If you’ve thought about trying to cook some of the healthy natural foods you keep hearing about, but have been put off by not knowing where to start, nzgirl is here to help.
You will be surprised by how versatile legumes are. Cooking with them can take more preparation than your average after-work stir-fry, but the results are worth it...
Lentils Lentils are a great source of protein and iron, without the high cost and saturated fat content of red meat. They are also a good source of vitamin C. They are eaten all over the world in cuisine styles as diverse as Indian, South American and Mediterranean. You'll find lentils in the bulk bins at your supermarket or they are sometimes also available in packets. They come in several differently coloured varieties. The common red lentils are quick to cook. If you have time, rinse the lentils and then soak in warm water for about 10 minutes before you start cooking. Drain them and cook them in fresh water.
Lentil Dahl Dahl is dirt cheap to make and is perfect as a winter comfort food. Here is a recipe that is sure to warm you...
2-3 cups of red lentils 1-2 medium onions, finely chopped 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed (or more if you are a garlic fan) 2 tsp turmeric 2 tsp cumin 2 tsp coriander (use fresh if you have it) 3 tsp curry powder 1 tsp salt 1-2 tbsp tomato sauce Juice of 1 lemon Vegetables of your choice e.g. carrots, celery, canned chopped tomatoes, potatoes Pepper
1. Put lentils in a large pot, and add water. Use two cups of water for every cup of lentils. Bring to the boil. 2. Add vegetables, and more water to cover if needed. 3. Simmer with the lid off for 20-30 minutes, or until almost all of the water has been absorbed. 4. Fry onion, garlic and spices in a pan. Add this to the lentil mix and simmer for a further 10 minutes. 5. Add the tomato sauce, pepper and lemon juice. 6. Serve hot on rice.
This recipe will make enough to feed a hungry flat, so if you are cooking alone or for only a couple of people either reduce the volume or freeze the leftovers. Try altering the seasonings to get it just right for your taste. Keen to try more? The internet is a wealth of cooking ideas. Here are some yummy lentil recipes we found. Try googling “lentil recipes” for more.
Chickpeas Chickpeas are high in fibre and a good source of iron. They are a key protein source and a common ingredient in Middle Eastern, Indian and Pakistani dishes. Chickpeas are available dried in the bulk bins at your supermarket, or you can buy them canned. Hummus It is surprisingly quick and easy to make your own hummus. If you are using dried chickpeas, soak them in water overnight. Drain, and cook in 5 cups of vegetable stock for every cup of chickpeas. This will take about 2 ½ hours. If you don’t have liquid vegetable stock, add a teaspoon of vegetable stock powder for each cup of water.
To make plain hummus, add to your food processor: 1 cup cooked/ canned chickpeas ¼ cup lemon juice Crushed garlic (to taste) 2 tbsp tahini or olive oil
Process the ingredients, adding enough of the cooking liquid to achieve the desired texture. Experiment with adding the flavours you like to create your perfect hummus. Try fresh herbs like coriander, sundried tomatoes, capsicum, feta, olives or extra garlic. There are loads of delicious chickpea recipes online. Here are some we found. Try googling “chickpea recipes” for more.
Split peas Split peas are a good, inexpensive source of protein and iron. The yellow variety has a milder taste than the green variety. You can buy split peas from the bulk bins at your supermarket, or they are also available in packets. Split peas are most commonly used as the basis for hearty vegetable soups, but we suggest some alternative uses.
Split Pea Falafels 300g split peas 1 onion, finely chopped 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tbsp cumin 1 tsp salt and pepper 1 egg, lightly beaten ½ cup flour to coat ¼ cup sesame seeds
1. Cover split peas with water in a pot. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the peas soften. 2. Drain and place in a food processor with the onion, garlic, chilli powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, mash it all together with a potato masher/forks. 3. Roll into small balls and flatten with a fork. Dip each one into the egg and then coat in flour and sesame seeds. 4. Heat a layer of oil in a frypan. Cook the falafels until light brown (this takes a couple of minutes each side). 5. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Here are some other tasty recipes we found online. Try googling “split pea recipes” for more ideas.
Kidney beans High in vitamin C, tasty and satisfying, kidney beans are a good basis for many meals. Try them as a healthier replacement for mince in your favourite pasta dishes, nachos or vegetable bakes. They are available dried in the bulk bins at your supermarket, but start with a can of kidney beans and you can have a delicious meal ready in no time. Kidney Bean Bolognaise 1 can kidney beans, drained 2 cans flavoured chopped tomatoes (or use plain chopped tomatoes and add your favourite herbs and spices) 1 onion, chopped 1 large carrot, cut into rounds 1 courgette, sliced ½ capsicum, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed ½ - 1 tsp chilli powder (or more if you are a chilli fiend) Fresh herbs to top if you have them
1. Fry the onion and garlic in a large pan. 2. Add the carrot, courgette and capsicum, and cook for 3 minutes. 3. Stir in the kidney beans, tomatoes and chilli powder. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. 4. Serve with grated cheese and fresh herbs on spaghetti or your favourite pasta. Serves four.
Here are some more incredibly quick and easy kidney bean recipes we found online. For more ideas, try googling “kidney bean recipes”.
natural foods you keep hearing about, but have been put off by not knowing where to start, nzgirl is here to help. 
Dahl is dirt cheap to make and is perfect as a winter comfort food. Here is a recipe that is sure to warm you...
Split Pea Falafels 