There is a tradition I've noticed in many cultures of ringing in the New Year with some sort of bean dish. In the south it's black-eyed peas cooked up into a Hopping John, in Japan it's a black bean dish, some areas of Europe cook up split peas in a soup, and in Italy the popular dish is lentils, said to resemble Roman coins.
I guess most people the world over like the idea of good fortune in the new year!
I think a lentil dish is perfect for January in many ways, not just the Roman coin aspect. They are so easy to cook,
full protein, minerals and vitamins, and have a satisfying, filling texture.
I had some fresh oregano and parsley hanging around the fridge, which I chopped up with a red onion and some garlic. After a quick sauté with some dried thyme, I placed the brown lentils in the pot and then added in some vegetable stock.
I made a huge pot of vegetable stock this week in part to hydrate the house! With our extreme cold the central heating is running constantly, it's so drying that we need things boiling away on the stove, producing steam and humidity.
These type of lentils are so easy to cook, I simmered them in their stock for about half an hour, then let them rest until I could taste the texture. I then added a little more stock and cooked them a further ten minutes before dinner.
We had them with vegetable side dishes and some fresh bread.
Today I need to source out some more lentils, green, brown and red. I'll likely head to the health food store for them, then store them at home in big jars in the kitchen: a little inspiration for the kind of simple cooking I'm planning to do all winter.
I'll also be doing some
Classical Stretch today in between the laundry and ironing I have on my list. I went back to the gym yesterday for the first time since before Christmas and I'm definitely feeling it.
I hope this 3rd day of January is a good one for you!
xoxDani
