annehart

Photo by  Anne Hart

Here's how to make a batch of cookies or brownies from a pan of cooked red lentils. First you cook the red lentils for a few minutes in simmering water until they're soft. Then you mix the cooked red lentils with equal parts (a cup, for example) of thick cut organic oat meal, oat bran, brown rice flour (or any type of flour you like--such as quinoa flour or amaranth flour, chick pea flour, or whatever flour you use). Organic flour is best. I can grind my own flour with an electric coffee grinder from amaranth or quinoa grain.

Add three tablespoons of flaxseed meal. Sweeten with small pieces of banana, raisins, goji berries, chopped prunes, or any dried fruit of your choice, or finely chopped apples. Now moisten the mixture to a dough-like paste with any liquid. I use a half cup of unsweetened almond milk. I also add a scoop of brown rice protein powder, but that's optional. You can add spices, if desired, such as a sprinkling of ground cinnamon and ginger or a dash of cloves.

If the dough is too wet, add more flour, or oat bran to thicken. Let stand five minutes so the dough sticks together and knead it so the fruit gets distributed throughout the dough.

Now pat out the dough either on parchment paper lining your cookie pan or scatter oat bran on your cookie pan to prevent sticking. I sprinkled oat bran on a glass cookie sheet made for oven baking. Then pat out the cookie to cover the pan.

Cut the cookie lengthwise and across like a tic-tac-toe board, or on the diagonal, as you prefer. Push the edges back toward the middle so the dough won't stick to the edges of the cookie sheet. Flatten the cookie as much as possible so you have a thin cookie.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven until the cookie is firm to the touch and chewy. The red lentils give more nutrition to this cookie. No oil, fats, eggs, table sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, or dairy is used. When firm to the touch, just slide the cookies off the sheet with a spatula and put in a bowl. Serve warm or chilled.