I'm not a lentil but...
No, I'm not a lentil.
However for the past 30 odd years I have been a vegetarian.
Over the years a lot has changed, but one old phrase I still use to this day is:
"You are what you eat, and I'm a lentil"
In the past few years my vege diet has changed somewhat.
There seems to be more pre packaged processed vege food available, and I'm a lazy cook, so will happily throw a handful of Quorn pieces into a stir fry rather than prep my tofu. Lazy but tasty.
Tofu is still the firm (pun intended) protein of choice in my life, although the beloved lentil is right up there.
There's a relatively new brand on the market available at supermarkets; tofoo.
Look out for it as it's firm and pure.
They provide a smoked version, but it's unnecessary for general usage as the plain is the best quality firm tofu available, and perfect for slicing/dicing and frying. Or even raw from the pack with a splash of soy sauce.
Ok, that wasn't an ad for the brand, it just reads like one.
As a child I was forced to eat lentil soup.
My mother believed it was healthy and nutritious, both are correct but it's not really for the kids.
As an adult I love lentil soup, with a good grinding of black pepper, it's texture and richness is a delight for the tastebuds.
Then there is vegetable Dansak.
Dansak is a hot spicy and slightly sweet/sour Indian/asian curry dish made primarily with lentils.
I'd only ever eat vegetable dishes from the takeaway, even before I stopped the flesh munching. Something dodgy about bangledeshi cuisine that often prohibits even the most ardent meat eater (my ex girlfriend for example) from consuming a chicken jalfrezi or a lamb bhuna.
However the vegetable Dansak is a wonderful dish.
I've had a huge variety of styles, from yellow lentils that are whole and floating in a hot grease, to the perfect soft cooked almost puree like, with just enough remaining texture to satisfy.
Serve this with pilau rice, a garlic nann and a couple of spicy popadoms it's the perfect Friday night curry.
So the lentil, it's the one thing I did keep in my diet from my childhood.
The butter bean was not so lucky, and I can honestly say that since leaving home I have never even once purchased a tin of butter beans.
However for the past 30 odd years I have been a vegetarian.
Over the years a lot has changed, but one old phrase I still use to this day is:
"You are what you eat, and I'm a lentil"
In the past few years my vege diet has changed somewhat.
There seems to be more pre packaged processed vege food available, and I'm a lazy cook, so will happily throw a handful of Quorn pieces into a stir fry rather than prep my tofu. Lazy but tasty.
Tofu is still the firm (pun intended) protein of choice in my life, although the beloved lentil is right up there.
There's a relatively new brand on the market available at supermarkets; tofoo.
They provide a smoked version, but it's unnecessary for general usage as the plain is the best quality firm tofu available, and perfect for slicing/dicing and frying. Or even raw from the pack with a splash of soy sauce.
Ok, that wasn't an ad for the brand, it just reads like one.
As a child I was forced to eat lentil soup.
My mother believed it was healthy and nutritious, both are correct but it's not really for the kids.
As an adult I love lentil soup, with a good grinding of black pepper, it's texture and richness is a delight for the tastebuds.
Then there is vegetable Dansak.
Dansak is a hot spicy and slightly sweet/sour Indian/asian curry dish made primarily with lentils.
I'd only ever eat vegetable dishes from the takeaway, even before I stopped the flesh munching. Something dodgy about bangledeshi cuisine that often prohibits even the most ardent meat eater (my ex girlfriend for example) from consuming a chicken jalfrezi or a lamb bhuna.
However the vegetable Dansak is a wonderful dish.
I've had a huge variety of styles, from yellow lentils that are whole and floating in a hot grease, to the perfect soft cooked almost puree like, with just enough remaining texture to satisfy.
Serve this with pilau rice, a garlic nann and a couple of spicy popadoms it's the perfect Friday night curry.
So the lentil, it's the one thing I did keep in my diet from my childhood.
The butter bean was not so lucky, and I can honestly say that since leaving home I have never even once purchased a tin of butter beans.
Comments
Post a Comment