Cooking with some high protein ingredients: Beans, lentils and Split Peas

If you are looking for some high protein meals try some beans and legumes such as lentils and split peas

Today I am using some different combinations.
Start with a teaspoon of olive oil and a small cube of ginger and a clove of garlic chopped well.

Simmer the ginger and garlic for about 5 minutes and then add black beans that you have rinsed and drained, and add veggies that you like!
I chose a chopped ripe tomato, 5 sliced mushrooms, 1 white onion chopped well along with a cup of chopped spinach. For some spice, I added a teaspoon of Turmeric and cumin at the end.

Legumes

I pre-cooked a mixture of lentils and split peas that I keep in the refrigerator. I like them firm so I cook them for about 1/2 the amount of time the package calls for. ( around 10 minutes), equal parts of water to legumes. I always rinse them well, looking for stones or bugs before I cook them.

Lentils and split peas cooked together for only 10 minutes

I simmer the bean mixture, stirring the black beans gently so they do not crush for about 5 more minutes and then added a cup of precooked lentils/split peas to the mix, stir in and cook another 5 minutes until the consistency that you like.

When you cook with grains, legumes and beans, you need to develop your own way of simmering them. I love to see and eat the circular legumes; some people like them cooked more.