Luv What You Do

Balancing a Busy Life with a Healthy Lifestyle

Comfort Stew April 16, 2013

Filed under: Clean Eating,Soup,Vegan — Luv What You Do @ 7:37 am
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After a rainy week and a mostly gray weekend, I felt like some soup was in order.

 

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Monday was a busy day in the kitchen…possibly more so since I was gone the week before and was looking forward to planning meals this week.  For week day lunches, I decided on Curried Lentil, Squash, and Apple Stew from Chloe’s Kitchen.

 

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It was quite an arm workout to cut the squash.

 

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I wasn’t much in the mood to take photos along the way, but I had to share the finished product!

 

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Almost on cue as I added the curry, the BOY appeared.  I had to laugh at his predictability!  I poured a bowl to take to work and saved the rest for later in the week.

 

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Dinners this week are going to be simple.  We have plenty of leftovers to get us though the week!

 

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This morning I am still trying to wrap my brain around yesterday’s tragedy.  What is there to say when I have so many questions?  Although I am building my skills as a ‘writer’, I can’t think of the words that will convey my grief and disbelief while capturing the significance of what happened.  In my opinion, runners (and triathletes) are the friendliest and most welcoming group of people.  They are supportive and empathetic…I can’t imagine anyone choosing to target such a group.  And maybe it’s because I know the elated feeling that you are supposed to have when you cross the finish line after running 26.2 miles that I feel even more sad for the runners, volunteers and spectators who will never look at the sport the same.

 

I know that this stew won’t bring with it real comfort, but there is no doubt in my mind that the blogging community (many of whom are runners) will ban together like it always does to offer support, encouragement, and love to those in Boston and beyond…and that is comforting to know!

 

 

 

Curried Lentil, Squash and Apple Stew

From Chloe’s Kitchen

Makes 6 Servigs

 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 cup dried lentils
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups peeled butternut squash (1/2-inch cubes)
1 large unpeeled apple, diced
5 ounces baby spinach

 

Directions

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, and sauté onion and carrot until almost soft. Add garlic, ginger, curry and salt, and let cook a few more minutes until fragrant.

Stir in lentils, broth and tomato paste. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add squash and apple, cover and simmer for another 25 minutes (because my squash cubes were so big, this was 50 minutes for me), or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Remove lid and stir in spinach until wilted. Add salt to taste and serve.

 

Meatless Monday for All February 18, 2013

Filed under: Dinner,Vegan,Vegetarian — Luv What You Do @ 9:29 pm
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Hooray for Meatless Monday!

Even more exciting…the BOY participated this week : )

 

Source

 

For dinner, I decided on Curried Veggie Burgers from Pinch of Yum.  And to my surprise, I got no protests from my roommate.  Although we both eat meat, I love exploring vegetarian recipes that focus on quality ingredients and fragrant spices.  I picked up all of my ingredients at the grocery store today.  I was impressed with all of the nutrient-packed ingredients in these burgers, and couldn’t wait to see how it all came together.

 

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My one hiccup came when I couldn’t find canned lentils at the grocery store.  Does anyone know where they are?  Instead, I boiled up a batch of my own lentils, which was a bit of a disaster.  I always use lentils in recipes, but have never made them plain.  What I got was a huge mushy mess.  I didn’t worry about that too much though because I knew they were heading into burgers.

 

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I was surprised to see cashews in these burgers and excited to toast them up, take a taste, and then create the paste.

 

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Also into the mix…chickpeas, onions, carrots, spices, and brown rice.  Somehow, I didn’t have any TJ’s brown rice in the freezer, but this mix made the perfect substitute.

 

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NOTE:  This is important!  If you have a smaller food processor (like mine which is 7 cups), you might want to cut this recipe in half!  I had to do 2 batches in my food processor which made it difficult to evenly mix the spices.

 

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Ok, so once you have your doughy mixture, there is a decision to make.  To bake or to fry? 

Since I had an abundance of burger mix, I knew that I could try both.  So I threw one batch of burgers in the oven and pan fried the rest.  In the end, I think I finished with, like 20 burgers.  The fried ones were warm and soft (I liked the olive oil coating).

 

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But the baked ones were toasted and crunchy.  Both tasted great, but I think next time I would add some extra curry powder!  BTW, Lindsay suggests baking then frying the burgers!

 

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The BOY made his burger into a wrap with a variety of toppings.

 

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We both had roasted broccoli on the side, and I spread a layer of hummus over my flavorful burger.

 

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I have plenty of leftovers, so it looks like I am all set for lunch this week.  Topped with hummus and avocado, I know this will make a filling midday meal!

Lindsay’s website has the full recipe and all of the tasty details, so definitely head her way before next Monday!

 

 

Did you go Meatless today?

What are your favorite meat free meals?  Links Welcome!

 

 

More Meatless Monday Ideas

Baked Barley Casserole with Mushrooms and Squash

Chickpea Tagine

Moroccan Couscous with Saffron

Spiced Quinoa Stuffed Squash

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Vegetable Quinoa Burgers

 

Waiting for the Storm January 27, 2013

Filed under: Clean Eating,Soup,Vegetables,Vegetarian — Luv What You Do @ 4:42 pm
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There has been talk since yesterday of a big, dangerous ice storm heading our way.  Yuck!  When I spoke with my parents last night, they both said that we should plan on laying low today.  When I woke up around 8am, the weather still looked fine, so I decided to head out to the grocery store for some staples before the expected 10am winter mix.

 

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I don’t think I have ever been to the grocery store before 9am. The store was quiet, which was nice, but the pharmacy didn’t open until 10am (which stinks before I needed some allergy meds).

 

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I was home before the BOY even emerged from the bedroom.  The weather outside was gray, but warm.  If a storm wasn’t heading our way, I might have bundled up for a run. Instead, I put some errands on hold to stay in my warm, comfortable home.   I made us some eggs for breakfast and sat down to watch last week’s Biggest Loser.  Meanwhile, I got started on moving some files form old computer to my new computer.  2 hours later, there was no wintery mix insight, and I was beginning to feel guilty about sitting on the couch in my jammies all day.  My mom called around noon and mentioned that some rain had started by their house.  She invited us over to brave the storm with some television and chili.  However, I had the same idea here!

 

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The BOY turned on the Indiana basketball game, and I started chopping up veggies for Lentil Chili.

 

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This is a vegetarian recipe from one of my new cookbooks.

 

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I was super excited to try this chili.  It has a complex flavor profile, and I even picked up cayenne at the grocery store this morning.

 

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This chili is jam packed with vegetables!

 

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Before you even add in your lentils, beans, tomatoes, and veggie broth.  I used only 4 cups of broth due to space limitations in my pot.

 

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If I was going to spend the day, hiding from the rain, I decided to make the most of it.  I kept plugging away at my computer getting to know Windows 8 and started a few loads of laundry.  I also sat with the BOY cheering on Indiana during a stressful conference game.  By the time Indiana secured a victory against Michigan State, my chili was ready for consumption.

 

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And OMG…it is GOOD!

 

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So simple and rich, the chili tasted amazing covered in sweet avocado.

 

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I recommend saving this recipe for your next rainy Sunday (or even Superbowl Sunday)! 

 

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The rain never came down as hard as I expected, but a few minutes ago, the BOY looked out the window.

And my car…is covered…in a sheet of ice.  Yikes!  I will definitely have to thaw it out in order to get to CrossFit tomorrow.

 

 

Did you get hit with a winter storm today?

How did you spend your Sunday?

 

Mine was much lazier than expected, but I am happy to be moved into my new computer!

 

If you are having a quiet day in (like me), here are three more veggie chili recipes that I love!

Crockpot Vegetarian Chili

Crockpot Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

Ultimate Vegan Chili

 

And…dinner is already in the crockpot, which means that I will have another easy recipe coming your way.  Clue…this one involves homemade peanut butter!

 

 

Lentil Chili

From the Forks Over Knives Cookbook

Ingredients

3 yellow onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 green), chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups 4 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground chipotle powder or smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
zest and juice of 1 lime

 

Directions

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, sauté onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic in 1 cup of the vegetable broth. Stir occasionally and cook until vegetables soften, approximately 5-7 minutes.

Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, ground chipotle powder, and cayenne pepper and cook for an additional minute, stirring well.

Add lentils, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, and remaining vegetable broth into the soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft, approximately 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

*Note: this recipe made 12 cups of chili, which is more than enough to eat, share, and try freezing.

 

Second Workout of the Year January 7, 2013

Filed under: Breakfast,Crock Pot,Lunch,Running,Soup — Luv What You Do @ 6:52 pm
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I slept 12 hours last night!

 

I’m not exactly sure what that means or why that happened, but my eyelids were heavy around 9:30pm last night and when I opened them this morning it was almost 10am.  Crazy!

 

First thing I did this morning was check on my STEW.  Then, I whipped up some breakfast (so I could take this morning’s round of antibiotics) and for the sake of my stomach threw back a GoodBelly shot.

 

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Breakfast was an egg with spinach on a sprouted wrap covered in salsa.

 

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The perfect pre workout fuel which I devoured while watching last night’s Biggest Loser episode.  After breakfast, I bundled up (check out my adorable new headband) and hit the path for a run.

 

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I had a few things working against me on this run.  The main one being the war waging in my gut between my antibiotic and probiotic.  I wanted my antibiotic to win the battle in my sinuses and was hoping the probiotic could pull out victory in the gut.  Since it was my first run in over 2 weeks, I had little expectation.  I set out on a 4.6 mile out and back route knowing that I could walk at any time and even cut the route by 1/2 mile if needed.  By the time I made it to the path, I was happy that I had worn my trail shoes.  Despite the almost fully melted snow in our neighborhood, the concrete path was about 50% snow with intermittent patches.  But the sun was shining bright and the forest preserve peaceful…it was easy to put one foot in front of the other and enjoy my first run of the year.  I was slow and tired when I rounded the corner back onto our street and my runner’s high was slightly lessened by the dull ache in my sinuses.  My watch read just under 47 minutes making this morning’s run a slow and steady second workout of the year.

 

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I was definitely ready for a late lunch.  I poured Chickpea, Butternut Squash, and Red Lentil Stew onto a mix of couscous and quinoa for a satisfying post run meal.

 

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The entire time I was eating my lunch, I kept exclaiming how amazing this stew tastes!

 

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This is seriously one of the best meals that has ever come out of my crockpot!

 

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And my crockpot works hard so that is definitely saying something!  I ate lunch with some cucumber water (I have been getting really tired of plain water, so if you have suggestions on how to spice it up, please let me know) and a grapefruit that I split with the BOY (who was not interested in trying my stew).

 

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After lunch, the BOY and I went out to run a few errands.  It was such a warm and sunny day!  Check out what we discovered while out and about 4 minutes from our house.  A Yogurtland!!!!

 

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A few hours later, we came home to drop of our groceries and shopping bags.  Then, decided on an early dinner at Mediterranean.

 

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There was some talk while we were out about planning meals for the weak, but we really didn’t hammer anything out.  Although I’d like to get back to meal planning this year, I was okay winging it this week because we have tons of homemade leftovers crowding the fridge.  For dinner, I ordered a salad with juicy and flavorful chicken.

 

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It was a healthy way to end an entire day of clean eating and exercise!  I’ve got a few dark chocolate squares for dessert and I know the BOY will be eager to find a few of these hiding in the freezer.

 

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As of now, I am resting my tired legs (man, it feels SO good to be sore) while watching the Indiana v Penn State Basketball game.  After the long weekend, I feel like I am still on vacation (did I already forget those 3 days of work last year).  I have a full week back in the swing of things coming up, and I have a feeling I will be in bed early again tonight (although I don’t think I can get another 12 hours of sleep).

 

Hope you had a Marvelous Monday!

 

First Workout of the Year

Filed under: Clean Eating,Crock Pot,Soup,Vegetarian,Yoga — Luv What You Do @ 11:38 am
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Finally!

I made it to Hot Yoga yesterday morning with my Mom!

 

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recycled picture but we were just as bundled up!

 

I really haven’t done much activity the past few weeks, so I had to remind myself a few times during the intense class that it is okay to hold back and rest.  But I LOVED getting back into my weekly workout routine, and it was even more special to have my Mom yoga-ing right next to me.  After class, I tried to convince her to come to Whole Foods with me, but she was headed another direction in search of veggies for her own Healthy New Year Soup.

 

I love shopping at Whole Foods!

 

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I picked up some fresh fruits and veggies to make one of Jenna’s hearty stews.

 

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And then came home to chop veggies and warm up the crockpot.  Right on cue, the BOY started to smell the Indian flavors from upstairs and hollered down ‘Honey, what are you making? Smells Good!’

 

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I’m hoping that he will dig right into the stew and won’t even notice the butternut squash.

 

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Without interesting (to me anyways) football today, I was a little bit lost with what to do with my Sunday.  After I got my stew into the crockpot, I baked up some Pumpkin Pear Bread.  Then did a little bit of cleaning and organizing before settling into some comfy clothes on my couch.  I was really excited to finish my book Eat & Run, and it did NOT disappoint!

 

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This recipe requires about 10 hours to get a thick and hearty stew.  Perfect for a Sunday!  The only problem…I was exhausted last night and not going to be able to stay awake until 10pm.

 

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So I put the BOY in charge of unplugging the crockpot and putting my stew into the fridge before he came up to bed.

 

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I was eager to see (and taste) the results this morning!

 

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These pictures don’t even do it justice!  Not only is this the ideal stew texture, but the flavors are incredible.  Everything blends together marvelously, so you know what I will be eating for lunch today.  I love having a house full of healthy food options and fingers crossed, I will be getting in workout number 2 today!

 

 

Crock Pot Chickpea, Butternut Squash

and Red Lentil Stew

From Eat, Live, Run

 

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 tbsp olive or canola oil

2 large carrot, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

2-3 tsp garam masala

1 butternut squash (about 3 lbs–average sized), peeled and chopped

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes in tomato juice

1 quart vegetable broth

1 cup red lentils

2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1-2 tsp sea salt (to taste)

 

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot and jalapeno and sauté for about six minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds, and then add the garam masala, stirring well to coat. Take off heat.

Place the chickpeas, butternut squash, canned diced tomatoes, red lentils, vegetable broth and onion mixture in your slow cooker. Turn the heat on LOW and cook for 8-10 hours…the longer you cook, the thicker your stew will be.

Season with sea salt to taste and serve with minced cilantro on top (I didn’t do this). This stew freezes extremely well and will keep in the fridge for up to five days.

 

Lessons Learned and Lentil Soup November 8, 2012

Filed under: Clean Eating,Life,Soup — Luv What You Do @ 9:27 pm
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Based on this picture, I am sure that you are thinking that this is a recipe from my new cookbook, but actually it is not.  I had the opportunity to have a slumber party with my best friend and her two adorable kids (ages 14 months and 6 weeks) Sunday night.  We had the best time playing with her cuties and catching up over Law&Order SVU.  Times sure have changed since our college days and life is so busy now, so it was such a pleasure to have some quality time together.  Plus, her kids are REALLY cute!

 

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Although I am not a parent, I do spend TONS of time around kids.  They amaze me each and every day with how bright and resilient they are.  I swear I learn at least one new thing a week, and here are a few of the life lessons I picked up from the kiddos this weekend…

 

1) Keep moving

 

2) If you fall, there is nothing else to do but get back up and keep moving

 

3) Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full

 

4) Nap often

 

5) When you hear music, stop what you are doing and dance

 

6) No doesn’t always mean No

 

7) Always say ‘Thank You’

 

8) It’s a good idea to ask for help

 

9) There is always time for a good cuddle

 

10) Surround yourself with the people that make you laugh

 

 

I also took home with me a recipe for a filling new soup that I was so eager to make that I stopped by Trader Joe’s to pick up the ingredients on my way home.  This was passed down through the Ya Ya’s and surprisingly, I think I am the last to get it.  Unless you don’t have it yet Mom…but no worries, I have a cup to bring home to you tonight!

 

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This recipe is super easy since it just takes a few ingredients from your local TJ’s.

 

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The BOY was a huge fan of the lentil soup!

 

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Which is pretty surprising considering how healthy this soup is.

 

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Man, those Ya Ya’s know their recipes!

I am a huge fan of this lentil soup and how healthy and tasty it is.  I think you will be too!  I thought that this was the easiest dinner ever, but this soup is pretty simple.  Perfect for a weekday lunch!

 

 

What was the last thing you learned from a kid?

 

 

Trader Joe’s Lentil Soup

Recipe from the Ya Ya’s

 

Ingredients

Garlic cloves

1 container of Mirepoix

1 package steamed lentils

1 32 oz vegetable broth

1 bullion cube (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Spray soup pan with cooking spray.  Add garlic cloves and Mirepoix mix.  Stir often for ~7 minutes until soft and fragrant.

Add in packaged lentils, vegetable broth, bullion cube if using and any seasonings.

Bring to a boil.  The let simmer for about 1 hour until flavorful.

Store in fridge or freezer.

 

 

Note: I didn’t have a bullion so I made the soup without it, and I didn’t miss it.  I think this is a great basic soup, but feel free to add in butternut squash, kale, curry, etc.

 

All of the Ingredients February 26, 2012

Filed under: Clean Eating,Soup,Vegetarian — Luv What You Do @ 7:34 pm
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Finally…

I have collected all of the ingredients to make THIS SOUP.

 

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A few months ago, I made Jenna’s Curried Butternut and Red Lentil Soup.  This soup was outrageously good, and when I saw that Lauren made a modified version, adding kale, I was excited to try it!  Except…I have been unsuccessful at getting all of the ingredients together in my kitchen at the same time.  Until today, that is!

 

The first step involves roasting the butternut squash.  I didn’t read Lauren’s post carefully before roasting the squash and didn’t have the oven high enough to really roast them good.

 

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Lesson learned for next time, but my lightly roasted squash was still absolutely delicious!

 

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It was hard to keep my fingers away…

 

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I kept them busy by tearing up the kale into tiny pieces.

 

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I doubled my recipe since I had more than enough red lentils and could use the entire container of low-sodium vegetable broth.  Plus, I always like to have extra soup to freeze or share.

 

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This soup was worth the wait.  I love the combination of lentils, squash, and the kale was a fantastic addition.

 

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As soon as the soup was finished, I dug in for a pre-dinner snack.

 

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Despite adding handfuls of kale to my soup, I had some leftover pieces. 

 

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I drizzled them with olive oil, garlic, and chili powder.

 

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I baked the kale at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes turning them into these crispy kale chips.

 

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My kale chips made the perfect side for my real dinner…leftover maple plank salmon!

 

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Make this thick and healthy stew tonight!  I’ll be taking leftovers for lunch this week.

Here is the full recipe!

 

Curried Red Lentil Soup with Kale February 15, 2012

Filed under: Soup — Luv What You Do @ 6:42 am
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I bought these beautiful red lentils at Whole Foods with plans to make another batch of Curried Butternut and Red Lentil Soup

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However, the butternut squash that I roasted earlier in the week went bad.  I was still in the mood for curry and had lentils and an onion ready to become soup, but I didn’t have anything suitable to substitute for the squash.  I found another lentil soup recipe on Oh She Glows.  I modified it slightly and got started with the chopping.

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I have been SO GOOD about not drinking soda, but I had a treat while I worked played in the kitchen.

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I used garam masala along with my curry powder for an authentic taste.

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The soup came together quickly and caused the whole downstairs to smell amazing.  Even the BOY asked what I was making.  I think I see a theme here…he is interested in anything the moment he smells curry powder.

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It was my February goal to eat more leafy greens, and thus far, I am failing. 

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This adaptation of Angela’s recipe gave me the idea to add some kale to my soup.

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This fragrant soup tasted just as good as it smelled, although I think my kale pieces are too big.  I expected them to wilt a little more.  My only change for next time would be to cut/tear my kale into smaller pieces.

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Without butternut squash, the texture of this soup is different, but the soft carrots and kale bring a lot to this flavorful broth.  This hearty soup will warm you up on any cold day!

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Curried Red Lentil Soup with Kale

Adapted slightly from Oh She Glows

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Ingredients

1 large onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1.5 Tbsp curry powder

1/2 Tbsp garam masala powder

1 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or water)

1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch of kale, torn or cut into TINY pieces

 

-Spray Dutch oven over medium heat with non stick spray or coat with olive oil.  Add onions and carrots, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until onions are fragrant.  Add garlic and cook vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes.

-Add curry and garam masala, stirring to coat for 1 minute.

-Add lentils, veggie broth, salt, and pepper to taste.  Add in lemon juice.  Stir and bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat to medium low.  Stir in kale and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.  Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes until kale is wilted.

 

Chickpea and Lentil Salad with Grilled Lemons March 24, 2011

Filed under: Vegetarian — Luv What You Do @ 9:11 pm
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So I know I promised you a recipe and I will get to that, but I have to tell you about new favorite workout….jumping rope!  I have been wanting to get a jump rope to add some cardio to my weight workouts.  I finally found what I wanted at Sports Authority. It’s this Nike Weighted Jump Rope, which is also available online.  I added 1 minute of jumping between weight sets during my past 3 Thursday morning workouts.  The added cardio boosts my heart rate, which in turn burns more calories and increases my energy levels at the start of the day.  Plus, I must admit, it is super fun.  I advise everyone to get out there and add something new AND FUN to your workout routine this spring.  Ok, on to the recipe…you’ll be hungry after all that jumping.

 

 

Chickpea and Lentil Salad with Grilled Lemons

 

Ingredients

3 cups water

1/2 cup green (French) lentils, picked over, rinsed, and drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded

1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (I omitted because I didn’t have it)

HEALTHY EXTRA: Add a large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced to the salad.

 

Directions

1. Bring water, lentils, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt to boil in large saucepan.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender but hold their shape, 15-20 minutes. Drain; transfer to large bowl to cool.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together lemon zest and juice, paprika, oil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl.  Add lemon slices; toss to coat.

3. Spray ridged grill pan with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat.  Lift lemon slices from juice mixture; reserve juice mixture.  Place lemon slices in grill pan and cook until browned, about 2 minutes on each side.  If desired, transfer to cutting board and coarsely chop.

4. Add lentils, lemon slices, chickpeas, scallions, and parsley to reserved lemon juice; toss to combine.

 

Nutrition (per 1 cup serving/375 g):

Calories: 185

Fat: 3 g

Sodium: 543 mg

Carbs: 35 g

Fiber: 9 g

Protein: 11 g

Points Plus: 5

 

What’s For Lunch? March 22, 2011

Filed under: Lunch,Vegetarian — Luv What You Do @ 8:57 pm
Tags: , ,

In an attempt to defy lunchtime boredom, I went searching for a different lunch option (besides my usual turkey sandwich or PB & J).  I found this in a Weight Watcher cookbook. I am always looking for other sources of protein, especially at lunch.  Lentils and chickpeas are healthy, vegetarian options, so I figured I would try this.

I found the French (green) lentils at Whole Foods…surprise, surprise!  They are fun colors and I was excited to try them.

They were much easier to make than I expected.  Combine the water, lentils, and a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, smoked paprika, and remaining salt, whisking to combine.  I found this great addition to my Salsa Maker. I never knew I had a juicer, but what a great day to find it!

Slice the lemon and soak in the oil mixture.  Then grill over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Cut the lemons and return them to the oil mixture with the chickpeas (rinsed and drained), scallions, and lentils (rinsed, drained, and cooled).  Stir to combine.

I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty my salad turned out…especially with the smoked paprika!  The textures of the lentils mesh perfectly with the chickpeas.  My salad made for a fun lunch today with  grilled toasted cheese and some fruit.  I also had my baked oatmeal (from yesterday’s post) for breakfast…what an exciting day of food!

If you haven’t given lentils a try yet, I highly suggest it!  They are high in fiber AND protein AND very tasty!  I had to type this out twice (because of a computer error) so I am off to bed.  Stay tuned for the recipe later this week!

 

 
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