Rice pulses and beans

Can't beat a chickpea curry look here. I wouldn't just use them straight out of the tin as a side dish.

Tinned green lentils can be used in soups or to make a vegetarian bolognaise type sauce. Search for recipes, there are squillions of them on line.

Thanks. That is the sort of thing I was looking for.
I didnt know if buying them tinned was an expensive way of doing things. And didnt really think they are a side dish usually.
But on the other hand, I was not going to do the soaking overnight thing.

You do not need to soak dried lentils (of any colour), but you do need to soak other dried pulses for varying lengths of time. Btw. Puy lentils have the nicest flavour and the best texture.

baubles You naughty Gransnetter! Bolgonaise – I don't think so. It's Italian – bolognese. How are you doing –well, I hope.

Google the Merchant Gourmet range. You can get them in most supermarkets. They do all kinds of interesting grains and pulses (including puy lentils) that are ready to eat. I use them as side dishes or in salads. There are other similar ready to eat products in supermarkets, so don't be restricted to tinned or dried (although they do work out cheaper).

I love a vegetable curry and use tinned lentils and chick peas. I also buy lots of beans, borlotti, cannelini, red kidney, broad, the list goes on, all canned! I can't get away with brown rice though, my daughter used to call it caterpillar rice when she was little. I use basmati rice. I also make risotto with arborio rice. I do have dried brown and red lentils, which don't need to be soaked although the brown ones take longer to cook.

absent I'm going to blame my iPad for that one

I'm very well thanks, hope you had a lovely day yesterday.

I havent spotted the range in the supermarkets, but our supermarkets are not high end at all.
I like the idea of ready to eat foods.

I don't do high end supermarkets (don't do high end anything. Morrisons and Tesco have them.

I prefer brown rice to white. The two do taste quite different from each other I think.
Part of my problem is I have a husband who likes meat with everything which is a nuisance.

When I first opened this thread I thought you'd typed "I have been trying to eat a bit of heather"
You can make the most wonderful lentil and bacon soup using puy lentils (agree with absent, definitely the best variety!). It's not an online recipe, but in one of my old cookbooks. I'll dig it out later and post it on here.

How about starting by using your pulses and beans in casseroles and soups that you would probably have made previously. Approx 2 oz red lentils will thicken a casserole or curry where you might previously have used flour or a thickening agent. I use chick peas mainly in chilli as an alternative to kidney beans (tinned) and I reduce the amount of minced beef accordingly but add a couple of large peppers chopped up. I used to make a dish called Red Dragon Pie which was like Shepherds Pie but the filling was aduki beans (aka Red Dragon beans) and lots of vegetables. the topping was a mixture of mashed potatoes and mashed swede or squash.

I think a good start is to avoid as far as possible processed foods and where practical, cook from scratch. Fair enough buy your chickpeas in tins, we all do, some of the time, but an overnight soak is no work and dried pulses work out at a fraction of the price.

Ready to cook is better than processed as a rule, but still more expensive in most cases, but look out for special offers. Prepped veg is an absolute rip off and tinned veg (apart from tomatoes, a staple) not worth it.

Then, don't feel you have to pay an arm and a leg for high end names, most supermarkets stock their own brand of foods with fewer additives. More fresh veg, fresh (or frozen) fish, and your diet becomes healthier right away.

This is another recipe I've used - you can use a mixture of lentils and beans/chickpeas if you don't want to use just lentils.

AshTree - and thanks.
Teetime - yes putting them in things is probably my best way to go.
Greyduster and Soutra - I think I am going to have to spend more time peering at the packets.

I find tinned or bottled pulses can be a bit slimey and squishy, but are ok (just) if they're going to be used in a casserole of some kind, but much prefer to use the dried. Soaking overnight is no bother, and when cooking them you can adjust to your preferred 'bite' or texture. Don't add salt until they are cooked (if you use it) as added during the cooking tends to harden them.

Three bean salad is great when freshly cooked and cooled. Add whatever - my favourite at present is to add to the mix of beans coriander, lime, pinch of chilli and preserved lemons. Refreshing, delicious, filling and healthy.

Fewer packets, I buy pulses etc from a health food cooperative and they don't bother to write on the packets or labels ( other than a best before, usually a longish time away) Hooray!

Pulses etc are quite a major part of my diet, as I am vegetarian. I do keep a few tins in the store cupboard, but overnight soaking isn't a chore. I totally agree about chickpea curry - best with spinach too, and if you chuck your soaked pay lentils into the slow cooker with tomatoes, onions, garlic etc, you have the basis for all sorts of things.

Eating more healthily is always something to aim for...after a week of indulgence I'm all for it!

Chickpea and spinach curry mmmm ....one of my favourites,so easy to make and freezes well. Lentils,spinach and veggie gravy with veggies sausages is tasty. Think originally I found the recipe in a Nigel Slater cookbook.

Are you sure there is anything wrong with the way you are eating at the moment? I wouldn't advocate eating red meat every day, but a couple of times a week is fine. And fish too, is an excellent source of protein. And eggs, and most dairy products.

I think it might be easy to get overweight by relying only on grains and pulses for your protein, simply because you have to eat more of them. A mixed diet, I believe, is best.

Bulgar wheat makes a good 'risotto' if you want a change from rice.

Most pulses are sold in supermarket own brands why spend extra on a branded name.
All these come tinned. Chickpeas, Red kidney beans, Butter bean, black eye beans
The Puy lentils do have the best flavour and they cook quickly but small green lentils are a good and cheaper alternative.

foodfolio.net/recipes/61830/sweet-potato-spinach-and-lentil-dahl

I put it this dish together slightly differently. I par boil the sweet potatoes (don't over cook)" and then char fry them in a hot pan and serve them on the side of the dish rather that in it. The sweet potatoes get a lovely caramelised finish.
Using red lentils it does not take long at all. I make this from frozen leaf spinach. You can change the amount of spinach or sweet potato as you choose.
I just adore this dish and make it frequently. It is really easy and sheer comfort food. You can make your dahl more or less spicy as you choose.

The internet if full of different red lentil dahl recipes.

Infomation about using lentils and pulses.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/lentils

I have a good recipe for coral lentils, which are quick to cook, no soaking:
1) slice an onion plus a selection of Med. veg. eg aubergines peppers, courgettes, fry in olive oil in ovenproof pot until slightly browned.
2) add 2-3 oz per person of lentils, then cover with a stock made of a veg stock cube plus a teasp. of tomato puree. The recipe also has red wine (optional.)
3) Cover and bake in a low oven about 45 minutes - check to see it's not dried out.
This is very filling and good for the digestion.
Couscous is an idea for summer salads - cook it as per packet, add to some french dressing, then add things like chopped nuts, raisins , chopped green onions etc

Think I will try a chickpea/lentil curry never used many pulses/beans before but on a tight budget and adding meat even chicken to dishes can bump it up quite a few pounds!

Right, here goes:
Lentil and Bacon Soup
6 oz brown or green lentils (puy are best)
2.5 pts stock
1 clove garlic, skinned and crushed
1 clove
salt and pepper
7 oz lean bacon, chopped/diced
8 oz can tomatoes
4oz onions, skinned and chopped
1lb potatoes, peeled and and diced
2 tbsps lemon juice

Wash lentils and put in large saucepan with stock. Add all remaining ingredients except potatoes and lemon juice.
Bring to boil, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until bacon and lentils are soft.
Add potatoes and cook for a further 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, cool slightly, then remove the clove and puree in a blender.
Add lemon juice and re-heat to serving temperature.

To be honest, I rarely bother with the lemon juice, though it does add that extra something. I make gallons of this stuff in the winter, as does my daughter - I can happily have this every day for lunch in cold weather!