Red Lentil Dal with Garden of Eve spinach

Since learning that BPA is in the lining of most canned foods–and not wanting to serve it up to my baby along with her beans–I’ve begun cooking more dried legumes. Specifically, the red lentil. It cooks quickly, practically purees itself and provides protein, fiber, iron and folate. Here are two red lentil recipes I gladly eat alongside my little one:

Red Lentil Dal with roots & greens

Red lentils are thickened with root veggies and get their green hue from fresh spinach (organic spinach came from our winter CSA share with Garden of Eve farm). Packs a good amount of Indian-spiced heat. Freezer-friendly!

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 medium sweet potato, diced
• 1 large organic golden potato, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 cups fresh organic spinach, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp curry powder or Garam Masala

1. Add lentils, potatoes and onion to a medium pot. Add 3 cups water and the salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Add peas, carrots, spinach and spices and cook until carrot is tender and the lentils are a stew-like consistency, about 20 minutes. Stir in a pat of butter or drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
3. If serving to baby, use an immersion blender to puree to desired consistency.

Lentil Quinoa Banana Bars (not pictured)

These bars were one of baby’s very first finger foods and could stand in for a meal in a pinch. In my opinion, they are what snack bars should aim to be–balanced nutrients, faintly sweet, unprocessed and portable.

• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 5 Tbsp flour (unbleached, whole wheat, or gluten-free variety)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. In a 2 qt saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add lentils and quinoa and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
2. In a small bowl, mix banana, flour and cinnamon. Add cooled lentil mix. Spread into an oiled 8″x8″ baking dish and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Cool, cut into bars, and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Cut into bite-size cubes if serving to baby.

(Both recipes are adapted from Baby Bistro)

The Swiss chard & black bean salad was a hit at yesterday’s July 4th BBQ. The spice & acidity of the jalapeno-lime dressing was a nice palate cleanser between bites of Nathan’s famous-ly fatty & rich hot dogs.

For those of you looking to tote something healthy to a summer pot luck, this is the perfect alternative to a humdrum lettuce salad. You can dress the chard ahead of time and not worry about a sad, soggy mess. Actually, the longer you marinate, the better the texture and flavor.

The Blueberry crumble bars, pictured above, were 100% microwaved! Made with whole wheat flour and a whopping pint of blueberries, these can be a hearty dessert, breakfast or snack. Toss all thoughts of previous microwaved disasters, after these bars take a spin on your microwave carousel the topping stays crunchy and the bread super moist!

Tomato, Chard and Black Bean Salad with Spicy Lime Vinaigrette

• Juice of 1 lime (2 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1 small jalapeno with some seeds, minced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
• 2 packed cups (1 bunch) chopped fresh chard leaves and tender stalks
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained, not rinsed
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
• 1/3 cup finely diced red onion

1. Whisk the lime juice, oil, jalapeno, garlic, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Add the chard, beans, tomato, and red onion and gently toss.
3. Serve at room temperature.

Blueberry Crumble Bread Bars

For bars:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup turbinado (raw sugar)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 pint fresh blueberries (local if possible)

For topping:

• 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup unsalted organic butter
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

1. Grease a 2-quart microwave-safe dish (glass Pyrex rectangle works well).
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg, soymilk, and vanilla extract until combined.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt onto the the wet ingredients; stir until just combined. Gently fold in the berries and spread into the greased dish.
4. For the topping, combine the sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Blend with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over the batter in the dish.
5. Microwave on medium (1200 watt microwave) or high (800 watt microwave) about 13 minutes, rotating the dish halfway for even cooking. Let cool 20 minutes on a rack. Cut into 12 pieces and serve.

Pea Risotto with Garlic Scapes and Cilantro

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 rounded cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 garlic scape, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, chopped crosswise into 1/2″ pieces
• 6 cups uncooked pea greens, steamed and chopped
• 1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 tsps butter (optional)
• salt and pepper

1. Combine the broth and water in a 2 qt saucepan; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and keep on a back burner.
2. Heat the oil in a 4 or 6qt saucepan and cook onion 3 minutes over med-high heat. Add rice and stir until well-coated and starts to make a slight crackly sound, about 1-2 minutes. Add wine; stir continuously until wine almost evaporates. Stir in the garlic scape.
3. Bring the broth back to a low simmer and add one ladle-full at a time to the risotto pot, stirring continuously.  Once the addition of broth is absorbed by the rice, add the next ladle-full (you will continue this process for 18-20 minutes). Around minute 15, add the snap peas. Around minute 18, add the pea greens. When the rice is nice and al dente, but creamy, add the cilantro.
4. Finish the risotto by adding the butter and stirring vigorously for one minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Hard Boiled Egg

1. Place the number of eggs you want into a dry saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Just cover with cold water.
2. Bring the water to a boil then immediately remove from heat and cover with a lid.
3. Let the eggs sit 13 minutes. Drain the hot water then run eggs under cold water until they are cool enough to handle, 3-5 minutes. Peel immediately.