GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Pulses are an important part of a plant-based diet. Choosing heart healthy foods and having an active lifestyle will keep your heart happy and healthy.
For today's On the Menu segment, Registered Dietitian Sara Nychypor from Mercy Health explains more about what pulses are and how you can incorporate them into your family meals.
Key Ideas:
• Pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family, including all beans, peas and lentils. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization recognizes 11 types of pulses, used around the world in a wide variety of cultures.
• Pulses are a good source of fiber. They are also a low fat source of protein and iron.
• Plants in the legume family promote sustainable agriculture due to their ability to limit greenhouse gases and nourish the soil they are planted in.
• Eating more plant based foods reduces our carbon footprint on the world.
• Examples: dry beans, broad beans, dry peas, chickpeas, cow peas, Pigeon peas, lentils, Bambara beans, vetches, lupins
Recipes:
Falafel
2 cups chickpeas (dry or canned)
2 small onion, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 ½ T flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp black pepper
Pinch of ground cardamom
If using dried chickpeas, let soak in large bowl of cold water overnight. Drain chickpeas and place in food processor with onion, garlic, parsley, flour and spices. Blend until mixture becomes a thick paste. With wet hands, form into round balls or small patties.
Heat 1-2T. olive oil in pan and brown on medium heat on all sides. Alternately, you can bake the falafel in the oven at 375 degrees for 10-15min.
Serve hot with hummus, tahini sauce or in a pita.
British Baked Beans
2-3 (14oz) cans white haricot (white navy beans), drained (or 14oz dry beans)
1 T. olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stick celery, diced
½ cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14oz) can chopped tomatoes
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
If using dried beans: Soak dry beans overnight in a pan with plenty of fresh water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45-90 minutes.
Heat oil in pan, sauté carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Add in tomatoes, vinegar and sugar, salt and pepper.
Add in beans and pour enough water to cover. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for about 1hr, stirring occasionally.
If desired, serve on baguette.
Baked Curry Lentil Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Lentil Cakes:
1 cup red lentils
2 ½ cups water
5 garlic cloves
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup cooked brown rice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
½ cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
½ lemon, juiced
3 T. cilantro
The Sauce:
2 large roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 T. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. vegetable broth
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp curry powder
To make the lentil cakes:
Rinse lentils, place lentils and 2 whole peeled garlic cloves in a saucepan. Add water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 20-25minutes, until very tender.
Drain excess liquid and discard garlic cloves.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat oil in skillet, sauté onion and remaining 3 garlic cloves, add curry and paprika.
Transfer onion mixture to food processor, add in lentils, rice, salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture is well combined. Transfer to a bowl, add in breadcrumbs, lemon juice and cilantro.
Form lentil mixture into ½ inch thick round patties.
Coat baking sheet with cooking oil. Bake cakes for 10min, flip and cook an additional 10min.
To make the sauce:
Sauté onion and garlic, stir in paprika and curry powder. Transfer mixture to food processor, add in red peppers, vegetable broth, salt and pepper. Puree until sauce is smooth.
Quinoa, Black Lentil and Roasted Barley Salad
½ cup quinoa
¼ cup black lentil
½ cup chickpeas
½ cup barley
½ cauliflower head – florets
10 Brussel sprouts, sliced
1 celery stick, chopped
1 small onion
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp white pepper
½ cup chopped parsley
6 mint leaves, chopped
Seeds from one pomegranate
Dressing:
½ cup EVOO
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ tsp paprika
½ tsp white pepper
6 mint leaves, chopped
Cook quinoa, lentils, and barley in a pot with twice the amount of water to pulses. Cook for 20-30minutes until soft. (also cook chickpeas if using dry beans)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss vegetables with olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, pepper and parsley. Roast for 20-25min, stirring occasionally.
Mix grains and vegetables together, add in pomegranate seeds and mint leaves.
For the dressing, mix together olive oil, parsley, cider vinegar, lemon juice, paprika, pepper and mint leaves in jar and shake until well mixed.
Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Serve warm or cold.
White Beans, Sausage, & Kale
1 # turkey sausage
1 T. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) can of white beans, drained
Bunch of kale, rinsed well and chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
1 T. balsamic vinegar
Sauté sausage and garlic in oil until browned on medium heat in a skillet. Add in beans, kale, lemon juice and balsamic, and cook until kale is tender.
Black Bean hummus
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. olive oil
1 T. tahini
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp cumin
1 T. cilantro
Dash of salt and pepper
Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips or pitas and veggies.
Courtesy: Sarah Nychypor, RDN