I don't like lentils! An introduction...

@silva mentioned chick peas and I am willing to bet that this is one legume that you will like... it is so versatile and so tasty and you can spice it up and you can make hummus or roast them or add them to soups or pastas etc - you can even make "tuna" or "chicken salad" sandwiches from them (I use a small amount of hummus instead of mayonaise) - they are even good as a small salad with some vinegar, spices, and then any veggies you like... green onions, cherry tomatoes, olives etc and one of my favourites is couscous with all the veggies added and a rinsed can of chick peas

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
 
I've liked chickpeas all my life to about 3 years ago when my taste turned on me. No hummus appeals to me, no using in casseroles, or that stupid chickpea salad that peope go nuts for, calling it 'no tuna salad'. It's chickpea salad, ok? and I don't like it anymore.
I do keep cans around for the sole purpose of my spicy lentil/chickpea soup, which I do love. i may even have an open bag of dried I should look for!
Anyway, point is that tastes do change so never rule anything out. Heck I still make myself eat sweet potatoes! I hate them except for spicy peanut stew, and only because it's my sons favorite
 
My piece of advice is to not to start with recipes that are too involved and are labor intensive. I live alone. Which means I am not interested in doing something that takes a lot of time. When my children were small, I made fairly elaborate dinners because the time and labor were worth it.

Now I make things that are easy. For instance, I will make a salad with whatever is in the fridge. Usually, about 5 or 6 fresh veggies that I cut up and keep in containers. Some canned black beans and I am done. I will cook up 1/2 lb. of faux ground be'f or chic' n and mix with a bottle of marinara sauce. This makes about 4 servings. I usually eat 1 serving on pasta, and freeze the other 3 portions for when I'm feeling lazy.

Sauces are your friend. Buy some packages of frozen veggies, or cut up fresh veggies. Stir fry with tofu, seitan, or even beans. Pour any kind of sauce on the veggies and cook for a few minutes. Serve on rice, any kind of grain, or noodles. Always make sure to make extra rice, millet, etc to freeze in individual serve plastic bags. It makes it easy to just pull the rice out at the last minute.

Also, remember that most meat recipes can be cooked vegan. My spaghetti with faux meat and nutritional yeast is a good example. Chicken soup becomes vegan with vegetable broth, tofu or seitan. Chicken curry becomes vegan by just substituting chickpeas.
 
I also live alone. And I'm not for complicated recipes either.
BTW, I looked thru the recipes in the article I posted earlier and most of them were over my head. :)
But I am a fan of making more than I can eat and then eating leftovers. At least once a week I make a recipe for 6 and then freeze half of it.
 
Thanks guys...you have given me a lot of things to try. I will have a look at chickpeas. I do like hummus.

And yes LoreD, I live alone too...so simple recipes are the best.

And too funny Lou...perfect recipe finding, thank you.
 
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About trying new foods: I like to sample a small amount of something new, so I don't have to choose between choking down a lot of food I don't like and wasting it.

Different legumes sometimes have somewhat different flavors. Most do have a "beany" taste: kidney, pinto, black I would say are rather strong-tasting; navy and Great Northern somewhat milder (but I think navy are more popular than Northern). I expect that if you don't like one of these, you won't like any of them- so you're probably not missing out on anything if you cross them off you list at the start. But chickpeas are a standout: they do have a unique, almost "chickeny" flavor. The lemon and tahini flavor of hummus is distinctive; not all chickpea dishes taste like that- but it does give you an idea of what they taste like. They're cheaper and lower in salt if you cook them from scratch, but they take a long time, although all you have to do is let them simmer covered and make sure they don't boil/foam over and make a mess.

Lentils have their own taste, as do split peas- and on second thought, lentils are okay when I'm in the mood for them- but only just okay- I can't remember ever thinking, "OH MAN- IT'S BEEN SOOOO LONG SINCE I'VE HAD LENTILS!!!!". You know you don't like them, and I can't think of a dish that includes them but doesn't taste like it. So, no lentils for you- and that's fine!

Somewhat off-topic: although I'm good with legumes of every kind, my personal Kryptonite is... (DUN DUN DUUUNNNNN).... SOAPY-TASTING, STINKY-SMELLING CILANTRO!!!!!! (cue the sounds of the audience at a horror movie screaming when Freddy Kreuger or Mike Meyers start doing what they usually do) And the thing is, I know I'd love it if it tasted to me the way people who like it describe how it tastes to them.:sob:

OK- back to beans: Some people have physiological allergies/problems with soy, which is why foods which contain soy have it listed as an ingredient to warn them. But I'm fond of soybeans (including tofu, and also non-dairy "milks" made from soy): their taste is un-assertive enough so that they can be anything from a main course to dessert. I like to cook plain dry soybeans, but of all the legumes, they take the longest to cook from scratch- and that's really saying something!

ETA: @silva I'm surprised that someone's taste can change that dramatically. All the foods I love, hate, or am indifferent to have remained the same to me my whole life; I'm pretty sure I would still enjoy meat and fish if I chose to start eating them again (which ain't gonna happen). I just hope I never start hating oats, or I will NOT be a happy camper. I give cilantro another try every now and then.... so far, always with the same result.
 
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I've posted this recipe somewhere on VF but it might be something for the bean deficient to try out.

its called an avocado edamame smash. The simplest recipe is to just combine one avocado and 1/2 cup edamame in a mixing bow. I like it on toast, kind of like egg salad. You can add some lettuce and tomato to your sandwich too. You might want to try some additions to the smash. Chopped celery, grated ginger, green onion, lime juice. very easy and very healthy.
 
I am going to try making homemade seitan again soon. Last time it turned out too bready. Seitan can be among an ultimate vegan food for the gluten-friendly.

For the soy friendly there is tofu, edamame, etc. of course. But tempeh is kind of a step-up over tofu, it is slightly more nutritious, and less processed.

Oat milk is more sustainable than soy and almond milk, for the environmentally-friendly, and also hemp milk is an option.
 
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@silva mentioned chick peas and I am willing to bet that this is one legume that you will like... it is so versatile and so tasty and you can spice it up and you can make hummus or roast them or add them to soups or pastas etc - you can even make "tuna" or "chicken salad" sandwiches from them (I use a small amount of hummus instead of mayonaise) - they are even good as a small salad with some vinegar, spices, and then any veggies you like... green onions, cherry tomatoes, olives etc and one of my favourites is couscous with all the veggies added and a rinsed can of chick peas

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

This guy isn't vegan, but he posted a great video about how easy it is to make vegetable soup:


 
Thanks Tom for going through the bean varieties.
Thanks Lou for the recipe. That is an easy one, good to know.
Thanks 500channelsurfer: I haven't tried oat milk yet. I have tried Soy and Almond, I like them both. But I will get some oat milk and give it a try.
Thanks LoreD: great video, cracked me up. Good to know vege soup is so easy to make.
 
I recently made some lentils. It was repulsive to me. But, my wife loves them. Is there a super easy recipe that would make them something I could eat?
 
I recently made some lentils. It was repulsive to me. But, my wife loves them. Is there a super easy recipe that would make them something I could eat?
how did you make them.

I like lentil soup, lentil stew and lentil vegetable soup.
 
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Thanks LoreD: great video, cracked me up. Good to know vege soup is so easy to make.

I recently made some lentils. It was repulsive to me. But, my wife loves them. Is there a super easy recipe that would make them something I could eat?

I love lentils in any form and my honey does not so I hide the split red lentils in steel cuts oats (they look exactly the same as the oats when cooked) and I have also made lentil soup and once cooked used the immersion blender so there weren't any "pieces" visible.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com
 
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I recently made some lentils. It was repulsive to me. But, my wife loves them. Is there a super easy recipe that would make them something I could eat?
I've only recently thought about this, I only like whole lentils in soup--and it's about my favorite soup.
I use half split red and half green (or black) and the usual carrots celery onions potatoe. A lot of seasonings, but I vary between using spicy like Berbere, chili garlic paste, garlic or mild with lots of thyme & sage garlic and carmelized onions. I like it very thick, not brothy at all.

I use red lentils to thicken chili. I do 3 different types of beans, in equal amounts, soaked, then add the same amount of red lentils and the usual chili veggies

I really hate to just lentils, like I wouldn't use for a sloppy joe, or a salad, or to sub for meat in any way, like tacos :confounded:

This is a recipe I used to make a lot. It's cheap quick and easy. I prefer split lentils that cook down.

And Indian spiced dahls with flatbread. I do prefer to have others make this, I mess up Indian spice blends.
 
how did you make them.

I like lentil soup, lentil stew and lentil vegetable soup.
I put then lentils in a rice cooker. I cooked them the same way I cook rice. I add some BBQ sauce and ate them. 🤢🤮🤢
 
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I put then lentils in a rice cooker. I cooked them the same way I cook rice. I add some BBQ sauce and ate them. 🤢🤮🤢
There's an herb that is supposed to taste great with beans (or maybe the beans taste great with it): Savory:



Huh- I think I knew there are two different "Savories"- winter and summer- but I was a bit confused about them. I thought they were supposed to make beans taste better, but these links mention that they reduce the intestinal gas you sometimes get from beans.

Beans, beans, the musical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot