Cayenne Lentil Roll

As a lifelong vegetarian and seeker of flavorful and easy recipes, I know the power of lentils and have embraced the versatility this little bean packs in many vegetarian recipes. From the beginning of time, humans have consumed this protein packed legume (bean) in all its colorful glory. Whether it hits your plate in shades of red, yellow, white, brown, green, black or orange, you can be assured that this will satisfy your hunger due to its 25% of protein content! Plus, these little vibrant jewels welcome an array of spices and flavors so that you can travel the world through your mouth, bite by bite.

Lentils are incredibly versatile. You can use them in stews, soups, fillings, and pies. Or, they can be mashed, boiled, sautéed, blended, and purred into your preferred vegetarian recipes. One of my favorite ways to enjoy the power protein punch of lentils is in a Cayenne Lentil Roll.

I created this dish after my first trip to Texas. There was something about cowboy hats, country music and that overall southern feel that brought out this bold and spicy dish loaded full of lentils. After all, they say everything is bigger in Texas, so why not apply that to little lentils too!

Cayenne Lentil Roll

Ingredients:

1 tbsp of olive oil
3 medium carrots, diced
1 medium white onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
½ green pepper, diced
1 cup red lentils (or any other color)
2 ½ cup water
2 large garlic cloves, slightly crushed
2 bay leaves
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper, adjust to taste
3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
2 tbsp Liquid Amino Acids (Mrs. Braggs)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Hass avocados , sliced
5 Whole Wheat Tortillas

Sautee carrots, peppers and onion in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes.

Add lentils, water, garlic, bay leaves.

Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, approx. 20 min.

Stir occasionally.

Take off heat and stir in cayenne pepper, nutritional yeast, liquid amino acids, salt and pepper.

Divide mixture and place in tortillas.

Top with sliced avocado and roll tortilla.

This mixture would also be fantastic as a side dish next to a Cajun style portabella burger
or other a like recipes! Lentils can be a vegetarian’s best friend as they provide tons of protein
and B vitamins in every vegetarian recipe it stars in. Start experimenting with them
in all of your vegetarian recipes and enjoy!

Cinnamon Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Cinnamon Chocolate Covered Strawberries

If you want the recipe for these little sweeties, you’ll have to leave me a comment!

Spunky Spanikopita

Hi again-

I haven’t written lately…I’ve been so busy cooking up a storm!

Here is one of my more recent creations.  Essentially, it is a Spanikopita

(Feta and Spinach filled Greek savory pastry), however, in good form, I

added a few new things .   Feel free to be creative!  Here are some added suggestions

on ingredients that would be super yummy too!

- kalamata olives, chopped

- artichoke hearts, sliced

- sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

Since there are few flavors in this dish,

the key to this recipe is to use the HIGHEST qualities ingredients

that you can find so that each player can be a star!

Also, since this recipe uses cheese,

make a good ethical decision for you, the environment and the cows and please…

buy from a company which you are SURE treats their cows like

the beautiful queens they are!

Here are some brands that report to treat their cows humanely, however, make it

your responsibility to know for sure.

Organic Dairyland, Organic Valley, Vermont Butter & Cheese

Okay…on to the recipe!  Have fun and be creative!

Filling:

1 box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 pint baby portabellas, sliced

1.5 cups of feta

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

splash of white wine (optional)

pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Crust:

10 sheets Phyllo dough, thawed

1-2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (as needed)

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.

Add onion and sauté for 2 min. or until they start to become translucent.

Add mushroom, splash of white wine, nutmeg and garlic and sauté another 3-5 min. or until everything looks cooked.

Then, add spinach (drained!) and black pepper until hot.  Take off heat and mix in crumbled feta.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

On a large cookie sheet, lay down 1 sheet of phyllo dough.

Using a little cup with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in it,

dip your fingertips into the oil and then paint onto the phyllo sheet (make sure to get the edges).

This is just like finger painting but be gentle because the dough can rip easily.

Next, lay another sheet of phyllo down on the first sheet and repeat the process 5 times.

On another cookie sheet, do this whole process again so that you end up with 2 5-layer phyllo doughs.

Next, drop half of the filling on each 5 layered phyllo dough.

Roll it up like a big burrito or any other “pocket” shape you like.

If you end up with wholes or feel like you need more layers of phyllo to close the pocket, feel free to add more sheets.

If you do this, always remember to paint each sheet with olive oil.

Finally, put both Spanokopitas in the over and bake until browed (approx. 30 min.).

KickBoxing Rice and Beans

Hello!

I’m so excited!  My husband and I took our very first KickBoxing class last night!

It was AWESOME!  We had a great workout, met some new friends and best of all…

learned a 4 punch combo!  We’re going to be bad asses in no time!

Right after class, we came home and Mike made an awesome new rice and bean dish!

Here it is:

1 cup of brown long-grain rice

2 cups of water

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 white onion, diced

1 pint baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

1 can black beans, drain 1/3 of the liquid

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chili powder, dried

1 teaspoon cumin powder, dried

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon oregano, dried

pinch – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, dried and to taste

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 lime, zest first then slice in half

1 teaspoon of sea salt

pepper, to taste

1/2 tomato, diced

1/4 cup red/green cabbage, sliced thinly

1/3 cup low fat sour cream

1. Start the Rice

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Once boiling, add rice, stir once and lower

heat to a simmer.  Simmer uncovered until water is mostly gone (about 15 min.).  Once water is mostly

gone, cover and turn heat off.  Leave for 10 minutes.  Then fluff the rice, add beans and 2 tablespoons

of cilantro mixture.

2. Prepare Cilantro Blend

Finely chop cilantro until it is shy of becoming a paste.  Add salt and lime zest.

Mix together using a chopping technique with your knife.

3. Make Veggie Mixture

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on medium heat.  Add sliced mushrooms.  Saute for 3 minutes.

Add onions and red peppers.  Saute until al dente.

Mix in chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper and 1 tablespoon of cilantro mixture.

Turn off heat.  Finish by squeezing lime juice on top.  Taste.  Add pepper or more of anything

to suit your personal taste.

Make it Dance:

To assemble the dish, first place a 1/2 cup of rice/beans on a plate.  Top with veggie mixture.

Then, garnish with cabbage, tomato and sour cream on top.  Serve with a side salad or sliced

avocado!  Enjoy!

Killer Indian Curry

My husband and I made our very first homemade Indian curry last night and it came out

so yummy that I thought I better share.  We used a pre-existing recipe as a guide, but put

our very own twist on it…afterall, cooking is about creation, not just duplication.  We modeled

our curry after a traditional Aloo Mutter (Potato and Peas), but as you will see, it turned out

pretty unique!

I invite you to use my recipe and put your twist on it.  Have fun and enjoy!

Knudson’s Killer Indian Curry:

6 small red potatoes, cut in bite-sized pieces

1 can of black beans, drained

1 pint of baby portabella mushrooms, quartered

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil

1 teaspoon caraway seed

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin seed

1/2 red onion, diced

1/4-1/2 ground cayenne, depends on heat preference

1 teaspoon salt, more to taste

1/2 tablespoon of yellow curry (use pre-mixed or create your own)

1 teaspoon of Garam Masaala (use pre-mixed or create your own)

1 cup of water

3 tablespoon of chopped parsley

Preparations:

Potatoes: Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and boil in water until fork tender. Drain and cool.

Mushrooms: Saute quartered mushrooms over medium heat with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil until

tender.

Curry:

Heat a dutch over or a large sauce pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat.  Add oil.

When the oil is hot, add caraway seed and ground cumin.  Toast for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Next, add tomatoes, salt, cayenne and yellow curry.  Mix well.

Incorporate black beans, potatoes and mushrooms.

Simmer on low heat for 10 min.

Taste the curry for taste and consistancy.  If needed, add more salt.  If it is too lose (should be like loose a stew),

add water.

Turn the heat off and mix in Garam Masaala.

Garnish with parsley on top.

Spiced Rice:

3 cups of filtered water

2 cups of Basmati rice (or another long -grain rice)

3 cardomon seeds

1 tablespoon of caraway seed

1 tablespoon of butter

Rinse rice in cold water several times until the water drains clear.

Mix rice, cardamon and caraway seeds and water in a medium sauce pan and bring to boil over high heat.

When it reaches boiling, stir once and reduce heat to medium-low.

Simmer uncovered for 7-8 minutes.

Uncover and continue simmering for an additional 5 minutes until almost

all of the water is gone.

Add butter.

Cover and remove from heat.  Keep rice covered for at least 10 more minutes

as this will finish steaming the rice to perfection!

Fluff rice before serving.

Stuck

I really want to write today…I really want to make it happen…but…

my brain is stuck.  I just realized that I have lost about a year’s worth

of recipes that I had digitally saved.

Ho-Hum….I will need to get my creative juices flowing and re-create

some of the better ones!  When that happens, I will post here!

Cubed Salad with Northern White Beans

So, one thing everyone who knows me, knows about me is that I love to create in the kitchen.

I don’t say I like to cook, because what I do isn’t just cooking…it is my form of creative expression.

You see, when I create (or cook), my mind goes on a mini-vacation and my spirt is excited.  I am

able to naturally focus in so deeply that I don’t have any other thought in my mind other than the dish

I am working on.  It is really something I enjoy and the best part is when I get the critics (my husband

and friends/family) to critique it.

Last night, I created my take on a traditional Panzanella salad.  This one isn’t too adveturous, but certainly

is tasty and healthy!

Cubed Salad with Northern White Beans

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf of whole wheat artisan bread, cubed

1/2 lb of Feta cheese (could substitute fresh mozzarella), cubed

1 large red pepper, cubed

1/2 European cucumber, cubed

1/2 red onion, finely sliced into half moons

3 ribs celery, chunked

2 carrots, chunked

1 pint of Baby Bellas, quartered

1 can of Northern White Beans, drained

2 handfuls of your favorite black olives

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (dressing)

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon of maple syrup (could substitute raw sugar)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (croutons)

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (mushrooms)

1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings

1 tablespoon Herb de Provance

1/2 clove of fresh garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Croutons:

In a large skillet, add two tablespoons of oil and heat over medium heat.  (If you skillet is medium, you will have to do this

in two stages).  Add Italian Seasonings to oil and heat for 30 seconds.  Add bread cubes and toast until they resemble homemade

croutons.  You willl need to toss them around so each side gets toasted.  Set aside to cool.

Mushrooms:

In the same hot pan you just made the croutons, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and sautee

until mushrooms for 3-5 min.  Let cool.

Dressing:

In a mason jar, add 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, Herb de Provance and garlic.

Shake vigorously and taste.  If it is too tart, add more maple syrup.  Season to taste with salt/pepper.

Salad:

In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and top with a quarter of the dressing.  Mix, taste and enjoy with friends.

If you need more dressing, add it.

If not, store in the refrigerator and use up to one week.

New Year's Resolution

Well, it’s two weeks into the New Year and I have to say, I’m doing well with my New Year’s Resolution!

I have vowed to walk my dogs everyday!  I think part of the success of the resolution is I picked something

that I really enjoy and that I can easily work into my life!  Since I work from home, I usually walk my dogs

mid-day, often right after lunch.  This way, I get my blood pumping after eating and my dogs get to have a mini-adventure

while it is still daylight!  Maybe that is the key….make goals and resolutions about things that you like so that

you set yourself up for success!  Too bad I don’t enjoy going to the gym !

-Sarah

BRRRRR!!!!

Brrrrr….it’s freezing here in Florida and I am loving every second of it!  The cool air and the opportunity to feel the warmth of a fire is

comforting to the soul!  However, I have to admit, with my pleasure comes the pain of Florida Citrus farmers.  I feel so terribly that

their livelihood is suffering due to the hard freezes on their orange groves.  Check out a picture I snapped while in hiking in central Florida

this weekend (above).

It’s really a shame and I hope that the farmers make it through this rough season.

But, ya know, it makes me thankful to work from home so I don’t have to worry about how the weather will impact my income.

Thankfully, I get to weather through this cold spell in Florida in front of my computer in my home office.

Sarah