Chocolate and Lentils

Don’t worry! Chocolate and lentils are not in the same recipe here!

A couple of weeks ago my good friend Meaghan sent me a recipe that she’d made at a vegan cooking class in Spain. She knows how much I love lentils/protein, and thought I might enjoy trying it myself. Boy was she right! This recipe was delicious. It had the perfect blend of spices.

I must say, I altered the recipe a bit based on what I had available, but I’d still swear by it.

Served over steaming hot brown rice, this recipe is delicious.

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 large white onion
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup lentils
2 cups water
1/2 bag fresh spinach
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
black pepper, to taste

Saute onion in olive oil, until it begins to turn golden. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Add lentils and water to the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer until water has evaporated. Add spinach and spices.

And for the second recipe of the day: Double Chocolate Oatmeal Banana Cookies (Wow, how many delicious foods can they fit into one cookie recipe?)

You should always save the best for last. And these cookies are definitely the best! I know I say this a lot, but I seriously can barely stop eating these. They taste like super chocolatey banana bread in a bite sized bit. The oatmeal isn’t very prevalent, but gives a nice texture.

1 cup white wheat flour
1 1/4 cup oats
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cups brown sugar
2/3 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 banana
1 tbsp vanilla
3/4 cup vegetable oil
chocolate chips, to taste

Mix banana and vanilla in separate bowl. Mix all dry ingredients together. Add banana and vanilla mixture and oil to dry ingredients. Mix well and add water as needed. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Marvel at how delicious these cookies taste.

Lentil-Spinach Mush

I found this recipe online and thought it looked interesting. I love lentils because they’re just so darn healthy! And spinach is always good. But what really sealed the deal for me was the fact that I had a can of lentils which has been sitting in the back of my cupboard since mid June.

I ended up changing the original recipe quite a bit though. I mean, who needs THREE tablespoons of olive oil?!

1 can lentils
5 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, chopped or pressed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pinch chili pepper flakes
1 can chopped/diced tomatoes
Juice of half a lemon
2 handfuls spinach, to taste
1 1/2 tsp salt

Cook lentils and water in large pot. Bring water to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Drain lentils and place in a large pan. Add tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and chili pepper flakes. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, cook until spinach wilts. Add lemon juice. Remove from heat and serve with brown rice.

My Review:
This dish was surprisingly amazing! I was a little skeptical, to be honest. I mean, it does kind of look like mush, but boy was I wrong! I love spicy food, and this really hit the spot for me. The lemon juice also added an unexpected flavor, which was quite nice. I could definitely see myself making this again. (It helps that it’s so freaking healthy!)

WTF are Lentils?!
- Wikipedia’s Take on Lentils
- Nutrients in Lentils