Hi friends! I have so much to share with you today. Let’s start with this new delicious recipe that can be served as a side dish or a main. This combination of brown lentils, cannellini beans and savory sundried tomatoes, peppers and olives is super delicious and nutritious, packable the next day for lunches, and can be prepped in advance. It is great mounded onto a green salad, served alongside chicken and fish, and good hot or cold.

You will cook the lentils first and then pour a flavorful vinaigrette on them while still warm. They soak up all the flavor of the vinaigrette, and then you layer more flavor in with the tangy, savory and salty sundried tomatoes, olives, roasted red peppers and parmesan cheese!

Lentils are a nutritious and an inexpensive way to get in some wonderful nutrients, fiber, and improve gut flora. They are often overlooked, but so delicious! Did you know that a serving of lentils has 90 percent of your RDA of folate? They are also high in polyphenols and are a good source of zinc, B6 and other important vitamins.

I used Cannellini Beans in this recipe because they are a bigger bean and creamy. They are a good source of protein and fiber. You can use any bean in this recipe you like. My favorite brand of beans is Eden Organics because they soak them overnight and that makes them easier to digest.

Mediterranean Lentils and Cannellini Beans with Sundried Tomatoes, Olives and Peppers

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Brown Lentils cooked according to package directions

1 Can of Canned Cannellini Beans (I use this brand because they are soaked)

1/3 Cup of Kalamata Olives, sliced

1/3 Cup of Oil Packed Sundried Tomatoes, finely chopped

1/3 Cup of Roasted Red Peppers, chopped

1/3 Cup of Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Vinaigrette:

2 1/2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar

1 1/2 Tablespoon of Garlic Infused Olive Oil my favorite brand, or 1 fresh minced clove of garlic

1 Tablespoon of Dried Chives

1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard

1/8 Teaspoon of Salt

1/8 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

(Whisk the vinaigrette all together)

Directions: Cook the lentils according to the package directions. Pour over the whisked vinaigrette after they are fully cooked and all the water is absorbed. Set aside.

While the lentils are cooling, chop up your remaining ingredients and drain and rinse your cannellini beans under cold water.

Put the lentils with the vinaigrette into a medium bowl, and add the remaining ingredients except the cheese. After stirring in the vegetables, beans and olives, fold in most of the grated parmesan and keep a little to sprinkle on the top.

You can serve the dish right away while warm, or refrigerate it and serve it cold. It is good either way.

It feels so good to laugh, and there are reasons why. Laughter reduces stress, increases your intake of oxygen, helps deepen bonds with others, reduces anxiety, and helps lower blood pressure. Sounds good, right? Just make sure you aren’t laughing at the expense of others and it’s appropriate laughter. The average 4 year old laughs 300 times a day and the average adult over 40 laughs only 4 times a day. So, because laughter is so good for you here’s a bean joke, which seems appropriate for the theme of this blog post: What’s beans’ favorite hat? A beanie 🙂 Dad joke! So sorry.

As my loyal readers know, this is a gluten free blog, because I have gluten intolerance, I write recipes that are gluten free. I also use ONLY gluten free lip and makeup products for the same reason. It is especially important for any lip products! I absolutely love all the Lemongrass Spa makeup and lip products, because they are #1 beautiful, and #2 ALL Gluten Free!!

What’s really in your lipwear?

Since lipstick, gloss and balm are so readily ingested, it should be as safe as possible. I use Lemongrass Spa Lip products because ALL of their Lipwear is Gluten Free and Organic! They actually list all the allergens on all their products.

When navigating the cosmetic aisle, it’s hard enough to find the perfect shade. It gets harder still when you want to find a safe, non-toxic version of your favorite color! It’s especially important to look for safe lip wear because the lips are a very sensitive part of the body. Everything is gluten free, and the lip glosses, lip oils and lip tints are nut free also!

I trust Lemongrass Spa Organic lip wear in all the attractive, long-lasting shades, glosses and moisturizers!

What do you prefer ?

A) Lip Balm

B ) Lip Gloss

C) Lipstick

D) Lip Oil

E) Tinted Lip Balm