Thursday, October 29, 2009

Cooking on the Farm

In case you missed the movie Julia and Julie, it was made into a movie about the blogger preparing all of the recipes in Julia Child's cook book. I am not a gourmet cook, just one that likes easy and comfort kinds of food, without lots of fussing. I recently received permission from the Pea & Lentil Commission to publish recipes from their cookbook so long as I gave them the proper credit.

So a couple of weeks ago, it was a cold Fall day and I wanted a hearty soup that I could throw together and cook in a crock pot. The recipe I used from the Pea & Lentil Cookbook was not intended for the crock pot, but it worked out very well, so I'll list the recipe as it was written, but I'll note the changes that I made.

Zippy Bean Soup
1 scant cup of dry lentils, rinsed
2 cups water
(1) 16 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
(1) 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), undrained
(1) 16 oz can kidney beans, undrained
1 teas chili powder
1 cup salsa

In a large saucepan, combine lentils and water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender (about 30 minutes).

Add remaining ingredients to lentils, and bring to boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes to blend flavors.

Gayle's version: I added 2 link Italian sausages (sliced) to the above ingredients. I added in all the ingredients into a crock pot and cooked them on low for 7 or 8 hours. Prep took about 5 minutes to throw everything into the crock pot and it was very tasty.

Legume update: Did you know that 1/2 cup of cooked peas or lentils provides 8 grams of fiber? Vegetables average 5 grams, whole grains average 3 grams. Eating foods that contain dietary fiber and are low in fat may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.