lunch

  • May192017

    spring quinoa salad

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    As I’ve mentioned before, quinoa salads are one of my favorite dishes to bring to family gatherings or parties because they are easy, filling, healthy and delicious! If you are unfamiliar with quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), it is a gluten free grain-like seed that originated from South America. I love that it is versatile, easy to prepare and best of all is a complete protein; meaning it contains all nine of the essential amino-acids that our bodies need to thrive. Quinoa is also considered a valuable source of heart-healthy fats as well as packed full of vitamins, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

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  • May042017

    shaved asparagus salad

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    One of the very first spring vegetables to emerge on the east coast is one of my favorites, asparagus! One cup of asparagus provides you with 100% DV of vitamin K and 67% DV of folate, both super important for women who want to become pregnant or are pregnant. It’s also an excellent source of copper, vitamin B1, selenium, vitamin B2, vitamin C and vitamin E. Asparagus is sensitive to heat so to get the most nutrition out of it, it’s best to eat it raw or steam it only for a few minutes. The first time I heard of shaving asparagus and eating it raw was probably six years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since!

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  • Apr252017

    not sad desk (or sahm) lunch

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    One of the things I love most about traveling is being inspired by the food! On my recent trip to Hawaii one of my friends told me about a great take-away place in Kona called Laulima Food Patch. If you are visiting the Big Island you must go there – they have awesome whole food bowls for breakfast and lunch. We stopped there as much as possible on our trip. I ordered their “wholey protein” bowl twice because the green goddess dressing was amazing! They used a buttermilk base so I decided to recreate a vegan version at home. This dressing will make any salad taste better!

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  • Mar282017

    roasted spring vegetables & brown rice

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    I like the motto “cook once, eat twice.” Making a large batch of roasted vegetables and quinoa or brown rice and using it for multiple meals makes eating healthfully a whole lot easier. We are all busy people and if there’s not something healthy easily available, we’re much more prone to go without eating or buy something unhealthy on the go. Eating whole foods is as simple as chopping up a variety of seasonal vegetables, sticking them in the oven while your whole grain of choice simmers away on the stove, and there you have a handful of meals all ready to go!

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  • Feb212017

    kale & brussels slaw

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    Today I’m sharing my new favorite salad with shaved brussels sprouts. I have been obsessed with eating raw shaved brussels ever since this recipe came out in 2009. If this concept is new to you I know you’re skeptical, but believe me this is delicious and I’ve had a handful of people ask me for the recipe since I’ve been bringing it everywhere with me! There’s not really anything healthier than eating raw cruciferous vegetables so why not make them taste amazing!

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  • Feb072017

    valentine’s day beet soup

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    I’ll be honest; I’m not one to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Roses and chocolate and a rushed dinner at a packed restaurant aren’t my thing. Ok, well I wouldn’t turn down ranunculus and organic 80% dark chocolate but I’d rather have it on a random day than a commercialized holiday. I am however, always for a nice relaxed dinner at home and I’m sure many of you are too, especially those with littles who can’t get a sitter. So if you’re staying at home with your love, here’s a delicious, festive (make-ahead) recipe that makes a lovely first course.

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  • Jan242017

    winter salad with blood orange & avocado

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    As if the power of whole foods on their own wasn’t enough to excite me, there are some amazing studies being done on the synergy of food! Hort Research in New Zealand did a study showing that if you combine berries and chocolate, you absorb three times the amount of antioxidants than if you were to eat those two foods separately. Today I want to specifically talk about how adding healthy fats to a salad can boost your carotenoid (antioxidant) absorption.

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  • Oct202016

    stuffed acorn squash with quinoa, kale & shiitakes

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    Today I am sharing yet another squash recipe, because well, they are in season! I absolutely love winter squash and I am thrilled that my husband who used to hate all types will now eat (and enjoy) anything I make with any type of squash!

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  • Oct132016

    moroccan chickpea stew

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    There are some recipes that I just keep coming back to every season and this is certainly one of them. It comes from one of my most used cookbooks “at home in the whole food kitchen” by vegetarian chef Amy Chaplin. She lays this cookbook out so beautifully from a stunning breakdown of pantry essentials to dozens of DIY spice mixes and nut milks and nutrition packed recipes for every season.

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  • Sep222016

    quinoa salad with butternut squash & kale

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    Happy fall equinox! My parents gave me a bunch of butternut squash from their garden so I decided to use it for this week’s recipe. This is a simple 2-pot quinoa salad that is great for lunches throughout the week. I’m a huge fan of making a big batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week to add to vegetables and make lunches out of it. The original recipe calls for a vinaigrette but honestly I don’t think this salad really needs it. It’s good with or without. The fresh thyme and shallots give this dish plenty of flavor!

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