I don’t know
about you but I am feeling a bit piggish after this past week of gorging and
re-gorging on Thanksgiving leftovers. I kind of give myself a free pass for the
week. After all, Thanksgiving IS a day about eating and making enough food to
continue to eat on it for a few more days, plus some. These are things we may
not eat through out the year, at least not that often, that symbolize this time
of year. I look forward to it. I embrace it. But I have had my fill, now I need
a bit of a belly break, and a break from cooking and planning. I want to share
with you a few very healthful, easy recipes that are comforting, filling,
satisfying, and yet really good for you…so you won’t feel bad about having
seconds. The first one is a Lentil and
Brown Rice Soup. This is super easy, really yummy, and a great thing to
make and freeze. I know, lentils aren’t
local to most, unless you live in the North Western United States but they are
a great pantry staple to have on hand, along with a nice crusty whole grain bread
and – boom- you have a great meal on your hands. The next recipe is Get your GRAINS Waldorf Salad. We use
wheat berries and a mix of dried fruit and nuts and a little Greek style
yogurt. It is a perfect lunch with some salad greens or a great side to accompany
a nice piece of grilled meat. This recipe gets better the second day after the
flavors have had a chance to mingle. So take a break, and give your tummy a
rest and feel good about eating good! Here is a recipe for Lentil cookies from Alton Brown's Good Eats, a great way to get kids to eat more lentils!
LENTIL and Brown
Rice SOUP: Serves 6-8
1 tablespoon
olive oil
1 small onion,
diced
2 carrots, diced
1 rib of celery
diced
3 cloves of
garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons
cumin
1 bay leaf
12 cups chicken
or vegetable broth
1 cup green
lentils
½ cup brown rice
10 ounces fresh
spinach
2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly
ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh
cilantro, chopped for garnish
1 cup Greek style
yogurt or sour cream for serving
Heat the olive
oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add
the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until they begin to soften about 4
minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add the cumin, bay leaf and
broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Add the
lentils and brown rice and cook, uncovered for
45-50 minutes or
until the rice and lentils are tender.
During the last few minutes of cooking stir in the spinach, lemon juice,
and season with salt and pepper. To serve, top with fresh cilantro and a dollop
of yogurt or sour cream.
Note: You can add sausage (about ½ pound,
turkey or chicken, removed from the casing) to this recipe for a complete meal.
Add to the pot after the garlic step and cook until browned, about 4 minutes,
then carry on with the rest of the procedure.
To Freeze: Allow the soup to cool completely and
freeze in small amounts. To reheat, allow to thaw in the fridge then warm over
medium heat.
1 cup wheat
berries, soaked in water over night
3-½ cups water
½ cup toasted and
chopped pecans
1 medium crisp
apple like Gala or Granny Smith, cored and chopped
1 rib of celery,
chopped
2 scallions,
chopped
½ cup dried cherries,
roughly chopped
½ cup chopped
fresh parsley
2 tablespoons
apple cider vinegar
¼ cup Greek style
yogurt
1-tablespoon
honey
1 ½ teaspoons
salt
A few grinds of
pepper
A pinch of
freshly grated nutmeg
¼ cup olive oil
Juice and zest of
1 lemon
Drain the wheat
berries from their soaking water. In a medium saucepan bring the 3-½ cups of
water to a boil and add the wheat berries. Turn the heat down to maintain a
simmer and cook for about 50-60 minutes, or until they are tender and beginning
to burst open. The wheat berries will be pleasantly chewy. Drain them from the
water and allow to cool. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the cooled wheat berries and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as
desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
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