Green Pepper Lentil Soup

Hi there!  Hope you all had a great weekend.  I was out of town once again, this time in Dallas to cheer on Jay's volleyball team in the conference finals.  My mom and I drove down directly from work on Friday and had a great time hanging out in the area and supporting the Cyclones.  Jay's team made it all the way to the championship match and played so well against a much bigger school - it was incredibly exciting to watch!  

After getting home late Saturday night, Jay and I hosted a casual birthday brunch for his grandpa yesterday morning.  By the time dinner rolled around, we were both pretty exhausted and not in the mood for any heavy duty cooking.  I figured it would be the perfect night for a big, easy pot of soup, especially with frigid winter temperatures right around the corner.  

We had a surplus of green peppers, so I used them along with other ingredients I had on hand to put together a soup version of lentil stuffed (or in this case un-stuffed) green peppers.  It only took about 10 minutes to throw together, and it was delicious and and filling.  The rice and lentils provide complete protein and lots of bulk.  I actually had to return some of my second helping back to the pot because my eyes were so much bigger than my stomach (a rare occurrence around here).  I can't wait to take the leftovers to work this week to keep me warm through the polar vortex.   

Green Pepper Lentil Soup

(Inspired by a recipe originally spotted on Clean Eating Chelsey)

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 1/2 green peppers, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dried lentils
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups fresh spinach
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Begin by heating the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute your red pepper flakes, onion, garlic, and green pepper for about five minutes (until soft).  Add your diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, brown rice, lentils, and additional spices.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you like your soup spicy, top with a squeeze of Sriracha before enjoying.

Spotlight on: Millet

Good morning and happy Memorial Day!  I hope you are having a fun and relaxing long weekend.

I wanted to take a minute to talk about one of my very favorite grains: millet!

You may be familiar with millet as a birdseed ingredient, but it is a tasty, nutritious whole grain for humans, too!  It is fast and easy to prepare and full of important nutrients like B vitamins, iron, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus and manganese + protein and fiber.  Millet is also naturally gluten-free, so it is a great option for those who are sensitive.

I always keep a canister of millet on hand to use as an alternative to brown rice, quinoa, or freekeh.  It has a mild nutty flavor and works well in just about any dish that you would use rice in.  You can find it in the bulk bin section of most health food stores, and it is super cheap!

To make rice-style millet, you will need 1 cup of millet plus 2 cups water or broth (use about 2.5 cups if you want a creamier texture).

First, place a saucepan on the stove and turn the heat up to medium.  Add the millet into the pot dry, and allow it to toast for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.  This step really brings out the nutty flavor of the millet and will keep it from turning into a big pot of mush.

Once the millet is fragrant and a touch brown, add in your liquid and turn up the heat.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to sit, covered, for a few more minutes.  Then, fluff and serve.

You can add in a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of butter/coconut oil/olive oil while the millet is cooking to give it a little extra flavor. I also sometimes stir in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast to make it "cheesy".

Here is some "cheesy" millet with fresh dill from the other night served alongside roasted tofu and sauteed kale.

I almost always make millet this way and use it as a rice substitute, but I've read that you can even include raw millet in baked goods or granola to add crunch.  Alternatively, if you use 3 cups of water instead of 2 and stir the millet as it simmers, it can be made into a breakfast porridge.  What a versatile little grain!

Here's a great article that goes into more detail on the history of millet and the different ways it can be used.

I'm off to enjoy the rest of what has already been a great weekend.  See you soon!

Recent Happenings and a "SOUP"erfood Recipe

Good afternoon!  Hope you are having a great week so far...almost halfway there!  It has been a busy week around here, but luckily we were well-rested after a low-key and relaxing weekend.  I got lots of to-dos taken care of, including recovering Wendy and Oliver's pet steps in a cute chevron fabric.  (The carpet that they came with was falling off, so it just had to be done.)  Wendy is very pleased with the new look.

The weather was nicer-than-average, and on Saturday I had the best run I've had in at least 6 months.  It was a great feeling, and now I'm starting to get the itch to sign up for some kind of race in the spring.  To celebrate, I made these pomegranate mimosas:

Delicious!

I also bought a ton of veggies at the grocery store, only to realize that, between Jay's work schedule and a couple of social obligations, we are only both going to be at home for dinner one night this week.  In an effort to not let things go to waste, I put together a creamy, dairy-free broccoli "superfood" soup last night.  It was inspired by a recipe I saw recently in a Humane Society e-mail.  The soup was tasty and about as healthy as it gets!

Broccoli Superfood Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek (the white part only), chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon thyme

2-3 cups broccoli florets
4 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

1. Finely chop the broccoli and, if you have time, wait half an hour (see video below).

2. Using a bit of olive oil, saute the leeks, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes.  

3. Add in sweet potato and saute for a few more minutes.  If the ingredients begin sticking to the pan, pour in 1-2 tablespoons of water.

3. Add the thyme and cook for another minute, then add the broccoli and vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook the mixture, covered, until broccoli and sweet potatoes are tender (about 10-15 minutes).

4. Add nutritional yeast and carefully puree the soup using an immersion blender.

5. Season with salt and lots of fresh ground pepper.  Of course, I also added a little Sriracha to mine. 

So what makes this soup so healthy?  Check out these great resources:

Broccoli:  Breast Cancer Survival Vegetable video
Garlic, onion, and leeks: #1 Anti-cancer Vegetable video

Sweet potato: The 7 Hottest Anti-Aging Superfoods to Eat in 2014 article

Nutritional yeast: Preserving Immune Function in Athletes With Nutritional Yeast

Why the pre-chopping and half-hour waiting period? Sometimes the Enzyme Myth Is True video

Can you tell I am a big fan of NutritionFacts.org?  The guy is SUCH a nerd, but he provides the best research-based info on the web.  

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Thanksgiving and a Brussels Sprouts Recipe

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday!  Jay and I joined about 20 other family members at my aunt and uncle's house for am amazing feast.  Everything was beautiful, and the food was some of the best Thanksgiving fare I've had in years!

This was only round one:

And don't even get me started on the pies...holy cow!

My Brussels sprouts turned out quite tasty, and the recipe was simple enough that I'm sure I'll be preparing them this way many more times throughout the year.  

Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon (or 10 grinds) black pepper
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Remove any yellow or brown outer leaves on sprouts, cut off the stems and cut in half.
3. In a large bowl, toss the brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper together. Once all of the brussels sprouts are coated in oil, spread them into a 9- by 13-inch (or larger) baking dish or sheet tray to roast. Note: You may want to line your sheet tray with foil for easy cleanup because the caramelizing process leaves a sticky residue. Place in oven.

4. After 15 minutes, stir the brussels sprouts with a spatula or large spoon to even out the browning. After 30 minutes, stir in the maple syrup.
5. Continue to roast the brussels sprouts for about 15 more minutes, or until they are fork tender (about 45 minutes total roasting time).
6. Toss the roasted brussels sprouts with the walnuts and eat!

Later in the evening, we popped over to my stepsister's house to say hello to some friends and family who were eating over there. 

My little nephew, Ryder, is the cutest!

I made sure to call it an early night, because my mom and I had plans to start our annual Black Friday shopping adventure first thing in the morning.  I love searching through the ads every year and devising a detailed game plan...we don't mess around!  Even though most of the stores we went to had been open since the night before, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the majority of the items we wanted were still in stock.  We knew we wouldn't have a shot at the really big-ticket doorbuster items (and we weren't about to go out on Thanksgiving night to try), but we still scored tons of great deals and made a big dent in our Christmas shopping lists.  

Success!

Banana Pumpkin Peanut Butter Soft Serve

I can't tell you how nice it is to be sitting at home in my pajamas blogging this morning instead of being at work!  Thanksgiving break could not come soon enough!

Last night, after another epic "Salad Tuesday" involving roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and avocado, I was craving a little something sweet.  I didn't feel the pressure to get in bed ridiculously early like I do on work nights, so I decided to whip up some banana soft serve.  

I have seen recipes for this sugar-free, vegan treat all over the web, and I've made it several times.  The basic version could not be easier.  You simply stick a frozen banana (or two or three) into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.  The texture ends up almost identical to soft-serve frozen yogurt, and the banana is sweet enough that it really does taste like ice cream without adding extra sugar.  Some bloggers will squeeze in a bit of honey or agave nectar, but I don't think it's really necessary.

Last night, I decided to make the recipe a bit more interesting by adding in some other ingredients that I had on hand. 

I used:

1 frozen banana

1 heaping tablespoon canned pumpkin

1 tablespoon peanut butter

A hefty shake of cinnamon

After it was all blended up, I topped it with some of these Cacao Sweet Nibs.  Cacao is a Mayan superfood that is full of antioxidants and is known to be one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium.  

Did you notice the doggy photo bombs in the last two pictures?!  Too cute. 

The recipe made just enough for one person (although I'm sure I could have eaten more), and it really hit the spot.  

This morning I am headed to a doctors appointment and then plan to tackle the grocery store to pick up some ingredients I need for a couple of Thanksgiving side dishes. 

I am bringing a Brussels sprouts dish to my aunt's tomorrow, which I am going to base loosely off this recipe:

Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts

For a dinner with Jay's family on Saturday, I want to bring one of these:

Quinoa Salad with Pecans and Cranberries or The Best Shredded Kale Salad.

I will let you know how it goes!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Pumpkin Banana Bean Bars

Hello everyone!  Hope you are having a great weekend!  We kicked off the weekend early at a trivia night to raise money for the Oklahoma Children's Hospital on Thursday.  Our table may not have won first place, but we had a great time!

The rest of the weekend has been pretty laid back so far.  I did some shopping yesterday and couldn't resist picking up a few new holiday decorations.  This is our first year in this house, and my head is spinning with ideas.  I can't wait to decorate!

I also made a yummy new recipe that I saw in a "Forks Over Knives" newsletter for pumpkin bean bars.  They are vegan, gluten free, and full of plant-based ingredients.  It does feel a little strange dumping a whole can of beans into a dessert, but I promise you will not taste them at all!

Pumpkin Banana Bean Bars

Serves 9

Ingredients:

• 15 ounces white beans (I used Great Northern)
• ½ cup canned pure pumpkin
• 2 whole bananas
• 3½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I just used cinnamon)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• ½ cup instant oats

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Drain and rinse beans. Combine all ingredients except oats in a food processor, blending until smooth and creamy. Stir in oats then transfer to a square baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the center is firm to the touch. Allow to completely cool before slicing or eating (the bars firm as they cool). The pumpkin flavor also intensifies the next day (make in advanced if possible).

Note: If you only have rolled oats, send them through your food processor first to chop them up so they are smaller and more granulated like instant oats.

I also added about a half cup of chocolate chips, making them even more delicious! These bars would be a much healthier option to bring along to an upcoming Thanksgiving dinner...I would eat one over pumpkin pie any day!

I'm off to enjoy a lazy Sunday morning before heading to a baby shower brunch and then hitting the grocery store. See you later!

Four Ingredient No-Bake Chocolate Brownie Balls

I wanted to pop in and share the recipe that I made last night using the pitted dates from Aldi.  I absolutely love to whip up this dessert because it only requires four ingredients and takes just minutes to make.  It also has zero added sugar AND is vegan and gluten-free.  It doesn't get much better than this people!  I originally saw the recipe here and have made it several times since.

Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts
1 cup packed dates
4 tbsp cocoa powder
Shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:
Process walnuts in food processor.  Add in the dates and cocoa powder and process again until you form a "dough."  If you need more moisture, you can always add in a few more dates or a tiny splash of water.  Roll dough into balls.  Throw into a zip-lock bag with the coconut and shake to coat.  Store in the refrigerator.

Then just try not to eat them all in one sitting.  I may or may not have had some after dinner last night and again for breakfast this morning.  Hey, at least they're healthy!