What Baby Mae Eats!
Roots and Truth
At the end of this post there is a recipe for Indian Lentils (or Indian Dahl).
I’m sharing a meal the whole family eats, but it’s a meal that baby LOVES! Let me explain…
Thoughts on Food and Diversity
I am fascinated in observing human behavior. It is one of the reasons I began writing, because I enjoy seeing human patterns. (I personally think that we all want some diversity no matter how it comes.) This is why I’m drawn to write this specific category “Nourish”…to invite you to think about a diverse way to invite vitamins and minerals into the body. And bring diversity to the mind, diversity to the plate and pallet. I want to show that there is a different way of eating/cooking that is “full-filling” in two ways: it’s fills the belly, and it is exciting to accomplish something that you didn’t know you could do!
So if you are a beginner here, no matter where you’re beginning. Please allow me to encourage you—You can try something new!
I believe that my baby, Mae eats like a queen!
I explain it this way because she eats foods with RICH flavor and color!
She’s been getting powerhouse foods early and I believe they have helped train her pallet young. (I’m sure she’ll revolt some day and only want the sugary foods that her older brothers bring home) but for today, I get to choose what she is eating, and she absolutely devours the recipe at the end of this post!
Do you have a desire to learn cooking basics?
We all eat. Even if you don’t have the best relationship with food, eventually the body wins because it needs something to EAT!
I know so many friends that don’t like to cook. If this describes you, what would you rather be doing? (I’m serious, please share, comment at the end of this post.)
Food is essential to the human body. Next to oxygen, shelter and clothing is up there on the list of TOP essential needs. I find it hard to believe that so many people dismiss the opportunity to enrich and enhance their body if this is the number one need for energy, mental clarity, growth and sustenance. If you’re new to this discovery, please take the time to write down the answer to the following:
Why do I like to eat?
Why do I not like to eat?
Is eating a burden to me?
Why don’t I like to take care of the most vital need? Was the value of nourishing with love taught to me?
If you are hoping to take a daring leap and learn a few things in the kitchen, I BELIEVE you are so brave! Trying something new, even if it is once a week, I know it will enhance all of you!
Are you ready, or do you are you being led to do some preliminary work?
The mind shift—things you need to know
If you don’t have the desire to cook today, that’s fine. There are small steps to help the body understand how to take care of its self.
(A little about me.) I’ve studied a lot of brain healing modalities, for years, to try to help the health of my mind and body. Nutrition has always been a passion of mine. The nutrition class in college was enlightening to me! It fueled me and I flew through with ease because I had an interest in it MY ENTIRE LIFE. (Side note that most of my schooling has not been easy for me.)
Currently, years into my study on how to beat inflammatory diseases, I would like to mention that no matter what I learned then, or sense then, I think “the system” was missing a crucial link.
The broad “education system” is so focused on counting CALORIES and maximizing PROTEIN. “AVOID THE CARBS!” “Fats and sugars are healthy in moderation.” And now all the Micros and Macros. I honestly can’t keep up with all the things!
Where are you at?
In 2015, I was at a cross roads that I was forced to question conventional medicine and the general ideas of unhealthy fats and sugars in moderation because my body was not able to metabolize any of those foods. I started adding more meat, and vegetables. These were the “healthy” things I was told eat to eat to maintain stable blood sugar—it wasn’t working. I was consistent, and still none of my dieting was working.
I kept reading, and then I started to question the conventional way that I had learned “health and nutrition”. I believe questioning is a gift.
I read and questioned and came to the conclusion that I still needed some of my questions answered.
Where are you at?
Have you questioned how you were raised?
Have you thought about how you grew up eating?
Most likely convenience to food and the dollar amount (or whatever currency you were using) were both factors to the food choices on that were given.
Have you given yourself permission to question what you believe about how much you spend on food?
Where do you buy a majority of what you eat?
Questions for self-discovery
All that being said, why are you here, and why are you reading?
There’s got to be more clarity. Are you ready to start a cooking adventure?
OR are you on a spiritual journey? (When I mention spiritual discovery, I’m encouraging you look within. Listen to what you need, not necessarily what you think your need, but what does your spirit or your soul need?
The two are connected—you know!!!)
This is where Diversity Comes In
Here’s the cool thing, whatever you need to do next in your path of discovery, it is going to be different than what I choose or I needed. It is not going to be the same as the person you live with. It is crucial, you have to start looking within. PLEASE, believe me on this one!
So, if you have been drawn to the idea of learning how to cook something, I would like to equip you with the tools. If this is scary, start where you are but begin to start asking questions. Tough questions, like, what do you really want in your life?
Or how can changing your diet help your physical and spiritual health. (I think these go hand in hand. Read more about my change in some of these posts: More about me!)
About the recipe
I mentioned that Mae (the baby) loves this recipe. It isn’t new idea, or something that can’t be found online. In India and Pakistan they have been making this recipe for hundreds if not thousands of years (even-though the internet with recipes hasn’t been around that long;). I wanted to write this recipe in a way that shows you, the reader that it can be done. These ingredients can easily be found, and anyone who likes good food will find this soul warming. And filling to the belly as well!
One of the basic spices used in this recipe is Turmeric. If you have read anything about healing with food, I guarantee that Turmeric is mentioned somewhere. It is most often advertised as the spice that lowers inflammation in the body.
Ginger and garlic are also used in this recipe. We’ll go into all their benefits in another blog post!
The benefits, why add lentils?
Back to the basics. Do you like soup? We eat the lentil soup that I share below on rice. If you don’t know already, I don’t eat a lot of meat. It is one thing that did not make sense to me when my blood sugar was struggling. You can read more about it in this post: The Beginning of My Health Journey.
As I continued to learn and follow spiritual teachings I removed most of the meat as I was preparing meals for myself. (Another post I wrote about this is titled: More About Me and the Process of Cleaving)
I recommend doing a quick web search of “The health benefits from eating lentils”. Here is an article that I found after I looked it up myself.
Going back to the basics!
If you’re new here and learning, I made this video just for you!
A change in perspective
Have you ever researched colored clothing and why it was a privilege for royalty to have those rich colors in their clothing? It was a similar story with food. Specialty food like exotic fruits, and spices that traveled on boats that to a colder climate.
These finer items were only reserved for the privileged or royalty. Can you imagine not having access to a banana, or an orange. With a different view, with a privilege twist, I feel like I am the one with privilege. I have access and I am able to get tropical fruit in any grocery store that I walk into. More flavor, more color, more diversity is and will always be a status of privilege for me.
That is one of the reasons why I believe Mae eats like a queen!!!
Pictured is the silicone mold mentioned in the recipe below. After we have eaten this soup for dinner I freeze the leftovers in the large mold shown in the picture. After freezing I remove and store them in a freezer bag. It makes for a quick meal for later!
Indian Red Lentils
I can not take credit for the recipe, because is resembles Indian Dal which has been around for centuries. I wanted to record the recipe that I have been using to show the simplicity of the ingredient list and encourage others that the ingredients for this recipe are either in their local grocery store or in their cupboard. This recipe is not only considered a comfort food, but is also cleansing and filling.
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups, plus 2 Tablespoons of water, divided
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 thumbnail-sized piece of ginger root, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 rounded teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes,
- or 4 medium-sized fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 medium-sized potato (any variety), diced
- 1 (16 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 lemon, cut in half (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Place a medium-sized pot on the stove top. Heat the pot on medium heat.
- Dice a yellow onion. Place the onion and 2 tablespoons of water in the heated pot. Let the onions sit in the pot for one minute. Stir and add a little more water if all the water has evaporated. This is called a dry saute (it is a way to saute onions with out using oil).
- Adjust the temperature and turn the heat lower if the onions are dry or they are starting to brown.
- At this time add the chopped garlic and grated ginger. (I like to grate the ginger right over the pan to save time.)
- Next add the turmeric, ground cumin, remaining 2 cups of water, vegetable broth and canned tomatoes to the pot.
- Rinse the lentils. I measure them out into a fine-mesh strainer, so they don’t fall through as they are being rinsed. Rinse them under running water. Then add the lentils to the pot.
- Add the large-diced potato. Stir to combine all the ingredients together.
- When the mixture has heated up, and starts to simmer turn the heat to low. Place a lid on the top of the pot.
- Set the timer for 20 minutes. Return to the pot to stir and to make sure there is enough water and liquid remaining in the pot. This should not be dry, it should have the consistency of a hearty soup.
- Test the lentils and make sure they are cooked through. If they are still tough to chew set the timer for 10 minutes and return and repeat the previous step.
- If the lentils are soft and cooked through, at this time add the coconut milk and salt. Stir until the coconut milk is melted and combined into the soup.
- Serve with chopped cilantro and fresh squeezed lemon if desired.
- This recipe can be made in and Instant Pot or and electric pressure cooker, but I would add all the ingredients in EXCEPT the coconut milk and salt. Add those after the lentils are done cooking. I would recommend 1 minute of cooking time on high pressure then release the pressure valve. When the pressure has been released, then add the coconut milk and salt. Serve with fresh lemon juice and chopped cilantro.
- Storage instructions: Cover and keep this soup stored in the fridge for up to three days. After the three day period freeze in a covered bowl, or freeze in portions, I use a silicone mold similar to the one linked here.
Notes
This really is one of the baby’s favorite meals!
After eating this pot of soup two times (one for dinner, one time for leftovers) I freeze the remainder of the soup in ice cube trays or glass jars, half full. I also have used this silicone mold similar to this one to freeze portions in for the baby, for a grab and go meal out of the freezer.
