Quinoa Black Lentil Endive Boats April 16, 2012

Black Lentils, Red Quinoa, & Hummus make these "Endive Boats" High-Fiber, High-Protein Vessels

Black Lentil & Red Quinoa Endive Boats
with avocado and hummus

Protein champions quinoa, black lentils, egg, and hummus combine with high fiber avocado, endives (and again the lentils, quinoa, and hummus) for a powerfully delicious creation.  Enjoy 3-5 of these “Endive Boats” as the main entree for a meal or much on 1-2 boats as a healthy snack.

Suggested Meal Pairings:
♥ 4 Endive Boats +Small Mixed Greens Salad + 1/2 sliced orange or mango
♥ 4 Endive Boats + Carrot Cinnamon Smoothie
♥ 3 Endive Boats + Cup of Fit French Onion Soup
♥ 2 Endive Boats + Aguacate Relleño de Atún

Ingredients

-1/2 cup dried black lentils
-1/2 cup dried red (or tricolor) quinoa
-1 small avocado (cubed)
-1 onion (chopped)
-2 eggs
– 1/4 cup almond meal (almond flour)
1/4 cup spelt or buckwheat flour
-4 tbsp curry powder

-1 tsp turmeric & 1 tsp cumin (optional)
-2-3 large endive heads
-hummus (for topping)
– crumbled goat’s cheese or blue cheese (optional topping)
-1 tbsp olive or peanut oil

Method

1) Boil water (amount determined by your lentil bag’s instructions– usually about 4x water to the amount of dried lentils). Add enough water for both the lentils and the quinoa. So if you are using 1/2 cup of each, try using 4 cups water. When the water reaches a boil add the rinsed dried black lentils. After 15 minutes add the quinoa. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.

2) Chop onion and sauté in a pan with 1 tbsp oil.When onions begin to brown slightly, add your two eggs and stir until eggs are cooked. Set this pan aside from the heat once eggs have cooked.

3) Combine all spices, avocado, and egg/onion mix once the quinoa and lentils have cooked to the pot with the cooked quinoa lentil mix. Note that if there is excess water remaining, drain the water before adding remaining ingredients. (Do not add the toppings or endive leaves yet).

4) Using a hand blender, slightly blend your ingredients together so that they are well mixed but a grain texture remains. If you do not have a blender, simply stir vigorously for 3-5 minutes until ingredients are well mixed.

5) Scoop out contents and add to your fresh endive leaves. Top with hummus, goat cheese (optional), and any additional herbs if desired. Enjoy!

Lush Cabbage-Carrot-Avocado Rolls December 21, 2011

Shredded Purple Cabbage, Sauteed Onion, Shredded Carrots, Mini Broccoli Pieces, & Sprouts combine with Avocado and Hummus for a fresh, nourishing meal. Wrapped in a large collard green leaf with green onion tie.

Cool Components: Prep well-rinsed leaf, sprouts, green onion slices, avocado, and hummus while the onions, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, & carrots simmer on your stove.

Lush Cabbage-Carrot-Avocado Rolls
wrapped in Collard Green Leaves

–a perfect lunch or snack–

Ingredients
Serves 2-4
-Large, fresh collard green leaves
-Purple cabbage (I used fresh sliced thin)
-Alfalfa Sprouts (optional- wash well)
-Green onion (chopped)
-1 large carrot (shredded)
-1 ripe avocado
-1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
-3 cloves garlic (minced)
-2 tbsp olive or canola oil
-Your favorite hummus (lemon or spinach & artichoke work well)
-1 small head of broccoli (break off small, thin pieces)

Wrap Filling: Sauteed onions, garlic cabbage, carrots, & broccoli.

Methods

1) Finely chop/slice onion, garlic, cabbage and green onion. Peel and shred carrot. In a medium sauce pan, add olive oil and set to medium-high heat. Add onion and stir frequently for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add cabbage, garlic, and carrots. Break off small pieces of broccoli and add to pan.

2) Rinse and dry large collard green leaf and spread about 1/2 tsp hummus around center. Add sprouts, a few small avocado slices, and chopped green onion. Be sure to thoroughly rinse all ingredients before using and be mindful of any recent recalls in your area (sprouts have had several bad press spotlights in recent years. Skip these if you or a guest has a compromised immune system. For a healthy adult, fresh, well-rinse sprouts are an excellent source of nutrients including vitamin C.)

3) Add ~3 tbsp of your sauteed mix to the wrap, roll it up and serve fresh. Tie with a green onion string or slice in half. For a snack, enjoy with a large glass of water or unsweetened tea (iced or hot). For a meal, serve with a side of brown or wild rice and your favorite fruit-packed smoothie.

Thanks to Tin for the awesome idea to use collard greens for the wraps! I love them!

100 Calorie Upgrade: Hummus, Fresh Salsa, & Baby Carrots November 12, 2010

Hummus, Fresh Salsa, & Baby Carrots: Filling, packed with nutrition and flavor and, if you stick to the serving size shown here (2 tbsp hummus, 1 tbsp fresh salsa, 7-8 baby carrots), ~100 calories.

What’s in Your 100 Calorie Snack?

The wave of 100 calorie snack packs have seen enormous sales in recent years and, to their credit, may help a lot people stick to a moderate serving size for their favorite processed snacks. On the run, stuffed in a lunch box, or given out in large groups I can definitely see their value: foods we like, controlled portions, conveniently wrapped.

The problem is that I have yet to find a packaged 100 calorie pack that actually makes me feel less hungry. I feel like I am just putting a taste that I like in my mouth for a few minutes, then it’s gone, and I’m ready to find something else to eat. If you’re on the run you will probably be too distracted by other things to fixate on this feeling. If you’re sitting (near access to the rest of your food) working on a stressful homework assignment, however, fixation on anything happens readily.

When your 100 calorie snack becomes a mere appetizer to more snacking on processed foods, the 100 calorie pack’s purpose has lost its value. To fix this, try to make your dorm, your home, or your apartment, a place where your snacks are mostly fresh, unprocessed foods. A 100 calorie pack of cookies is useful if that’s your means of restricting your cookie intake, but should not be considered a “healthy” snack because it doesn’t provide you with anything that does something for you by packing nutrients, fiber, or satisfying flavor.

Here’s one healthy snack idea to get you started: 2 tbsp of your favorite hummus, 1-2 tbsp fresh salsa, and 7-8 baby carrots. The trick is to actually dish out the portions, put them on a plate, and then put all of the extra ingredients away. Keeping out a full container even of a great, healthy food like hummus, will make it tempting to eat more than a serving and consume excess calories. Instead, only have your prepared plate within your sight and have water or unsweetened tea with your snack to make it more filling without adding calories. (Note that adding diet soda, even if it is calorie-free, is not such a great idea for your health. Look for an upcoming post to learn more.)