Lentils and What!

There are many reasons to eat.  Sometimes eating fills in time while we're bored, or is a habit we perform while we're doing certain activities like watching TV.  Sometimes I fall into these eating behaviors and forget that food is supposed to provide the nutrients to fuel and repair my body.  When I come to my senses I make a few resolutions and try again.

And then there are a category of foods that I know are superior and would be a good addition to my diet.  These are the foods that I struggle with, especially if they're not some of my favorites.  So when I find a recipe that make them not only palatable, but delicious, I celebrate.  Here's one of those recipes.  It's a recipe for lentils and beet greens.  Sounds interesting, doesn't it.

First a bit about lentils.  Lentils are one of the cheapest forms of protein that you can purchase.  They're also a rich source of dietary fiber which is beneficial for lowering cholesterol and prevents the sudden hike in blood sugar levels after a meal.  Whew!  As if that's not enough lentils are also good for the heart as they contain significant amounts of folate and magnesium, which inhibits damage to artery walls.  There are also the flavonoids, good for preventing cancer, especially breast cancer.  Almost makes you want to cheer!  There's other good stuff about lentils but this is getting rather long and I'm sure you know how to Google.  Also, it's time to talk about beet greens.

Beets are also cardiovascular friendly and offer protection against coronary artery disease and stroke, lowers cholesterol, and has anti-aging effects.  Now that alone would be enough for me, but it seems that the leafy beet greens are considered more nutritious than the roots and contain more iron, vitamin A, potassium and calcium than the roots.  Whew, again!

So here's the recipe that combines these two super foods and makes them delicious.

Ingredients:
  1 1/2 t curry powder
  1/2 t ground cumin
  1 t ground ginger
  1/4 t turmeric
  1/4 t cayenne
  1 medium onion, chopped
  2-3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
  1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained 
  2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  12 oz beet greens, washed and chopped
  salt to taste

Optional garnishes, which I don't consider optional: diced tomatoes, diced avocado, Greek yogurt.

Combine everything except the beet greens and salt.  Place in a slow cooker on low for about 6 hours.  At the end of the 6 hours wilt the beet greens in a skillet for 3 or 4 minutes, add to the lentils, and cook for another 30 minutes.  Salt to taste.  Garnish, Eat.

To simplify this recipe you can put the beet greens into the slow cooker right at the beginning, which will cause them to become the same color as the lentils.  I'm into simple.  I can live with that.

My personal tweaks to this recipe involve adding a bit more broth than called for, diced celery and carrots.  I also love the Greek yogurt, which has all the benefits of yogurt and tastes like sour cream. 

Enjoy!