French Lentil Salad

A new dish for me, and a keeper! I found this one in Martha Stewart's 2013 Detox program.

The recipe serves 4, yet only uses 1 tablespoon of olive oil to help make the dressing. This is a superfood salad with a fresh crispness that comes from the crunch of the red cabbage, the chopped roasted almonds give a wonderful nutty flavor, and red pepper flakes and a little spicy kick. I think you'll love it as much as I do! It takes a bit of time to prepare, so make a big batch. This salad will keep in then fridge for 3 days.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced

1 carrot finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 cup lentils, rinsed

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat.  Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender, about 6 minutes.  Add lentils and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until lentils are tender.  Drain and season with salt and pepper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining oil, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt. Add lentils mixture, almonds, cabbage, and herbs. Toss to combine.  Add more lemon juice and/or salt to taste.

Warm Quinoa-Avocado Salad with Sautéed Vegetables

Staying true to my quest for no-dairy and low gluten meals - this concoction is a winner! Super healthy and not needing any dressing, this dish will have you smiling with the first bite. The fresh parsley and basil-coated avocado bits are the star of this meal. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did tonight!

Serves 1

1 cup Quinoa
A few leaves of fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 of a red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 avocado, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Cook Quinoa according to package directions. You will end up with 4 servings of Quinoa after it is cooked, but you will use only 1/4 of the batch for this recipe. Save the rest in your fridge for use over the next few days. keeps well in fridge.

Put chopped avocado, chopped parsley, and chopped basil leaves in a small bowl and mix lightly until avocado is "dressed" with the herbs.

While Quinoa is cooking, sauté celery, mushrooms, and red pepper in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Sauté until soft.

Put 1/4 of the batch of Quinoa on a plate and top with sautéed vegetables, and then top with Avocado mixture.

Enjoy!

Quinoa over Salad dressed with a Dijon-Tahini dressing

This was dinner tonight and it is so healthy and satisfying! I love eating this while the Quinoa is still warm....it makes for a comforting dish. The heat from the dressing adds a wonderful spiciness as well.

1 cup cooked Quinoa
2 cups baby spinach/spring greens mix
a few cherry tomatoes

Dressing:

2 tbsp soy sauce - low sodium
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1/3 cup Tahini
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2/3 cup water

Put dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

To Serve:


Fill plate with salad greens. Top with warm Quinoa, and then pour dressing on top to taste. Place a few cherry tomatoes on top. Enjoy!

Fill Me Up All Morning Smoothie

It's Easter morning and I'm going to stay away from all of that Easter candy with the help of this awesome smoothie. It's very filling, and delicious!

1 cup water
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup kale
1/2 cup celery
1/2 apple
1 pear
1/2 frozen banana
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups ice

blend away and sip all morning.

Green Blueberry Smoothie

This refreshing smoothie woke me up this morning! It was delicious!

2 cups water
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Fuji apple
1 1/2 cups kale
1 stalk of celery
2 tablespoons Chia seed Gel
Fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste
2 cups ice

Mexican Fiesta Smoothie

The avocado smoothes out the stronger flavors of the Lime juice, Red Bell pepper, and cayenne pepper. I'm sure that a shot of Tequila would go nicely in here as well, but I am drinking it for breakfast after all.

2 cups water
1/2 avocado
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup cucumber
2 tomatoes
1 1/2 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
2 Tbsp lime juice
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch sea sal
2 cups ice

Blend away to your Fiesta!

My Birthday Smoothie!

Waking up today to another birthday, lucky me! I wanted something special to start my day with, and I came up with just that! I have to say that this is one of the absolute best green smoothies that I have ever had! I'm so excited that I came up with it on my birthday :0) I haven't tried mint in my smoothies before, but I'll be using it a lot going forward!!

Get ready for an awesome treat!

2 cups water
1 pear, halved
1 orange, peeled and halved
1 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup of fresh mint
1 1/2 cups kale
1 cup of ice

and blend away to happiness :0)

Cashew and Avocado Smoothie with Cinnamon

This creamy and filling smoothie will get you through 1/2 a day. It's comforting for breakfast as it has cinnamon and vanilla.

Blend these ingredients first:

1 cup water
1/2 cup cashews
2 dates

Then add these ingredients and blend again:

1 small avocado
1 banana
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash vanilla extract
Ice as desired

Home-Made Chai Tea - Made right in the crock-pot!

This sweet tea is just divine, and fun to make.

8 cups of water
8 bags of black tea
3/4 cup sugar
16 whole cloves
16 whole cardamon seeds
5 cinnamon sticks
8 slices fresh ginger
1 cup milk (keep aside for serving)

Add all ingredients except for milk into crock-pot. Cook on high 2 1/2 hrs. Strain mixture, discard solids. At this point, tea can be covered and stored for 3 days in fridge.

Stir in milk just before serving. You'll love it!

Chai tea is pretty sweet, so if you like it less sweet, reduce sugar to 1/2 cup Makes 8-10 servings

Blueberry-Banana & Spinach Smoothie

I enjoyed this great afternoon pick-me-up smoothie while surfing through the Bar Harbor magazine which showcases our 2013 summer vacation destination!

1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup soy milk
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup ice
1 tablespoon agave nectar

Pineapple-Avocado Smoothie

I made one of these after dinner tonight. Very refreshing. I'll sip 1/2 of the mixture at around 7 and save the rest in the fridge for later in the evening when I get cravings for something sweet. The pineapple will take care of those sweet cravings!

1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 cup fresh pineapple
1 small carrot
2 inches of cucumber
1/4 inch fresh ginger
1 handful of baby spinach
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cups ice

Pineapple-Orange Smoothie

A fruity smoothie that tastes fruity, but still has 2 cups of kale and spinach in it!

1 cup water
1 orange, peeled and halved
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 apple
1/2 cup grapes
1/2 lemon, seeded and peeled
1/2 cucumber cut into chunks
1 cup kale
1 cup spinach
2 cups ice

Enjoy!

Ginger Smoothie - Day 10

I love Ginger and orange juice together - makes for a zingy smoothie which is great for the morning.

1 banana
1 cup orange juice
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 Tbsp honey or agave nectar
1 cup ice

blend away and enjoy

Thai Pumpkin Soup

This is a lightly spicy comforting soup, and very easy to make.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 garlic clove minced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Extra 1 or 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock to add later


In a large sauce pan, sauté onion in oil until onion is soft
add tomato paste, pumpkin, ginger, garlic, cumin, broth, coconut milk and combine until heated through

Add mixture to blender, add chilies and lemon juice, and blend until smooth (or blend in saucepan if you have a hand blender)

Add mixture back to saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add enough chicken or vegetable broth to get the soup consistency that you want. Continue heating until heated through.

Enjoy!

Zingy Green Smoothie - Day 9

Love this smoothie for it's lemony zing!

Juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1/5 lemon
2 handfuls of Kale
1 green apple
1 banana
1 avocado
1 tbsp flaxseed
1 cup water
1-2 cups ice

Blend away and enjoy!

Very Berry Smoothie - Day 8

A great way to kick start your day. Also makes a great dessert.

1 cup lowfat vanilla greek yogurt
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 cup water

Blend away to deliciousness!

Banana Oat Smoothie - Day 7

This is a great sweet breakfast that I absolutely love. 

Banana oat smoothie

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup ice

1 banana

1 cup unsweetened vanilla flavored Almond milk

1 tsp agave nectar or honey 

Guacamole Dip - the best ever!!

This is the best Guacamole I've ever tasted - honestly! Now, I don't care for cilantro, an ingredient in many guacamole dips. For me, cilantro has a soapy taste, and I don't use it in recipes. I replace cilantro with flat leaf parsley.

2 avocados, halved and pitted (if you don't know the trick to getting the pit out easily, see below)
1 plum tomato chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsps lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt

pulse all ingredients in a blender for 7 to 8 pulses, and that's it! I like my guacamole very chunky. If you like it smoother, pulse a few more times.

tip to get pit out of avocado: hold the halved piece of avocado with the pit in it in the palm of your hand. Hold a sharp chef knife in the other and lightly tap the pit with the sharp edge of your knife. the knife should penetrate the pit, and you should be able to lift the pit straight up and out of the avocado quite easily.

Day 6 Pineapple and Spinach Smoothie

After a week in Dallas and eating too much at our company dinners, I welcome the green smoothies back into my diet again! This one gave me a boost of energy this morning. This makes about 3-4 cups

1 large slice pineapple
3 leaves romaine lettuce
1/2 avocado
1 handfull spinach leaves
1 frozen banana
1 Tbsp flaxseed
2 cups water
2 cups ice

Watermelon-Tomato and Parsley Smoothie

Day 5 Smoothie!

The Watermelon-Tomato Smoothie is light, mild, and refreshing. Enjoy!

3 cups diced watermelon
One tomato cored and cut into chunks
2 cups of ice
Quarter cup of water
2 tablespoons lime juice
Small handful of parsley

Pear-Swiss Chard Smoothie

Good morning peeps! It's a chilly, but beautiful saturday morning today. Day Three's smoothie is a good one to get your pep up today!

5-6 Swiss Chard leaves
1 large pear
1 orange, peeled
1 inch knob of ginger
Juice of 1 lime
2 cups ice

I don't peel fruit or vegetables unless it isn't edible. If you don't peel the produce, some say you should buy organic.

Watermelon-Date and Spinach Smoothie

Day 4 Smoothie Challenge!

If you are looking for something mild and sweet this morning, this is it.

2 cups watermelon
1 cup water
1 pitted date
1 big handful of spinach
1/4 cup parsley

Kale-Cucumber Apple Smoothie

Good Morning!  Welcome to Day 2 of the smoothie challenge!!

This is another smoothie that will give you a little "zing" this morning. The zing will come from the 1/2 lemon instead of the ginger used in yesterday's smoothie. One thing to note is that my blender is a 64 oz size which means that I typically make large batches of smoothie at a time. I'll make it in the morning and sip it throughout the day.  This recipe makes about 4 cups. If you have a smaller blender, you'll need to cut this recipe in half.

1 cup water
2 1/2 cups green grapes
1 orange, peeled and halved
1/2 lemon, peeled and seeded
1/2 cucumber, cut in large chunks
1/2 apple, seeded
1 cup kale
1 cup romaine lettuce
1 cup fresh parsley
1 cup frozen mango chunks (or pineaple in fine)
2 cups ice cubes
2 tbsps of flax seed

Put ingredients in blender in order listed and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Ginger-Carrot Smoothie

This morning's Smoothie was a winner with me. Zingy and Yummy! Just throw 2 carrots, 1 apple, 2 tsp fresh grated ginger, 1/2 an orange, 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 cups of ice, and 1 Tbsp Agave nectar in the blender!  The taste of this smoothie reminds me of those orange popsicles I used to eat as a kid - I miss those!