Environmentalists love pulses too. In addition to requiring less water than other protein foods, they restore the nitrogen in soil thereby reducing the need for artificial fertilizers.
This year, don’t just limit your pulse intakes to traditional dishes. Beyond ewa agoyin , bean pottage, akara and moin-moin, here are some delicious ways to enjoy dried peas, lentils, dried beans, chickpeas and bambara nuts.
1. Add them to stews, soups. Throw in one or more cups of your favorite pulses into a pot of stew. Not only does this add color, flavor, texture and fiber to your pot, it is also an affordable way to sneak in an extra serving of plant foods to your diet.
2. Use them in minced meat dishes. Making meatballs, spaghetti sauce or other minced meat dishes? Use only half the weight of minced meat called for in the recipe and add the rest of the weight in lentils.
3. Make hamburgers. Mash your favorite beans and add some vegetables and breadcrumbs to make a flavorful veggie burger without the added fat from meat.
4. Bake with them. Here’s a reason to bake. Replace the fat or oil called for in a recipe with pureed beans for a low fat, high fiber treat. Making brownies or other dark baked goodie? Try pureed black beans which add to the depth of the color while adding flavor and nutrients.
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