Red lentil pate

As a mom with a baby that started to eat solid foods and does baby led weaning (mostly because said baby refuses to be spoon fed, actually), I'm always thinking of recipes that are high in iron, protein and healthy fats. Not necessary all in the same recipe, but hey, if I can do it, why not? And this pate/ dip has them all: healthy fats, it's high in iron and protein and even has some vitamin C to enhance the iron absorption!

This recipe is very easy to make (ready in less than 5 minutes if you have cooked lentils), has just a few ingredients and you can use this multiple ways: as a dip instead of regular hummus, on toast or any other kind of bread or you can use it as a sauce for pasta too! Your choice!

Ingredients:

Chickpea lentil loaf (EN/ RO)

It's cold here and it feels like winter already, even if it's not quite December yet... The streets are decorated for the winter Holidays already and everything feels a bit rushed, a bit too soon. Maybe because this year's Holidays come with so much more than usual! And I can barely think of everything and it's way too much to put into words right now.

But with everything going on right now (last few weeks of pregnancy, last preparations and more), I still wanted to make some recipes for this year's Holiday season. Or maybe just because there are so many wonderful things going on I wanted to share some more of my recipes with you :)

And I believe that a chickpea lentil loaf that it's delicious and can also be baked in individual servings (as savory muffins or mini loaves) deserves a spot on your table as an entree. It goes well with steamed, baked or sauteed veggies, a side salad and don't forget about your favorite gravy too! 

As most of my recipes, this one has no added oil and as a bonus it's gluten free too (or, if you don't consider oats gluten free, I have alternatives for that too). 

Now let's stop with everything else and see how it's actually made, because it's also easy to make it!

Ingredients (makes 1 big loaf or 8-10 big muffins):

Creamy lentil and root vegetable soup (EN/ RO)

Who doesn't like hearty creamy soup on a cold fall day? I know I do! 

This soup is creamy without actually needing any cream or other refined fats, just by cooking blending delicious wholesome ingredients. And you only need one pot and less than 1 hour to make it. Also, it's perfect for meal prep too :)

Ingredients (makes about 8 servings):

Lentil hot pockets (EN/RO)

Do you want something delicious, rich in protein, and that can be a rival for those nasty mince pies?
Then look no more! Ok, jokes aside (ok, not really jokes, but still), you have to try this hot pockets!
They are filled with lentils and veggies, delicious, satisfying and they can be a good idea for a holiday meal. And if you add a sauce you don't need anything else! Maybe just a salad to add some greens to your proteins to make it even healthier :)
But I really think that you can take this for your family holiday meal and everybody will like them! 
And you have another positive aspect: that they are really easy to transport, so if you don't want to make them for a special occasion, you can make them for a work or school lunch also! :)
Also, they are quite easy to make, don't be fooled by the length of the recipe. It's just explained in detail :)
Ok, enough babbling! Let's go to the recipe! 

Ingredients (EN):

Dough: