Dig In: Lentils (Lentil Quinoa Feta Pockets—and Pie!)
I read in a recent NRP story that during WWII, Americans were encouraged to eat lentils as an alternative to meat since they were cheap, plentiful, and nutritionally dense. It seems fitting, then, that in the midst of both a recession and growing concerns about food sustainability, lentils should be cool again.
What’s the scoop?
Lentils are a round legume that most believe originated in central Asia. Lentil seeds dating back to 8000 BC have been found in the Middle East. And the Egyptions thought lentils enlightened children—making them more cheerful and studious.
I’m not so sure about that (although a little more cheer would be nice!) but lots of people DO call lentils a superfood. They are packed with nutrients, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and folic acid. And they are low in calories, low in fat, and cholesterol-free.
Lentils come in different varieties. You’ll most likely find green or brown at your local grocer. I like these best because they really retain their shape after cooking. (Particularly good since Atticus won’t stand for anything mushy these days.) But they also come in black, yellow, red, and orange. All varieties are mostly round or oval, smaller than a pencil eraser, and can be purchased whole or split.
You can buy them prepacked dry, bulk dry, or even canned. Since they require no soaking, lentils are quick to prepared compared to other beans. But, if you’re really in a hurry, canned lentils are as nutritious as dry since both the cooking of dry lentils at home and the canning process require a comparably long time at high heat.
Why are they good for you?
Like I said, there are lots of reasons. The are a fiber all-star. Great for helping to reduce cholesterol, helping prevent constipation, and helping to improve heart health. They give you lots of energy to burn while stabilizing blood sugar. (Especially important for our on-the-go ChowBabies and ChowKids!) They’re also high in iron, 6 important minerals, 2 B vitamins, and protein.
Nutritionally speaking, lentils are an excellent source of:
- molybdenum (a cancer fighter and more)
- folate
They are a very good source of:
- dietary fiber
- tryptophan
- manganese
And they’re a good source of:
- iron
- protein
- phosphorous
- copper
- vitamin B1 (thiamin)
- potassium
With this nutritional profile, you can see why they’re so cool. But what’s most cool is that Atticus loves lentils. As in L-O-V-E-S them! So there are no dinner table dramas. And they are versatile. You can use them a million different ways.
Tonight, I wanted to make something that would pack well (and freeze well) for his lunches this week. Hence, Lentil Quinoa Feta Pockets and a Lentil Quinoa Feta Pie. The pie was our dinner and the pockets are for this week’s lunch box.
(Note: The ChowFamily took a group Sunday nap that dragged on and on—and I started dinner way late. That’s why this dish calls for a few prepared ingredients.)
Lentil Quinoa Feta Pockets
(can be served to kids 10+ mos)
1 15-oz can organic lentil soup
1/3 cup dried organic quinoa, precooked to equal 1 cup
1/2 cup diced organic carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
1/2 cup diced organic celery (about 2 stalks)
1/2 cup diced organic onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
1 clove chopped organic garlic
1 cup frozen organic peas
2 oz organic feta cheese, crumbled
1/8- 1/4 tsp ground organic cumin
1/4 tsp dried organic thyme
2 frozen organic pie crusts (or the equivalent in dough), thawed
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prebake 1 pie shell for about 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. While the first crust is baking, remove dough from the other pie shell, combine to form a ball, separate into 4 small balls, and roll into about 3-4 inch rounds in a slightly floured surface.
3. Combine carrots, celery, onions, and garlic in a sautee pan over very low heat. Sweat the vegetables for about 8-10 minutes until the veggies are soft.
4. Add the can of lentil soup, the cooked quinoa, frozen peas, the cumin, and the thyme. Cook over low-to-medium heat until the liquid reduces and the mixture is thick—like a filling. About 20 minutes.
5. Using a spoon, put a dollop of filling in the middle of each of the mini dough rounds. Add a bit of the feta. Then fold the round in half and pinch the edges to seal. They will look like little samosas.
6. Place in a baking tray/pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner. (Or a nonstick tray.)
7. Now use the remaining filling to fill the pie crust. Top with remaining feta.
8. Place both the pie and the pockets in the oven. Bake the pockets for about 20-25 minutes (turning once at about 15 minutes) until both sides are golden brown. Bake the pie for about 17-20 minutes until the top and crust turns golden.
4 Responses to “Dig In: Lentils (Lentil Quinoa Feta Pockets—and Pie!)”
April 6th, 2009 saat: 11:40 am
Hi!
i’ve been reading your blog and website, and love all of your food ideas (i also went to college with stacie… taishya turned me on to your site!) – i had a baby food question i thought you might have some ideas about…
I recently introduced my 8 month old daughter to lentils, which she didn’t love. i had pureed up a huge batch planning to freeze some, but now I’m trying to do something else with them that she will enjoy more, and she’s starting to enjoy finger foods, so i thought lentil cakes! i mixed the lentil mush along with some previously made carrot, pumpkin, and pea mush, and then added some rice cereal to bind it, made some patties, rolled them in crushed cheerios, and pan-fried in a bit of olive oil…but they got too soft and mushy and wont hold up as finger foods, any ideas? or anything else I could do with my batch of pureed lentils???
Thanks so much, margaret
April 6th, 2009 saat: 9:45 pm
Hi, Margaret. Were we the same year? If so–if I’m remembering correctly–I totally remember you! Glad you found ChowMama, and even more glad that you’re enjoying it.
First off, I love your lentil cake idea! I remember crusting in Cheerios–LOL! It’s brilliant. Then, when your kid gets older, it’s funny. It was a good thought to use rice cereal as a binder–I probably would have tried the same thing–but now that I think of it, commercial rice cereal (is that what you used?) is super fine. Kinda loose, like well pureed veggies. Sounds like your cakes need a little more heft.
I used to make my own rice cereal for Isaac. I know I tried grinding raw rice (like in a coffee grinder) and then cooking and also pureeing cooked rice. I don’t recall which worked better. In this case, though, I’m thinking it’s better to puree after cooking so that the rice gets all sticky. Usually a bad thing but, in this case, a good thing. Also, at 8 mos, if you think your daughter can handle it, leave a little texture. That might help, too. Other binders that you can experiment with: egg yolk (no whites!), chick pea flour (careful if your daughter is gassy: lentils + chick peas), and wheat germ.
Another thought is to add a little cider vinegar (if you haven’t already). Michelle and I worked HARD on developing an 8+ mos lentil recipe for ChowBaby. The big challenge was giving the earthy lentils some brightness without using ingredients, like citrus, that are only recommended for 12+ mos. A dash of cider vinegar is safe and really helped brighten the lentils. This may not address your daughter’s issue, but who knows–everyone likes food that tastes as good as possible!
I’m going to sleep on other ideas for your lentil puree. Also, anyone else out there have ideas?! This is a great challenge!
April 6th, 2009 saat: 9:54 pm
i’m glad you’ve been loving our blog, margaret. and thanks for your question. first things first—don’t give up on the lentils just because your ChowBaby didn’t like them this time around. keep offering and you may find her changing her mind. remember it takes 10-15 times on average for a child to develop a real taste for a new food.
with that in mind, i’d still freeze a bunch of those lentils. and if she isn’t keen on them plain, you can mix them with other things to make them more appealing to her—without hiding them. they also up the nutritional content of the other foods. so it is a win-win.
try things like lentils mixed with yogurt and a little cumin. or lentils with roasted sweet potato and cinnamon. or lentils with quinoa and soaked/chopped raisins. or even lentils with banana and a bit of curry. i could go on and on, but you get the idea.
finally, i’m not sure exactly why your patties didn’t hold up. but i’d guess it was a too-much-moisture issue. you have to make sure you cook down the lentil-veggie mix until it is pretty devoid of moisture before you shape them into patties and sautee. you might also want to try lentil rice balls. mix 1 part cooked rice with 1 part cooked lentils/veggies. by that, i mean, for example, 1 cup rice plus 1 cup of lentil-veggie mix. and, again, if you need to, cook off some liquid. let cool. shape into balls. and roll in wheat germ or flax seed. no need to do any more cooking.
let me know how it goes!
April 7th, 2009 saat: 9:31 pm
Thank you guys so much for all these great ideas!! i went ahead and froze some of the lentils for future attempts, and i’ll keep trying to mix it with new things as she’s ready, like yogurt and spices which we haven’t started yet… In the meantime, i tried baking the little lentil patties with just a little brushed olive oil… they held together better, and my daughter ate a few more bites, but they’re delicious and we’ll eat them up if she doesn’t!
Yes, stacie – same year, i think we took a bunch of sociology classes together, feels like sooo long ago! Congratulations on all this wonderful baby food you’re developing. i’ll be looking for it on the shelves!
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