Lorien's slow cooked lentils and beans

We spent a weekend gorging on copious amounts of unhealthy food, snacks and beverages as the parents in law came to stay, so all of our diets went out of the window, partly due to convenience, partly due to laziness but mostly due to having an excuse to pig out. So, after stodging up on jelly filled donuts, ice cream, key lime pie, Chinese food and BBQ ribs, today is a day for lighter and more healthy fare.

I know my husband will pull a face but I'm making slow cooked lentils and beans to serve with chicken for dinner.

Now, I'm not the nutritionist, that's Loriens job, but she introduced me to this recipe and honestly. Hate to admit it, but..I'd never eaten lentils before! My mother would buy them when we little but not for eating, usually to weigh down parchment when blind baking a pie crust. My sister and I used them when making home made maracas....but otherwise, I'd never really considered them as Part of our regular menu.

So, lentils. Lentils are a bean and part of the family of legumes.
This nutritional information chart taken from http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4338/2 shows the nutritio al value of one cup of cooked lentils.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Amounts per 1 cup (198g)

Calorie Information Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Calories 230 (963 kJ) 11%   From Carbohydrate 161 (674 kJ)   From Fat 6.3 (26.4 kJ)   From Protein 62.0 (260 kJ)   From Alcohol 0.0 (0.0 kJ) Carbohydrates Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Total Carbohydrate 39.9 g 13% Dietary Fiber 15.6 g 63% Starch ~ Sugars 3.6 g Fats & Fatty Acids Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Total Fat 0.8 g 1% Saturated Fat 0.1 g 1% Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g Total trans fatty acids ~ Total trans-monoenoic fatty acids ~ Total trans-polyenoic fatty acids ~ Total Omega-3 fatty acids 73.3 mg Total Omega-6 fatty acids 271 mg Learn more about these fatty acids and their equivalent names

Protein & Amino Acids Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Protein 17.9 g 36% Vitamins Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Vitamin A 15.8 IU 0% Vitamin C 3.0 mg 5% Vitamin D ~ ~ Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) 0.2 mg 1% Vitamin K 3.4 mcg 4% Thiamin 0.3 mg 22% Riboflavin 0.1 mg 9% Niacin 2.1 mg 10% Vitamin B6 0.4 mg 18% Folate 358 mcg 90% Vitamin B12 0.0 mcg 0% Pantothenic Acid 1.3 mg 13% Choline 64.7 mg Betaine ~ Minerals Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Calcium 37.6 mg 4% Iron 6.6 mg 37% Magnesium 71.3 mg 18% Phosphorus 356 mg 36% Potassium 731 mg 21% Sodium 4.0 mg 0% Zinc 2.5 mg 17% Copper 0.5 mg 25% Manganese 1.0 mg 49% Selenium 5.5 mcg 8% Fluoride ~ Sterols Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Cholesterol 0.0 mg 0% Phytosterols ~ Other Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Alcohol 0.0 g Water 138 g Ash 1.6 g Caffeine 0.0 mg Theobromine 0.0 mg

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4338/2#ixzz2NtpW6C00

They are rich in protein, B vitamins, Amimo Acids and trace minerals. I grew up on meat and potatoes and whilst my daughter E loves her smashed potatoes, I was looking for a carbohydrate replacement that provided better nutrition ounce for ounce..besides sweet potatoes that is!!! Lentils are rich enough in protein that they make an excellent meat alternative too, but in this case I'm going to also be making some baked chicken to serve alongside, or...my husband really will pull a face.

Slow cooked lentils and white beans

These really are delicious, I make a large crock pot full and save the leftovers to either freeze or refrigerate and they reheat easily for a quick and nutritious lunch for E. I sometimes add a small spoonful of cream cheese or sour cream to give them a creamy consistency.

2 cups of dried lentils
1 can of organic white beans, drained and rinsed.
2 1/2 cups of organic low sodium chicken broth
1 cup of water
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 small onion finely chopped
1 large can of organic diced tomatoes
2 tbs of balsamic vinegar
1 tbs of honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
2 tsp of dried oregano
1/2 tsp of ground coriander
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
2 bay leaves.
1 small handful of chopped fresh sage (optional)
1 small handful of fresh chopped parsley (stirred in at the end of cooking)
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
place all the ingredients in a slow cooker, omitting the fresh parsley.
Cook on low heat for 8 hours.
At the end of the cooking add the chopped fresh parsley and serve alongside your entree.