Blueberry Cardamom Crisp

blueberry cardamom crisp

Coat a small rectangular pan with olive oil. I used an 8x10 (ish) pan.

Mix blueberries (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) with cinnamon, cardamom, and a little vanilla.

Put in the pan and distribute evenly in one layer.

Cover layer with milk.

Combine 1 c rolled oats, 1/2 c flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 c brown sugar in a bowl and stir with a fork. (This is probably the place to add in freshly grated or powdered ginger) Cut in 1 stick softened butter. (This was not enough oats, and should probably be at least 1.5 cups. Could probably go with two cups oats and skip the flour)

Press oats mix on top of blueberries layer.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Fruit Leather

Who doesn't love fruit leather?

I love it because I can slip it into my bag, eat it without any mess, and have it on hand no matter what else life throws my way. But the real magic of fruit leather is that it extends the life of those short-lived summer beauties, helping stretch the harvest over the year. Refrigerate to keep it on hand for months; freeze some to have it all year long. 

Stay thin when spreading this, or you'll be running your oven for days before it's all dry.

Method

Clean and prep the fruit:

Rinse the fruit. If you're working with stone fruit, take out the pits. Chop the fruit.

If you're working with apples or pears, peel and core them, then chop. If working with grapes, de-stem them.

Taste the fruit before proceeding. Note how sweet the fruit is. If very sweet (ripe Concord grapes, for example) you won't need to add any sugar. If still a little tart, you may need to add some sugar in the next step.

Boil the fruit with water, then mash:

Place the fruit in a large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of water for every 4 cups of chopped fruit.

Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked through. Uncover and stir.

Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit in the pan.

Add sugar and spices, if desired:

Taste the fruit and determine how much sugar, lemon juice, or spices to add.

If needed, add the sugar in small amounts (1 tablespoon at a time), to your desired level of sweetness.

Add lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time to help brighten the flavor of the fruit. Add a pinch or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices to augment the flavor, if you'd like.

Continue to simmer and stir until any added sugar is completely dissolved and the fruit purée has thickened, another 5 or 10 (or more) minutes.

Simple Tip!

If you are working with grapes, strain the juice out of the mashed grapes to make grape juice. Force what is left behind through a food mill to make the purée for the next step.

Purée the cooked fruit:

Put the mashed fruit through a food mill or chinoise. Alternatively, purée the fruit thoroughly in a blender or food processor. The purée should be very smooth.

Taste again and adjust the sugar/lemon/spices, if necessary.

Pour the purée onto a lined baking sheet:

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sturdy, heat-proof plastic wrap (the kind that is microwave safe). Pour out the purée onto the lined baking sheet to about an 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.

Slowly dry out in the oven:

Heat the oven to 140°F.

Place the baking sheet in the oven. Try to keep any plastic wrap from touching the sides of the oven or the oven racks. Also, try to make sure the plastic wrap hasn't folded back over on top of the purée. If this happens, the purée won't dry out.

If you have a convection setting, use it. It will speed up the drying process. Let dry in the oven for as long as it takes for the purée to form fruit leather. We usually keep it in the oven overnight, about 8 to 12 hours.

The fruit leather is ready when it is no longer sticky to the touch.

Roll up in its plastic wrap to store:

When the fruit leather is ready, you can easily peel it up from the plastic wrap.

To store it, roll it in its plastic wrap, put it in an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Fruits and Other Add-ins

Nearly any fruit can be made into fruit leather. You just need to be able to make it into a smooth purée to get the best results. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Berries - like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries

Stone fruits - e.g. apricots, plum, peaches

Tropical fruits - like mangos and papaya

Other fruits - like apples, pears, kiwi, grapes

Sweetening Fruit Leather

The nice thing about fruit leather is that you don't need to add sugar or lemon to preserve the fruit. The process of removing the moisture is what preserves the fruit. You can add sugar to balance out the flavor if needed, but you can also use other sweeteners (honey, agave, maple syrup, and the like).

We suggest adding lemon not only to brighten the flavor, but the citric acid helps preserve the color of some fruits.

How Long Does Fruit Leather Last?

You can easily store fruit leather, rolled up and placed in a large lidded jar or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 1 month. For longer storage (up to 6 months), refrigerate your fruit leather. For even longer storage (up to 1 year), you can freeze your homemade treats.

Alternatives to Plastic Wrap

If you don't want to use plastic wrap, you can line your baking tray with parchment or a silicone mat.

The quality of the plastic wrap itself has a lot to do with safely cooking with it.

Be sure not to use wax paper, since wax melts when heated.

Fruit Leather in a Dehydrator

Got a dehydrator? Lucky you! Follow the recipe up to Step 4. Then pour out onto the fruit leather tray of your dehydrator (if your machine came with one). You can also cut out parchment paper to size, and line the trays of your dehydrator.

Set your dehydrator to 140°F (60°C) and let it do its magic for at least 6 or up to 12 hours. The actual time will depend on the type of fruit you're using and the thickness of your leather. But we've found that 8 to 10 hours is the sweet range for making fruit leather in our dehydrator.

Check your fruit occasionally. The fruit leather is done when it's dried and not sticky to the touch.

Short Crust Pastry

I love a good crust, and this comes together quickly enough that there's no need to buy a store-made one (though there's nothing wrong with them, of course). 

I highly recommend weighing the flour in this recipe, though if you don't have a scale, a heaping cup will usually be close enough. This is an excellent crust for using in all manner of tarts, and makes an especially nice quiche or pot pie crust.

You can use a food processor or stand mixer, but I find the best results come from using a basic pastry blender. 

Ingredients

145g (about 1 1/4 cups) all purpose flour (weighing will give you the best results)
1 stick ice cold butter cut in small pieces
1/4 cup ice cold water

Directions

1. Pulse flour and salt with pastry blender.
2. Add butter, pulsing until flour feels like it has small pebbles. Don't overblend, as the butter bits help keep the crust tender. 
3. Slowly add water until mixture comes together and feels like clay.
4. Knead dough 2 or 3 times on a lightly floured surface.
5. Roll into a disc about 12 inches in circumference.
6. Place over a 9.5 inch tart pan, letting it fall into the middle.
7. Trim to just outside the circumferance of the pan, folding the excess inside to make a double thickness.

If blind baking, set weights onto crust and bake at 425 for ten minutes.

Small Batch Baked Oatmeal

I love this all year.

I'm not a huge fan of oatmeal cooked on the stovetop -- I can't seem to really get with the consistency, something that makes overnight oats even worse. But I like oatmeal bars, and I love how easy it is to cut the baked oatmeal into squares that I can wrap up and take with me hiking or on road trips or to work. They are great on their own, and they make a fantastic addition to yogurt, with or without fruit. 

Ingredients

1 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use quick oats--they get mushy)

¼ cup  lightly packed brown sugar 

½ teaspoons baking powder

¼  teaspoon salt

½  cups dairy or non-dairy milk

1 egg (small or medium eggs are fine here)

½  teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons melted butter or oil 

Toppings: additional milk, berries, sliced bananas, chopped nuts, etc

Spices and Variantions: I like to use whatever is in season. Follow your heart. 

Mix any spices into the dry mix, and add the fruit to the pan just before baking.

Yes, you can add chocolate chips.

• My absolute go-to is cinnamon and a diced apple.  
• Blueberry lemon is like sunshine.
• Cherry with extra vanilla is lovely, or your could use vanilla powder
• Pear and cardamom is amazing
• Peach and ginger capture late-summer in a pan.   
• For Mexican Mocha Oat Bars, add cinnamon, cocoa powder, and just a few grains of cayenne to the dry mix, and add a tablespoon (or more, as you like) espresso or coffee to the milk, making sure it stays at half a cup. You could even substitute coffee for the milk if you'd like. Increase the brown sugar if you'd like; it will balance the cocoa and help the cayenne bloom.

Directions

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Mix remaining wet ingredients in a separate bowl, including the egg, and whisk together, then pour into dry ingredients and stir to mix.

Pour into a small baking dish that has been greased with oil or butter. (Mine was a rectangle dish, roughly 7x4.5 inches, but you can use a 6” ramekin, or a couple small dishes, or whatever makes sense.)

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Let the dish cool before cutting.

Wrap and store in the fridge for several days; up to a week (if they ever really last that long). 

Classic French Onion Soup

There's something about a bowl of French Onion Soup that feels like a healing spell for the soul, especially after a long winter. 

By the time the first shoots of green are coming up, the idea of "fresh vegetables" is getting a little thin. Likely even the last of the winter squash are gone, and the only thing that remains are potatoes and onions. Here's a classic recipe for French Onion Soup which will make the most of the onions that still linger, and warm your soul in the process. Bonus for using yesterday's bread, which is the perfect texture for topping a bowl of soup. 

Caramelize the Onions

French Onion soup is more of a process than a recipe, and it starts with the onion.

Caramelized onions are great in so many dishes, including quiche or focaccia, and as a topping to burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, or on a BLT. Put them on anything and everything. Your friends will think you are gourmet, and your taste buds will love you for it. And really, if couldn't be simpler. It takes some time, but you can absolutely caramelize onions in advance and keep them in the fridge for a few days. They'll keep in the fridge for up to four days, so this makes them an excellent weekend cooking task. 

The best onions to use are sweet ones, like Walla Walla or Vidalia, but you can mix it up with sweet and yellow onions. If all you have the the old yellow standby, just add a splash of balsamic vinegar ot a pinch of brown sugar after the onions have caramelized. 

Slice the onions thinly and add them with a pinch of salt to the pot on top of the melted butter. Start on medium heat, then lower it. Gentle heat is what allows the caramelization to happen. The whole process will take 45 minutes to an hour depending on your stove and the amount of onions you're cooking. If you're using a skillet, tongs make the turning process easiest. You want to be able to turn them so that they cook evenly. Once they start to soften and turn golden brown, lower the heat. If the onions are sticking at all, add a splash of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Continue stirring over low heat until the onions are the color you want. If you're using the onions in soup, add a splash of broth at the end to pick up all the browned bits and deepen the flavor.

Broth

Beef stock or broth is the hearty base to this recipe, and what makes it stand out. You can use vegetable or chicken stock, just be aware that it will change the flavor profile a bit. If you are making your broth from scratch, this is the perfect way to use it. You can add some red wine or sherry to the soup pot after you pour in the broth to give it that classic French Onion Soup taste. The alcohol will cook out.

Pour the broth over the onions and bring to a vigorous simmer, covered, for 10-20 minutes, stirring as needed. When the soup darkens and the aroma fills the kitchen, it ready. Slow cooker note: The caramelized onions can be placed in a slow cooker with the broth and heated on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

To serve, ladle the soup into ramekins, bowls, or mugs, filling halfway to two-thirds. Add a piece of crusty bread on top and cover with thinly sliced cheese. I like Gruyere cheese here. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Serve with milk and more bread.

Ingredients

1/4 c. butter, melted*

2-3 onions

Pinch of salt

Balsamic vinegar

4-6 c. broth

Swiss cheese, sliced thinly

*You can use 3-4 Tablespoons oil instead. I like to use a high quality olive oil if I'm going that route. You can also go half and half on butter and oil (or any ratio you like). 

Pantry Goodness: Dry Onion Soup Mix

I love being able to whip up a batch of prepared seasoning mixes that simplify recipes and make busy days manageable. Of course we can always spend time adding single ingredients but some dishes call for a particular flacvor profile that you want to be able to provide reliably. 

Dry Onion Soup Mix is one of those ubiquitous ingredients in a whole plethora of recipes. If you're trying to avoid preservatives (I'm looking at you, MSG!) or sodium, though, it can pack a heavy punch. And of course the cost per serving of a homemade batch is wildly less. My favorite part is being able to use organic ingredients, or even to use ingredients I've dehydrated or powdered myself. 

Mix up a batch of this (or a half batch, or a quarter batch) and store it in the pantry to give a boost to soups and stews. I particularly like it for cooking stew beef in the crock pot. Add one ounce of mix, 2-3 pounds of stew meat, and one stick of butter to the crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8. Serve over egg noodles or the grain of your choice for some can't-be-beat comfort fare any day of the week, and any season.

Ingredients

1 cup dried onion flakes

8 tablespoons beef bouillon powder or granules* 

    (my favorite is Frontier Organics No-Beef Broth Powder)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

½ teaspoon celery seed

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

*You can also use low-sodium bullion here to help keep sodium in check.

Directions

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork until well combined. 

Store in a glass container in the pantry in a space that less likely to be humid.

Use

The typical dry onion soup mix pouch is 1 oz. 

I recommend using a scale, but really it's fine to make a best-guess. 

Golden Noodle Soup

This soup has a whole serving of vitamin-and-mineral-goodness to help you recover from whatever is ailing you, including just overdoing it at the gym. It’s especially good during germs season. This is a minimalist soup so that you can make it without too much fuss or bother using things that are likely on hand when you or your loved ones aren’t feeling well. Ready in about 30 minutes.

For additional tonic and immune-boosting, add in some ginger with the garlic and onion, and a hint of cayenne along with the turmeric.

You can use any noodle or pasta, here. Use rice noodles for a gluten free version, or wide egg noodles for an American classic. Add miso and soy sauce for the bullion for a more Asian flavor palate, or chicken broth and chopped chicken. If you have eggs on hand, you can slice a hard boiled egg on top to help provide a protein boost.

It also takes quite nicely to additional vegetables that you have on hand, and I like to add chopped bok choy and shiitake mushrooms to the base if I have them on hand. Any leafy green will serve you nicely here, and if you have some fresh spinach, it’s nice to wilt some on top for the last few minutes of cooking.

Ingredients

Olive oil

4 cups broth (or bullion in water, or just water)

1/2 c. red lentils

1-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon turmeric

Black pepper to taste (the amount is optional, but some is needed to release the healing benefits of the turmeric)

Salt, to taste

Any other chopped vegetables as desired for the base

Chopped chicken, if desired

Noodles

Directions

1. Add olive oil to a heavy pan and heat. 
2. Add onion, lentils, garlic, and any base vegetables you desire such as ginger, mushrooms, bok choy, or celery. Stir and let simmer for 3-5 minutes, until onion is transparent.
3. Stir in turmeric and black pepper and any other seasonings, 
4. Stir in broth and bring to a vigorous simmer, adding any meats or vegetables. I like to add carrots here, and this is the time to add potatoes if you’re using them. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Bring to a boil and add pasta. Boil as directed to make sure pasta is cooked through.
6. Reduce heat and add anything that needs wilting, such as fresh spinach or diced lemongrass. Stir and let wilt, usually three minutes or so.
7. Serve with whatever toppings you have on hand that seem appealing: a hard boiled egg, or croutons, or just as is.

Pantry: Winter

The Winter Pantry does a lot of heavy lifting. Most everything that was harvested over the previous year has been used up, and even the shelves for canned goods are probably starting to look a little bare. Dried foods like beans and lentils, and stored grains are going to be a key to the Winter Table. We also want to check on the levels of oils and nuts, as well as see how the stored fruits and vegetables are faring--it might be that the basket of apples needs to be processed before it turns, or that the long-storing winter Kennebecs need a bit more air.

Now is also the time to check on any of the foods that you put up or put by. Check to see if the seals are still in place, and make a note of how much and how many jars you have. If you were super industrious and put up green beans, corn, tomatoes, pumpkin, sauces, soups, and the like, this shelf can get you through the coming quarter-year; your table will have a splash of summer's light even in the short dark days.

But even if you have nothing canned and put by, you can still stock your pantry now with some amazing staples that will keep you hale and hearty until the crocuses bloom. Winter is a good time to check the levels of your bulk items and replenish as needed. Buy the amount that makes sense for you family, or split a builk order with others to help boost your purchasing dollar. Check around and see if there is a local cooperative or group that helps buy in bulk, or focuses on locally sourced staples.

Root vegetables, such as onions, potatoes, and carrots, can often be bought by the bushel (or half-bushel) from local farmers. See if there are any varieties that they purposefully grew for long storage. Even if you don't have super storage varieties, now is a great time to turn apples into apple butter and set up some scraps for apple cider vinegar, or to make a huge batch of apple pie filling and can it. Anything that you can put by now will be a delight in February and March.

Winter Pantry

• Olive oil
• Butter
• Nuts
• Grains
• Long Grain Brown Rice
• Quinoa
• Barley
• Oats
• Flour (or wheat berries, if you have a mill)
• Sugar (unprocessed sugar stores better than refined sugar, as well as being better for you)
• Carrots
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Apples
• Beans: 
• Black beans
• Navy Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Lentils
• Black Lentils
• French Lentils
• Red Lentils
• Split Peas: Yellow or Green, or both (I like both, as they are very different when they cook up)
• Coffee
• Tea

Chicken Pot Pie

Pot Pies are glorious and satisfying at any time of the year.

Whip up a batch when the harvest is fresh and the days are breezy and long, and enjoy with a glass of fresh milk or lemonade for a perfect summer dinner with family and friends.

But pot pies really shine in being able to make the most of meats and vegetables that have been in storage, less tender cuts of meat, and anything that might have been overlong in the freezer. 

Making a pot pie is really more of a process than a recipe, lending itself nicely to  using anything in the winter storage pantry. I've assembled a list below of various vegtables that take pot pies from good to excellent. The key is to work with what you have and to blend the flavors. If you've harvested the meat yourself, this is an excellent dish for the older, less-tender birds. 

Pot pie can make the most of carrots and potatoes, if that's all you have on hand, though I wouldn't want to try to make one without celery, and onion is the key to the broth flavor. Feel free to add turmeric if you'd like to help boost the cold-busting properties.

This recipe doubles and even quadruples well without adding much time to the overall process; make up a whole mess of pies at one time and freeze a few. They go from the freezer to the oven for heating up. 

Ingredients

Filling:

1 pound of chicken, shredded or cubed 

1 cup chopped carrots 

1 cups other vegetables, such as frozen peas.

½ cup sliced celery

⅓ cup butter

⅓ cup chopped onion

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon tarragon (or thyme, celery seed, or rosemary, as desired and as available)

1 ¾ cups chicken broth

⅔ cup milk 

 

Note: Cube the meat before cooking. This helps tenderize it and gives it a quick cooking time. If you're using leftover meat from a previous cooked bird, shredding the meat is fine.  

Crust:

2 crusts suitable for deep dish 9" pie plate. Make the crust from scratch  or use premade.

Equipment

• Braiser. I like to use a braiser for the filling, but you can use a heavy saucepan or whatever you have on hand that makes sense and has enough room to handle the amount you are cooking.
• 9-inch Pie plate: This is excellent for deep-dish pies, but shallow works just as well.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Place a crust into a 9" pie plate. 
3. Make the filling: Combine chicken, vegetables, and celery in a braiser; add just enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and drain. Place mix into the bottom pie shell.
4. Melt butter in the braiser over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. 
5. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and spices.
6. Slowly stir in broth and milk.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the vegetables in the pie shell.
8. Cover the pie with the second crust, sealing the edges, and cut away any excess dough. Make several small slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

| 30 minutes prep time | 45 minutes baking and cooling |

Great Vegetables for Pot Pie

• More celery
• More onion
• Mushrooms
• Zuchini
• Summer Squash
• Eggplant
• Corn
• Green Beans
• Peas
• Snap Peas
• Snow Peas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes

Solid additions to pot pies

These vegetables have a great body, but can change the overall flavor profile of the dish. Use them as you will.

• Bell Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Lima Beans

Lentils & Potatoes

Lentils are a staple ingredient around the world. They store well and pack an amazing amount of nutrition. A pound costs less than $3 US; each cup of dried lentils is less than a dollar.

When combined with the humble potato, they provide a complete protein, meaning the dish contains the full spectrum of amino acids needed to build protein in the body. Lentils and potatoes combine to make an excellent nutrition boost especially for athletes, and teenagers, and bodybuilders. 

Packed with protein, they are also a fiber powerhouse. Each cup of cooked lentils has 16g of fiber, low calories, and zero cholesterol. If you’re trying to lose weight or improve your health metrics, lentils can be a superpower in your pantry.

You could live on lentils and potatoes, and the dish is simple enough that it provides a gorgeous base for any seasonal vegetables or meats that you might have on hand. Eaten just as they are, though, they are hearty and delicious, and a testament to simplicity.

The dish cooks up in one pot, and it scales from one serving to enough to feed an army. It’s done in 30 minutes, which is just about as fast as any food gets. Add anything with Vitamin C to help improve the absorption of the iron. My favorite is a squeeze of lemon over the unadorned dish, or you can add some tomatoes and collards to the recipe below.

I particularly like a dish of lentils and potatoes during December, when the daylight is short and the there’s an air of expectation along with the chill. Everyone is busy with holiday concerts and gatherings, and on those nights when you can catch an evening to yourself, it’s nice to make a batch of this and enjoy being this cozy, possibly with a book.

Make a larger batch than you’ll need, as the dish stores well and reheats nicely on the stove or in the microwave, and also can be used as the base of a casserole the next day. Make a half-batch for one serving.

Ingredients

1 c. French or green lentils, rinsed

2 potatoes, any variety, washed and cut into bite sized pieces with the skin on

3-4 cups water or broth (or water with bullion)

Herbs as desired. I like a bit of oregano and black pepper.

Lemon wedge, optional

Directions

Combine everything into a 2-3 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.

Ladle into a bowl, or use a slotted spoon to drain off the broth.

Spritz the lemon wedge over the dish, if desired.

Spotlight: Lentils

They’re the world’s oldest cultivated legume, so it’s no surprise that lentils have become a staple across the globe – from India to the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.

They’re the world’s oldest cultivated legume, so it’s no surprise that lentils have become a staple across the globe – from India to the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.

Like beans, lentils add a great high-fiber and high-protein element to many meals. Because of their size, lentils cook much more quickly than dried beans and do not have to be soaked before cooking. They are extremely versatile and inexpensive, which makes them an accessible form of high-quality protein. Let’s take a closer look at this convenient staple.

Preparation, Cooking, and Storage

Lentils are sold in two forms: canned and dried. While canned are good for ready-to-eat uses such as a quick salad or side dish, the dried version works well for soups and stews, salads, and sides. A bag of dried lentils can really last forever, but they are best used within a year of purchase (or by the date printed on the package). Once the bag is opened, store any remaining lentils in an airtight container and keep them in a cool, dry place.

One benefit of lentils is that they can be cooked in less than an hour. While it seems like an unnecessary step, don’t skip rinsing your lentils and sifting through them before cooking to remove any stones or debris. It is rare to find stones, but it does happen. When cooking, treat lentils more like pasta than rice – the lentils do not need to absorb every bit of cooking liquid the way rice does, but you also don’t need to completely flood the lentils like you would pasta. As a general rule, one cup of dried lentils yields two to two-and-a-half cups of cooked lentils.

Because of their rather delicate, earthy flavor, lentils work well in a variety of dishes and in almost any type of cuisine. The best time to add flavor to lentils is during the cooking process. Don’t be afraid to get creative. Adding half an onion (peeled), a few cloves of crushed garlic, a bundle of herbs, or a bay leaf to the cooking liquid and a pinch of salt gives lentils plenty of flavor, especially when they’re the base for a salad or side dish.

Nutritional Breakdown

Lentils are an easy, affordable ingredient to add to many meals, and they’re also extremely healthy. One cup of cooked lentils contains around 230 calories, 18 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and 16 grams of fiber. When you add this legume to your diet, you can count on:

• Fiber Lentils are packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber. Foods high in soluble fiber can help stabilize blood sugar and help reduce blood cholesterol. This in turn reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Foods high in insoluble fiber are good for digestion and help prevent constipation and other digestive issues
• Protein Protein helps keep us full and gives our bodies the energy to power through the day. Protein accounts for 26 percent of the calories in lentils
• Energy Lentils offer a steady, slow-burning source of energy, thanks to the mix of fiber and complex carbohydrates
• Folate One cup of cooked lentils provides 90 percent of the daily recommended intake of folate. This B vitamin helps the body build new cells, an essential task that’s incredibly important for pregnant women, and has also been shown to help prevent some types of cancer
• Vitamins and Minerals Lentils are rich in a number of vitamins and minerals. The magnesium in lentils helps the body transport oxygen and nutrients more effectively by improving blood flow. And iron helps move oxygen throughout the body
• Heart Health The mix of fiber, folic acid, and potassium in lentils makes them a heart-healthy choice

Lentil varieties

There are four main categories of lentils: brown, green, red/yellow, and specialty.

Brown Lentils

Brown lentils are the most common variety – any bag in the grocery store that says “lentils” without any other descriptor is most likely full of brown lentils. This variety can range in color from khaki brown to dark black and has a mild, earthy flavor.

Good For:

This variety holds its shape well during cooking, making it ideal for use in warm salads, casseroles, soups, and stews. Brown lentils also work well in veggie burgers or vegetarian meatloaf.

To Cook:

In a medium pot, combine 1 cup dry brown lentils with 2½ to 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 35–45 minutes until tender. If they will be used in a soup or stew, add them to the pot with about 40 minutes cooking time left.

Green Lentils

Green lentils are extremely similar to brown lentils, but they have a more robust and slightly peppery flavor and come in a range of sizes. Green lentils can vary in color from a pale or spotted green to a green-slate color with hints of blue and black. Pro tip: Green lentils are a great (and less expensive) substitute for the famous French Puy lentils.

Good For:

Like brown lentils, green lentils retain their shape well. This, combined with their strong flavor, makes green lentils ideal for salads or side dishes.

To Cook:

Combine 1 cup lentils with 2½ cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer 35–45 minutes until tender. (Don’t forget to flavor the cooking water with some aromatics or herbs for a tastier end product.)

Red and Yellow Lentils

This variety of lentil ranges in color from golden yellow to orange and red. They are also the only variety sold “split,” meaning they processed into smaller lentil bits. These somewhat sweet and nutty lentils are very common in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine and are the key to classic dishes such as Indian dhal.

Good For:

Because of their “split” nature, this variety of lentil tends to disintegrate when cooked, making them ideal to use in soups or stews (especially as a thickener), and in casseroles or any other dish where they are pureed.

To Cook:

Split lentils cook quickly, usually in about 15–30 minutes.2425 When you’re using them in a soup or stew, just add them to the pot with 15–30 minutes left in the cooking time. When cooking them on their own, bring 1½ cups water and 1 cup dry lentils to a boil, then simmer until tender, 10–15 minutes.

Specialty Lentils

There are many varieties of specialty lentils, but two are most common: Black beluga and Puy. Both varieties are about one-third of the size of brown or green lentils and have a rich, earthy flavor.

Black Beluga Lentils:

When cooked, black beluga lentils are shiny, tiny, and black – they look kind of like caviar: hence their name.

Good For:

Thanks to their rich, earthy flavor, soft texture, and beautiful appearance, these lentils make a great base for salads or as a feature with any kind of protein.

To Cook:

Combine 2¼ cups water and 1 cup lentils. Bring to a boil and simmer 25–30 minutes or until tender.

Puy Lentils:

Puy lentils are grown in the volcanic soil of a specific region in central France called Le Puy. Puy lentils are known for their dark, bluish-slate-green color and rich, peppery flavor.

Good For:

These high-quality lentils should star as the center of a meal. They make a great base for meat or fish, or can be easily featured in a side dish or main dish salad.

To Cook:

Combine 2½ cups water with 1 cup lentils. Bring to a boil and simmer 20–30 minutes until tender.

Whether in a salad or soup or as the base of a main dish, lentils make a hearty and healthy addition to any meal. If using a recipe isn’t possible, it’s easy to whip up a tasty lentil-based dish without a lot of direction. Follow the guidelines regarding water to lentil ratio, and add plenty of flavorings to the water itself – an onion (quartered), a bay leaf, or a bundle of other herbs – to flavor the lentils as they cook. Serve with a pan of roasted vegetables and a piece of meat for an easy, complete meal. Lentils easily take the place of any hearty grain or legume in most recipes or cooking applications.

This food profile was written by Kate Morin, and originally published on Fix.com