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. 

Carrot Banana Bread

I made this bread first thing in the morning, because I knew that I really wanted to get to it, and I also know that I have a tendency to put things off and they never get done. 

So right after I cleaned up breakfast, I started grating carrots and mashing bananas. 

When I picked Ezra up from school and we were driving home, I said, "I made your favorite thing in the whole world today" 

Banana Bread?!

no wait, Carrot Cake?!? 

Yes, I said. and explained that I had made a test of making carrot banana bread, and he declared that sounded like the best thing he has ever wanted to eat in his life.   Now, he's only 9, but he was pretty close to be right. 

To frost.... or not to frost..... ?  

That is completely up to you. I happened to have some frosting in my fridge (yes! I am that kind of person) But it was a delicious quick bread on its own.  This also would make fantastic muffins and would be great with added nuts of raisins.  

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. 

Curried Chickpeas with Spinach

I made this so fast for a quick and healthy lunch this week. I wasn't expecting much, but since it was healthy, low cost and really fast, I figured that was good enough reason to make it. 

I had some leftover brown rice that I was looking to top and this was a super easy option.

So I assembled it nice and quick and left it simmering on the stove while I finished up cleaning the kitchen. It smells pretty good and I was looking forward to lunch.  I tested it with a small spoon to check the seasonings. I didn't want it to have a huge Curry flavor, so I had been a little stingy with the curry spice and when I use plain tomato sauce, I sometimes feel like things need a bit more salt after they have simmered for a while. 

So I checked the seasonings with a small spoonful of sauce -  Holy Cow!  It was amazing! I couldn't believe how good it was. How could something with so few ingredients, not really anything "special" and put together so quickly taste so Fantastic!  I don't know, but it sure does. 

Golden Lentil and Rice Soup

It is almost a guarantee that if a recipe calls for ginger, it becomes one of my favorites, and I am starting to feel that way about Turmeric. The base and familiar taste of the basic curries that we love, it is becoming very popular around the natural / health food scene.  I just think it tastes good, if it is going to be good for me as well, that just makes it a win-win!

I made this soup for a lunch meal and planned on taking half to my parents, since it was so heavy in the "bean" dept, I didn't plan on giving Joseph any of it at all. But as it was cooking, he began to wander into the kitchen, "whatcha making?"  code for  - -  "I think I want some of that"

I said, "Lentil and rice soup, but don't worry, you don't have it eat it".  I guess once the pressure was off, that made it okay to try. So after I blended it smooth (and I did the entire soup, not just half), I dished him up a bowl with a scoop of brown jasmine rice (also brown rice isn't his favorite).  There was no way he was going to like this soup - absolutely no way. 

(Which are the last words of every kitchen chef who thinks that they know everything)

He LOVED it, he kept saying to me, "We need to eat like this All the time" 

For a vegetarian soup, it is very hearty and creamy. With the addition of the brown rice, you won't need a huge bowl to feel really full. And you'll stay full and have tons of energy that lasts without having that "Oh my gosh!, I am So full" feeling.  

If it is too thick for you once you have it blended, go ahead and add a bit more water to thin it out, of you can add chicken or vegetable broth if you want.