Roasted Vegetables with Lentils

If we were sitting down for lunch together I’d tell you about how I’m a little stressed out this week. I’d confess that by 9 am I already had two cups of green tea when I probably should have had chamomile. At least I started my day with a green juice, right?

If we were sitting down for lunch together I’d tell you about how I’m in the middle of moving… again.  Even though we just moved a few months ago, we got this great opportunity to take over my partner’s brother’s house because he and his wife are moving out of the country. So, in the last two and a half weeks, we broke the news to our landlord and found someone to take over our apartment lease.  The only catch is that the person taking over our lease needed to move in right away so that means we are moving this week. Moving into a house where myself, my partner, her brother, and his wife will be living together for the next month and a half until they move out of the country. Let’s hope they like green smoothies and cats.

If we were sitting down for lunch together I’d take a deep breath, tell you how good it is to see you, and then serve you some roasted vegetables with lentils. After all, it's always good to see you. And I'm really excited for lunch. 

This is such a simple and easy dish to prepare that you can even make it during the week you're moving. (No joke!) Just grab any leftover produce from the fridge, chop it up, and roast it off on a sheet pan while you boil some lentils. No stress and lots of tasty nutrition!

My favorite part of this is the roasted red onions. Roasting them brings out their intense sweetness, which is a winning combination with the acorn squash. Since the skin of acorn squash is really tough, I recommend roasting the squash with the skin on, but scooping out the flesh when eating. And if you wanted to make this a heartier meal, this can be served over a bed of quinoa or made into a hearty salad over a bed of greens.

Roasted Vegetables with Lentils
Adapted from Whole Living
Serves 4

1 tablespoons coconut oil
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 small acorn squash, halved, seeds removed, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup dried French green lentils, rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Freshly-ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
Fresh herbs, if desired

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss vegetables with coconut oil and arrange on baking sheet in single layer. Roast, turning once, until vegetables are caramelized and tender, about 25 - 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place lentils and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, about 25 minutes.

Combine olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Toss lentils with vinaigrette and serve over roasted vegetables. Season with freshly-ground black pepper and sea salt and garnish with fresh herbs, if desired.

Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower and Parsnips

This time of year is madness. Everyone is trying to get a million things done. Presents in need of wrapping seem to grow exponentially. Last-minute holiday cards need to be signed and mailed. Packages need to be shipped.  And don't even get me started on the lines at the post office. *shudder*

To make matters worse, I am constantly surrounded by sugary treats and heavy meals. I don't know about you, by my body is rebelling. Even looking at another holiday cookie makes me feel a little ill. I think it's time to get back to the basics and get some more veggies into my diet, snap!

In planning my holiday menu, I've been looking for ways to "lighten up" some traditional favorites.  There is nothing wrong with mashed potatoes, but I've recently discovered this mock version that I love even more than the original. Plus, it only involves 4 ingredients and can be made in under 15 minutes. Yes, please!

So what's in it, you ask?  Pureed cauliflower and parsnips combined with a little garlic and olive oil.  Yum! It's the perfect (lighter) side to your holiday meal and goes fabulous with my gluten-free and vegan mushroom gravy (recipe coming soon!).  Enjoy!

P.S. If you live in Seattle, don't miss FIT + FIERCE + FABULOUS on Sunday, January 13th! You'll release tension and open up your mind with yoga, get clear on how to achieve big goals in 2013 with Life and Business Coach June Moore, have a blast dancing your booty off in Zumba, AND I'll show you how to beat your sugar cravings by discovering where you've been missing sweetness in your life! The early bird registration ends soon so sign up now to save $50!  

Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower and Parsnips
Serves 4

4 cups chopped cauliflower florets
2 cups chopped peeled parsnips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly-ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and parnsips and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, drain well, and then transfer the cauliflower, parnsips, and minced garlic to a food processor.  Add oil and a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time (as needed), and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower with Rosemary and Garlic

How was your day?  In our house, today was one of those really relaxing Sundays. There were no plans made, no schedules to adhere to, just the flow of the day.  

I spent my morning at the gym, made a quick stop by PCC on the way home, and then spent most of the  afternoon in the kitchen.  Ashley spent the day reading on the couch.  The cat had a great afternoon napping in the sun.  The laundry got done.  And some really beautiful cauliflower even got roasted for dinner.  It was a great day.  

Roasted Cauliflower with Rosemary and Garlic

2 large heads of cauliflower

1 Tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

a few springs of fresh rosemary, crushed

freshly-ground course sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Mix the olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice together.  Cut the cauliflower into florets and rub with the olive oil mixture.  Place on a sheet pan in a single layer.

Let roast for 20 - 25 minutes, turning as necessary, until the tops are beginning to brown.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with the rosemary, sea salt, and pepper.