When you try these, you’ll fall in love and know that your taste buds and these morsels are a match made in heaven.
A friend once told me she just needs a loaf of fresh (French) bread, this aioli, and the lentils and she’s set! I agree that would make a pretty sweet meal. I’d add some fresh fruit for variety, probably some tasty olives, and a fun drink. 🥰
This is my absolute favorite way to eat lentils. I hope you’ll give them a try because you don’t know what you’re missing!
I N G R E D I E N T S
1/2 cup of black lentils (other lentils like brown ones will work too if you can't find black ones); rinsed and like each package recommends, pick through and discard any small rocks or debris that aren’t actual lentils (I’ve never found any ‘debris’ but best to do a quick check anyway)
1.5 cups water
crackers (these mini toasts are my favorite for these apps); just like fresh bread is pivotal to a great sandwich, choose your favorite crackers - let’s hold ourselves to our highest standards
A I O L I I N G R E D I E N T S
2 tbsp Vegenaise (or other vegan mayo)
1 clove garlic, minced or microplaned
1 tbsp lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
optional: lemon peel (1 tsp)
optional: fresh herb, chopped (1-2 tbsp)
D I R E C T I O N S
STEP 1
In a small or medium pot, bring lentils and water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 mins until cooked through. (Alternatively, you can cook lentils like you would any pasta - lots of water; boil then simmer until cooked through; drain)
STEP 2
Meanwhile, prepare your aioli by mixing all aioli ingredients together. Store in fridge if you don't plan on eating this right away. Otherwise, set aside.
STEP 3
Once lentils are cooked, feel free to season with a bit of salt and cool to room temperature before storing in fridge. Otherwise, go on to Step 4 if you’ll enjoy them right away.
STEP 4: A S S E M B L Y
Slather on some aioli onto each piece of toast, and top with lentils. If you want to be extra fancy, top with a little fresh herb on each piece, or a sprout, edible flower, use your imagination. Enjoy!
Misangled camera, seeing the base of my tripod, and a few other things make me cringe and also make my heart smile because I’m proud to not let fear of a sloppy start stop me from helping people learn how easy it can be to cook delicious, healthy meals at home.
Don’t dismiss small beginnings. However micro they may be. 😄
(Some) benefits of beans and legumes
I never used to be a bean girl but I’m learning to love them and more importantly find specific recipes that grow my reverence for them.
Knowing how health promoting they are always helps to inspire us to get more of them into us.
More beans, lentils, and legumes means a stronger gut microbiome (aka overall gut health, which is always changing with each new food and drink we consume). A healthier gut means a stronger immune system.
Tis the flu season and though it’s near impossible to avoid being exposed to viruses, it makes all the difference to arm our bodies with the nutrients that will make our innate superpower (immune system) tuned and primed to recover much faster compared to being taken down for 2+ weeks.
A love story 💝
In honor of the beloved (or despised) commercial holiday that is Valentine’s or Galentine’s (which I personally love), I thought I’d share the single best piece of advice I wish my younger self would’ve taken to heart.
Identify what’s most important to you - your true values, your non-negotiable(s) - and do not waste a single date or ounce of your precious, beautiful energy on someone who will not meet that imperative standard.
I’ve read that our life partner is the single most important decision we make in our lives. It seems like a dramatic statement…and I believe it.
I was a self-labeled Queen of Failed Relationships. Until that is one day after yet another breakup leaving me feeling stupid, embarrassed, and hurt, I asked myself what *I* actually valued in a man.
That question changed everything for me.
It wasn’t until that moment of truth that I realized I kept making the same mistakes in the men I dated: they loved watching sports (I generally abhor spending my time that way unless of course there’s loads of snacks, drinks, and friends); they loved to party (same); they all approached me in a way I could see now - with my 20/20 hindsight vision - that was pretty predatorial (ew); and the one that stuck out to me the most was that they had a completely different life philosophy from mine.
This thought exercise (which took 5 mins) changed everything. To honor myself and the life I want to allow for myself, I need to hold myself to my highest standards and hook up with someone who shares my core values.
WITH LOVE AND CONVICTION, REPEAT AFTER ME:
I demand and deserve the best and will settle for nothing short of that. 💓
In my earlier days, I was thoughtlessly just having fun and I didn’t value my time or my energy.
Our time and energy - that is our life!
How would life be different today if I had spent that time more wisely? The problem was that I only lived for the day and didn’t think of the future.
The realization that being aligned with the same or similar life philosophy seems so basic - why had I never asked myself this before or held any partner to that standard?
The truth is I didn’t value myself. I ran on the programming of my past relationships (familial ones especially) and let them dictate what I thought I deserved.
The good news is that we’re big girls now and there are a hundred benefits with that, namely freedom.
Freedom to choose the people we interact with in our day to day lives. Freedom to enjoy the lives we’ve developed for ourselves, and the freedom to develop a real life iteration of the future we’ve daydreamed about for years. Bonus: we’ll have with us our favorite humans plus new ones who’ll enrich our lives in surprisingly wonderful ways.
The Cryder era
I vowed to take a nice long break from men after my moment of relationship enlightenment and of course that’s when the universe laughs at you and throws another one your way. One that was impossible for me to ignore.
Or was it because I felt grounded, a little more whole/me, and a little less broken knowing what’s genuinely important to me and therefore I generated that good energy and captured, I mean, attracted an incredible fit like Cryder?
There’s so much more to this love story which is best saved for another time. It was a wild romantic journey and our relationship’s changed and grown in unforeseen ways.
Ultimately, whether we’re single or partnered right now, let’s promise ourselves we’ll stay mindfully true to ourselves - always.
V day may be a commercially fake holiday but what I’ve always loved is the plethora of gorgeous florals (that others were getting) 😁 and a day that made people stop and appreciate our best friends and family with a little more love, acknowledgment, and appreciation.