Sandwich time

For me, one of the difficult parts of eating fewer carbs is not that I “can’t have bread.” It’s more that I can’t have “hand-held foods” because those require bread, or tortillas, or something to contain the other foods. I mean, I can roll up some lunch meat around a cheese stick and pickle spear just fine. But what about tuna salad? If I am in a hurry and don’t want to eat “a salad” how am I supposed to eat tuna salad, or chicken salad, or egg salad?

I am so conditioned to putting all those things in a tortilla or between two pieces of bread!

Don’t tell me to use lettuce. I have used lettuce. I have not found a lettuce that will contain my lunch favorites without ripping and spilling all the good stuff out on to the plate. If I wanted to eat with a fork, I would have just started out that way!

Now, I have a solution to my forkless lunch problem.

Red lentils offer many health benefits. They are high in protein, fiber, and iron. They are a nutritious choice for any meal as a side dish, soup filler, and now a bread ingredient.

The surprising thing about this bread recipe is how bread-like it is. Often, non-gluten breads have a weird texture - often eggy. Tin contract these red lentil buns actually feel like eating bread. Paired with cottage cheese and eggs for added protein, these sandwich buns are not only delicious, but also incredibly filling. They are also quite versatile. I’ve tried them with peanut butter, cream cheese, tuna salad, and lightly toasted and buttered.

I will keep these buns handy so on days when I really need a “hand-held” lunch I can fill a bun with the yummy stuff and keep moving through my day.

While this may not seem like a camp recipe, I get it. I don’t normally carry a blender large enough for this list of ingredients. Some people might, though. Also, when I used the mini-quiche pan to bake six muffins together, they wouldn’t fit in the house convection microwave and I had to fire up the RV oven to bake them anyway.

And really, most people would likely make these at home before a camping trip. We just happen to have a silly home with no oven (on purpose!)

Really though, camping is when I most often want a hand-held option (imagine carrying a salad on a long walk). So I will prep these ahead of time and - however I bake them - take them with us for sandwich days.

Red Lentil Buns Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Red Lentils

2 Eggs

1 cup Cottage cheese, sour cream, or yogurt

4 TBSP Olive Oil

1 tsp Salt

Black Pepper to taste

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp (optional) Sesame, Poppy, or your choice of seeds

Instructions:

Prep the Lentils

• Soak red lentils in 2-3 cups of water for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator

• Rinse lentils thoroughly, drain extremely well and transfer into a blender. If you’re on the road check out our battery-powered blender.

Make the Batter

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees

• Add eggs, cottage cheese, olive oil, salt, black pepper (if using), and baking powder

• Blend until dough is a smooth and silky consistency

Bake the Buns

• Brush the cups of mini loaf pan with oil.

• Pour about ⅓ cup of the batter into each mini loaf cup

• Sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or any other seeds of choice on top for garnish

• Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through