Slow Cooker Quinoa Lentil Soup

This is such a perfect comfort food for the winter. I modified the recipe from The Food Network by using lentils instead of a bean mix, quinoa instead of barley, increased the veggies, and used WAY less salt. This recipe is pretty flexible if you want use a different grain/bean combination.

Sprinkle with some parmesan and add a salad to make it complete meal.

Slow-Cooker Quinoa Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 carrots, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled if large, optional
14-oz can stewed tomatoes
3 cups baby spinach

Directions:

1. Put 6 cups water, the lentils, beans, quinoa, garlic, carrots, celery, onions, bay leaf, salt, herb blend, some pepper and porcini mushrooms (if using) in a slow cooker. Squeeze the tomatoes through your hands over the pot to break them down, and add with their juices. Cover and cook on high until the beans are tender and the soup is thick, about 8 hours.

2. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with cheese if desired!

Serves 8 

Nutrition: 170 Calories, 1 g Fat, 32 g Carbohydrates, 9 grams protein

Bison Bolognese

If using ground turkey or ground chicken is a bit of a stretch for you when replacing beef, you should definitely give ground bison a try. Not only does bison taste great, but it has less fat and more iron than beef.

This bolognese is super easy. I served it over spaghetti squash for a take on "Pasta Bolognese".

Bison Bolognese

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb lean bison meat
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and coat with cooking spray. Add the garlic and onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the bison meat. Cook until no longer pink, stirring and crumbling occasionally.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat. Simmer 30-40 minutes. Serve!

Easiest Ever Black Bean Soup

I didn't have a lot of ingredients on hands, so I kept this really simple: diced tomatoes, black beans, garlic, and spices. It's an easy soup that is still full of flavor. If you're feeling fancy, top with some low-fat shredded cheese, and sliced green onion.

Easiest Ever Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 cans (14.5 ounce) black beans (with liquid- don't drain!)
1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Add the canned tomatoes to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
2. Heat a large non-stick soup pot over medium heat. Add all ingredients to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve!

Wasabi Salmon Sandwich with Ginger Garlic Mayo

I used to make this sandwich all the time. So full of flavor! The original recipe is from Cooking Light Magazine, but it magically disappeared from their archives :(. I've modified their version, and it still came out amazing!

Wasabi Salmon Sandwich with Ginger Garlic Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

For the Fish: 

1 (6 oz) salmon fillet
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste
1 packet stevia

Ginger Garlic Mayonnaise:

2 teaspoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste
1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of garlic powder

Other:

Small handful spinach
Whole wheat ciabatta roll

Directions:

1. Combine the rice vinegar through the stevia. Place 3/4 of the mixture in a plastic bag. Set the rest aside (in fridge). Place the salmon in the plastic bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Combine the ginger garlic mayonnaise ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Preheat broiler. Coat a baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Cook salmon for about 10 minutes, or until it easily flakes with a fork.  

4. Mix together the leftover 1/4 of the marinade mixture with the handful of spinach.

5. Scoop out the inside of the ciabatta roll (to fit all the good stuff inside!). Spread the ginger garlic mayonnaise on both sides of the roll. Add spinach and salmon and eat like a sandwich!

I've always eaten this with cucumber salad. Just goes together so well:

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
Rice vinegar
Ground ginger
Garlic powder 

Directions:

1. Combine the cucumber and red onion with a few splashes (3 T?) of rice vinegar. Add a dash of ginger and a dash of garlic powder. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Serve cold. 

Beefed-Up Veggie Lentil Stew

Perfect comfort food for the snow storm that's about to hit NYC (whomp, whomp). I used lean ground sirloin, lots of veggies, and fiber-packed lentils for hearty, filling, and nutritious stew.

Beefed-Up Veggie Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked lentils (1 cup dry)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 handfuls chopped kale
1 lb 90% lean ground sirloin (can use ground turkey too)
1 cup tomato sauce (I used Hunt's)
2 cups water
Dash of salt
Tumeric
Cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a large non-stick pot over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Add ground sirloin to the pot. Cook until brown on all sides. Next, add lentils, tomato sauce, water, salt, tumeric, and cayenne (I didn't measure, just sprinkle a little and taste test to your liking). Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add kale to the pot. Cover and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn off heat and serve!

Makes 6 cups (4-6 servings)

Nutrition Information (1 cup): 216 Calories, 4 grams Fat, 21 grams Carbohydrates, 7 grams Fiber, 24 grams Protein

Current Salad Obsession

I've been switching up my typical lunch of a protein "panini" and zucchini noodles with an absolutely delicious, easy, healthy, hearty, salad. So I wanted to share :). There's no oil in my salad dressing- it doesn't need any!! And since there isn't, it allows me to throw in a little more avocado than I normally would when there's other sources of fat in my meal :)!

Mixed Greens with Avocado, Feta, and Lemon Garlic Dressing

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove chopped
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix these three together at the bottom of the bowl you'll be making your salad in (I use a BIG one). That's it- dressing DONE! Now the salad:

2 cups mixed greens with herbs (I use an organic brand from Whole Foods
1/4 avocado, cubed
2 T corn
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cucumber, sliced
3 T fat free feta
1/2 t oregano
Cooked shrimp (I've also used steamed lobster and baked tofu!)

So, Add the lettuce to the bowl and toss it around a little. Add the rest of the ingredients and EAT!

NOTE: I keep a bag of frozen corn in the freezer, nuke what I need in the microwave or just let it defrost on a plate while I prepare the rest of the salad.

Also, you can also throw a few sliced black olives in there which would be tasty.

Here's my salad with shrimp:

Salt and pepper to taste

Here's my salad with Baked Tofu: