Lentil, Tomato & Arugula Salad

This salad makes a great summer lunch paired with crusty French bread. I made the dish with Ellie Krieger's Herbed Lentils in mind, but made a few substitutions based on what we had in the house.

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

1 cup green lentils
2 cups of water
2 tbps olive oil
1 diced shallot
1 tsp dried basil
3 cups of arugula
6 small vine tomatoes, chopped (or cherry tomatoes, halved)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
juice of 1 lemon
salt & pepper to taste
 
Directions:

Place the lentils in a pot with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still retain their shape. Drain any excess water from the lentils and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and  dried basil and cook until they are softened, around 2 minutes. Add the arugula and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, and parsley to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Arugula

This salad, based on a recipe from one of Curtis Stone's cookbooks,  is very easy once you get through with the vegetable prep work.

Ingredients:

2 cups arugula
1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of  low sodium vegetable broth
1 English cucumber, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 red pepper, diced

Directions:

Add quinoa and vegetable broth to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until quinoa is cooked and the liquid has disappeared. Allow quinoa to cool.

Mix chopped vegetables, chickpeas, quinoa, and arugula together. Top with a pre-made dressing, or a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

This salad would also be good topped with some savory baked tofu for dinner.

South Beach Diet's Broccoli Stir Fry with Tofu & Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe, from the South Beach Diet cookbook by Arthur Agaston, is very easy to make - just make sure to prep all of the ingredients before you start. I would recommend doubling the sauce for anyone who wants a bit extra to go with their rice.

 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry sherry

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large bunch broccoli, cut into small florets

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 cup cherry or yellow pear tomatoes, halved

8 ounces firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/4″ cubes

Directions:

In a cup, whisk together the broth, soy sauce, sherry, and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and tofu and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to collapse.

Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the mixture boils and thickens.

Serve over white or brown rice.
  

Aloo Gobi

I was in the mood for Indian the other day and whipped up this dish. While the ingredient list is a bit longer than I usually like to see, a good portion of it consists of spices that I always have on hand.

From the Forks Over Knives cookbook.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 jalapeno pepper, chooped

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

2 bay leaves

1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets

2 russet poatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 medium tomatoes, diced

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons freshly minced cilantro for garnish

1 cup of green peas

 

Heat oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and fry until translucent, adding water if needed. Add garlic, jalapeno, and ginger. Cook additional 3 minutes.  

 

Add  remaining spices, cauliflower, potatoes, and tomatoes.  Cook covered until potatoes are tender, around 15 minutes. Add peas and cook for 5 more minutes.

 

Remove bay leaves and garnish with cilantro.

 

 

 

Spicy Lentil and Barley Soup

A simple recipe for a delicious and hearty soup. Perfect for lunch on a cold winter day.



Ingredients:

2 tbps olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp harissa spice
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of red lentils
1/2 cup of barley
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
5 cups of water
optional toppings: Chopped tomatoes, parsley or cilantro



Directions:

Warm olive oil in heavy bottomed soup pan. Add onion and fry until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook for one minute. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes.

 

Mini Polenta Pizzas

I adapted this recipe from one I found in the Forks Over Knives Cookbook. I made it super simple by picking up some pre-made polenta and pizza sauce from Trader Joes. While the end product tastes nothing like a "pizza", these were still yummy & fun.


Ingredients:
Pre-made polenta, refrigerated and sliced into 1 inch thick rounds (or make your own with cornmeal & water)
2 tomatoes, sliced
Store bought pizza sauce
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
Red pepper flakes, to taste.
Basil, shredded

Preheat oven to 425. Place polenta slices on a non- stick baking sheet. I used a silpat mat for easy clean-up. Layer with pizza sauce, tomato slices, and nutritional yeast. Bake for 15 minutes. Top with basil and enjoy warm!

 

 

Quinoa, Kale, and Broccoli Salad

 

 

I threw this recipe together based on what was in my fridge. Although it was a good salad warm, it was even better cold the next day!

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion, chopped finely

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups of kale, washed and shredded

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups of water

2 heads of broccoli, chopped into small florets

1 carrot, shredded

1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts

 

Dressing:

4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard

 

 

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in large frying pan. Add onion and garlic and fry until translucent, around 8 minutes. Add quinoa, kale, and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and then simmer until the liquid is gone, around 15 minutes. Meanwhile, steam broccoli for 5 minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Mix vinegar and mustard in a small bowl to make dressing.

 

When the quinoa and kale mixture is ready, add broccoli and carrots. Mix in dressing to taste. Top with pine nuts.