each major organ: Lentils for Kidneys, Onion for Lungs, Lemon and Tomato for Liver, Wheat for Spleen/Stomach, and bitter greens for Heart. There is a nice balance of foods with a cooling nature and foods with warm, acrid properties. This brings the overall temperature of this recipe to neutral. The oil content and combination of cooling foods, makes this a great way to nourish the yin substances of the body, while the pungent, acrid qualities keep the digestion stimulated so that nothing gets too stagnate. It is overally easy to digest, provided it is not overconsumed.

Have fun and enjoy your "let-nuls"!