Love those Legumes:)

Here are a few more recipes to incorporate our wonderful world of legumes:) I love hummus, so I am looking forward to trying to make my own. I usually have the store bought kind as a snack with Nut Thin crackers (Hy-Vee carries these in the health food secion).

Easy Hummus

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2/3 cup water
3 Tablespoons tahini
1 large clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
Place all ingredient in blender. Blend until creamy and serve. Keep refrigerated.


Lentil Soup for Crockpot (great for us busy mamas)
My mom makes something very similar to this. She does not use bacon bits, but rather some ham cut up, which I think is probably a little better in terms of nutrition. Anyway, I thought this may be good on one of these cold days!

Ingredients:
2 cups dried lentils
8 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp. crumbled bacon or bacon bits
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped carrot
3 tbsp. snipped parsley
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes
2 tbsp. wine vinegar
Preparation:Rinse lentils; place in cooker. Add 8 cups water and remaining ingredients except tomatoes and vinegar. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Add tomatoes and vinegar. Turn to HIGH and cook 15 minutes longer, until hot.

Easy Bean Salad
* If you are not a tofu fan, I think that this could go sans the tofu, but maybe add another can of beans or blackeyed peas.
Ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
2 cans kidney or garbanzo beans
1 small can sliced olives
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice or cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Chill for a few hours and serve.

Kidney Beans and Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions
1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Tabasco sauce and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add pepper and onion and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes.
Add the dried spices and beans and cook, stirring, until beans are heated through.
When the beans are heated thoroughly, and the Tabasco sauce. Serve over rice!