Now you're probably wondering what pulses are...
Pulse: from the Latin puls meaning thick soup or potage, pulses are the edible seeds of plants in the legume family. (Pulse Canada)
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| photo: fao.org |
To be more specific, this includes everything from peas, chickpeas, beans, lentils, barley, soybeans and peanuts. There are so many benefits to adding pulses to your diet:eating pulses for at least three weeks significantly reduces LDL-cholesterol levels, which can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke
- eating pulses is a good way to manage blood sugar levels
- pulses are full of fibre, complex carbs and protein which is essential for your diet
- they produce their own nitrogen fertilizer making the production process better for the environment
- whether you follow a special diet such as vegan, paleo, or gluten-free, pulses are a perfect addition to any diet
Here are two of my favorite quick-'n-easy recipes using pulses:
Sweet Potato and Bean Burrito
Ingredients
- 4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
- 2 cups water
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 5 tsp prepared mustard
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- whole wheat tortillas
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees ).
- Heat oil in a medium skillet and saute onion and garlic until soft. Mash beans into the onion mixture. Gradually stir in water; heat until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce, chili powder, mustard, cumin and cayenne pepper.
- Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the tortillas; top with the cheese. Fold tortillas burrito-style around the fillings and place on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until warmed through, about 12 minutes.
Bean Salad
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| Photo: firstpost.com |
- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- red onion, diced
- parsley, chopped
- celery ribs, chopped
- 1/3c apple cider vinegar
- 1/4c olive oil
- 1/2tsp salt
- 1/4tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2tbsps granulated sugar
- In a small bowl combine the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and sugar. Whisk then set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the beans with the onion, parsley and celery.
- Pour the contents of the small bowl over the contents of the large bowl and mix so all ingredients are coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for a couple hours.
