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Baby Kale and Lentil Salad

Hi guys I have found another recipe that you all should try.  It makes a great side dish or you could eat it alone as a big salad for lunch! As you may have guessed I am a huge fan of kale and I have recently found that I love lentils so this is a great pairing.  The recipe calls for goat cheese, but I don’t really care for it so I just left that out of mine. I found this recipe on Mind Body Green.

I apologize for the quality of the photo it was taken with my phone and poor lighting conditions.

Kale and Lentil Salad

 

It is quick, simple and really taste great! Enjoy!

Baby Kale and Lentil Salad

Serves 4

1/2 lb lentils

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 red onion, sliced

6 oz baby kale

2 oz crumbled fresh goat cheese

Rinse the lentils then cover with water by 2 inches. Boil the lentils until they are tender, but still whole, about 20 minutes. Drain them and cool to warm.

While the lentils cook, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, oil, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Stir in the onion and let sit 10 minutes.

Stir in the lentils while they are still warm, then stir in the kale and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Let’s Chat: 

What is your favorite way to use kale? I love to use it in smoothies, but I also cook with it fairly often as well.

 

 

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Hi guys! It’s been awhile since I have shared a recipe. This one is just in time for all this crazy cold weather we are having!

This one is  a “new to me” recipe.  I’ve had this recipe in my stack to try, which by the way has gotten seriously out of hand, for awhile now.  There are just too many enticing recipes out there.  This Curried Sweet Potato Soup was so easy to make and absolutely delicious.  It won over my husband and that is not an easy thing to do! It is Lindsay’s recipe from The Lean Green Bean.  I stuck with her recipe except that I did not have any leeks so I used 1/2 onion instead. Also her recipe calls for celery but doesn’t say how much so I used 2 large stalks, I added that into the recipe below. There is just enough spice in the soup to add warmth and depth.  OMG so good, I plan on making another pot of it this week.  I also garnished a couple bowls of mine with some bacon but it taste great either way. Enjoy!

photo (22)

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 leeks
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder
  • 1 Qt veggie broth
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Plain yogurt and cilantro to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1) In stock pot melt butter, add leeks, ginger and celery. Cook til wilted.

2) Add sweet potatoes, curry and veggie broth.

3) Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender.

4) Puree the soup in batches in blender. Or use an immersion blender. Add cayenne pepper and garnishes if desired.

 

 

Harvest Minestrone with Quinoa and Kale

Thanks to Mind Body Green I made a big pot of Harvest Minestrone a few days ago. Similar to traditional minestrone just a little healthier with some additions like quinoa and kale!  It is delicious.  I did not follow their recipe exactly I used only one can of beans and I used yellow squash as well as zucchini. I also did not garnish with parmesan since I like to keep things dairy free most of the time. Also it would be very easy to add chicken or sausage to this soup if you find yourself wanting meat.  It’s a great Fall soup and one you can feel good about eating! Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet onion – medium diced
  • 2 celery stalks – medium diced
  • 3 carrots – medium diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil – or enough to cover the bottom of the pot
  • 2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
  • 2 cups fresh zucchini – medium diced (about 1 medium or 2 small)
  • 2 cups green beans – cut in 1 inch pieces
  • 1 bell pepper – medium diced
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 28-ounce cans of water
  • 1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans
  • 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups kale – stems removed
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric (or to taste)
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Garnish with parmesan to taste
  • Garnish with slivered basil or finely chopped rosemary

Directions:

Place a large stockpot over medium heat and add the onions, carrots, bell peeper and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes or until softened.

Add the garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook for about one minute or until garlic begins to color.

Add the zucchini and the green beans, season with salt and pepper, add the turmeric, stir and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and the water, raise heat to high and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat to medium/low and allow the soup to gently boil (uncovered) for about 20 minutes.

Add the quinoa and cover for 15 minutes.

Remove the cover, add the kale and the canned beans (more water if needed) bring back to a gentle boil and cook for another 5 minutes or just until the kale is tender.

Grate in the parmesan, add the basil and serve. (or do this for individual servings).

Spaghetti with Tomato and Lemon

I picked up a new cookbook this summer called Simply Delicious Vegetarian and that is where this recipe comes from.  They had such a great photo of it in the cookbook I knew I had to try it. The only substitution I made was using brown rice spaghetti instead of regular pasta. I try to eat gluten free as much as possible so I love using brown rice pasta. The texture and taste is great! This was great the first night but even better the next day as the flavors had more time to meld together.

Here’s the recipe:

Serves 4-6

Prep time 10 minutes

Cooking time 15 minutes

What you need:

2 lb ripe tomatoes

1lb spaghetti (I used brown rice spaghetti)

4 tbsp finely chopped basil + extra leaves to garnish

1/3 extra virgin olive oil

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and peel them. Chop coarsely.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain well and trasfer to a large serving dish.

Add the tomatoes, basil, oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Garnish with basil and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Let’s Chat!

What’s your favorite healthy pasta dish?