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Mango-Cucumber Lentil Salad

March 26, 2011 By Laura

Found on the packaging for a set of pots:

Creepy McCreeperson

The marketing person that approved this should be fired.  LOL!

 

Buuuut… who am I to talk?  I eat cold spinach-strawberry soup for breakfast.  And I like love it.

It’s not easy being green

I also think it’s funny to try on my bridesmaid dress (alteration success!) and send punk rock pics of myself to the bride-to-be:

All dressed up and no where to go

Welcome to my pre-5K Friday night:

  • Pasta/pizza dinner with my bestie
  • Trip to HomeGoods
  • Talk self out of unnecessary fro-yo trip
  • Download pics
  • Make sure bridesmaid dress alterations are correct
  • Cup ‘o tea
  • Watch movie bossman gave me – Glengarry Glen Ross

 

What 5K, you ask?  Welllll… I decided a couple of days ago to do it. By myself.  For no good reason.

File under: you might be a runner if…

So here I am at 6a on a Saturday morning drinking coffee, eating a banana, and blogging pre-race. Happy as a clam.

Earning this evening’s bachelorette party-dinner, one race at a time. 😉

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In case you’re trying to decide what to do with all of the produce you bought whilst at Whole Paycheck Foods, over-excited about spring… I have a good one for ya!

For that reason, this time of year is killer on my grocery budget (or lack thereof).  However, this meal is low cost, fairly quick to assemble, and can be made in advance (in fact, its even better on day 2 once the flavors meld).

 

 

Beluga Lentils with a simple vinaigrette, tossed with onion, jalapeno, mango, and cucumber.

 

Served up with a sweet potato, topped with coconut butter and roasted cinnamon.

True, that frozen soup was a decent lunch as far as frozen foods go.  But THIS was well-deserved after a week of quickie lunches.  There will be a repeat tomorrow.

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Mango-Cucumber Lentil Salad

  • 1/4 C beluga lentils
  • 1 1/4 C water
  • 1/4 C red onion
  • 1 jalapeno, seeds removed
  • Juice from 1/2 a lime
  • 1 T EVOO (is used basil-infused)
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • S+P, to taste
  • 1 small mango (I used a champagne mango)
  • 1/2 cucumber

 

Rinse the lentils, then put them in a small pot with the water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer gently until lentils are cooked, ~25 mins.  They will be tender, but hold their shape.

Meanwhile, mince the garlic cloves & chop the onion very finely. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion & garlic and cook over a very low heat until well softened but not coloured, about 10 – 12 minutes. Then remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, dice the onions, jalapeno, mango, and cucumber.  Place a small amount of EVOO in a pan and sauté onions until almost translucent, ~5 mins.  Add jalapenos and sauté 1-2 mins more (you want to mellow the flavor a bit without losing the crunch).

Whisk together the lime juice, EVOO, vinegar, cumin, and S+P.

When lentils are cooked, drain and place in a bowl to cool.  Pour the vinaigrette over the lentils and gently stir with a fork so that lentils are coated.

Mix in the mango and cucumber, season with S+P as needed.

Makes: 1 serving, easily multiplied

***

This rain may force an afternoon snooze for me!

Did you run a race today?  

If you are going out tonight (post-race?!), will you be taking a nap?

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes, Running, Uncategorized Tagged With: breakfast, lunch, protein, race, running, salad, soup, vegan, vegetarian

Roasted Red Pepper-Asparagus Mini Quiches

March 24, 2011 By Laura

It is an unwritten rule in the South that you cannot have a bridal shower without the following items:

  • Mimosas
  • Pimento cheese
  • Chips and dips
  • Quiche

We covered all the required bases

 

Wait!  Where’s proof of the mimosas?!  Hold up…

How cute is Christina showing off her ring?!

The pimento was my new favorite, American Gra-frutti.  Mayo and gluten-free.

SO much better than the typical mayo-soaked version at your family picnic.

This chips and dip were also well-represented.

Tostidos sent me a coupon via She Speaks to try one of their new Artisan Recipe flavors.  I selected the Roasted Garlic and Black Bean.

We served them with homemade hummus and fresh veggies.

The ingredient list is pretty clean for the Artisan chips- they are 100% natural and contain real black beans.

However, I found them to be a bit salty.  Weird, as the package says there’s only 90mg sodium. I bet they are good with pico and guac.

Then there was quiche.  Mini quiche.


I love these for parties – you can customize them with virtually any veggie or  cheese (I’ve even made them with bacon).

 

AND they are super easy to make ahead and re-heat.

Of course, they are also a finger food.  Finger foods will get you bonus points on the Southern unwritten rules test.

Reminiscent of the awesome breakfast eggfins, no?

Mini Quiche recipe after the jump…

… 

Read More »

Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast, Products, Recipes Tagged With: breakfast, brunch, entertaining, snacks

Getting Ready to Shower

March 20, 2011 By Laura

Bridal Shower, that is. 🙂

The other bridesmaid throwing this party would kill me if she knew I was blogging right now.  Shower begins in 3 hours!

It’s been crazy trying to get everything ready.  I thought I’d do a brief, 10 step pictorial of how to get ready to host a shower.

10 Steps to Shower-Ready

 

Step 1: Get your hair did

 

Step 2: Pre-bake mini-quiches

 

Step 3: Hide your clutter

 

4. Go for a run.

Distance: 4 miles

Time: 33:16

Pace: 8:29

 

 

Step 5: Share cannoli cream with a (very happy) kitten

 

Step 6: Buy new dress (apparently jeans are a no-no)

 

Step 7: Break for dinner at Empire State South

 

Step 8: Bake cookies. Do not eat them all.

 

Step 9: Make quick microwave oats for breakfast. Add blackberries.

 

Step 10: Don’t forget to clean the toilet!!!

***

Who ran the Georgia Marathon today?  How was it?

Congratulations to all the finishers!


Filed Under: Breakfast, Running Tagged With: breakfast, entertaining, running, Stevie

It’s Bananas

March 19, 2011 By Laura

The perfect end to an out-of-control b-a-n-a-n-a-s week is a new ‘do.

My hair is now blonde-ish.

I love Karen, Stylist Extraordinaire

I’ve been going to Karen since I was 15.  She moved 5-ish years ago to open her own salon – Lava Hair Studio – almost 60 miles outside of Atlanta… and I drive all the way out there to see her.

If I moved out of state, I’d probably fly back to see her.

Crappy in-the-car-rushing-to-meet-friends cell phone pic, but…

  • It’s no longer red-brown (therefore NOT clashing with my bridesmaid dress for upcoming wedding)
  • It’s no longer bushy (why does my hair grow SO fast?!)
  • I can style it in 5 mins flat.

FTW


Active.com recently posted an article called 5 Reasons to Work Out in the Morning.

In light of my recent morning work out success, I got really excited to read this and decided to share my own Top 5.  (There may be some overlap… they were spot on!)

My Top 5 Reasons to Work Out in the Morning

  1. It’s done – there’s no backing out because you’re too tired after work/would rather go to happy hour
  2. One shower – they listed this too and I couldn’t agree more.  2-3 showers/day es no bueno
  3. No crowds – the gym in my building is usually empty in the morning, so there’s no wait, I can control the TV, and no one is in the small-ish gym stinking it up
  4. Temperature control – in the winter months, it warms me up for the day and in the summer months it’s not unbearably hot
  5. Alertness – yes, it’s hard to actually wake up enough to get going, but once you do it’s almost better than coffee for my wakefulness

Speaking of being awake… I’m eating my pre-work out banana breakfast appetizer and hitting the pavement for a quickie run before resuming wedding shower prep!

It’s going to be 80 degrees and sunny today!  If I leave the balcony door open, I wonder if Stevie will try to jump off…

Note to self: train kitten NOT to go on kamikaze missions.

I love grilled bananas – they caramelize and create a delicious banana syrup.

Plate them and immediately top with cocoa powder your favorite nut butter, letting the hot bananas turn the butter slightly melty.  Mmmmm…


Caramelized Banana Bites

  • 1 banana
  • 1 T nut butter
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder

Heat pan to med-high on stove top.  Cut banana into 1 inch slices and place in pan.  Grill ~2-3 mins, or until just turning brown.  Flip and grill 1-2 mins longer until other side is browned.  Plate, sprinkle with cocoa powder, and top each slice with your favorite nut butter.

Try not to lick and left over syrup/cocoa mixture off the plate if others are watching.

***

Make me feel more sane.

Do you drive a ridiculous distance to you stylist/restaurant/market/etc?

Filed Under: Bites, Breakfast, Fitness, Recipes, Running Tagged With: breakfast, running, snacks, Stevie, vegan

Reunited with Green

March 18, 2011 By Laura

This week has been NUTS!

 

I was really glad I had Zucchini-Banana Muffins in the freezer for breakfast this morning.

This is how I feel right now

 

D.C. was a great trip though.  My meetings went really well and I had a chance to go running through the Mall Wednesday night with bossman.

If you’re ever in D.C., I highly recommend it.  There’s nothing like seeing a city by way of a good run.  It also makes the run go by more quickly… which I needed.

The Tough Mudder threw my body for a loop.  I’m not so much sore as I am worn out.  My legs feel like bricks.  Spaghetti bricks.

At least I have something to show for it:

Muddy cuts

Random bruising

But damn it feels good to be a gangsta’. 😉

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I really missed green smoothies (and St. Patrick’s Day!) while I was traveling.  File under: things I never thought I’d say.

So here’s my oops-I-missed-St. Patrick’s Day Smoothie of the Day.

I was too excited and almost forgot to take a pic before it was too late!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Smoothie

  • 1 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 scoop cookies’n’cream protein powder
  • 1 tsp maca powder
  • 1/3 C pineapple
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 6-8ish almonds
  • huge handful spinach
  • ice/water (to taste)

 

Just what the doctor ordered to feel human again just in time to throw a wedding shower this weekend.

Shower recipes coming Monday soon! (I may need a buffer in order to sleep at some point.)

Worth the wait: mini quiches, fruit + cannoli cream, and my favorite savory cookie recipe.

***

I love entertaining, but I hate the fact that you have to clean house.  It seems ridiculous since you have to clean again post-party.  Let’s start a movement to change expectations!

What’s your best time-saving party-prep secret? 

Do you have a favorite/go-to dish to make for entertaining?


Filed Under: Breakfast, Fitness, Running, Smoothies Tagged With: breakfast, Green Monster, protein, race, running, smoothies, St. Patrick's Day

Cocoa Spelt Cakes

March 16, 2011 By Laura

Did you know that sometimes, on short flights, Delta only offers peanuts to snack on?  I was so annoyed/hungry.

What if you’re allergic?  There are really no other options?!  That’s just nuts.  Fail.

I'm not allergic. But I could be.

 

Peanuts are still too hard for me to chew, but I am pretty sure I could have scarfed down some Biscoff.  Hopefully they’ll have more an alternative on the return… do you hear me, Delta Airlines?!

Cheers to you, Freshens fro-yo in Terminal A, for preventing my starving stomach from eating my spine.

 

I have to run to a day of meetings, but I wanted to post the cocoa spelt pancakes I made earlier in the week… clearly, I’m on a pancake-kick.

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Being a single lady (and I use the term loosely), I am always on the look-out for 1-serving meals.  When I saw Angela @ Oh She Glows’ Spelt Pancakes for One, I was thrilled.

I used her ‘cakes as a base and modified to include some chocolate and coconut.  And peanut butter.

 

Disclaimer: These are healthy pancakes.  Don’t be expecting them to taste like the buttery IHOP version.  Don’t be scared – they are delicious in their own right!

Don’t skimp on the topping.  PB is it’s own food group.

One size fits one!

Cocoa Spelt Pancakes

  • 1/2 C spelt flour
  • 1 T cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 C unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk (or your fav milk)
  • 1/4 C blueberries (optional)

Whisk all dry ingredients together.  Mix milk and vanilla into the dry ingredients.

Heat a skillet on medium while mixing the batter.  Coat the pan with a little Earth Balance/butter/cooking spray and spoon the batter onto pan.

When bubbles begin to on pancakes, drop blueberries into the cakes.  Wait another 30-ish secs second (until bubbles begin to pop), and flip to cook other side.

Makes 2 respectably-sized pancakes.

 

Coconut-Peanut Butter Topping

Place equal parts peanut butter (I used TJ’s Valencia) and coconut butter in microwave-safe bowl.  Heat in microwave for 20-30 secs, until just melted (DO NOT over heat… trust me on this… #fail).  Stir to combine and pour over pancakes.

***

Angela @ Oh She Glows is hosting a Glo Bar raffle to raise money for the Canadian Red Cross Japan Disaster relief.

Please click here and join us in contributing to a great cause!

Raffle closes today, March 16th, at 10pm EST.

She’s already up to $4813!!!  What a great reminder of what a difference just one person can make.

Thanks, Angela! 🙂

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Fail, Recipes, Travel Tagged With: breakfast, So Delicious, vegan

Morning vs. Evening Coffee

March 15, 2011 By Laura

Raise your hand if you had coffee this morning!

This morning I had this:

Black coffee. Mmmmm!

With a side ‘o this:

Scrambled with onion, spinach, red pepper flakes, and basil

Fuel for the road – I’m off to DC! (Work-related, but I love a trip.)


Last night’s coffee was a bit more fun.

Despite the fact that I am unrealistically optimistic the spring-like weather will be here to stay, the evening called for a warm beverage.

A kahlua-laced mocha.  It was a looooong day.

Kahlua Mocha

  • 1/2 cup strong coffee
  • 1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 T good-quality cocoa powder
  • Shot of Kahlua

Brew 1/2 a cup of strong coffee (I used a vanilla-flavored instant coffee – VIA).  Pour into coffee cup, filling half way.

In a small sauce pan, whisk together the milk and cocoa.  Heat over medium-high heat until simmering (NOT boiling).  It will look foamy.

Pour the milk mixture over your coffee, add your shot of Kahlua, give a quick stir, and enjoy!

***

Do you have a favorite “treat” drink?

I’m a fan of the night cap.  Especially when I remember to make it with decaf.  Oops.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Recipes, Travel Tagged With: breakfast, cocktails

The Cure + Zucchini-Banana Muffins

March 14, 2011 By Laura

As expected, I woke up the morning after Tough Mudder feeling like death warmed over a bit sore. (Check out my recap here.)

The good news is I found The 3-Step Cure.

Step 1: Cut a hole in the box.

Noooo… I’m kidding.  The Cure actually began the night of the race with…

 

1. Fro-Yo

A post-run, post-blogger dinner Dark Chocolate-Vanilla swirl @ Three on the Tree.

Calcium! (Pretty sure I earned this. x1000.)

This is the most tasty yogurt in Atlanta.  I’d bet my first born on it. If I were to have a first born.


2. Brunch

I had an awesome brunch with some good friends at Rosebud, one of my favorite restaurants.  Ron Eyester (@theangrychef) is the chef/owner and he never disappoints (with food or hilariously honest tweets).

Whole Wheat Pancakes w/ Sage-Vanilla Butter. They don't skimp on the butter and you shouldn't either.

Starter Beverage: Jasmine green tea (full disclosure: I wasn’t being noble… no booze until church lets out noon on Sundays in GA).

Appetizers: Biscuits + gravy (my friend who doesn’t even like gravy loved this!) and an epic grits + egg + brisket creation Ron graciously sent out.

Meal: Whole wheat pancakes with sage-vanilla butter, special Rosebud syrup… and a side of grits.  Just because.

Draaaank: The Orange Thing – vodka, gran marnier, and orange pellegrino.  Two thumbs up.

 

3. Spa

The Korean spa, JeJu, in Gwinnett.  $25 for the whole day.

I seriously considered never leaving.

 

Don’t be scared.  There will be nudity (only in the M/F segregated areas!).  There are hot tubs, cold pools, wet and dry saunas, and 7 different “healing rooms.”

They also offer massages (no happy ending), body scrubs, and foot massages.

The healing rooms have different themes.  For instance, the one I spent the majority of my time in was the clay sauna.  It’s good for muscle recovery.

Others include: charcoal for detoxing, jade for inner peace, salt for circulation, etc.  The dome are lined with appropriate substance in each room.

I sent and extra $50 for an hour-long foot massage.  It was the best idea I’ve ever had. If you go there after a race, it’s worth the splurge.

JeJu has wi-fi, towel service, and a Korean restaurant.  You could literally stay there for 24 hours.

 

So, that’s my 3-Step Cure*.  Free of charge.

*This is not to say that I’m not sore today.  I am.  Just less so than I would have been (Translation: I’m able to walk).

Day 3 of recovery started with muffins.

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You’re not going to believe it, but these are vegan, low-sugar, < 100 calories, AND they taste good.

Sneaky Veggie Muffin

Zucchini makes for a dense muffin.  If you want them fluffier, reduce the grated zucchini by 1/2 C.

Relying mostly on banana to sweeten them, these muffins these are a perfect breakfast for those that aren’t in need of an AM sugar-high.  I think you could replace the agave with Stevia… if you try it, let me know!

__________________________________________________________________________________


These were inspired by the Babycakes vegan cookbook and Marci Gilbert’s Loaf.

Zucchini-Banana Muffins

(a.k.a. The 98 Calorie Muffin)

  • 1/2 C white whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur)
  • 1/2 C spelt flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 C grated zucchini (~2 medium)
  • 1.5 C ripe bananas (~2 medium)
  • 1/4 C light agave nectar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 C chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 12 regular-sized muffin tins with Pam/butter/Earth Balance.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (the first 8).

In medium bowl, mush bananas with a fork.  Add grated zucchini, agave, and vanilla and hand mix.

Add the wet to the dry, mixing until just combined.  Fold in the pecans. Pour into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating pan half way through.

Makes 12 muffins.

Approximate Nutrition Info: 98 calories, 2.5g fat, 18.2g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, 8.7g sugar, 2.2g protein

***

Do you have a “magic” cure for next-day soreness?

(Hangover cures are appreciated count.)

 

Filed Under: Baking, Breakfast, Fitness, Recipes, Restaurants, Running Tagged With: breakfast, brunch, dessert, race, restaurants, running, vegan

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