The Humble Legume

This post was inspired by a conversation I had with my friend Sarah S in nursery today...

Let me guess.... one of your New Year's resolutions is to eat healthier? Or, perhaps you've resolved to lose some weight. Maybe you want to save some money. Eat less red meat? Save the planet?

Enter the humble, yet mighty, legume! Really, you can't ask for a better powerhouse food than lentils, beans, peas, and their cousins. Rich in fiber, nutrients, and protein, low in fat and cost. Perfect!

But do real people eat beans on a regular basis? Other than hippies, granola-types, and super health nuts, do normal people eat beans (outside of baked beans, of course)? You betcha.

With a minimum of advance planning, it's fairly easy to work dried beans into your diet. Try the crockpot method and cook a bunch at a time to freeze for quick meals. Lentils cook very fast. Hearty bean soups are a perfect meal at the end of a cold January day. Make up a pot of soup on the weekend and eat off it for a day or two.

Here are some of our family's favorite legume treatments--not all of them are meatless: (don't knock them 'til you try them!)

Mujadarrah (lentils and rice)

Baked Lentils with Cheese

Lentil and Rice Soup (off-site link to my friend Sarah's blog)

Easy Beans and Rice

Cajun Red Beans and Rice (off-site link to my friend Bridgette's blog)

Italian Sausage and Navy Bean Stew

Chicken (or Turkey) Soup with Lentils and Barley

Black Bean Chili

Black Bean Pottage

Black Bean Lasagna

Vegetarian Casserole (white beans)

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (black beans)

Two-Bean Tamale Pie