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Narcissism + WIAW

March 28, 2012 By Laura

Facebook is an indicator of narcissism.

Raise your hand if you’re in trouble…

According to a recent study, there is a link between the number of “friends” you have and narcissism.  The participants were assessed on the based on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI).  Who knew that even existed?!

The study wasn’t fully representative, but the theory is that a high friend count indicates you need excessive attention.

Clearly these people never played in a ~100 person roller derby league or went to grad school.  That’s like 50% of my friend count!


 

But I digress.  Today is the last  green themed What I Ate Wednesday!  Give my day of eats some attention, and then give Jenn’s blog some attention by clicking here to see what everyone chowed down on.


 

Breakfast:

I was in a rush, so I did a quick 15 min HIIT workout before breakfast… which left me starving.  I scarfed another Raspberry Barked Oatmeal To-Go (perfect in-a-hurry-meal), along with slices of the best grapefruit I’ve ever eaten.

This fruit was so sweet I couldn’t believe it wasn’t an orange or maybe an Ugli fruit.

Lunch:

Again with the busy theme, I ate lunch on the road.  Literally – I was driving with my knees with a cell phone in one hand and my burrito bowl in the other.

Safe, I know… at least is didn’t try to take a picture!

I wish I had gotten a pic because Willy’s is the only Mexi-rito chain I have seen that offers tofu.  Vegan tofu burrito bowl, FTW.

Snacks:

Random, but yummy:

  • Cashews
  • Squash sticks dipped in marinara
  • TJ’s Sweet Potato Chips + Eggplant Garlic Dip (sooooo good!)
  • Grapes
  • Beer… it was a pre-tennis snack! 🙂
  • Rick’s Picks Mean Beans – spicy pickle green beans

Dinner:

A quick post-tennis veggie stir-fry served with apple slices, and seed bread over a bed of mixed greens.

In my quickie stir-fry:

  • Yellow cauliflower
  • Squash and zucchini
  • Collard greens
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Liquid aminos
  • Thyme
  • S+P

Dessert:

One of these Chewy Granola Cookies from the freezer.  I love a low-sugar quickie dessert.  I may have had 2.

***

In the theme of narcissism…. it’s the last time I’ll post my weekly vote plea.  A nomination as a “Best Healthy Eating Blog” for the 2012 Fitterati Blog Awards on FitnessMagazine.com blew me away.  I know I’m never going to reach the 1000+ vote mark, but I’d be honored if you felt inclined to click here and vote for me. 🙂

What is your favorite burrito-chain order?

Let’s talk Facebook… do you believe the theory?  How narcissistic are you?

Filed Under: Breakfast, Fitness, Products, Restaurants Tagged With: breakfast, cookies, dessert, dinner, Facebook, lunch, restaurants, salad, snacks, tofu, vegan, vegetarian, WIAW, Willy's

Manic Monday

March 26, 2012 By Laura

I wish it was Sunday…

‘Cause that’s my fun day.

There was not an inch of free space on any Atlanta patio yesterday.  The weather was perfect – 70 degrees and clear blue skies.

My softball team, Laid Back, had our first games of the season.  We lost both by 1 run… but we had a great time!  I got to do my signature split off of 1st base.  I think I pulled my hip.

Super-old pic!

Here are a few more things that made this weekend fabulous:

1. My Sister, the Rockstar

Have a listen to Goose & Fox’s (my sister’s band) new song, “Fearless.”

 

2. iHerb Delivery

This was my first time ordering from iHerb.com and I was really pleased!  I ordered Sun Warrior vegan protein powder (my favorite) and more peanut flour.  They even threw in a sample bag of tea!  Orders over $40 receive FREE 1-3 day shipping.  I had my goods the NEXT DAY.  Perfect for someone who expects instant gratification.

Additionally, I got $10 off my order because it was my first time.  If you are interested, here’s the code: USO924.

3. Monday Night Brewing

Just when I thought I knew ever beer in Atlanta, I found this local craft brew from Monday Night Brewing at a local pub called Augustine’s.

The glass reads: “Weekends are Overrated.”

I should have stolen this glass.

It is called “Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale.”  A little smoky with notes of chocolate, I instantly loved this cleverly-named  Scottish-style brew.  Tasty beer and the company was even better. 😉

4. Tattoo Consultation

I have been planning this tattoo forever.  After procrastinating on the design, I finally asked my best friend’s husband, Greg, to sketch it out for me.  He did a great job on the sketches, and I had a clear vision to bring to the talented Danielle at Only You Tattoo.  It’s really special to me that Greg drew it; he and my bestie mean the world to me.

Danielle is a talented woman – April 28th was her first available appointment.  I’m 1 month away from new ink!

5. Whole Foods Hot Mess Bar

A little Sunday evening dinner treat.  The bar was LOADED with vegan options tonight – BBQ seitan, tofu cacciatore, vegan mac & cheese, vegan spaghetti with “meat” sauce… and raw kale salads galore!

I also ran into one of my favorite singers in the produce sections… I didn’t say hi…. but it was cool!

________________________________________________________________________________________

Last week I mentioned that I may have found the root of the problem with my knee.  I was told to take it easy this week… I kind of did.  Against advice, I did run in the softball game.  It was just short sprints between bases… but I didn’t feel pain!  *crossing fingers*

 

Running makes me feel more sane.  It’s my release.  Saturday morning 5Ks give me something fun and athletic to look forward to every weekend.  If Dr. Justin fixed it… I’ll set up a shrine to him in my room.  LOL!

Workout Recap (3/18 – 3/25):

  • Monday – Elliptical, this Fit-in-Heels workout, 100 PUs
  • Tuesday – P90X Biceps/Back, 1-mile run, 100 push-ups
  • Wednesday – This workout by Lori, 100 push-ups
  • Thursday – This Body Rock (4x), elliptical, Ab Ripper X
  • Friday – This BodyRock (those abs were killer!), 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – This workout by Khushboo (4x)
  • Sunday –  Softball, stationary bike, 100 push-ups

***

I’m speaking to a bunch of MBAs at my alma mater today about post-careers… nervous!!

Have you tried peanut flour yet?  What are you waiting for?!

What do you do to keep your mind healthy?

Filed Under: Core, Fitness, Products, Recap, Restaurants, Running, Softball, Weights Tagged With: beer, dinner, Goose & Fox, Monday Night Brewing, peanut flour, softball, Sun Warrior, tattoo, vegan, Whole Foods, workout

Roasted Garlic-Beet Socca Pizza

March 23, 2012 By Laura

I am a purple people pizza eater.

Does anyone else remember this movie?

The blog world has exploded with pizza crusts lately – sweet potato, cauliflower, coconut flour, and the ever-popular socca.

You guys may have noticed that I have a little sweet potato addiction.  This sweet potato crust from Lindsay first caught my eye.  I bought all of the ingredients and got fired up to make it … so what do I do?

Change of plans.  I spotted the roasted beet in my fridge and made a Roasted Garlic-Beet Socca Pizza.

Purple food rocks.

Socca is a basic 1:1 mix of chickpea flour and water; for there you can add in other flavorings (click here for my go-to version)  People either make it on the stove top (like a pancake), or in the oven.  Some start it in the pan and finish it off in the oven, which is my preferred method.

The combination of the roasted beets and richness from the roasted garlic was fantastic.

I topped it pizza-style with kale, asparagus, kumquats, onion, and nutritional yeast.  That resulted in one fantastic, colorful spring dinner.

One downside: there weren’t any leftovers to eat cold from the fridge for breakfast.


Roasted Garlic-Beet Socca

  • 1/2 C chickpea flour
  • 1/2 roasted beet
  • 6 cloves roasted garlic (if using raw, only add 1-2 cloves)
  • 1/3 C water
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Kale
  • Kumquats
  • Asparagus
  • Yellow onion
  • Nutritional yeast (or cheese – goat would be great here)
  • Red pepper flakes

Preheat oven on broil.

In a blender, mix flour, beet, garlic, water, and pepper.  Heat a small, oven-proof pan over medium-high.  Add a generous splash of olive oil to the pan to grease.

Pour enough batter to cover pan surface (1/8-1/4 in thick).  Cook until bottom is lightly browned and top is dry to touch (~3-4 mins).

Top with kale, kumquats, asparagus, onion, nutritional yeast (or cheese), and red pepper flakes.  Place in the oven under broiler for ~4-5 mins, until veggies begin to brown.  Be sure to watch closely!

Carefully slide off the pan with a wide spatula onto a plate to eat hot.

Makes 2 “crusts.”

***

Sorry for the late post yesterday – I wanted to wait for the Fitness Magazine interview to post!  Thank you for the support.  So flippin’ excited. 🙂

What are your favorite pizza toppings?

Have you ever had a kumquat?

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: dinner, pizza, socca, vegan, vegetarian

A Cure + WIAW

March 21, 2012 By Laura

The mystery has been solved.

I think.

Since mid-January I haven’t been able to run due to a strange knee pain.  After seeing a PT and seeing no improvement, I paid a visit to my old chiropractor.  This is the guy that fixed my right knee a couple of years ago.  Why did I wait so long to see him for my left knee?

The theory is that I have Patellofemoral Syndrome.  In English, I have Runner’s Knee.  Damaged cartilage under my knee cap (patella) from years of abuse.  I didn’t realize your knee cap wasn’t supposed to crunch when you push down on it…

 

 

The plan is for me to see the Doc regularly and do some daily “homework.”  I have one exercise to strengthen my inner quad, a quad stretch, a way to push on my knee cap to break up scar tissue, and then I end with 10 mins of ice.  In one week I try running again and see what happens.

 

Speaking of afflictions… in Georgia we have had record pollen counts.  Thank god I don’t have allergies.  A stuffy nose would certainly affect my taste, which would make Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday less fun!  Who wants to eat when they can’t taste?

The green theme continues… and is especially appropriate since I ate lunch outside and fell victim to the yellow-green pollen film.

 

 

___________________________________________________________________________________

Breakfast:

I pre-gamed my workout with this Raspberry Barked Oatmeal To-Go.  Delicious from the freezer and zapped in the micro for 30 seconds.

 

 

My post workout protein smoothie was a lovely red and green.  Translation: brown. 

 

It was this Beet-Citrus creation from Valentine’s Day; however, I added more spinach this time.  Hence the brown.


Lunch:

Like any good American, I love Mexican.

Today’s lunch featured a couple of tacos made from collard greens.

 

In my tacos:

  • Pinto bean dip
  • Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Burger
  • Carrots
  • Avocado
  • Tomato
  • Salsa verde
  • Cumin
  • Nutritional Yeast

 

Best new lunch idea in recent memory.  These are going into regular rotation!

 

 

Snacks:

It was a carb-y snack day.  Mostly brought to you by Trader Joe’s: Rice and Bean Chips, Sweet Potato Chip Rounds, Popcorn, and a Cherry-Dark Chocolate KIND bar.

 

 

Un-pictured: kombucha and mixed nuts.

 

Dinner:

A  night out with mama at a new -to-us place called Three Sheets.  Cute name, right?

Hummus, falafel, veggies, and lamb for mom.  Of course, there was a bottle of wine involved. 🙂

***

I wish I could type what I’m thinking right now… la-la-la-la-la….

Weekly vote-begging time! I was honored with a nomination as a “Best Healthy Eating Blog” for the 2012 Fitterati Blog Awards on FitnessMagazine.com.  I know I’m never going to reach the 1000+vote mark, but I’d be flattered if you felt inclined to click here and vote for me. 🙂

Are you getting dumped on by pollen too?

What is your favorite Trader Joe’s treat?

 

Filed Under: Products, Recipes, Smoothies Tagged With: breakfast, dinner, lunch, oats, protein, smoothies, sweet potato, vegan, vegetarian, WIAW

Feeling Irish on a Green WIAW

March 14, 2012 By Laura

I’ve never had a Shamrock Shake.

Out of curiosity I want to try one of the “healthy” Shamrock Shakes everyone has been posting… but I really don’t like mint desserts.

This time 2 years ago I was in Ireland!  Time flies… I was there on St. Patrick’s Day by accident.  When I booked the trip that happened to be the week I had free.  It wasn’t until we were leaving that I realized it was St. Patrick’s!  Only me.

Check out my Top 5 Things to Do in Ireland and the souper spinach-asparagus soup pictured below by clicking here.

Since I don’t post on weekends, it seemed that today is the perfect time for an Irish shout out because it’s a green-themed What I Ate Wednesday.

Green is my favorite food-color; however, I managed to fail a little at eating food that was colored green.  It was all plant-based though!


 

Breakfast:

Surprise, surprise… I had a smoothie!  Thank god it’s getting warmer because my smoothie addiction is only growing as I find more and more things I can thrown into the Vitamix.

I’ll be drinking all of my smoothies this week from my trusty Guinness pint glass. 🙂

In my smoothie:

  • Spinach
  • Raw beet
  • Carrot
  • Cucumber
  • Celery
  • Flax meal
  • Ginger
  • Maca
  • Vanilla protein powder
  • Unsweetened almond milk
  • Almond extract
  • Stevia
  • Ice + water

Lunch:

Salad box!  This is such a convenient way to travel – I toss veggies and dressing in a half-eaten container of greens to take to work.  Easy and there are no dishes to clean up!

In my box:

  • Broccoli sprouts
  • Broccoli and carrot slaw
  • Cabbage
  • Celery leaves
  • Celery
  • Spinach
  • Asparagus
  • Spicy Peanut Flour Dressing

Snacks:

I was bad about picture-taking with all my snacks.  Un-pictured was a kombucha, a sweet potato with nooch, and a handful of almonds.  My Piñata apple did make it (barely)!

A new (to me) waffle was scarfed down as well.  I normally buy the Kashi brand, but I liked this Nature’s Path waffle even more!

The actual waffle didn’t make it to the camera, but I assure you it was delicious with protein sauce (protein powder, almond milk, cinnamon, and stevia).

Dinner:

Parsnip rice finally happened.  I think I like it even better than parsnip fries!  I enjoyed it with roasted veggies and a cashew-curry sauce that will be posted tomorrow!

***

Doesn’t it feel like it should be Friday already?

Vote-begging time! I was honored with a nomination as a “Best Healthy Eating Blog” for the 2012 Fitterati Blog Awards on FitnessMagazine.com.  Not to sound desperate (I’m never going to reach the 400+vote mark, I know), but pretty please click here and vote for me. 🙂

How are you celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year?

Have you ever traveled to a city/country specifically to celebrate a holiday there (other than to grandma’s house for Christmas 🙂 )?

Filed Under: Products, Recipes, Smoothies, Travel, Vitamix Tagged With: breakfast, dinner, Ireland, lunch, salad, smoothies, snacks, soup, vegan, vegetarian, WIAW

Defining a Good Weekend

March 12, 2012 By Laura

Define a good weekend.

 

For me, it means a relaxing 2 days filled with friends and good food.  Throw in a hair cut and some killer workouts and I’m a happy girl.

Confession: I didn’t do a good job of eating clean… but I did do an excellent job of eating delicious. 🙂

 

1. A+ Restaurant Dining, Vegan-Style

A family friend was passing through town and treated me to dinner at Empire State South.  This is one of Hugh Acheson‘s restaurants.  The Executive Chef, Ryan Smith, was recently nominated for Food & Wine’s Best New Chef).

The win happened when I scored a custom vegan meal thanks to the sage advice of Heather and JL, and the talent of Chef Smith.  Knowing ESS to be meat-heavy (their charcuterie is amazing), I called ahead to make reservations and ask if they could accommodate a vegan diet.  They could, and did!  It was better than previous meat-filled meals I’ve had there!

First, the wine: 2004 Angelo Sassetti “Pertimali” Brunello di Montalcino.

 

2004 was a great year for Brunello and this was no exception – light and plummy, with a little earthiness on the end.  Perfect with my veggie-based meal!

First custom dish of the night was an app that I couldn’t get enough of.  This was a dish of seasonal mushrooms, fried wild rice, pickled sunchokes, roasted and pickled beets over a schmear of peanut puree.

 

My main was equally good.  There is no way I can remember it all… but it was a roasted brussels dish with farro, mustard seeds, carrot, pea shoots, roasted garlic, and a ramp jam.

 

2. Dessert Happened (second helpings happened too)

Dinner at mamma’s house with mixed company meant 2 berry pies were made – one vegan and one “regular.”  Both used a vegan pre-made pie crust, mixed berries, and an oatmeal-granola topping.

My vegan pie had xylitol mixed in to sweeten it, and the other had butter and regular sugar in it.  No one could tell the difference. 🙂

 

3. Cheap Affordable, Delicious Wine 

This wine was a hit at mom’s dinner party.  The Epicuro Aglianico is an el cheapo bottle from Trader Joe’s.  Well, originally it’s from southern Italy but you know what I mean.   This is the best under $10 bottle of wine (it’s $4.99) I’ve had in recent memory!

 

4. New Hair

Getting my hair cut/colored is my favorite thing in the world to do.  This is shorter than I’ve ever had it… I’m still shocked every time I look in the mirror!  Holla to the rockstars at Lava Hair Studio.

Karen (stylist-wizard) and me

 

5. Romance Rekindled

Don’t get too excited.  I’m talking about my love-affair with Dulce Vegan, a local vegan bakery and cafe.  It’s on the other side of town… meaning it’s a whole 15 minutes away and I’m usually too lazy busy to drive there.

 

Between CrossFit and softball practice yesterday, I made the trip and indulged in a helluva TLT – tempeh “bacon,” arugula, and tomato with chipotle aioli on house-made millet bread.  It was as delicious as it sounds.  Especially that bread – OMG.

________________________________________________________________________________________

CrossFit has been SO much fun.  Totally intimidating, but fun.  I leave workouts starving – an increased appetite must mean I’m working hard!  I’ve amped up my protein shakes and become religious about eating every 2 hours.  They preach the paleo diet, which I’m not into… I’ve even been craving MORE carbs since starting.  Good or bad, I’m feeding my body what it wants!

 

Workout Recap (3/5 – 3/11):

  • Monday – CrossFit, This Pinterest workout (5x)
  • Tuesday – CrossFit, This BodyRock, 100 push-ups
  • Wednesday – CrossFit, This BodyRock (weighted part 2x), 100 push-ups
  • Thursday –  Yoga, This workout, 100 push-ups
  • Friday – Tris/Chest, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – This BodyRock (with 20 reps on weights)
  • Sunday – CrossFit, Softball practice, Bike intervals

***

I didn’t have to change my bedroom clock for daylight savings time… because I never changed it last fall… 

What is your definition of a good weekend?

Do you crave more carbs depending on the type of exercise you do?

 

Filed Under: Core, Fitness, Products, Recap, Restaurants, Softball, Weights, Wine Tagged With: dessert, dinner, Lava Hair Studio, lunch, restaurants, vegan, vegetarian, wine, workout

Sprouting Raw Chickpeas

March 5, 2012 By Laura

My green thumb doesn’t exist.  

I’ve killed house plants, basil, cilantro, and even mint.

Sprouting is either idiot-proof or it doesn’t count as growing something, because I succeeded in sprouting my own chickpeas!

Why would I want my chickpeas to grow little tails?  It’s healthy, of course!

Source: nutroasters.com

Benefits of sprouting raw chickpeas:

  • Nutrients increase their concentration: proteins by about 20%, nucleic acids by 30%, and many vitamins by as much as 500%
  • High enzyme activity stimulates the body’s own enzymes into greater activity, giving you more energy
  • Sprouted seeds are easier to digest since complex carbohydrates break down into simple sugars, and proteins break down into amino acids; both are easier for the body to process and promote our ability to absorb minerals in the food
  • Seeds use energy to grow a sprout; therefore, sprouted seeds have fewer calories than in their whole form
  • Sprouts have a number of anti-cancer properties.

The other benefit is that it’s one more way you can incorporate raw foods into your diet.  Eating raw gives me more energy, is cleansing (the improved digestion is no joke!), and – maybe its just me – feel a little “high.”

It has taken me a long time to attempt sprouting because I always thought it was a complex process.  Notsomuch.  This may be the easiest thing I’ve done in the kitchen (PB&J sandwiches aside).

How to Sprout Chickpeas:

  1. Rinse 1/2 cup of dried chickpeas and place in a wide-mouth container.
  2. Cover chickpeas with water, then cover the container with cheese cloth or other mesh, secure with a rubber band or tape, and let soak for 24 hours.
  3. Drain and rinse the beans through the cloth, then drain again.
  4. Store the jar out of direct sunlight at room temperature atop a kitchen towel.  Lay the jar on its side with the bottom propped up so that excess water drains onto towel.
  5. Rinse and drain the chickpeas once every 8-12 hours for 36-48 hours (depending on how large you like your peas).  The tails should be about 1/4 inch long.
  6. Rinse and drain once more, and allow sprouted chickpeas to air dry.  To store, place then in a container or plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

I have been popping them like candy every time I pass the fridge; however, I’ve used them to make some awesome salads too.

Sprouted chickpeas are still a bit crunchy, which adds a great texture to dishes.  The taste is more or less the same as it is when cooked, maybe just a bit earthier.  It did give me energy – I busted out a few intervals on the bike while watching Desperate Housewives (don’t judge).

Here’s what my all-raw dinner looked like last night:

In my salad:

  • Sprouted chickpeas
  • Broccoli sprouts
  • Red cabbage, shredded
  • Broccoli slaw
  • Red pepper
  • Asparagus, julienned
  • Yellow onion
  • Celery leaves
  • Raw sweet potato hummus dressing (1T of my sweet potato hummus recipe + 1 T apple cider vinegar + red pepper flakes)

Last week I set aside my fears and posted this ab-bearing pic… you guys couldn’t have been sweeter with all of your support.  It reminded me once again why I LOVE blogging.  I’ve met some of the coolest, most supportive people.  This community is among the most motivating and encouraging I’ve ever been apart of.  Thank you!!! 🙂

Sweat sessions last week were really satisfying.  I upped my weight in several workouts, tried some new moves, got my butt kicked by BodyRock, AND completed the CrossFit Dynamics course this weekend.  Tonight is my first “real” class… I’m a little nervous and very excited for a new challenge!

Workout Recap (2/27 – 3/4):

  • Monday – P90X Cardio, Bike Intervals, 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – Tris/Chest, Core, 100 push-ups
  • Wednesday – This 5-4-3-2-1 workout, Legs,100 push-ups
  • Thursday –  Shoulders, P90X Ab Ripper X, Bike Intervals
  • Friday – Biceps/Back, This BodyRock, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – CrossFit, 100 push-ups
  • Sunday – CrossFit, Bike Intervals, 6 min plank intervals

***

Have you ever sprouted your  own seeds? 

What was the best part of your weekend?

Filed Under: Core, Fitness, Recap, Recipes, Running, Weights Tagged With: dinner, hummus, P90X, raw food, vegan, vegetarian, workout

Vegan Salade Niçoise for #GreensLove

March 3, 2012 By Laura

We interrupt my usual post-fee weekend for a BLOGHOP!

 

This month’s theme is #GreensLove in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  Naturally, I got unnaturally excited.  75% of everything I eat is green!

I thought about making another green smoothie, but decided that was getting old (not to my taste buds, but after you’ve seen one green smoothie pic, you’ve seen them all).

 

 

A salad seemed too obvious.  What about an not-so-obvious version of a famous salad?  As I brainstormed ideas for my French-themed vegan book club, I knew the dinner spread would be incomplete without the famous French  salad – Salade Niçoise.

 

A traditional (by traditional, I mean Julia Childs’ recipe 🙂 ) Salade Niçoise consists of lettuce, green beans, shallots, vinaigrette, tomatoes, boiled potatoes, chunked tuna, hard-boiled eggs, anchovy fillets, Niçoise olives, and capers.

I couldn’t have tuna, potatoes, eggs, or anchovies.  That’s half the salad.  Undeterred, I set to work on recreating the dish in a fun way.

 

 

Dressing that can make or break a salad.  I wanted to light, herby vinaigrette that wouldn’t overwhelm with the stronger flavors from the olives and capers.  The lemon-thyme vinaigrette did the trick – the lemon flavors brought out the other veggies in the salad.  A high-quality olive oil allows you to use less in the recipe without compromising flavor.  This particular bottle is from my recent travels to Italy.

 

The other stand-out in this vegan-ized recipe was the “tuna” tempeh.  Meant to sub for the tuna, it doesn’t really taste like tuna (a good thing in my book).  Rather, it adds a slightly nutty, lemon-pepper protein addition.  The crunch it adds as a result of being slowly sautéed is a fun dimension to the salad.

 

 

You may think you’re going overboard with the pepper on the tempeh – and feel free to adjust to your tastes – but when it’s combined with the lemon flavors and them eaten with the other salad ingredients, it’s the perfect flavor.

 

The color of the salad is fabulous.  It was the most photogenic thing on the table!

 

 

You’ll notice I didn’t include measurements for the veggie toppings.  Add as much or a little as you like!  I simply added “handfuls” until the bowl was filled and looked pretty.

If you are unable to locate Niçoise olives, substitute Kalamata or another high-quality dark olive.  Read: don’t use your left-over pizza topping olives.

 

 

Check out these other (vegan) French dishes served that Book Club:

  • Butternut Squash Chia Pudding
  • Provençal Tomato Spread
  • Vegan Goat Cheese-Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
  • Eggplant Bruschetta

________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Salade Niçoise

For the Salad:

  • Arugula lettuce
  • Red leaf lettuce
  • French green beans, ends removed and cut in 3-4 in pieces
  • Wax beans, ends removed and cut in 3-4 in pieces
  • Niçoise olives
  • Capers
  • Tomatoes, diced
  • Red onion (1/4-1/2 C), diced

 

Place lettuces in a large bowl.  In individual sections, add each veggie topping.

 

For the Tempeh:

  • 8 oz. tempeh, cut into 1-in cubes
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon, plus zest
  • 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 4-5 drops liquid smoke
  • 1-2 drops liquid stevia
  • Salt, to taste

 

In a small bowl mix together remaining ingredients.  Toss with tempeh to coat well, and allow to marinate for 10-15 mins.

Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat.

Place tempeh and any residual marinade in pan.  Cook, tossing occasionally until tempeh is lightly browned and crisped on the outside (~10 mins).

Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once cooled, add to salad.

 

For the Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 C fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 C water
  • 2 T fresh thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/3 C extra virgin olive oil

 

In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients except olive oil.  Slowly pour in the oil, whisking constantly.

Alternately, place all the ingredients in dressing bottle or jar and shake to combine.

Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving alongside the salad.

Note: If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, bring to room temp and shake again before use.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

I’m excited to be co-hosting the #GreensLove event with the following fabulous bloggers.  Be sure to visit them, and to add your own recipe via the linky tool below!

 

Al Dente Gourmet ~ Aldy ~ @AlDenteGourmet
ASTIG Vegan ~ Richgail ~  @astigvegan
Badger Girl Learns to Cook ~ Kimberly ~ @BdgrGrl
Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves ~ Becky Higgins
BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker
Bon a croquer ~ Valerie ~ @Valouth
CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog
Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess
Cheap Ethnic Eatz ~ Evelyne ~ @cethniceatz
Easily Good Eats ~ Three Cookies
Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes
Kitchen Belleicious ~ Jessica ~ @kbelleicious
Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk
No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley
Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose
Queen’s Notebook ~ Elizabeth ~ @Mango_Queen
Rico sin Azucar ~ Helena ~ @ricosinazucar
Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla
Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem
Soni’s Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood
Sprint 2 the Table ~ Laura ~ @Sprint2theTable
Teaspoon of Spice ~ Deanna ~ @tspbasil 
That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick
The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~@TAofCRF
The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd
The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian
Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack
Vegetarian Mamma  ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma
You Made That? ~  Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog

Join us in the March #greenlove by linking up any leafy green recipe below.  Don’t forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #greenlove event!  The twitter hashtag is #greenlove.

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

***

I am also honored to announce that I was nominated as a “Best Healthy Eating Blog” for the 2012 Fitterati Blog Awards on FitnessMagazine.com.  You guys are the best and a constant source of inspiration.  If you’re so inclined, pretty please click here and vote for me. 🙂

 

What’s the best green food you’ve made lately?

Is anyone running this weekend?  Good luck – I’d love to hear how it goes!!!

 

Filed Under: Bloghop, Fitness, Recipes Tagged With: book club, dinner, entertaining, French food, salad, tempeh, vegan, vegetarian

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Food lover. Constant Wine-r. Gym Rat. More is more.

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