Long soak can reduce after effects of lentils

Dee King of Spokane called the paper a few weeks back with a rather delicate question about lentils. She wanted to know if there was something you could do with them before cooking to help prevent gas.

We turned to our regional lentil experts with the National Lentil Festival (held each August in Pullman) for help.

Festival director Nicole Flansberg put our question to Carolyn Joswig-Jones, coordinator of the festival’s cook-off.

First, a little food science. Lentils and beans cause gas in part because they contain big sugar molecules, called oligosaccharide, that the body cannot break down. Those big sugar molecules pass through our digestive systems to the large intestine. Once there, these large sugars are a delicacy for intestinal bacteria, who pig out on them, and, in Joswig-Jones’ words, “create a lot of gas in the process.”

Here’s what Joswig-Jones suggested.

“Long and slow is the way to go. Give the lentils a long soak in water first, then change the water before cooking them slowly. This will help break down the complex sugars in the lentils. Savvyvegetarian.com suggests soaking red lentils for 1 to 2 hours and green and brown lentils for 2 to 4 hours.

“Gradually change your diet to include more beans and lentils. This will “help to create a better bacterial environment in your body to take care of those foods, causing less gas,” Joswig-Jones said.

“Use red lentils instead of brown lentils, she said. They are easier to digest; however, they break down more easily during cooking.

Or, she suggested, you could try Beano.

Beano, from AkPharma Inc., is an enzyme that helps break down oligosaccharide before it gets to the large intestine. Joswig-Jones said that placing a few drops of Beano on a prepared lentil dish will help alleviate any digestive problems. Beano is widely available at supermarkets, health food stores and pharmacies

According to the company’s Web site, Beano is recommended for people ages 12 and older. Pregnant or nursing women, diabetics or people who are galactosemic should consult their doctor before using the product.

Armed with all this new lentil information, here are a couple of recipes to try. Neither call for soaking lentils beforehand; be sure to do that ahead of time.

The first recipe is from Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything.” He lauds Lentils with Rice and Caramelized Onions as an easy one-pot vegetarian lunch. Not being a fan of caramelized onions, I made the dish without. Bittman, however, urges people to try it his way once.

Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions

From Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything.”

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped, plus 1 large or 2 medium onions, halved and sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups lentils, washed and picked over

About 6 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock, or water, warmed

1 cup long- or short-grain rice

Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Place 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, deep saucepan and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the chopped onion and cook until it begins to become tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and cook 3 minutes more. Add the lentils, stir, and add 4 cups of liquid.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Add enough of the remaining stock or water so that the lentils are covered by about 1/2 inch of liquid. Stir in the rice. Cover and turn the heat to low.

Meanwhile, place the remaining oil in a medium skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the onion slices, stirring frequently, until they are dark brown but not burned, about 15 minutes. Scoop out the onions and let them drain on paper towels while you finish cooking the lentils and rice.

Check the rice and lentils after 20 minutes. When both are tender and the liquid is absorbed, the dish is ready. If the lentils and rice are not tender, add more liquid, cover, and cook for a few more minutes. If the rice and lentils are soft and there is much liquid remaining, raise the heat a bit and cook, uncovered, stirring, until it evaporates.

Serve the rice and lentils garnished with parsley and the caramelized onions.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 300 calories, 11 grams fat (1.5 saturated, 32 percent fat calories), 11 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams dietary fiber, no cholesterol, 300 milligrams sodium.

Note: If the lentil and rice recipe seems a little too warm with the coming of summer, fear not. Lentils are a popular ingredient in salads. This recipe earned high marks on the allrecipes.com site. I used 1 cup of chopped kalamata olives, instead of the 2 cups green olives; feel free to play around with the quantities. Other allrecipe.com users suggested adding garlic, cilantro, and in one case, feta cheese. I mashed up a couple of cloves of roasted garlic and mixed it in with the dressing. Yum.

The recipe makes enough salad to feed an army, making it perfect for potlucks and parties.

Lentil Salad

1 16-ounce package dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small white onion, chopped

2 cups chopped green olives

1/2 cup olive oil

6 tablespoons lemon juice

Place lentils in a large pot with enough water to cover by a few inches. Bring to a boil and cook until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water in a colander to cool. Let stand for a few minutes to drain well.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Add the red pepper, onion and green olives and toss to blend. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving to blend the flavors. This salad tastes better the longer it sits.

Yield: 14 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 155 calories, 12 grams fat (1.5 grams saturated, 66 percent fat calories), 4 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams dietary fiber, no cholesterol, 780 milligrams sodium.