This is where pulses come in, offering a variety of flour alternatives that can be used to recreate gluten-free (and more nutritious) versions of your favorite meals, breads and other baked goods.

Whether you’re gluten-sensitive, health-conscious or just plain curious, pulse flours can be easily substituted into nearly any recipe to boost the fiber, protein and nutrient content of the dish.

Not sure how to substitute pulse flours for other common flours? Stay tuned! Next week, we’ll sit down with Richard Coppedge Jr., a Certified Master Baker (CMB), author and professor at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Richard specializes in gluten-free baking and instruction, and he’ll share some expert insights and preparation tips for baking with pulse flours.

Still not convinced? Here are 5 reasons why plant protein is better than animal protein:

1. Meat is far more expensive than pulses. Chicken tends to be a cheaper option in purchasing meat, but is still 2X as expensive as chickpeas!
2. Consumption of animal protein is most often related to high levels of cholesterol, a compound that contributes to cardiovascular disease. Not to mention the recent studies verifying dangerous levels of carcinogens in processed red meat!
3. Pulses are quite versatile in acting as a meat replacement. Recipes like lasagna, burgers, enchiladas, and nachos can all be prepared with pulses, rather than meat! (And we have a recipe for each of these here on our blog!).
4. Pulses are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Not to mention the minimal to absent levels of saturated fat and cholesterol!
5. Meat only keeps in the refrigerator and freezer for so long, while pulses can be stored for months in the pantry! That, and once they are cooked they can also be kept in the fridge for use later in the week!

The proof is in the pulses!

Eating healthy and developing a regular exercise routine is important year round, but sometimes we need a little help to get back on track. Let us help you be kind to your body by adding some dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas to your diet! Here are some of the incredible health benefits you’ll sustain by adding pulses into your regular meal plan!

Without a doubt the majority of Americans are familiar with the traditional dried green pea. 

Split-pea soup, a thick and homey concoction of green pea soup, ham and pepper, has been a tried and trusted source of protein and iron since Greek and Roman times.  With so much familiarity and trust of an old staple like the green pea, is there room for an upstart?

Enter, the Yellow Pea.  Yellow peas are also a legume, and can be purchased whole or split.  They have a soft texture and mild flavor which is often described as “earthy”.    The yellow pea is similar to the lentil both in cooking versatility and nourishment.  In fact, they are very rich in protein, vitamins, fiber, iron and zinc.

 Yellow peas are usually marketed as a dry packaged product.  However, yellow peas can be used in any way that green peas are used, and make an excellent split pea soup as well.  They can be used to make dips and spreads, or just included in other foods for nourishment and texture.

 However, the potential of the yellow Pea to the American diet is significant.  Yellow peas are often milled to create gluten-free flour; and yellow pea flour has a naturally low glycemic index, meaning it is much healthier for a diabetic diet.  A recent study in the Journal of Food Science recommended the use of whole yellow pea flour as an alternative ingredient in producing “tasty, low glycemic foods that help prevent and manage type 2 diebetes.”

 U.S. dry yellow peas are also the cheapest dry legume in the world, because they yield far higher volume than dry green peas. With that in mind, they are growing in popularity in the international market, including Africa.  Examples of international product applications include fruit-flavored dry pea drinks in Indonesia, extruded snacks in Asia, industrial starch in France and enriching pastas and breads in the U.S. 

In fact, most of the U.S. yellow pea crop is exported.   India is the dominant export market for U.S. yellow peas, taking about 1/3 of our whole yellow pea export volumes.  Yellow peas are used in the traditional Indian dish called dal, and are also used to make besan, a flour used in Indian cooking to make both savory and sweet dishes.  Indians consume dal and besan on a daily basis.

China is also an important export market for U.S. yellow peas. China extracts the starch from yellow peas to make the thin glassy noodles that they call ‘vermicelli’ (courtesy of Marco Polo).  China produces large volumes of vermicelli for both domestic consumption and export, and since pea production in China is trending downward, their whole pea export requirements continue to expand.

 Another use of U.S. yellow peas is the food aid sector.  Food aid organizations often include yellow peas in their plans because yellow peas provide a cost-effective way of adding protein to food aid rations.  In addition, yellow split peas cook very quickly, and that helps in situations where cooking fuel is scarce.

So there you have it; two powerhouse peas in the pulse arsenal of goodness and nutrition.  Yellow-peas have the added distinction of being low-cost, non-GMO and a natural protein-enhancer that can be added to a wide range of food products to boost nutrition.

Ingredients
1 cup dry USA lentils, rinsed
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces lasagna noodles
2 cups chopped onion
3 large cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, combine lentils, water, fennel seeds and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are very tender and almost all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.
• Mix lentils with tomato sauce, sugar and basil.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onions and garlic in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil until they are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Turn onions into a bowl and set aside. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and zucchini to skillet and cook, stirring, until zucchini is just tender, about 8 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 13″x9″ baking pan.
• Arrange half the lasagna noodles over bottom of baking pan. Arrange zucchini slices evenly over noodles, then spread half the lentils over the zucchini and half the cheese over the lentils. Top with remaining noodles, then with onions and finally with remaining lentil mixture.
• Bake, covered, for 30 minutes or until heated through. Five minutes before lasagna is done, uncover it and sprinkle on remaining cheese. Continue baking until cheese melts.

A Few Modifications
I didn’t have fennel seeds on hand so I skipped them. I threw my onions in with my lentil-tomato concoction, and there was plenty of cheese on my lasagna already so I skipped the final cheese addition the recipe called for.

I’m not one to rave over recipes very often. This one? I even had it for breakfast, it was that good.

Like this recipe? It’s in the Pea & Lentil Cookbook along with 150 other great recipes.

Think cooking with lentils requires diving into recipes you’ve never tried before? Wrong! Lentils are an incredibly versatile ingredient if you stop thinking they can only be used in lentil recipes.

The other night I tossed a baked potato into the oven. I don’t know about you, but a baked potato isn’t worth eating if it isn’t smothered in toppings. Whipping up a quick batch of chili lentils proved to be the perfect topping for my supper.

This is a simple dish to make. Baking a potato takes awhile in the oven, and the chili lentils took about 20 minutes to make. You could speed up meal prep by baking your potato in a microwave if you aren’t feeding too many mouths.

My (very) unscientific recipe included:

• Lentils – about a quarter cup dry. Cover with twice the amount of water, bring to a boil and then simmer until tender. Drain completely and then pour a little water back on the lentils; return to burner.
• Onion – sautéed in a separate pan and add to cooked lentils.
• Tomato – chopped and add to cooked lentils.
• Seasonings – Use whatever you like and add to cooked lentils. I’m notorious for foraging through my spice drawer and throwing in whatever sounds good. This means I sometimes have a dish that tastes really great, sometimes a little funky and almost always that I never remember what seasonings I used. Chili powder was on the list, of course.

Stir on low heat, allowing the spices to permeate the lentil, onion and tomato mixture. Add water if necessary. You don’t want this to be too dry, but you also don’t want rivers of chili making mountains out of your baked potato.

Top your baked potato with a generous helping of chili lentils, sour cream, cheese, olives – all the ingredients that make a baked potato into a feast!