Roasted Tomato and Lentil Salad

I may have to change the name of this blog soon to The Girl Who Always Ate Lentils. I think it would get a lot of traffic. At least from me.  (oh wait... ) 

They are just so delicious, and so easy to prepare and so cheap and so darn good for you. That's it! They are Everything!!

Just because it is summer doesn't mean that I have stopped roasting all kinds of delicious veggies. These are some roasted tomatoes, which don't take long to roast at all - and they are so yummy. 

You can eat this, hot, cold or room temp.  I make it on the weekends and then eat it all week for lunch because you guys... I need adult food in the summer time. It is what keeps me mostly sane. 

Let's Get Popping! Some of the Best Ways to Flavor Your Favorite Whole Grain

One of my most favorite things to snack on in the whole world is popcorn. Since I love to share with you my healthy favorite things, I am going to share with you some of the most delicious ways to top this amazing whole grain.

A whopping 3 cups of air-popped popcorn is a mighty filling whole-grain snack yet only has 92 calories, plus 19 g carbs, 3 g protein, and 4 g fiber.

For the best and most even flavor distribution put half your popcorn in a bowl then sprinkle half your toppings / seasonings and then the second half of your popcorn and then top with the rest of your toppings / seasonings. I like to then put a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and shake shake shake. 

Here are some other ways that I like to top my popcorn. 

Sweet - 

Chocolate Chips ( or any flavor chips for that matter). I like the mini ones. This can get messy, but boy is it ever delicious. 

Cinnamon Sugar - used melted butter or coconut oil and then sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mix. (most of us have one). Try pumpkin pie spice or chai spice as well and sugar and powdered ginger or nutmeg. My mouth is watering just typing this. 

Maple Butter - Mix together 1 tsp of melted butter and 1 tsp maple syrup and drizzle it over your popcorn. It is a good thing this one goes so fast, because it can get soggy. 

Marshmallow - Instead of using your regular crispy rice cereal use popcorn to make these easy treats. 

Mexican Hot Chocolate -  Toss with 1/4 teaspoon each cocoa powder and cinnamon. 

Fruit Salad- Toss with 2 tablespoons each dried cranberries, dried tart cherries, and raisins.

Pumpkin Pie -  Toss with 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon each allspice, ground cloves, and nutmeg

Caramel -  In a small saucepan, simmer 1 1/2 teaspoons olive or coconut oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup. Drizzle over popcorn and toss.

Chocolate Peanut - Toss popcorn with 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon peanuts.

Swiss Mix - Toss with 1/4 cup mini marshmallows and 1 tablespoon hot chocolate mix.

Spiced Nut - Toss with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, and 1 tablespoon each sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raw unsalted slivered almonds

Agave Crunch -  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon agave nectar and toss with 2 tablespoons granola and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Savory - 

Barbecue Popcorn - with brown sugar and paprika this recipe is sure to please at your house. 

Garlic Oil and Pecorino cheese - You can use any specialty cheese with this recipe. I find it just fine to omit the salt that the recipe calls for. 

Italian Seasoning - (oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes, marjoram, and basil) with olive oil.  This one tastes like Pizza Popcorn!

Parmesan Parsley - Toss with 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh parsley.

Truffles - Drizzle with 1 teaspoon truffle oil and 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss

Sesame - Drizzle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons gomasio (toasted sesame seeds and nori seaweed. Can’t find it in your grocery? Use 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds)

Orange Rosemary - Toss with 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1/8 teaspoon orange zest, and 1 dash garlic powder

Vegan Cheese - Drizzle with 1 teaspoon coconut oil and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Lemon Pepper - Toss with 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorn and 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest

You just use almost any prepared seasoning that you have Old Bay with Lemon Pepper and butter is to die for, as well as Caribbean Jerk Seasoning. For all of us ranch fans out there, we can use a packet of Ranch Dressing mix. 

Spicy - 
Spicy Paprika - Toss with 3/4 teaspoon chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. 

Thai - Toss with 1 teaspoon each curry powder and dried basil, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and zest of 1 lime.

Chipotle Chocolate -  Toss with 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder and 1/8 teaspoon chipotle seasoning.


Cajun -  In small saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon each cumin, garlic powder, dried basil, dried thyme, and paprika; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; and 1 dash cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 minute. Drizzle over popcorn and toss.


Chili Lime -  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and a few shakes of Tabasco. Toss with 1 teaspoon each freshly squeezed lime juice and lime zest, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon each chili powder and chili flakes

Wasabi -Toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and 1 finely crumbled sheet nori.

Sweet Chili - Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons honey and 1 dash each garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Microwave mixture on high for 15 seconds. Drizzle over popcorn and toss with 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

How can you not love a snack that you can make so many different ways and still be healthy eating it. If you can, use a mister for your butter or olive oil. (or cut it out all together). What a great way to get your daily whole grains! 

Miso Peanut Pasta Salad

Aah Pasta Salad - the official food of summer and my favorite way to pack a huge amount of veggies into a meal.  I have made this a few times and my favorite way to eat it is cold, but Joseph preferred it warm (right after I am done making it), but it delicious at room temperature as well. 

That makes it perfect to take to any summer gathering. 

With all the yummy goodness of my favorite peanut noodles, the addition of the Miso makes it extra special. If you aren't familiar with Miso, I suggest you try it immediately. I can find it at my local grocery store in the Asian section. It comes in a paste. The white is much milder than the red. It is a fermented soybean paste and is most often used in cooking to add that sweet / salty / spicy Umami goodness. (it is the salty)

You could pack this pasta salad with even more veggies as it would be delicious with bell peppers, snow peas or green peas, bean sprouts, broccoli florets, cabbage or spinach. Add whatever veggies you have on hand. 

Caprese Pasta Salad

I remember the first time I discovered Caprese Salad. I felt so sophisticated and glamorous. It seemed like a fancy thing to be eating, glorious in its simplicity. I still can't get enough of the stuff, I just love it. 

And so when it gets to be tomato season and the fresh basil is plentiful, I could eat it everyday. 

But eating it everyday, means that I'm still hungry. Let's be honest, when I make it, I use a pretty heavy hand with the tomatoes and skimp on the cheese. That means, I'm just mostly eating tomatoes. And after an hour or two... I'm hungry again. 

This summer, I am solving that problem with pasta and making my beloved Caprese Salad a meal. 

It's genius! The balsamic vinegar and olive oil are the perfect simple dressing for a pasta salad. And the flavors of the fresh tomatoes along with pungent basil make the perfect compliment to plain old pasta. 

This keeps amazing in the fridge. I have been eating it all week at lunch and for snacks. (Yes! I really do eat that much of it!) The last day, I added a bit more balsamic and oil because the pasta had absorbed so much, but it was still just as tasty. 

Whole Grain Chocolate Waffles

When I whipped these up on Sunday morning everybody thought I was making dessert for breakfast. But the truth is, these couldn't have been more simple or better for us. 

Since I added cocoa powder to my waffles, I was able to boost the flour to 100% whole grain instead of the 50/50 blend that I normally use with all-purpose flour. (Because the cocoa made the waffles a nice chocolate brown and that totally hides the whole grain color from my family. (mostly the teens!)

I sliced up the last of the berries that I had in the fridge and the ones that I had to cut up because one side had gone a little "mushy" got put into a sauce pan and cooked down to make a delicious syrup - who's only ingredient was mashed up berries. 

 

You could serve these with sliced bananas, or other fresh fruits. You could even serve them as dessert waffles and not tell a soul they were eating something really good for them. 

They did turn out a little Cake-y for the waffle purist in our family, but when I heated one up the next day in the toaster over it was crispy on the outside and perfect on the inside....  I might just say these are Better the next day. But I'll need to make a few more batches and do lots more chocolate waffle research. 

Rosemary Olive Quick Bread

This is a fantastic bread with so much flavor and hearty goodness. I used a 10-grain whole grain flour, but you can use any whole grain flour that you choose. Quick breads are a fantastic way to introduce whole grains to your family because they are by nature a heartier bread than a yeast bread.

I love the taste of salty olives and so this bread is a favorite of mine. And while rosemary isn't typically an herb that I love the taste of, it was a perfect compliment to the olives.  

You can use quick breads for snacks or breakfast, I won't lie, this would make some Amazing avocado toast. Or you can use it to compliment both a simple dinner or a fancy one.  

Whole Grain Cheddar Bay Biscuits

If I didn't have to get up at 4:00am everyday, I would have loved to have been a baker. But they aren't really any snoozy bakers - they have to be all early risers.  (Oh That's Hilarious!!) *blogger benefits, you get to assume everyone things your lame food puns are hysterical. 

Since my career as a baker was over before it started, I have no choice left, but to be a southern grandma. And that means big, flakey buttery biscuits. 

I have never been able to manage good biscuits until I found the recipe that uses heavy cream instead of the butter. Using the cream distributes the fat more evenly and so the biscuits rise nice and all. The recipe is so shockingly easy and very impressive. 

I have loved the recipe so much that I felt confident experimenting with the flour and making them whole grain has been wonderful. They turn out so delicious and I like knowing that they are full of whole grain goodness.  

When you try the recipe, if your family is new to whole grains, trying add just a cup of whole grain flour and the rest all purpose flour, until you happily adjust to whole grains. You'll really enjoy it. I promise. 

Danish Aebleskivers

My grandma used to make these for us when we would sleep over at her house. I thought they were the fanciest food in the whole wide world.  My oldest son had a casual school dance and asked my mother to host him and his friends and make Aebleskivers for them for dinner. (she did! because that's what Grandma's do)

And while the pan is a bit odd, they really aren't anything more than a different kind of a pancake. My kids think it is the best day in the whole when we have these for breakfast or brunch. 

I am including the recipe, but I want to challenge you to be adventurous and try other foods that are out there. I don't consider myself to be very brave when it comes to food, so pancakes are a good start for me.  I can try lots of different types of pancakes. Proffertjes are a Dutch pancake, they're made with yeast and buckwheat flour and made in a round pan, just like these. My kids go crazy for them... buckwheat pancakes! 

It is just different ways of adding flour, water, eggs and bit of leavening (soda, yeast) and seeing what you get! Try making oven German pancakes, or Dutch babies in a cast iron skillet. 

Of Course, you don't have to make them just for breakfast, having a breakfast for dinner night is a great way to have an easy meal plan night, eat a meatless meal and keep things stress free. 

Roasted Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

I love food. I mean, I really love it. And I just love it when a recipe turns out to taste even more amazing than I had hoped. 

I know I'm a little crazy for the roasted sweet potatoes lately, but they are so delicious and easy and good for you - That's all three, baby! 

Basically this is just a bowl full of super foods, really nothing this good for you should taste so amazing... Or Should IT?  That's everything we are trying to learn and change about our thinking, isn't it? 

That good for us food is less than pleasurable and "bad" food is where all the yumminess is at.  

Visit Food Sense - attend some classes if you can and learn about how delicious (and easy) healthy choices can be.