Three Bears (Purple) Porridge

As with many other parents who work outside the home, our weekends at home with the LittleOne are sacred. At least once per weekend we try to sit down together and enjoy a long, lingering dining experience as a family. One meal together really shouldn't be ridiculously challenging to coordinate, but sadly it tends to be. We've been 'busy,' remember?

So rather than aim for dinnertime, where timing can be hit-or-miss with the LittleOne, this weekend we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast together of Purple Porridge. As we ate, we recited to the LittleOne the infamous story about Goldilocks and the Three Bears, adding our own touches. (i.e. she made sure to knock politely before entering, and of course she was sure to take her shoes off at the door..) Anyway, the recipe was a huge hit and The Husband can't wait to revisit the leftovers early next week!

Note: We do quite a bit of cooking on the weekends to ensure that everyone is adequately nourished throughout the week. This recipe was doubled with no changes to cooking time, and is easily reheated on the stovetop or microwave for repeat enjoyment. 

Purple Porridge

Extra blueberries for the Little One

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups water
dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons agave nectar (or honey)
2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped or grated orange zest
1/2 cup milk (we had vanilla soy milk)

Bring water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan.
Add salt, cinnamon, agave and oatmeal.
Stir well.

With extra cinnamon, for The Husband

Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for five minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed before adding blueberries, orange zest and milk. Bring to a simmer, and cook five additional minutes or until oatmeal is thick and creamy and the blueberries have begun to burst.
Remove from heat, cover, and let stand five minutes, then serve.

*Note, mom added bananas, which everyone thought was a grand idea and soon all three of us had them in our bowls. Highly recommended addition to an already-stellar oatmeal experience. 

Bananas for mom, highly recommended!

Lentil Tacos

Four years ago, I could not have picked a lentil out of a lineup, muchless provide any guidance on cooking one. Not that I would now consider myself any type of legume expert, but let's just say that more often than not there is a lentil leftover of some sort in our over-crowded, stainless-steel (translation: fingerprinted) refrigerator.

What are they? Technically, lentils are a legume - rather than a bean, they actually grow similiar to a pea. Most grocery stores stock standard brown lentils and red lentils; however I was lucky(?) enough to drop a pretty penny on some beautiful french green lentils while visiting Whole Foods in a substantially-sized city earlier this week. I like to buy them in bulk because they are generally cheaper and there is less packaging waste, however one pound bags are also often found in the supermarket aisle near the beans.

So, why lentils? They are a quick fix for many of the nutrients my nearly-vegetarian diet is missing. Lentils are high in protein, iron, B vitamins and folate. All important, many tough to acquire from a heavy vegetable diet like ours. But more importantly to me personally, they are very high in cholesterol-lowering dietary fiber and prevent blood sugar peaks after a meal. As someone with uncharacteristically high cholesterol and some other fun genetic maladies for another day, I need to be diligent about such things. Crafting health benefits into things that also taste wonderful is an added bonus.  

The other nice thing about this recipe is that it's a conversation starter and a crowd pleaser. The Husband loves it. The Little One uses her little fingers to pick them up one by one. A few of our more carnivorous friends claim that they do not even miss the meat; however in the nature of full disclosure, they could have just been being kind! If you're interested in additional favorite lentil recipes or unsolicited nutritional advice, be in touch! And without further ado..

Ingredients:
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup fresh salsa

For assembly:
(our creations usually depend on what is in the pantry, but a few ideas) 
-Tortilla shells
-Fresh guacamole
-Taco sauce
-Lettuce
-Shredded cheese

Preparation:
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender.
Add lentils, chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook for an additional minute.
Add broth; Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until lentils are tender.
Uncover, cook for 6-8 additional minutes or until slightly thickened.
Fold in your salsa. 
Assemble tacos and enjoy!


Source: Unknown. Passed along by a wonderful friend.

Lentils