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Healthy Cooking Blog: Outside-of-the-Box Dinner


Step-by-Step Instructions for Lentil Stew
written by Dr. Christine Dickson


Why Lentils? Lentils are truly a superfood because they are high in many essential nutrients and vitamins. One cup of lentils has 89.5% of folic acid per day and 62.5% of daily fiber.  Lentils are also high in iron, protein, tryptophan, manganese, copper, vitamin B1 and potassium. In addition, many public health organizations--including the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society--recommend lentils as a key food for preventing disease and optimizing health.

In a traditional American diet, lentils are not the first thing people think of to have for dinner or find at fast food restaurants, which is why they are one of my favorite outside-of-the-box food choices. Lentil stew is a great way to enjoy lentils all year round and is very easy to make. 

Shopping List for Lentil Stew Recipe
:

Lentils can be found at any grocery store but check out Raley's in Pleasanton or Nob Hill Grocery Store in Livermore to find the main products in this recipe. To make cooking easier, I used a great Trader Joe's product called "Organic Jasmine Rice," which cooks in 3 minutes in the microwave. You can find it at Trader Joe's in Livermore and Pleasanton. 

2 cups Dry Lentils
14.5 oz Pre-Chopped Celery, Carrots, and Onions
6 - 8 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base
2 teaspoons Canola Oil
10 cups Water

Cooking and Preparation Time: Approx. 65 minutes  

STEP 1
:
Add 2 teaspoons of Canola Oil to a large pot. Then add the container of pre-cut vegetables and saute for 5 minutes on high heat, stirring occasionally until onions are glassy.

STEP 2Add 2 cups of Dry Lentils to the sauted vegetables.


STEP 3: Add 10 cups of water and 6 - 8 teaspoons of vegetable bouillon. Cover with a lid and cook on medium to medium - high heat for approx. 1 hour. 

STEP 4: Stir lentil stew every 15 minutes to ensure that the lentils do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Lentil stew is done when the lentils becomes thick, which takes approx. 1 hour of cooking time. 

STEP 5: Serve with "Organic Jasmine Rice" from Trader Joe's, which cooks in 3 minutes in the microwave.