Lentils with Roasted Beets and Lemon

One of the best things about blogging is that you get to have some amazing experiences.  This past weekend was one for me.  I was invited to go to Napa, California for US Dry Pea and Lentil Council. In case you didn’t know, 2016 is the International Year of Pulses.  If you don’t know what pulses are, they categorized as beans, dry peas, chickpeas and lentils.  We spent the weekend at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Napa learned just how versatile and nutritious these pulses are! I got to make some fabulous recipes that I hope to share with you over the next few weeks.  The first recipe I am sharing was my most favorite dish on the whole trip.  It was Lentils with Roasted Beets and Lemon.  The original recipe was a little more complicated, so I created a simplified version for you.

Lentils with Roasted Beets and Lemon 2 - My Whole Food Life

This dish is healthy, very easy, vegan and gluten free.  I hope you love it as much as I did!  Before I get to the recipe, I would love to share some of the other things I made while there.  If you are following me on Instagram, you may have seen me post some of these pictures already.

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Rainbow Detox Salad

From the minute I got my spiralizer, I knew I wanted to make a beet salad.  I just love beets.  Roasted, raw, juiced or as chips.  This salad is not only delicious, it will make you feel amazing!  The very first thing I did with the spiralizer was make my Zucchini Pasta with Avocado Pesto.

Detox Rainbow Salad - My Whole Food Life

If you are wanting to get more beets into your diet, then this is the recipe to try.  The whole thing can be made in a short amount of time.  Spiralizing vegetables makes them fun for kids to eat too.

Rainbow Detox Salad

Rainbow Detox Salad

Prep Time 30 min

Ingredients

    For the salad

    • 1 beet (peeled with ends removed)
    • 1 large carrot (peeled with ends removed)
    • 1 zucchini (ends removed)
    • 1/2 cup cashews (I used raw, but roasted will work as well)

    For the dressing

    Instructions

    1. Using a spiralizer , cut the zucchini and beets in long ribbons. I used a peeler to cut the carrots into ribbons.
    2. Add all of them to a large bowl.
    3. In a small bowl, make the dressing.
    4. Pour the dressing onto the salad and mix well.
    5. Top with cashews and serve.

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    Recipe Notes

    This makes about 3-4 servings. Enjoy! If you need some morre inspiration for your spiralizer , I found a fabulous cook book dedicated to spiralized recipes. You can see it here .

    Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets

    I have been trying hard to get more beets into my diet.  They are so good for you.  I tried blending them up in my vitamix, but couldn’t get them down.  It was not very good.  Maybe they are one of those things you have to get used to?  Coconut was like that for me.  I used to hate it,  but now I can’t get enough!  I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest.  It’s from Gluten-Free Goddess and it was amazing!  Check out her blog if you get a chance.  Lots of yummy recipes and many are vegan.

    beet salad watermark

    I have made roasted beets in the past and I thought they were delicious.  So I decided to give this a go.  I am so glad I did!  I did change a few things in the recipe, but I mostly kept it as is.  I am not a fan of oranges in salad, so I omitted those.

    Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets

    Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets

    Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 1 hr

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups cooked quinoa
    • 2 beets peeled (greens removed) and cubed
    • 2 T avocado or coconut oil
    • salt to taste
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • Juice of half a large orange or 1/4 cup orange juice
    • 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari (I used organic soy)
    • 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 T raw honey or maple syrup
    • 3-4 handfuls of baby spinach
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 375.
    2. Place the beets on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with the 2 T coconut or avocado oil.
    3. Sprinkle with sea salt.
    4. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes.
    5. While the beets are roasting, you can cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. I actually cooked the quinoa the day before.  If you buy your quinoa in bulk, cook it 2 parts water per 1 part quinoa. 
    6. Once the beets are done roasting, let them cool.
    7. Once cooled, combine the beets and quinoa in a large bowl. 
    8. In a small bowl, combine: olive oil, orange juice, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic and honey.
    9. Whisk into a dressing.
    10. Pour over the beets and quinoa.
    11. Fold in the spinach.
    12. Now salt to taste and that’s it.

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    Recipe Notes

    We got about 4 servings. Enjoy!

    Easy Roasted Seasonal Vegetables

    Who doesn’t love the fall?  We have the beautiful colors, the cooler air (although not here in Texas yet) and the delicious food!  I just love when we get a co-op basket.  To find out more about the co-op click here.  It is like Christmas morning.  You just never know what you are going to get.  This week, when I saw we got beets and parsnips, I knew I was going to roast them.  They are naturally sweet and roasting just brings out the flavor even more.  It also makes a pretty dish.

    Ours was devoured as soon as it came out of the oven! 🙂 What are some of your favorite roasted vegetables?

    Easy Roasted Seasonal Fall Vegetables

    Easy Roasted Seasonal Vegetables

    Prep Time 4 hr Cook Time 1 hr

    Ingredients

    • 3-4 beets remove greens, peel and roughly chop
    • 1 small onion chopped
    • 3-4 parsnips peeled and cut into coin pieces
    • 3 T olive oil
    • 3 T Balsamic
    • 4 garlic cloves
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    1. Throw everything into a zip lock bag and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. 
    2. I think we did for about 3 hours.
    3. Preheat oven to 400 and spread the mixture onto a baking sheet. 
    4. Bake for about 45-60 minutes until veggies come out tender.

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