2016-03-28

Mole Lentil Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!  After church, Kevin and I spent the afternoon lazing around the house, catching up on laundry and some reading.  Mid afternoon hit and I had a hankering for tacos!  I know, not traditional Easter food whatsoever, but I just went with it.  I ended up with a fantastic recipe I'm sure to keep in rotation!  Enjoy!

Mole Lentil Tacos with Cabbage Slaw
Time: 15 minute prep, 6 minute high pressure with a NPR (or 30 minutes on the stovetop, directions below)
Servings: 4-6 servings



Ingredients:
    Lentil "Meat"
        1/2 cup dry brown lentils
        1/2 cup dry french green lentils
        1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
        1/2 red onion, finely chopped
        1 green bell pepper, chopped
        1/2 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
    Mole Sauce
        1/4 cup tomato paste
        2 1/2 cups water
        1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
        1 Tbsp cocoa/cacao powder
        1 tsp cumin powder
        1 tsp smoked paprika
        1/2 tsp corriander powder
        1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
        1/4 tsp cinnamon
    Cabbage Slaw Topping
        4-6 cups shredded green cabbage
        1/4 cup sliced green onions
        8 radishes, finely chopped
        2 Tbsp lime juice
        salt to taste
    Extras
        corn tortillas
        salsa
        hot sauce
        vegan sour cream
        guacamole

Instructions:
1.)  In a pressure cooker, dry or water saute the red onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and walnuts for 3-5 minutes.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the mole sauce ingredients until smooth and well combined.  Add the lentils and mole sauce to the pressure cooker.  Stir well, lock the lid, and set to cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.  Allow for a natural pressure release.  (Alternatively, cook in a pot on the stovetop bringing to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are cooked thoroughly.)

2.)  While the lentils are cooking, prep your cabbage slaw.  Place only the green cabbage in a large bowl with the lime juice and a sprinkle of salt.  With your hands massage and squeeze the cabbage to loosen up the fibers (very similar to if you were making sour kraut).  The cabbage should reduce to about 2/3 or 1/2 of its original volume.  Drain any excess liquid.  Add in the green onion and radish, and stir well to combine.  Chill in the fridge until it is time to serve.

3.)  This is not necessary, but I love to lightly warm/toast my corn tortillas in an un-greased skillet on medium heat for a minute or so each side just before serving.  It makes the shells able to hold more without tearing and brings out the corn flavor.

4.)  Once the lentils are done cooking and the pressure has released, carefully open the lid and give the lentils a good stir.  Serve hot on the toasted tortillas topped with the cabbage slaw and any other toppings you desire.

Amy's Notes:
Trust me, toast your corn tortillas.  I was never too much of a fan of them until I tried them freshly warmed in a skillet.  Makes all the difference!

An few alternative ways to enjoy this is to have the mole lentils on top of a large pile of the cabbage slaw like a salad.  Another way would be to have on top of brown rice, quinoa, baked tortilla chips, or a baked potato.  Whichever way you choose, the lentil and cabbage combo is fantastic!  Enjoy!


Health and Happiness,

Amy

2016-03-09

Example Day #4

Ever wonder what a Nutritarian eats day to day?  Join me in this weekly series while I show you an example day of what I typically eat.

This was my example eating from this Monday.  Mondays for me are the busiest day of the week with morning meetings and picking up breakfast for the office.  I generally wait to eat breakfast most days until I get into the office, but since I know these mornings are hectic and I won't get a peaceful moment until close to 10, I eat what I call pre-breakfast to tide me over.

This day I had a banana on my way into work.  Once I got in, I carried around an apple until our Monday Morning Meeting started.





Around 9:30 I got the chance to sit down at my desk and have proper breakfast.  Today it was 1/3 cup rolled oats soaked in hot water, with 1/2 chopped banana and organic soy milk.


Lunch today consisted of my new favorite (and quick!) Simple Greens and Quinoa Salad with another apple and three clementines.


On my way home from work I needed to pick up some groceries.  My Fred Meyer has a nice "natural foods" section and occasionally I treat myself to some chia seed kombucha.  I don't usually drink my calories, but I find this a great alternative to soda if I'm craving a sweet drink.


Once a week Kevin and I make an effort to have a sit down dinner with no electronics or other distractions.  I grew up having sit-down dinners most nights of the week, but Kevin did not, so this is our balance for now.  This night I had a whole wheat wrap with herbed tofu spread, chopped artichoke hearts, carrots and romaine with a side of Thai red cabbage slaw and steamed asparagus (and un-pictured steamed broccolini).


Kevin was not so much into the slaw and wrap, so he made himself two burgers (unfortunately, he is not a Nutritarian), and a Caesar salad on the side.  He did, however give asparagus a try and did not hate it.  BIG improvement if you know my husband!


To summarize based on Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live plan:

  • 1 lb raw vegetables - I met this goal with my lunch salad and the Thai slaw I had with dinner.
  • 1 lb cooked vegetables - This was covered with my two helpings of steamed asparagus and broccolini at dinner.
  • 4 servings fresh fruit - I met this goal with 1.5 bananas, 2 apples, and 3 clementines.
  • 1 cup or more of beans - I fell a little short on this today, but I had a tofu spread on my wrap at dinner.
  • 1 cup or less whole grains/starchy vegetables - I had 1/3 cup oatmeal, about 1/3 cup of quinoa, and a whole wheat wrap.  I often count quinoa more towards my bean goal since it is higher in protein.
  • 1 oz or less of nuts/seeds - I had a small amount of nuts blended into the tofu spread, and I also had some avocado in my lunch salad that I will count in this category because it is higher in fat.


Health and Happiness,

Amy


2016-03-07

Simple Greens and Quinoa Salad

I've been going for simple lately.  After having some tummy issues a few weeks ago (more on that in another post), I've been sensitive to more exotic foods.  To get my system back in normal digesting order, I've been sticking to simple recipes.

Since my actual volume of food I've been able to eat has decreased, I have been having a bit more calorie dense foods, such as nuts, dried fruit, and avocados.  For those of you who are following Dr. Fuhrman's more aggressive weight loss plan, try subbing 1/2 of the avocado in this recipe for the same volume of defrosted and mashed green peas.  You'll still get that avocado flavor, but with less calories.

The recipe below has been my go-to salad for the last week or so.  It has 5 ingredients!  5!  It doesn't get more simple than that.  Plus, I can prep and mix all of this with a cutting board, paring knife, fork, and large bowl.  I'm all for less to clean!

Simple Greens and Quinoa Salad
Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2 main dish servings, or 4-5 side salad servings
Print this recipe!