Healthy recipe #1

I just came up with a challenge for myself.  I am going to cook lots of new healthy recipes right here!!!  I kinda suck at keeping up with this blog, so I am not going to make my challenge too lofty!  One recipe a week.   Hang on to your hats...Here we go!

Stewed Lentils with Yogurt and Cucumbers

This recipe is a from this book on page 114

I love this book!  Martha never disappoints.  

Here is the deal with my "style" of cooking.  I never ever never follow recipes.  I like to think of them as suggestions.  

I will type the correct recipe and in parenthesis I will put what I really did!!

How does that sound!!  

Lets go:
1.Make the Lentils:Heat a medium saucepan over medium. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and toast (I used ground cumin), swirling pan, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer to a plate.  Add 2 Tbs olive oil; once hot, add 1 cup diced onion, 4 cloves of garlic (I used 2), and 2 Tbs of fresh ginger(I used crystallized ginger).  Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add 1tsp turmeric and toasted cumin seeds (ground cumin).  Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Here is a picture of the spices I used:


2. Add 5 cups water and lentils. Bring to boil; reduce to a simmer and partially cover.  Cook until lentils are tender and mixture thickins, about 15 minutes.  Season with salt to taste.

From:                                                        To:

I ate it with rice, avacado, and greek yogurt...so stinking good.

 I decided to have a tastetester with every new recipe!!  Here they are!

My neighbors and friends: L said it could use less pepper (I added salt and pepper)and "I like it, and I would eat it."    A ate a lot of it and she liked it, too!

They are good sports!

Carrots

So, the boys and neighbor girls spent 30 minutes cleaning and preparing carrots and herbs!  G planted them in the spring and was excited to share them today.  What a good job little gardener.

The final product...tic tacs included!