Recipe Rivalry -- Time To Vote!

Decisions! Decisions! The goal of the challenge was to find unique and interesting ways to add the legumes into the every day menu. And the goal of this post is to remind you to VOTE - everyday - once a day (literally, one vote a day only) - until the 23rd. For me! Heh. (If you're one of the first 500 to vote, you win a free bag of dry peas or lentils -- hop to it!) Click here to vote

But I digress.

It turns out that picking "the one" to vote on proved more daunting a task than coming up with "the six" needed for the contest itself. That means visions of legumes and their use yet dance in my head - expect to see more recipes in future posts, heh heh.

So, just as I had a time deciding between which recipes made up the "six", I struggled with which of the six to select as "the one" (selection for the contest).

I loved the complex taste of the first two (lentils made risotto style and the lentil olive salad) along with the ease of preparation.

I drooled over the thought of chowing down on the enchiladas and the rangoons.

Yet the marriage of textures and flavors in the spring rolls along with the fun of sprouting lentils caused me to lean to this being the pièce de résistance.

In addition to the fun ways the legumes were used was the ease with which they would be added to any party menu.

Yet, as I mused over this and that with the five, I kept coming back to the ease, the taste, the texture and multi-use nature of "the one" - the roasted garlic and lentil bechamel.

In my post, it was used as a sauce for fettuccine paired with roasted tomatoes - a sensational taste and texture combination - and also a sauce for poached eggs.

Upon weighing whether to use the sauce I created kept popping up. For instance, it could be the base for an enchilada sauce - red or green; change the herbs and it becomes a new taste sensation altogether; add cheese and use it for an alfredo topping on pizza, or mixed with pasta and baked for macaroni and cheese.

So given the simplicity of the basic recipe and, by its very nature, the variations an inventive mind can create (I know many of you probably have thought of a few), I decided it would be "the one" showcased for the contest.

So win, lose, or draw I hope I have helped broadened the way lentils will grace the tables of whoever happens upon this blog.

Please pass the link to voting along to your friends and family, and ask them to vote, too (every day!). Every vote counts, and I need your help!

A Lifetime Supply of Dry Peas & Lentils Giveaway!

Now that I've shown you guys some new ways to cook with lentils, a lifetime supply of dried peas and lentils won't send your kids or live-in lentil haters searching for a new home. Thanks to the USA Dry Peas, Lentils & Chickpeas Council, the host of the Recipe Rivalry, one of my readers can win a lifetime supply.

One aspect of this challenge I really liked was the variety of lentil and split pea products I received. Like lentil flour. Did you know there was lentil flour? I didn't. I'll be posting a recipe featuring it soon. And did you know there are lentils matching all the colors of the rainbow? Okay, I exaggerate, though my eyes were opened to the many different types I hadn't been aware of, as I primarily cooked with brown lentils in the past. Seriously, this is a great prize, so make sure you enter.

Also, I can't thank the Lentil Council enough for giving me this opportunity, and I hope I used their products to the best of my ability for this challenge.

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Giveaway Details

Now here's how you can help me. The contest isn't over yet! I still need to pick which recipe out of the six I made to enter into the contest, and I'd like your help. Take a look at the recipes linked below and pick your favorite, then follow these instructions for up to 4 entries:

• Leave a comment telling me your favorite recipe -- 1 entry


• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this page, and comment again letting me know (include a link to your post) -- 1 entry


• Fan She Runs, She Eats on Facebook and comment to let me know -- 1 entry


• Follow me on Twitter and Twit about this giveaway -- 1 entry

Deadline for entry is on Tuesday, June 15th. I'll randomly choose a winner and post on Wednesday. Good luck!
(Open to US residents only)

Voting begins on Recipe Rivalry on Thursday, June 17th. I'll post a reminder on that day.

1. Lentils with Jalapeno, Cilantro, and Queso Fresco

2. Lentil Olive Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

3. Lentil Enchiladas with Homemade Ancho Chile Sauce

4. Lentil Sprout Spring Rolls with Shrimp

5. Roasted Garlic and Lentil Bechamel Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes

6. Split Green Pea Crab Rangoons with Sticky Ginger-Garlic Dipping Sauce