Spiced Cauliflower Latkes

Late Sunday night, 3 days into Hanukkah, Ben and I returned from Las Vegas. It was a fabulous trip but I had a sad thought: I would not be making any latkes this year. Why? Well, it's no secret I'm a total healthnut during the week. So potatoes fried in copious amounts of oil are out on Monday-Friday. I knew that on the coming Saturday we'd be going to my parents' house for a family Hanukkah party and that I'd get to treat myself then, but I really wasn't sure I could wait that long. And it just felt wrong not to be making my own latkes at least one time during the 8 night festival!

I quickly decided to try out a lighter, low-carb version with one of my favorite vegetables. No, not pumpkin. The other one that masquerades as rice and mashed potatoes. Cauliflower. I figured, why not grated cauliflower in place of shredded potatoes? The only consideration I gave was to steam the cauliflower a little bit, figuring it wouldn't cook all the way if I left it raw. Then I added some Middle Eastern inspired spice and sweet pomegranate molasses for contrast. The result? A latke that truly celebrated the Hanukkah "lights". (Get it?) That familiar latke taste and texture satisfied my cravings (as did that inevitable smell of oil frying in the kitchen) while the cumin and cayenne provided an updated twist that that worked especially well with the earthy vegetable. Carb-conscious or not, I bet you will enjoy these. They cooked fairly well in a small amount of oil, but if you have a little extra room to indulge and really want to celebrate that 8-night's-worth, feel free to use a little more!

Spiced Cauliflower Latkes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 lb cauliflower, chopped into 1" pieces
1 small onion (75gm)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
3/4 cup egg substitute
2 tbsp matzoh meal
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
pomegranate molasses, toasted pine nuts, and za'atar spice for serving (not included in nutritional information)

Directions
Rinse the cauliflower and grate it using the shredding disk on a food processor. Transfer to a microwave-safe covered dish, and steam for 6 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, grate the onion in the food processor and combine with the garlic, egg substitute, matzoh meal, cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Fold in the cooled cauliflower.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Using a scoop of slightly less than 1/4 cup size, spoon the batter onto the hot oil and press down slightly with the back of a spatula. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until browned and firm enough to flip. Turn and cook about 3 minutes on the other side. When finished, remove from pan. Repeat with remaining olive oil and cauliflower mixture. To serve, drizzle with pomegranate molasses and sprinkle with za'atar seasoning and pine nuts.Makes 12 latkes.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 47.3
Total Fat: 2.4 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 12.4 mg
Total Carbs: 4.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g
Protein: 2.6 g

Chicken & Artichoke Cannelloni

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, if that’s true, I better keep on writing. There are very few times when I will justify posting a blog entry and recipe without a picture. The recipe has to be really, really good of course. Something I just couldn't’t rationalize keeping entirely to myself. Something I feel my readers really ought to know about!

Sixty-five. Whoa. Maybe I don’t want to risk the possibility of boring you with one thousand words.

The only other instance I can actually think of where I blogged without a picture was for my Spicy Butternut-Peanut Soup. But at least in that case, it could be said that a picture is not even really necessary. To be honest, it doesn't look much different from most other winter squash soups: velvety smooth and vividly orange, this time flecked with bright green cilantro. The taste, on the other hand, differs enough that it was well-worth sharing with you. I’d feel terribly selfish if I didn’t share that with you!

I probably also have a bunch of blog entries that would be better off without a picture, because my early camera skills were just that bad. Not that they are so great now, but I have some pride. I try to give some photographic integrity to the meals I’ve spent time creating and preparing.

If a meal turns out just so-so, or it’s just not that out-of-the-ordinary, and I can’t manage a good picture from it; then I just won’t blog it. When I pulled this dish out of the oven and saw my perfect looking cannelloni covered in rich sauce, I had high hopes for a brilliant blog entry. All that faded quickly as I scooped out the first serving onto a plate. The pasta rolls were sticking together (well, I did have them crammed into a small-ish dish). And the ends hanging over the width of the spatula started to tear due to the delicate egg roll wrappers I used in place of actual pasta. For the second serving, I tried to execute a bit more care as I transferred dinner from the baking dish to the plate, but no such luck. Sadly, my darling husband had already set up my light box for me and chopped some parsley for garnish (always a surefire way to improve food appearance, in my book). But there was going to be no picture taken of this mess of partially torn egg roll wrappers, chicken-and-artichoke mixture oozing out, smothered in boring looking red sauce. Sadly, no blog entry for this meal I was sure would be a wonderful addition to my repertoire.

However, as soon as I took the first bite, I was so happy with what I was eating that I knew I still had keep this one on record, even if I could never get a picture to do it justice (and maybe that will change someday; I’ll have to experiment with individually-baked dishes to avoid the transfer disaster altogether.)

These cannelloni were the result of trying my best to throw together some ingredients around the kitchen – the remainder of a package of egg roll wrappers, some cottage cheese, and a can of artichokes (which obviously doesn’t spoil, but I just felt a little sorry for them, sitting in the pantry for so long.) You already know how much we enjoyed them, since I chose to blog without a picture. The only thing I might do differently next time (if I had a little more time and calories to spare) would be to make a homemade vodka sauce, inspired by one of my favorite local pizza joints (they serve a “Mad Russian” pizza with vodka sauce, artichokes, chicken and spinach – it’s incredible!). But these were truly delicious as is, and very easy to make too.

Chicken & Artichoke Cannelloni
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
3 oz frozen spinach, thawed
2 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 oz cottage cheese
1 egg white
1 oz grated pecorino romano cheese
salt & freshly ground pepper
6 egg roll wrappers (found in the refrigerator section near produce)
1 cup tomato basil pasta sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, then transfer to a medium sized bowl.

Squeeze excess water from the spinach and add to the onions, along with the chopped chicken and artichokes and the parsley. Stir together the cottage cheese, egg white, and pecorino, and combine with the chicken mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread a thin layer of sauce in a baking dish. Working with 1 wrapper at a time, place a scoop of the filling near one of the shorter edges, leaving a little space at the end. Spread the filling along the length of the short edge, and gently roll the wrapper around the filling. Carefully place in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers and filling.

Spoon the rest of the sauce over the cannelloni in the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for about 25 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 443.0
Total Fat: 10.7 g
Cholesterol: 54.0 mg
Sodium: 925.0 mg
Total Carbs: 52.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.7 g
Protein: 33.0 g

Nine hundred and thirty-six. Not including this sentence. Next time I hope to have a picture!

Pumpkin-Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

I can't tell you the last time I ate meatloaf (well, I mean, the last time before last week.) Memories of meatloaf growing up are by far not my favorite, and I've never made it on my own. No recipe for meatloaf has ever screamed, "Make me! You'll love me!" - until I came across Ashlee's Pumpkin Meatloaf. That isn't too surprising, since it's a safe bet that if a recipe contains pumpkin I will like it - wait, make that LOVE it.

My love affair with pumpkin continues to grow, and so must my husband's because he was ridiculously excited to eat these for two nights in a row and take a serving for lunch one day all in the same week. I don't think Ben is much more of a meatloaf fan than me, and I base that just on the fact that he hasn't requested it in six years. But I think that's about to change.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it makes 12 mini meatloafs - enough for three whole meals for a family of two. It's also cheap to make, and ridiculously healthy. That's actually three nice things. Certainly enough to keep this one around for the future.


Pumpkin-Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with Cranberry Glaze
Adapted from Ashlee's Pumpkin Meatloaf with Cranberry Topping


Printable Recipe



1 cup finely chopped onion
1 8oz package mushrooms, chopped finely
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 lb 93% lean ground turkey breast
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg white
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 tsp each minced fresh thyme and rosemary
Freshly ground salt and pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the onions until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes more, until vegetables are tender. Add to a bowl with the turkey, pumpkin, egg white, oats, sage, salt & pepper. Toss gently to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin tin. Place in the oven, bake for 20 minutes.

Combine cranberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Spoon onto the meatloaf muffins, and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.



Number of Servings: 12 muffins (we ate two each at a time, but the info below is per each each one)

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 102.7
Total Fat: 3.0 g
Cholesterol: 26.7 mg
Sodium: 50.7 mg
Total Carbs: 10.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.6 g
Protein: 9.1 g

Ginger-Thyme Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash as something other than a low-carb pasta substitute? Oh yes, absolutely.


I confess that I most often use spaghetti squash as an "instead of" ingredient. Pasta with sauteed chicken and broccoli in lemon wine sauce? Have it with spaghetti squash instead. Lasagna? Oh yup, I can even make that with spaghetti squash instead. But last time I was enjoying - and I mean, really enjoying - a bowl of spaghetti squash with shrimp, diced tomatoes, and goat cheese, something hit me. That something was the remarkably sweet taste of the spaghetti squash, enhanced by the tangy tomatoes and tender shrimp. The squash was not just a base to absorb the other flavors, but rather something fighting for attention in the dish.

Maybe it's because we're still in the peak of winter squash season, but spaghetti squash is just so, so good right now. I decided right then that I would plan to make spaghetti squash the following week, in a way that would highlight it's natural flavor. Ginger and butter (just a little, of course) struck me as ingredients that would enhance the sweet squash, and I decided to add some thyme as an earthy and colorful contrast. I served the squash as a side dish to pumpkin-turkey meatloaf muffins, and the result was something we both really enjoyed and looked forward to eating again the next day. So while spaghetti squash still has it's place as a pasta stand-in in a low-carb kitchen, I would really urge to take advantage of it's ultimate sweetness while it's still in season and enjoy the vegetable for its own sake!

Ginger-Thyme Spaghetti Squash

5 cups cooked spaghetti squash (from 1 large squash)
2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
a few sprigs of fresh thyme

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, stir for one minute, then add the spaghetti squash and toss / heat through. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves.

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 105.3
Total Fat: 6.3 g
Cholesterol: 15.5 mg
Sodium: 35.9 mg
Total Carbs: 13.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.8 g
Protein: 1.4 g

Poblano Chicken Sausage, Black Beans and Goat Cheese over Pumpkin Polenta

I'm going to start with some bragging. It's my blog, so I can do that, right? Here goes. I've been a rockstar lately. Yup, totally rocking it in the gym, growing stronger and leaner, keeping a good friendship with the scale, and with my hubby. Those are all important, right? One of the ways I've been able to maintain peace in my kitchen while putting in all the hard work is the gym is cooking double-duty meals. It started as a little challenge to myself. That is, to figure out more meals we could have that don't involve cooking, so that I wouldn't feel guilty putting in all the time and effort I need during those longer lifting workouts. So I've been trying to work more with my freezer, and doubling up on recipes that I would normally make as just two servings. And sometimes we even - gasp - eat the same thing two nights in a row.

Sounds boring, right? But success is when it's the day after you first ate the meal and you find yourself thinking, "I can't wait until dinner!" Such success was with this meal - something I probably wouldn't have originally thought of doubling because soft polenta will inevitably become firm polenta after a trip to the refrigerator. Nothing wrong with firm polenta, it has its place, for sure. But I like the soft stuff as the base for this hearty sausage-and-bean-saute. Kind of like mashed potatoes, only, a lot healthier. Especially with the added fiber and antioxidants from my favorite superfood, pumpkin, of course! So in order to enjoy this meal twice in one week, I just made the whole recipe for sausage and bean portion and half of the polenta on the first night. The second night, I whipped up another batch polenta and simply heated the leftover sausage mixture. So I lied - I had to do a little cooking when I got home late from the gym on that second night. But, polenta is so quick and easy, I promise I didn't mind at all. Just like I absolutely didn't mind eating this for dinner two nights in a row.

Poblano Chicken Sausage & Black Beans over Pumpkin Polenta

Printable Recipe

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, sliced (I used half of a yellow pepper and half of a green)
3 links Mexican-style chicken sausage, such as Sam's Club Chicken Sausage with Poblano Peppers and Mexican Cheese, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp canned diced green chilis
1-2 tsp each cumin and chili powder
1 cup drained, rinsed black beans
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (about 1 3/4 cups)

2 cups pumpkin puree
3 cups water
1 cup yellow cornmeal
pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie seasoning

2oz goat cheese, crumbled

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 8 minutes, until softened. Add the bell peppers and chicken sausage and cook for about 5 minutes more, until tender. Add the garlic, green chilis, cumin and chili powder, and season with salt & pepper. Stir and cook for one more minute, then add the black beans and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer while preparing the polenta.

To make the polenta, whisk together the water and pumpkin in a saucepan. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, then slowly add the cornmeal while whisking. Continue to cook until thickened, stirring with a wooden spoon constantly. (Tip: an oven mitt is good here!). It will take 5-10 minutes.

Divide the polenta among serving bowls and top with the sausage mixture and crumbled goat cheese.

Tip: For a vegetarian version, try using extra beans or tofu in place of the chicken sausage.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 440.0
Total Fat: 10.8 g
Cholesterol: 59.0 mg
Sodium: 1,528.8 mg
Total Carbs: 62.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 11.9 g
Protein: 25.0 g

Baked Butternut & Black Bean Eggrolls

"That sounds too healthy. There's no way it can be good." Do you know people who think this way? Are you one of them? Probably not, because if you really believed that, I'm sure you'd never read this blog. If you used to be, I hope you've gotten over it by now.

As someone who prides herself on cooking healthier, yummy food, dealing with these kind of people (the healthy-food-phobic) can be a challenge. A few weeks ago, we were invited to a gathering of sorts and I struggled with what to bring, unsure if majority of the crowd would appreciate something a little out of the norm, but seasonal and flavorful, and pretty darn good for you - basically, the kind of food Ben and I like. I had this idea in my head for a fun appetizer: baked egg rolls filled with a Southwestern butternut squash and black bean filling. You might remember a few other renditions of this sweet potato-or-butternut-and-black-bean-filling, where it's been layered with tortillas or folded into burritos. (The original recipe comes from the Moosewood Lowfat Favorites cookbook.) And how when I very first made it, Ben couldn't comprehend that there could be something called a burrito that didn't involve meat or cheese. He's a changed man.

Anyway, I thought the filling could be rolled into egg roll wrappers and baked into a tasty appetizer. I just wasn't totally sure if the wrappers would crisp up nicely (or at all) in the oven. And even if it did work, I wasn't whether this group of friends would be willing to try an egg roll that was baked instead of fried and involved winter squash and black beans - a combination that many people might not believe is good until they try it.

So I decided to give them a test run. I prepared the filling and stuffed all the egg rolls, and baked a few of them to have for dinner. It was a risk, for sure, because if they were really that bad, I would have wasted both time and ingredients. I was hopeful when I took them out of the oven- so far, based on appearances, I was already winning. I watched Ben take a few bites, and then got what I was waiting for: "These are so good! Really good, babe."

Me: Yeah? So should I bring them on Sunday?
Ben: umm. You know, I dunno.

Me: why? I thought you just said they were good.
Ben: I did. They are really good.
Me: Then what is it? Too healthy tasting? You don't think other people will like them?
Ben: No. They would. I just want to keep the rest of them here for us. So I can eat more of them.

Well! That settled that. I've now got a freezer bag full of these southwestern butternut and black bean egg rolls to bake up for a quick dinner anytime.

Southwestern Butternut & Black Bean Egg Rolls
Printable Recipe

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 200gm)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs peeled, diced butternut squash
2 tbsp canned diced green chilis
2 tsp cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice from 1 lime
1 1/2 packages egg roll wrappers

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the butternut squash and cook until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, green chilies, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper, and cook for a few more minutes. Add the black beans and stir to combine evenly. Remove from heat.

Place the butternut squash and the onion mixture in a large bowl and mash to combine. These will be best if the mixture is left a little bit chunky.

To assemble the egg rolls, place a wrapper on your surface with one corner pointing down (diamond position). Place a some of the squash mixture onto the wrapper, and use a pastry brush dipped in water to wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner up, then fold the outside corners in, and roll it all up. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue until squash mixture is used up; I got 32 egg rolls using a large cookie scoop for the squash portioning.
To bake: Place a baking sheet in the oven while heating at 400F. When it's hot, remove from the oven, spray with nonstick cooking spray, and place the egg rolls on the sheet. Spray them well with nonstick spray. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

Extra egg rolls can be frozen and baked straight from the freezer.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 32
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 97.4
Total Fat: 0.8 g
Cholesterol: 3.3 mg
Sodium: 242.8 mg
Total Carbs: 20.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g
Protein: 4.3 g

Pepita Crusted Mahi & Ginger Maple Smashed Rutabaga

Do you ever buy an ingredient for one dish, and find yourself already more excited about how you can use the leftovers? That's how I felt when I recently bought pepitas to make a copy-cat version of my favorite guacamole: a crunchy guacamole with jicama, soy nuts, smoked almonds and pepitas served at Mezcal Tequila Cantina. The guacamole is awesome and I was so psyched to recreate it, but I already knew those leftover roasted pepitas could make a tasty crust on mahi-mahi.

Pepitas, of course, scream both Halloween (sweet) and Mexican (spice) to me, so I wanted to focus on those flavors in this dish. My initial instinct was to serve a spicy-pepita crusted mahi over a sweet butternut squash puree - such a natural compliment. But in case you haven't noticed, I cook with butternut (or any winter squash) practically all the time. I don't want to bore you, or myself. So I decided to branch out a bit. Turnips and rutabagas are something I don't normally cook, and I hear they have a natural sweetness as well, so I decided to challenge myself and try something new with a ginger-maple smashed rutabaga. And honestly, I'm so glad I did - the hubs agreed it was a vegetable I could add to our menus any time.

Finally, just to keep going with the seasonal flavors, I added a sweet and tart cranberry salsa. It may seem like a lot of flavors going on, but they really tied together quite nicely. And lastly, I'll just mention, isn't it nice that you can enjoy this whole entree for under 500 calories? I think so.

Pepita-Crusted Mahi with Ginger-Maple Smashed Rutabaga and Cranberry Salsa
Printable Recipes

Rutabaga
1lb peeled, diced rutabaga
1/2 tbsp butter (1/4 oz)
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp maple syrup
pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup nonfat milk

Preheat oven to 425F. Place the rutabaga in a glass baking dish along with the minced ginger. Melt the butter and combine with the syrup. Pour over the rutabaga and ginger and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roast for 45 minutes, turning occasionally. When rutabaga is tender, puree in a food processor with the milk until smooth.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 145.6
Total Fat: 3.4 g
Cholesterol: 8.4 mg
Sodium: 62.9 mg
Total Carbs: 27.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.7 g
Protein: 3.8 g

Pepita Crusted Mahi
2 mahi-mahi filets, 5oz each
1 oz roasted and salted pepitas
2 tbsp (1/2 oz) panko bread crumbs
zest from 1/2 lime
1/4 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
dash of cumin

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425F. Place a cooking rack over a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray (or, you could use a broiler pan with a rack if you have one). In a food processor, pulse together the pepitas, panko, lime zest, and seasonings. Pour onto a plate or into a shallow baking dish. Dip the fish into the egg white and then dredge in the pepita mixture, pressing to help it adhere. Place the fish onto the rack and press any remaining pepita mixture onto it. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily and topping is lightly browned.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 271.4
Total Fat: 10.6 g
Cholesterol: 100.0 mg
Sodium: 417.1 mg
Total Carbs: 8.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 34.4 g

Cranberry Salsa
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp minced fresh jalapeno
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 scallion, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt, to taste
juice from 1/2 of a lime

Pulse ingredients together in food processor and let sit for about 10 minutes to blend flavors.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 74.3
Total Fat: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 2.4 mg
Total Carbs: 18.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g
Protein: 0.5 g

Remedy Quarterly

Just wanted to share with you, my readers, an exciting project being launched by a group young foodies, including my friend Jillian. The project is called Remedy Quarterly, and it is a quarterly publication of recipes and food memories representing memories and stories of those who submit them. Here are a few things I can tell you:

The magazine contains 48 pages of 100% content, no ads.

It features vintage style 2-color offset printing - how cute is that?

Each issue will feature stories, recipes, and photographs from notable food bloggers and chefs sharing a common theme. Who might you see in there? Well, I guess you'll have to subscribe and find out!

I think it sounds pretty exciting, so much, that I decided to help them out. You can, too. Please please please check out the Remedy Quarterly website to learn more about it, and if you like what you see, feel free to head over to kickstarter to learn how you can pre-order the magazine and help to make it a reality.

Lentil Pecan Burgers

Last week, I entered a very busy stage in my life: Stage 3 of New Rules of Weightlifting for Women. This is my second time going through the program, and while I love it, I could do without the miserably long workouts in this stage. Workout A takes me about 90 minutes on the gym floor, and Workout B can take up to an hour and forty five. A good burn, but the last thing I want to do is come home and make dinner. Seriously. So when I made this week's meal plan, I decided we'd do something different: eat the same thing multiple nights in a week. I know, I know. For some people this is totally normal, but I've just gotten so used to cooking and eating something different every night that the idea of repeating meals in a single week, especially one night after the other, is just, well, strange to me. But I knew that by doing this I'd help myself not be totally miserable in this workout stage. The other plus to this? There are usually way less dishes involved when you repeat a meal, so less cooking + less cleaning = more time with hubby even on the nights I have ridiculously long workouts.

So it's good thing I came up with this recipe for lentil-pecan burgers that I really didn't mind eating two nights in a row. In fact, on the second day, I was very much looking forward to it. I made these on a Sunday night along with some roasted turban squash and apple soup. I made enough soup for both nights as well, so dinner was truly a no-brainer (and go figure, my brain was just about as fried as my glutes, so this was a very good thing.)

For these hearty burgers, I borrowed a recipe from a veggie genius, Mollie Katzen. If you are a vegetarian, and more so if you're not, I highly recommend you check out any of her Moosewood Collection cookbooks. Anyway, I made a few changes to her lentil-walnut burgers to come with these lentil-pecan burgers seasoned with rosemary and thyme. The nutty, earthy patties paired perfectly with tart apple and tangy blue cheese. I'm pretty thrilled to eat these again soon, which I will, because it actually makes six so I have two more in the freezer, and many more long workouts to get through.

Lentil-Pecan Burgers with Apples and Blue Cheese
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
3/4 cup dry brown lentils
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup minced onion (150gm)
4 large cloves garlic, minced
8oz mushrooms, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (2oz)
freshly ground salt & pepper
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary or thyme
1/2 cup rolled oats

buns or rolls of your choice (I like Arnold multigrain sandwich thins)
thinly sliced apple
blue cheese (about 1/2 oz per serving)

Directions
Place lentils and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft and the liquid is gone.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute for about 5-10 minutes more, until the vegetables are soft. Add the rosemary and/or thyme, the pecans, and season with salt & pepper. Set aside to cool while the lentils finish cooking.

When the lentils are done, place in a bowl and mash with the vinegar. Add the sauteed vegetables and the oats and mix well. Chill for about an hour.

Preheat broiler. Form the lentil mixture into six equal sized patties and place on a baking sheet. Broil for about 8 minutes on each side. Top the burgers with the sliced apple and blue cheese and broil for one minute more, or until cheese is melted and begins to brown. Serve on toasted buns

Nutritional Info (per burger, without apples, cheese, or bread)
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 172.3
Total Fat: 9.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 2.7 mg
Total Carbs: 20.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 8.0 g
Protein: 8.3 g

Pumpkin Cornbread

Recently, Susan from Food Blogga asked readers to share their favorite cornbread. Fortunately, mine was already made and photographed, sitting here in draft mode, waiting to be shared. It might not surprise you that my favorite cornbread is a) healthy and b) involves pumpkin. It's very moist and slightly sweet, and goes well with just about any chili I can think of. A bit of cinnamon gives it a hint of earthy, sweet spice that makes a really nice compliment to a meaty, spicy chili.

I recently made my pumpkin cornbread, in my mini pumpkin cheesecake pan, to go along with a braised brisket & butternut squash chili. The chili was fabulous, very rich and filling, but since I didn't change much from the original recipe, I'm simply supplying you with the link and not really going to blog about it. But doesn't it look pretty with that cute little pumpkin cornbread? Also, when I made these last, I realized at the last minute I was out of whole wheat flour. So, I decided to substitute with some Bob's Red Mill High Fiber Hot Cereal - there's actually a muffin recipe on the back of the package, so I figured I could easily substitute this for some of the flour in other recipes. They still turned out great!

Pumpkin Cornbread

Ingredients
1/2 cup flour (60gm)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (60gm) OR 1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill High Fiber Hot Cereal (70gm)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup water

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. Combine dry ingredients, then stir in pumpkin and applesauce until well combined. Finally, mix in the water. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 117.9
Total Fat: 0.6 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 251.1 mg
Total Carbs: 27.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g
Protein: 2.3 g