We just returned from our annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo with Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Nashville where we learned that the United Nations has proclaimed 2016 as “International Year of Pulses”. Dry beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas, also known as pulse crops, and are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family — and if they’re new to your plate, you may not realize that they really they are the little beans we have been cultivating from the soil for over than 10,000 years! And now, 2016 is dedicated to pulses is because of the vital role they play in our diets and in sustainable farming. Yup, dried beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils are the new “it”- who knew?! 🙂 If you ask us it’s always been the year of the pulses. After all, our mom created most of our meals from plants so proteins came from the pulses–we had lentil burgers, pea soup, black bean stuffed tortillas, you name it, it inspired these of our own. Tomato, Avocado & Chickpea Salad, our Quick & Creamy Quinoa with Beans & Spinach, our Quick White Bean Stew with Kale and Tomatoes, our Tex-Mex Bean Salsa and these two faves— Lentil Vegetable Soup, Black Bean Quinoa Chili with Avocado
So why are we so excited to share this recipe with you and help you to get more pulses?
Well, they fill you up with protein and fiber–their rich in this magical combination for weight loss–and they are low in fat and contain many vitamins and minerals.
They also are great for the environment–they are considered very sustainable because they are nitrogen-fixing (they use nitrogen from the atmosphere to make protein) and water-efficient crops; they use 10-50 percent less water compared to other sources of proteins–and they are an important protein source worldwide.)
So whatcha waiting for, grab your spoon and dig in–or grab your pot and toss in this easy stew! We can’t wait to hear what ya think! 🙂
Lentil and Chickpea Stew
We suggest serving this scrumptious Meatless Monday meal with a large salad or some steamed broccoli or another of your favorite veggie meals. We love it so much we often have a serving and half, which is just 300 calories and bumps up the protein nicely! We love having this with our Caramelized Cauliflower or with our Roasted detoxifying Veggies.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¾ cup lentils
1, 14 ounce can chickpeas
14 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 avocado, garnish
Directions:
1. In a medium pan, heat olive oil over low heat and add cumin and chili powder. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add lentils, tomatoes, chickpeas (not drained) and 1 cup of water to the pot. Season with pepper and salt, if using.
3. Bring mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is cooked. It should be soft. Most of the water will be absorbed and you will have a thick, delicious, hearty chili. Slice avocado and place on top and serve.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving, without avocado: 200 calories, 3 g fat, 35 g carbohydrate, 12 g protein, 13 g fiber, 289 mg sodium, 0 g saturated fat
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ cup lentils
- 1, 14 ounce can chickpeas
- 14 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 avocado, garnish
- In a medium pan, heat olive oil over low heat and add cumin and chili powder. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add lentils, tomatoes, chickpeas (not drained) and 1 cup of water to the pot. Season with pepper and salt, if using.
- Bring mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is cooked. It should be soft. Most of the water will be absorbed and you will have a thick, delicious, hearty chili. Slice avocado and place on top and serve.