2016 is the United Nations' International Year of the Pulse (beans, peas, and lentils).

Inspiring videos of this event:



More: http://iyp2016.org/resources/videos?jut1=1

Every day is a bean day!
Today-black beans, with a chance of hummus.

Beans and rice and rice and beans and beans and rice...

Seriously, that's the bulk of our diet, in addition to seasonal veggies and fruit when we can afford it. Beans and rice are amazing! As are lentils! Long live the pulse!

Funny! I just found out about the Year of the Pulse this afternoon while doing some background research on the issue of hunger, and I log on to VeggieBoards and there's a post about it!

Having some edamame right now.

If you want, you can take the "Pulse Pledge"! This is so cute that I forwarded it to my (omnivorous) parents.

https://pulsepledge.com/


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I love all pulses. Except lima beans.

Baby lima beans are good

We need some alternate lyrics to "Year Of The Cat", by Al Stewart, to celebrate.

Last week I didn't feel like fussing in the kitchen, but wanted to make something myself to eat during the week, so I made a very simple low-sodium thick stew(?) of dry green split peas, lots of fresh jalapenos, vegetable oil, and water. Not a favorite meal, but it wasn't bad.

Oh my! Take out the oil and peppers, add chopped carrots and onions and curry powder and it's one of my favorite thick soups! Some potatoes even!
Haven't made that in a while.

I have been going crazy over green peas in potato salad (made with vegenaise) recently.

I'm making it again this week- I didn;t go overboard on the oil, so I'll be leaving that in, but I think potatoes or carrots might be good. It would add some interesting color, too... green, white, orange... like the Irish flag!

In the days I liked cumin more than now I followed a recipe from a Hare Khrisna cookbook that toasted cumin seeds in oil before adding the water and split peas. I've only oil for soups and stew in order to "bloom" spices.

I love to use frozen peas, and often add them to leftover grains or pastas for lunch. They also serve to keep it cold if I don't get to refrigerate it through the morning

I like lentil stews when they're a bit on the 'chunky' side. It seems like a lot of people like them pureed so they're smoother. But I like chunks. Anyone else on the chunky train?

Do you mean 'al dente'?
I combine both red which 'mush down' with the brown or green or other dal for most things. I definitely like all beans thoroughly cooked!

Mushy but not pureed, a glop but without whole lentils/split peas, just ... chunks. Not smooth.

I usually puree half (stick blender, easy peasy) and leave half and then combine.

I like lentil or pea soup a bit chunky, too. The varied texture adds a bit of interest, especially if there are chunks of vegetable in there too. But I mostly pay attention to the flavor.

Then again, sometimes a smooth texture really works. I got a recipe for dried lima bean and carrot soup; I sometimes substitute a winter squash like butternut or pumpkin when I make it. Anyway, when you blend it well, it has a nice orange color. It depends on my mood when I'm making it.

I'll be done eating my jalapeno-pea soup probably by Wednesday, and I'll be jonesing for something with white beans- Great Northern, pea, or navy... but the health food store in my area hasn't been carrying them. What??!!... they're not "trendy" like aduki, fava (retch!!!... I finished them but won't be buying THEM again... not the dry kind anyway... maybe they're better fresh and shelled...), or a bunch of other varieties they have?...

No Italian types in your neck o' the woods? Even 'standard' groceries around here carry dry Great Northerns.

I am so glad you brought up split pea soup! I thought I was the only one who liked it, and haven't made it in ages. I did last weekend--2 pounds of split peas to 5 quarts water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion- no oil. Couple pinches cumin, lots of garlic powder, some dried onion soup mix, good pinch of thyme, that pack of 'hamm' seasoning that I saved from the 15 bean soup mix, tumeric. Mmmmmm, mmmmmm.

Yeah I find all kinds of white beans at regular stores. Aldi has great northern beans dried.
I do like aduzki

I don't like pureed soups at all

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I used to do a sweet and sour split peas that was pretty tasty. If you pureed it you'd have soup I guess, but I'm just not a soup guy.

I'm confused and very interested!
How do you make split peas any way besides soup or dip? they cook down to a paste
Or are there different varieties like red or brown lentils?

I love split pea soup! I make it very simple...just simmer split peas, water, vegetable broth, carrots, onion, pinch of lemon juice, black pepper, salt. Once everything is soft, I throw it in the blender and blend to get a thick creamy soup, almost dip like. I make it usually once per month or so. Haven't been in the mood this summer but come Autumn...


My favorite bean burger is mashing white beans, cornmeal, almond milk, fresh chives or green onion, shredded carrot together. Make patties and fry in nonstick skillet (I use only a tiny bit of oil or spray...cause once I am done the patties go on a Rudi whole wheat bun with Just Mayo lol).

Oh i love split pea soup too!! I always make it in the fall/winter... soups of all varieties become a very regular occurrence in my kitchen once the weather cools down a lot - sort of like salads in summer ^_^

I also really really love pasta e fagioli when it's cold... no sausage of course LOL

I use yellow split peas and cook until they're chunky rather than completely disintegrated.