Sunday, July 1, 2007

Tame those wild potato chip monsters

Here's a satisfying homemade snack to tame those unruly cravings to munch on too many chips, nuts and stuff. I love the way it satisfies cravings for salt and crunchies. Super low cost, too. Tweak this delicious and healthy recipe with your own favorite seasonings.

PureCajunSunshine's Lentil Snacks

1 cup brown lentils
1 quart water
salt (between 1/2 -1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon oil (olive, coconut, canola, etc)

Boil gently for 10 minutes, then let stand 15 minutes. Drain well.
Stir in the oil until well distributed. Sprinkle on your favorite seasonings (see below).
Mix well.
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Spread thinly, in a single layer in a pan lined with foil.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often until crisp. Let cool.

CAUTION: Watch closely, as they will burn to a nasty black crisp in no time!

For small portions, I like to use my electric toaster oven. For open fire cooking, use a skillet.

The mild taste of the lentils makes this a versatile snack because you can flavor it with just about any seasoning, and it'll probably turn out good. Experiment until you find your favorites. Have fun!


Lentil snack seasoning blends to try:

Flavor treat #1
Cajun/Creole Seasoning
(Don't have any? Make your own. See recipe at the end of the Jambalaya-ya-ya recipe.)

OR

Flavor treat #2
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

OR

Flavor treat #3
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Other flavoring options to use singly or combined with the above blends:

--Popcorn Salt (superfine grade, buttered or plain)

--Powdered Cheese Flavoring

--Morton's Nature's Seasonings (contains no MSG)

--Red Monkey Seasonings (www.RedMonkeyFoods.com)
Their seasonings are made to be used after cooking for an extra taste treat. Several flavors to pick from: BBQ, Cajun,Charbroiled, Southwest Flavors. No MSG. Wondermous make-you-sigh flavors.


Next, I'm going to try this with cooked or canned chickpeas, black beans, and all kinds of other cooked beans...if you beat me to it, please tell me your results!


This may be reprinted by you for noncommercial use, if the following credit is given:


This recipe is an excerpt from . For more information, see the left sidebar on this site: http://purecajunsunshine.blogspot.com/

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