Luscious Lazy Lentil Hummus

Lentils are a vitality powerhouse, full of healthy fiber and satisfying protein. I love these gems when I am trying to stay satiated while keeping my meat intake down. I have found ways of eating them for every meal of the day. Lentils for breakfast are actually one of my favorite ways to eat them. Their earthy flavor mingles wonderfully with cinnamon and cardamom for a gentle sweetness that is both satisfying and nutritious.

Health Summary

One of the best things about lentils is their low glycemic index, especially when compared to rice and wheat. These little guys, slowly release their energy into your body keeping you full and satisfied far longer than a big bowl of white flour pasta. Lentils also win out on being a great source of vegetarian protein. I love eating vegan and vegetarian meals and try to keep most of my meals in this realm. I do this mostly for the environment, rather than health considering I feel pretty great both vegetarian and with a bit of meat in my diet. So if you’re trying to go green, forget the electric car, instead try choosing lentils over meat and fish a few times a week. Diabetics…. Lentils will rock your socks off! I find they get absorbed super slowly so I never get blood sugar spikes. = I notice that because they release slowly, I tend to give myself two shots, one before I eat and one about thirty minutes later. See what works for you.

MYTH

Lentils have served as an essential food for survival since the Neolithic peoples of the Middle East. There are references to Lentils in the Bible, as well as, Egyptian and Celtic Mythology.  In general lentils were linked quite closely to the moon and to the underworld.

Origin: Egypt, Middle East , Central Asia

Myth: Christianity, Egypt, Celtic

Symbolic Significance: protection, moon, resurrection, death, the underworld.

 Celtic All Soul’s Day

In Modernity All Souls Day is a Catholic celebration of the dead. Although currently celebrated by Catholics all around the world, All Souls Day has roots in ancient Celtic tradition. The Celtic people believed that All Souls Day was the day when the dead returned to the earth and these zombies came hungry. And hungry…means HANGRY [ahem..hungry and angry together].

Thus to avoid the Hangriness of the dead, the Celtic people believed it necessary to feed them. In the Celtic tradition [as in Egypyian mythology] lentils were symbols of death and of the world that exists below. This is likely due to the fact that when legumes died and were again buried underground; they would soon bear new offerings of sustenance. Thus, it seemed only fitting to offer the souls of the underworld a food source that also seemingly resurrected.

There are so many ways to cook up and use lentils, it was quite hard for me to decide which lentil dish to post. But in the end I decided on a delicious and simple Lentil Hummus, A great snack to keep in the fridge and easily made into a healthy and affordable lunch with a bunch of sliced up vegetables. Enjoy your dipping!

Lucious Lazy Lentil Hummus

Ingredients =

1 cup of Lentils [cooked]

1/4 cup of Tahini

Juice of 1 or 2 Lemons

salt to taste

onion [optional]

garlic [ optonal]

Olive oil [optiona]

Parsley for decoration.

1.     Cook Lentils according to the directions on the bag.

2.     Once cooked, allow to cool.

3.     Once cool, add tahini, lemon, salt and optional ingredients.

4.     With an immersion blender blend together until smooth.

5.     If serving now, serve in a bowl and decorate with tomatoes and a lemon. 

6.      Enjoy! 

Citations = Text: Nectar and Ambrosia by Tamra Andrews