Cornmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup and 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup raisins

Method

• In a bowl mix butter and sugar until creamy.
• Blend in the almond extract and egg.
• In a separate bowl combine cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.
• Stir in the raisins.
• Drop batter in teaspoon size on a lightly greased cooking tray.
• Bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 10-12 minutes.

Lentils

When I was younger I never used to eat legumes. It was not because my mom never used to makes legumes for meals, it was because I could not stand eating them. The only legumes I ever ate was lentils. Legumes in the Mediterranean diet is very important and one has to eat of this food group at least twice a week.
It was just recently that I started eating legumes with a passion because I decided that I wanted to shed 2-3 kg. I was going to do this by eating more legumes and less meat and fast food. I did loose the weight, but I put it back on again. I am a meat person, what can I say ? Don't get me wrong...I still eat legume three times a week, and I love it! Plus is is great for one's GI tract.
What follows is the recipe for how I make legumes which is adapted from the way my mom makes them.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of lentils (brown coloured)
• 0.5 cup of rice
• 2 onions (chopped)
  
• 1 cube of stock (beef or chicken)
• olive oil (to fry the onions)

Method

• Fry onions until golden brown and set aside
• Boil water in a saucepan and add lentils. Boil lentils for 15 minutes.
• Strain the water and pour fresh boiling water in the saucepan with the lentils.
• Add the rice, the cube of stock and and the fried onions and boil for another 15-20 minutes depending on whether you like the lentils soft or crunchy.
• Drain the excess water, if any.
  
• Enjoy!