I love lentils and garbanzo beans, that’s why I could never be 100% Paleo. I do well with digesting them (as long as I properly prepare them) and so for now there is no reason to take them out of my diet. Gluten on the other hand was making it’s way and settling in my digestive system for a while even though I usually (99% of the time) at only sprouted spelt flour plus fermenting it. My body just wasn’t doing well with it. One of the first gluten free “diets” (not really a diet) I tried was Paleo. To go from a traditional foods/ancestral lifestyle to that was not easy and took some planning, but that’s what I do best…I have a passion for personalizing meal plans to fit the needs of individuals so naturally I had fun with it. However, I traveled a lot at that time and had to compromise.
The good news is that I did Paleo for 30 days and found that it is not right for me, that doesn’t mean it’s not right for you. I think it’s great for people with autoimmune diseases and other issues. Plus some people just like it and if it works for them…great! So I have kept the Paleo principles with me while enjoying foods I do well with such as lentils, garbanzo, buckwheat, basmati or jasmine rice, grass-fed butter and homemade grass-fed yogurt! All which are NO No’s with Paleo. I don’t eat those thing all the time and I keep it at a maximun of 1/2 Cup – 1 Cup of beans/legumes/grains/seeds per day total…and that works for me.
Enough about me and my Paleo adventure, on with the recipe….
Ingredients:
- 1 C lentils, washed and soaked overnight in an acid medium such as 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar, homemade whey or fresh lemon juice
- ¼ C basmati or jasmine rice
- Water or bone broth
- 1 Tbs. grass-fed Butter, ghee, or olive oil
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 tsp. unrefined salt
Instructions:
- Soak lentils in filtered water overnight or 12-24 hours with an acid medium
- After a good soaking, rinse soaked lentils and place in a pot.
- Wash the rice very well and add it to the lentils.
- Bring to a boil in fresh water or bone broth 1 ½ times the amount of lentils and rice. (For every 1 C lentils and rice use 1 ½ C water or bone broth.)
- Once water has boiled, simmer and cover.
- In another pan, melt butter or olive oil on medium-low and sauté the onions until limp and turning golden and add to the lentils.
- Next add the salt.
- Add more water to the lentils if needed, the lentils should not be watery but should have a little liquid so it will not burn.
- Simmer until lentils are soft and tender, about 30 minutes.
Serve at room temperature. With leftovers you can make lentil veggie cakes!
Since this is best served at room tempurature, it makes a great portable food.
A Nutritional Makeover 