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March 23, 2010 (FL vacation)
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March 23, 2011 (Southern Ontario)
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If you woke up to snow this morning, I feel your pain!
That is a tough pill to swallow.
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If you squint your eyes really small, you can see the beach and sunshine. I’m lounging with a margarita off in the distance! Cool, huh?
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And because I’m apparently a 90 year old lady, I slipped on the driveway this morning while shoveling and bruised my tailbone! I’m sitting here with a big bag of ice on my bum, sipping hot tea in front of the space heater.
If you think about it, I’m pretty much in Florida right now. And I think I would fit right in with the elderly and their dog strollers.
I’ve always wanted a Cadillac.
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Sweet Potato and Lentil Salad
Adapted from Kath Eats.
Yield: 2 main servings or 4 side servings.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes or 1 large
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for sautéing
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup uncooked green lentils
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 orange pepper, chopped
- Couple handfuls spinach, chopped
- Dressing: 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Peel and chop sweet potatoes into a 1 inch dice. In a bowl mix with 1 tbsp oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25-30 minutes, stirring half way through.
2. Meanwhile, cook the lentils in a pot with 2 cups of broth over medium heat.
3. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Add into a skillet with some olive oil (~1/2 tbsp?) to coat the pan. Cook over low-medium heat being careful not to burn, for about 5 minutes. Now add in the chopped pepper and spinach and cook for another 5 minutes on low. When the lentils and sweet potatoes are cooked add them into this skillet mixture and stir.
4. Finally, mix your dressing and stir into the skillet mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings or 4 side servings.
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The great thing about this recipe is that you could pretty much clean out your fridge and use whatever you have and it would still turn out. :) I didn’t have any green beans or apple as in Kath’s recipe, so I just used what I had. Be sure to check out her recipe too!
I came up with 1 orange pepper, 1.25 sweet potato, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, couple handfuls spinach.
The dressing ingredients: EVOO, pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, black pepper, balsamic vinegar, S + P.
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My version included onion! ;)
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Get your sauté on.
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Add in the cooked lentils.
And in the roasted sweet potatoes.
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And mix everything in!
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Despite the frightful weather we are experiencing, this really is a lovely dish for Spring!
Light, fresh, and energizing!
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I’m also rocking a new bowl of Vegan Overnight Oats this week.
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Heavenly Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Vegan Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup non-dairy milk + a bit more in AM to thin out
- 1/2-1 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste
- 1/2 tsp almond extract or vanilla
- Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (I used about 7-8)
Directions: In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (oats, chia seeds) now add in the wet ingredients (milk, maple syrup, extract) and whisk well. Stir in some mini chocolate chip cookie dough balls. Place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, simply serve cold, drizzle maple syrup if desired, and enjoy! No cooking involved.
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Delicious! Cookie dough and doughy oats are a match made in heaven.
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According to this mug, I should book a tropical vacation today… ;)
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I just put in a pot of lentils in the crockpot overnight. I accidentally made more than I could handle, so I decided to check your site for some recipes. Lo and behold, the perfect recipe was right on the front page. What a crazy coincidence. Will probably use up my last batch of sweet potatoes and broccoli instead of spinach. Cannot wait to make it!
What a great idea to use up your cookie dough balls! I just wrote a blog about using your blizzard recipe because it was just that good :)
This salad sounds so good, and I have all if the ingredients!
Oh everything sounds good! I think I’ll make this tonight!
I can’t believe all that snow! I guess I shouldn’t tell you it’s 78 degrees here today? ;)
that salad looks like the perfect cold weather meal. Stay warm!
Mmmm the cookie dough voo looks delicious! Have you ever tried to make a green monster voo?
Beautiful photos… all those colors and flavors make it seem possible to survive the last few winter-y days!
I’m so over winter. It ruined my morning this morning… downtown TO is a miserable place to be right now.
Anyway, I love your mug… I just received my Thoreau quote from Etsy in the mail yesterday. It’s grey, and pretty.
I currently live in Ft. Lauderdale, FL so I’ll bottle up some of this warm Florida sun and weather and send it your way…. :)
Mmmm that VOO looks delish-I also like the idea of adding more chia seeds because they are so high in fiber!
At school we had a gorgeous sunny day on Sunday and the it snowed yesterday. Boo!
Love sweet potatoes,love lentils and in fact made a sweet potato and lentil soup that I posted yesterday on my blog.
Looking forward to trying this one, maybe even tonight!
HI Angela,
I really enjoy your blog. Props to you and all you’ve accomplished! You really seem like a positive person and do a great job of passing that positivity on to others. Here is my question for you. I’m just wondering if you have any specific advice for a girl in her, yikes! kind of later 20’s trying to gain weight. I know I am underweight, I don’t really count calories in order to restrict them or weigh myself. I just try to eat healthy (pretty much all whole plant based foods, rarely meat though not vegan and I love some kind of dessert every night) and I practice yoga 3-4 times a week. Plus having moved to NY not long ago I walk everywhere now. If I’m running late it turns into a pretty good workout:) Anyway, the whole combo has put me below where I need to be pound-wise and I’m having trouble adding the calories I guess. Food routines are hard to break it seems. Any ideas? If you find some time to respond i”d be very appreciative.
Sorry about all your snow! We have rain here, yuck! If only we could all be in Florida right now! Thanks
Yuck! So sorry for all the snow! Major bummer at the end of March!!! But if it makes you feel better, the lentil salad and the VOO look so so good!!
6 inches here in Buffalo! YUCK! I am starting to detest Mother Nature! Thankfully these yummy recipes made me much happier! :)
Looks so nutritous and delicious!
I saw that mug at chapters, inpsiring!
Cookie dough voo… drool!
Angela, you can come visit me here in Austin. Today it’s 82* and gorgeous! Better come soon, cause it turns hot, humid, and buggy very soon here!
Nom nom.
Although I can’t believe you added an onion!!!!!! The nerve!!!! ;)
Love the VOO photos today!
haha I guess you wont be having the leftovers then? ;)
Ouch! I hope you tailbone is feeling better soon, that is no fun. I woke up with snow too and I’m thinking of running on my treadmill after work instead of outside. I need sun and heat soon!
I love sweet potatoes and lentils, so this salad would be right up my alley. Also I have to try those cookie dough balls, they look fantastic in your VOO.
I love that photo with the antique tint, just before the recipe starts. Striking use of light and shadow!
I agree!
thanks!