Help needed!

Lentils! Great source of protein and they taste like whatever you cook them in so you can get creative. I love this recipe:

Lemony Ginger Red Lentils

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 large onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of fresh grated ginger
3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 1/3 cups red lentils
1-2 teaspoons of sea salt [to taste]
3 1/4 cups of water

Heat the coconut oil over medium high heat and add the onions, cooking for about 8-9 minutes until they begin to cook and tenderize and then start to caramelize.

Then add the garlic, carrots, celery, jalapeno, ginger, and lemon zest and cook for 6-7 more minutes until the veggies become soft. Add your lentils, water, and salt and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the lentils become tender, but not mushy. You still want them to hold their shape but be soft when you eat them. Add more water 1/4 cup at a time if needed. Stir in the lemon juice and serve over your favorite grain!



I also like this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad to bring for lunches:

1 (15 oz) can low sodium chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1/2 small red onion (I soak it in ice water while I'm preparing the salad - don't like the onion overpowering the other flavors)
1/2 cucumber (seeded and chopped)
3-6 plum tomatoes (chopped)
2 TBS chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
1/4 cup reduced-fat feta cheese (can leave this out if you don't like feta)
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt (can leave out if you're using feta since feta is pretty salty)

In a large bowl, combine everything and toss to mix ingredients. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Makes 4 servings (1 cup is a serving).

Nutritional Facts:

Calories - 160
Carbs - 23 grams
Fat - 6 grams
Protein - 8 grams
Fiber - 6 grams
Sodium - 312 grams (if you don't add extra salt, you'll need to adjust this number)

Thank you! what grain do you recommend? I only usually use rice.
Any other filling main meal ideas out there??
:happy:

Quinoa!!!

What about some sort of egg white scramle/omelet? With tomatos, potatoes, or spinach sounds good.

A spinach salad with apples and walnuts is also good.

Go for some vegetarian chili! You can use whatever kinds of beans you like (I like black beans, chickpea and great northern mixed together), a tomato base, some spices (I like cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne), and add some veggies (carrots and green peppers are easy), and let it simmer over the stovetop. Healthy, filling, vegetarian, and super easy to make, and keeps well in fridge or freezer!

i make bean enchiladas quite often.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/edit/38691424

warmed black beans and corn inside a tortilla,
spiced generously with cumin, pepper, etc
smothered with a 2:3 food processed mixture of marinara and salsa
with melted cheese

Serves 8 (1enchilada)
215 calories each

I love making a huge pot of chili and eating it through the week. Other ideas:

lentil salad (hot or cold)
cook the lentils and then chop up a bunch of veggies to put in

I recently made a recipe for slow cooker vegan corn chowder. I decided that the portion I would normally eat is about 200 cals, but you can decide how much you would normally eat after you make it. It's so yummy!
veggie stock
onion
garlic
celery
potato
green beans
corn (of course!)
seasonings--the recipe I used recommended jalapeno, chili powder/paprika, basil, oregano. I didn't use the jalapeno and went light on the spicy. I wanted something comforting.

I made a yummy eggplant rollatini from skinnytaste the other night, delish!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/09/best-skinny-eggplant-rollatini-with.html

I also second and third the recommendations for quinoa! I can't believe I never had it before starting on this journey of being healthier, now it is a staple! Don't use water, use a low sodium veg broth. I also toast mine a little before adding the liquid. I also want to try a breakfast one where you use almond milk for the liquid and then add fruit.

I also just grabbed a great cookbook called the Happy Herbivore and have been pretty happy with a couple of recipes in there

Mushroom hating vegetarian here, too!!

One of my all time favorite meals is Kale/Spinach/Chickpea Fritters. This makes enough for a meal for four or yourself with plenty for the next couple of days.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

One Can of Chickpeas drained and rinsed
two cups of kale
two cups of spinach
1/2 of an onion
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of chopped garlic
a pinch of thyme
pepper to taste
1 cup of Quinoa cooked and cooled
Spray oil

I use my food processor to grind all of the ingredients up and then add 3 tablespoons of rye flour, once the mixture is sticky and all stirred up I make patties out of the mixture. I use spray oil on a baking pan and then put the fritters on the pan. Add any seasonings that you prefer on top.

I then take non-fat greek yogurt and mix with chipotle seasoning and put in the fridge until the fritters are cooked.

Put a dollop of the greek mixture on top of your fritter and be taste amazed.

This sounds amazing. How long do you cook it for?