Hellloooooo peeps! I am back! To explain my absence, I must be honest I had quite a harsh time adjusting to the winter here in Switzerland. Growing up in Taiwan/Hawaii/California, you never had to dealt with real winter (with minus degrees, snow and uhhhh, endless of gloomy days), plus, my body isn’t built for this type of climate anyway. I went through series of ups and downs, which I won’t go into details about. Everyone who lives here says they do get seasonal depressions. So, for me was like oh well – Shake it off! Now that the early summer has hit Central Europe, I feel much more comfortable. Though at times still rainy, chilly and windy, I can’t complain, the heat is in the air.  Mr. Sun peaks out once in awhile to say hello. Here I am… standing and fighting for life! And my passion for health and eating well has not changed a single bit.

Why lentils?

I’ve never been really exposed to lentils till I read one of my favorite plant-based food blogger from The New Roots. Lentils are kind of life changing deal. It’s filling, tons of fiber and good source of protein! It is a great replacement for pasta, bread, noodles or rice if you want to spice things up a little bit. Marc and I used to buy canned lentils, though the nutrient via internet claims to be the same, I’ve realized it takes only a little more effort to make it from scratch and it taste better.

This recipe is one of those stumble-upon-kind-of-surprise. Whenever we cooked lentils in the past, I always felt like it lacked flavor or something was missing. This recipe really hit the spot. It’s so simple and accessible. You can simply eat it by itself if you wish, or with a salad on the side or with a fish or meat on the side. It’s simply delicious. I found recipes that are easy to make yet healthy are the revolutionary ones!

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of black lentils

handful of thin asparagus, chopped (omit the lower stems if it’s too hard)

1 onion, diced

2 colorful bell peppers (yellow, green or red), chopped in small pieces

4 gloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 of a zuchini, chopped

other optional/alternative veggies:

Brocolis, cauliflowers

Directions

1. Rinse the lentils and soak them in water overnight if you can. Drain well the next day. Soaking them for 8-9 hours reduce cooking time and aid digestion (they become softer).

2. If you have a rice cooker/steamer, use the rice cooker to cook. The ratio of lentils and water is 1:1.2. Add salt in the water (about 1 tea spoon). Otherwise cook in a pot for 10 – 15 minutes in low heat, wait till it simmers. Same for the salt.

3. On the side, chopped all the vegetable, mix them in a bow.

4. In a heated pan with oil, place garlic and onions in the pan for flavor. Then add the rest of the vegetables, low heat to stir. Add salt or pepper to taste.

5. Add the lentils, till they mix well together.

6. Serve as you wish. Leave the leftovers in food containers. You can enjoy this for small amount for next morning breakfast.

TAAAADAAAAA!!!!!!!!

Enjoy! <3

Paye Tina

playfully yoga.