Down Home Cooking

We live in a fast paced world where we are all constantly on-the-go trying to work and do as much as possible and be the best we can. For woman especially, it can be challenging to carve out time to celebrate yourself because you spend some much time looking after and caring for just about everyone and everything else but you. It is important to slow down and celebrate all that you’ve accomplished and the amazing person you are today. After all, we’ve all heard the advice to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others, right?

Celebrating yourself increases confidence and ultimately helps those around you too. A more confident you will achieve more and help you be a better worker, partner, parent, and friend. But also, celebrating you more often will bring more positivity in your life, and happiness–we all can get behind that, right?

Photo by Alejandro Photography 

So let’s dive into 9 Easy Ways to Celebrate You, NOW!

Practice gratitude with yourself: Write down three things that you do well! And try to do it every single day for a week. It can be the same thing every single day, or three new ones each day. Using gratitude can help shift your mindset into feeling positively about yourself, instead of focusing on the negative.

Clean up your space: Using the Marie Kondo (or KonMari) approach to organize and declutter can be an amazing and transformative experience, especially if you’re hanging on to belongings that don’t bring you joy. Start in your closet! Get rid of the clothing that doesn’t fit or flatter you anymore, and keep only the clothing that makes you feel amazing (see below)! Then move on to harder and more time consuming decluttering projects.

Wear clothes that fit you: You will feel much happier and more confident if you wear clothes that fit you. This may seem like a small thing, but it will instantly make you feel amazing when your clothes truly fit. Need to go shopping for a few new pieces that truly fit? Do it now!

Write down your dreams, both big and small: It can be as small as wanting to start the day off with a cup of lemon water or as big as solving world hunger! Writing this list and constantly checking back with it can be a great roadmap to where you’ve been and where you want to be. Celebrate your victories both big and small along the way. And be gentle with yourself for the dreams that take longer than you expected to achieve, or the dreams that completely change.

Buy yourself some flowers, a plant, or other self-love gift: Buy yourself something, whether big or small, because YOU deserve it! Flowers instantly bring positivity but also if you’ve been eyeing a new gadget or beauty product, just go for it. If the answer to the question, “will this item bring joy in my life?” is yes, go for it!

When somebody compliments you, hear it and say thank you: Full stop. Take the compliment.

Surround yourself with positive people: Understandably this is no small task. Ridding negative people in your life is hard! But keeping those relationships around is harder, especially if they are people who bust your confidence and make it hard for you to celebrate yourself. You deserve to be surrounded by people who cheer you on and make you smile, inside and out.

Give yourself downtime by saying no a little bit more: Everybody deserves a break. You too. Having some downtime, whether it’s 30 minutes or a full week break can help you reflect on all the wonderful you do everyday and give yourself time to recharge. It can be so hard to say no to an obligation, but go ahead and use no a little bit more for other people so you can say yes a little bit more for yourself.

Take yourself out to coffee or dinner: So many people are afraid to take themselves out but it can be such a confidence booster! All you need is you! Feel nervous to try it for the first time? Take a book to keep you company. Doing this repeatedly can truly help you celebrate yourself as you get used to the idea that you are all the company you need (sometimes)!

For some, the thought of celebrating themselves can bring anxiety or be totally uncomfortable. Start small. Taking pride in yourself can be a new thing for many people, but like anything the more you practice it, the better you get. Tell yourself as many times as you need to hear: you deserve it.

Pin it for later:

After its three “intense flavors” last summer Snickers is back with three more enticing new candy bars to satisfy your sweet tooth. This time it’s jumping on the nut butter bandwagon and replacing its signature full-size crunchy nuts with smooth and creamy butters.

They are available in multiple sizes, but for this review, I went with the sharing pouches that contain 11 individually wrapped squares. The flavors are creamy peanut butter, creamy almond butter, and creamy maple almond butter.

Creamy Snickers Peanut Butter

The peanut butter was the first one I tried, and I immediately thought I got a dud of a bar. Where are the nuts? This isn’t a Snickers! Then I realized that the point of these bars was that the usual very noticeable nuts are now in the form of creamy butters. This one contains a layer of freshly ground peanut butter on top of caramel and ground peanuts all enrobed in milk chocolate.

This one reminded me of something, obviously relating to the king of the peanut butter/chocolate throne – Reese’s. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it as I was indulging so I went to enlist Mr. Google’s help, and it soon dawned on me.

Folks, ladies, and gentlemen, please move along — nothing to see (or taste) here. This is a Nutrageous bar in square form and 24 years after the fact. It’s good as you can’t go wrong with the combo of peanut butter and chocolate, but it’s nothing new and certainly not reminiscent of a Snickers.

Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 7.70 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 110 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 11 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Creamy Snickers Almond Butter

After the disappointment of the peanut butter one, I had my expectations in check as I dove into bag number 2, but this is where things finally got interesting.

This one contains a layer of freshly ground almond butter on top of caramel and ground almonds all enrobed in milk chocolate. I was amazed as you can smell the nuttiness of the almonds before even biting in. With peanut butter, it always has to knock other flavors out of the way. The almond flavor here is more muted, but it allows all components to work together.

Snickers Almond Butter seems like it should be an oxymoron, but it works pretty well. The butter is a little grittier, but this adds to the joy as it really stands out to me that I’m eating a Snickers with freakin’ almond butter in it!

Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 7.70 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 110 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Creamy Snickers Maple Almond Butter

Finally, the maple one that I saved for last. But as the old adage tells us (and it rings true this time), this was definitely the best of the bunch.

This one is identical to the almond butter one but contains maple-flavored caramel and boy is it intense! I love all things maple so it may be too much for those who aren’t a fan. However, out of all three, this one was the first one where I thought I was eating something delicious and different. The maple is a lot, but it is punctuated by the nutty almond butter, the chewy caramel, and of course the chocolate.

Purchased Price: $2.98
Size: 7.70 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 110 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 12 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Other Things:

• For all three the milk chocolate is just your standard candy bar variety, nothing special. The ground nuts in the caramel in each one also add a little bit of crunchy texture but not much.




• To go along with the trendy/elevated ingredients, the packaging seems to have gotten an upgrade too. I’m digging the silhouette peanut & almond graphics as they are minimalist but also eye-catching both at the same time. The material also has more of a matte finish and seems to be a bit thicker. It does elevate the experience. However, the Snickers people want to make sure that they don’t come across as too snooty. Look at the backs of each bag – these aren’t artisanal, they are artisanal-ish. Take that homemade chocolate!
• With peanut butter and almond butter conquered, anybody excited for Snickers Cashew Butter, Snickers Sunflower Butter, or how about Snickers School Safe Peanut Free Soy Butter?

August 31, 2018

So good, this Cheesy Basil Baked Zucchini Casserole with mozzarella cheese, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh basil, is a great way to use up summer zucchini!

Friends, how has August rushed by so quickly? The end of the gloriously hot days, with cool, cool mornings dragging summer away. I love the poem I’m sharing today!

Enjoy this end-of-the-summer Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole for an easy weeknight meal! (Or, how about this Summer Squash Casserole made with pesto or these Acorn Squash Sprouted Rice Bowls? YUM! And dessert? These Butternut Squash Granola Parfaits are also delish!)

What you need to make Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole

All you need is zucchini, cheese, fresh basil, and big fat heirloom tomatoes.

What I love about zucchini casseroles is you can mix the cheeses, or use different varieties.

We like the crunch of panko bread crumbs on top! So good.

The casserole may be a little watery (always when you cook with squash), so use a slotted spoon or spatula when serving.

Most of our August days have been a whirlwind, with so much activity and summer fun. But then, again, there are days of the week where we intentionally slow down and do almost nothing. We need those days.

“August rushes by like desert rainfall,
A flood of frenzied upheaval,
Expected,
But still catching me unprepared.
Like a match flame
Bursting on the scene,
Heat and haze of crimson sunsets.
Like a dream
Of moon and dark barely recalled,
A moment,
Shadows caught in a blink.
Like a quick kiss;
One wishes for more
But it suddenly turns to leave,
Dragging summer away.”
– Elizabeth Maua Taylor

Make new connections

Making new connections has been a priority this summer. When I think back to the people we’ve invited over, some we barely knew, it’s been a real blessing to learn about other people’s lives and really get to know them over a shared meal.

Don’t be afraid to ask your guests to contribute to the meal, so you don’t have to do it all.

Building relationships when you might be feeling just a little stuck in your excuses, and maybe even a bit vulnerable, might just be what you need!

Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole

Friends, make connections right now, right where you are, in whatever season you may be in. Your house doesn’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to cook a big gourmet meal (this Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole is budget friendly, and delicious served with hot crunchy bread and a glass of wine).

How to make Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole:

1. Saute large zucchini slices with a little butter, cooking until they begin to soften.
2. Place the zucchini in a greased casserole dish. Salt and pepper!
3. Slice heirloom tomatoes and place on top of the zucchini.
4. Top with thick slices of mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.
5. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top (you can add fresh Parmesan as an option if you want more cheese.)
6. Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
7. Remove from oven really important to let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Goodbye August, and thank you for letting us live life together with a lot of great memories, people in our lives, and great food!

Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 medium zucchini, sliced thickly
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2-3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced thickly
• Gourmet salt (or seasoning)
• 1/2 – 1 cup basil leaves (optional to chop or leave whole)
• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese (sliced thickly) – we buy at Costco
• 1 cup whole wheat panko crispy bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add zucchini; cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp and tender. Salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
2. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Lay the zucchini on the bottom of the pan.
3. Lay the sliced tomatoes on top of the zucchini; place mozzarella slices on top. Sprinkle with your favorite gourmet salt. I used Mountain Mex Sweet Salt Seasoning, but you can use Lawry’s or Trader Joe’s Garlic Salt (in grinder) or whatever flavor you like. Place fresh basil leaves on top (optional to chop or leave whole).
4. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. (Optional to add Parmesan to the bread crumbs if you want more cheese).
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and vegetables are tender.
6. Remove from oven. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon or spatular because there may be extra liquid on the bottom from the zucchini.

All images and text ©Sandy Coughlin for Reluctant Entertainer.

More squash casseroles: Roasted Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta [Kalyn’s Kitchen], Forbidden Rice with Acorn Squash and Pecans [A Spicy Perspective], and Picked Squash [A Farmgirl’s Dabbles].

August 31, 2018

So good, this Cheesy Basil Baked Zucchini Casserole with mozzarella cheese, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh basil, is a great way to use up summer zucchini!

Friends, how has August rushed by so quickly? The end of the gloriously hot days, with cool, cool mornings dragging summer away. I love the poem I’m sharing today!

Enjoy this end-of-the-summer Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole for an easy weeknight meal! (Or, how about this Summer Squash Casserole made with pesto or these Acorn Squash Sprouted Rice Bowls? YUM! And dessert? These Butternut Squash Granola Parfaits are also delish!)

What you need to make Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole

All you need is zucchini, cheese, fresh basil, and big fat heirloom tomatoes.

What I love about zucchini casseroles is you can mix the cheeses, or use different varieties.

We like the crunch of panko bread crumbs on top! So good.

The casserole may be a little watery (always when you cook with squash), so use a slotted spoon or spatula when serving.

Most of our August days have been a whirlwind, with so much activity and summer fun. But then, again, there are days of the week where we intentionally slow down and do almost nothing. We need those days.

“August rushes by like desert rainfall,
A flood of frenzied upheaval,
Expected,
But still catching me unprepared.
Like a match flame
Bursting on the scene,
Heat and haze of crimson sunsets.
Like a dream
Of moon and dark barely recalled,
A moment,
Shadows caught in a blink.
Like a quick kiss;
One wishes for more
But it suddenly turns to leave,
Dragging summer away.”
– Elizabeth Maua Taylor

Make new connections

Making new connections has been a priority this summer. When I think back to the people we’ve invited over, some we barely knew, it’s been a real blessing to learn about other people’s lives and really get to know them over a shared meal.

Don’t be afraid to ask your guests to contribute to the meal, so you don’t have to do it all.

Building relationships when you might be feeling just a little stuck in your excuses, and maybe even a bit vulnerable, might just be what you need!

Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole

Friends, make connections right now, right where you are, in whatever season you may be in. Your house doesn’t have to be perfect, you don’t have to cook a big gourmet meal (this Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole is budget friendly, and delicious served with hot crunchy bread and a glass of wine).

How to make Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole:

1. Saute large zucchini slices with a little butter, cooking until they begin to soften.
2. Place the zucchini in a greased casserole dish. Salt and pepper!
3. Slice heirloom tomatoes and place on top of the zucchini.
4. Top with thick slices of mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.
5. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top (you can add fresh Parmesan as an option if you want more cheese.)
6. Place in the oven and bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
7. Remove from oven really important to let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Goodbye August, and thank you for letting us live life together with a lot of great memories, people in our lives, and great food!

Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 medium zucchini, sliced thickly
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2-3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced thickly
• Gourmet salt (or seasoning)
• 1/2 – 1 cup basil leaves (optional to chop or leave whole)
• 8 oz. mozzarella cheese (sliced thickly) – we buy at Costco
• 1 cup whole wheat panko crispy bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add zucchini; cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp and tender. Salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
2. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Lay the zucchini on the bottom of the pan.
3. Lay the sliced tomatoes on top of the zucchini; place mozzarella slices on top. Sprinkle with your favorite gourmet salt. I used Mountain Mex Sweet Salt Seasoning, but you can use Lawry’s or Trader Joe’s Garlic Salt (in grinder) or whatever flavor you like. Place fresh basil leaves on top (optional to chop or leave whole).
4. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. (Optional to add Parmesan to the bread crumbs if you want more cheese).
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and vegetables are tender.
6. Remove from oven. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon or spatular because there may be extra liquid on the bottom from the zucchini.

All images and text ©Sandy Coughlin for Reluctant Entertainer.

More squash casseroles: Roasted Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta [Kalyn’s Kitchen], Forbidden Rice with Acorn Squash and Pecans [A Spicy Perspective], and Picked Squash [A Farmgirl’s Dabbles].

Just five ingredients (salt included) stand between you and this simple vegan halloumi cheese. Just like the original, this halloumi is deliciously salty with a subtle cheesy tang. Serve it on sandwiches, over salads, or all on its own.

This recipe has been on my to-make list for years. 

I say that a lot. Must be that gnarly procrastination cycle rearing its ugly head.

This recipe idea cropped up while making these rainbow summer rolls two years ago. Something about the texture of the tofu reminded me of halloumi cheese, and I figured there had to be a way to leverage it to create a vegan version of the salty, firm, melt-resistant cheese.

And so here we are a couple years later.

To make this vegan halloumi cheese, you’ll start by slicing a block of extra firm tofu into square pieces like so…

Note: To amplify the halloumi texture, I recommend pressing the tofu using a tofu press before cutting it; however, you can absolutely skip this step if you’re in a time crunch or simply don’t feel like fussing with a tofu press.

Once you’ve sliced the tofu, prepare the halloumi marinade. The marinade is made with a simple combination of nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt.

The nutritional yeast flakes add a savory cheesiness. The lemon juice adds a cheesy tang. The olive oil adds richness. And the salt adds… well, saltiness.

Once you’ve whisked together the marinade, brush or spoon it over each tofu square, being sure to evenly coat all sides.

Now, you have two options.

Option 1: Cover the tray and refrigerate it, allowing the tofu to marinate for a few hours (up to 12) to fully enliven that salty, cheesy, halloumi flavor.

Option 2: Cook it straight away, opting for a milder (but still delicious) halloumi quality.

Either way, you’ll cook the “halloumi” by heating a large skillet and searing each piece of tofu to create a delicious, cheesy crust.

Word to the wise: Flip on the fan or hood over the stove to ventilate while cooking. The searing process can be a bit smoky depending on the type of pan you use.

Once the halloumi is cooked, enjoy it all on its own or on sandwiches, salads, etc.

Burnout Bowl is a meal you can make with ease, throw together, and feel confident that you’re nourishing your body during a rough time.

First things first, if you haven’t read our article on what burnout is and the signs you might have burnout, then please right click on this link to open it up in a new tab, then come right back to get this delicious and super simple nourishing meal to help you feel your best during this time. Or better yet, to make this for a loved one who might be going through a challenging time.

Although this recipe title may be witty, talking about burnout is a serious topic and one that we should be shining a light on more often than not. To recap, taken from our article on burnout, burnout is defined by the World Psychiatry as “… a psychological syndrome emerging as a prolonged response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job. The three key dimensions of this response are an overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and detachment from the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment. The significance of this three‐dimensional model is that it clearly places the individual stress experience within a social context and involves the person’s conception of both self and others.” (1)

How To Nourish Yourself When You Have Burnout

Taking care of yourself when you’re experiencing burnout, and most importantly as a preventative measure, is so important to feeling like yourself again. Nourishing yourself in the form of good company, support, love, rest, exercise, sleeping, and of course eating healthy foods can help you feel your best.

It’s really easy to let things slide when you’re experiencing burnout, from doing the things that make you feel your best, from engaging in normal social activities, finding the gratitude and joys in everyday life, to eating healthy foods or with some people, eating enough food at all. If you’re wondering if you’re eating enough food, be sure to check out the signs that you’re eating enough article. Return to this article as a guide to help you overcome this and use these easy recipes to hand to a loved one to make them for you!

Grocery Shopping & Cooking Plan For This Recipe

This recipe isn’t something magical that’ll help you overcome burnout, but it will nourish your body with really important energy in the form of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and healthy fats along with vitamins and minerals your brain and body need.

The Burnout Bowl is a nutrient-dense meal wrapped up in a warm, comfort food kinda way with cooked carbohydrates like sweet potato or quinoa if you prefer, high quality olive oil, salmon or you can use a vegan-friendly protein like organic tempeh or cooked lentils, roasted or steamed vegetables of your choice, and a thick and creamy sauce of your choice (see the options below). Basically, you mix it all up in a bowl and voila, a quick, healthy lunch or dinner that you or a loved one can make for you, for the week!

You can print this recipe off for a friend to get these for you at the grocery store, you can screenshot it to your phone to take with you at the grocery store, or have this pulled up on your laptop in the kitchen to see what you have already in the pantry and the fridge — whatever you need to do to make it happen.

Cooking day plan (example, if you are eating this daily for dinner, 5 days this week):

• Multiple this recipe by the number of days or number of servings you’ll most likely be eating this for the week — again you can switch up the ingredients to whatever you like and eat them from week to week just by switching up the foods.
• Roasted vegetables: using a large sheet pan, roast the vegetables of your choice on 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes or until fork tender — drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Super simple
• Proteins: whatever protein you choose to make, if you’re using an animal protein make about 2-3 servings maximum, if it’s fish try to make it upon serving, and if it’s a plant-based protein like tempeh you can make a 2-3 packages (typically 2 servings per package) on your cooking day to last you the week. No matter what protein you’re in the mood for, opt for a simple cooking method like baking in the oven at the same time you’re roasting the vegetables off (make this easy on yourself!). Roast the protein at 350 degrees F for anywhere from 10-30ish minutes depending on what protein you choose — check out this guide to figure out the cook times
• Carbohydrates: at the same time that you’re roasting off vegetables and proteins, on the stovetop make quinoa/rice/millet or another grain you enjoy and also/or add 5 sweet potatoes to another sheet pan in the oven to bake off until soft (again, multi-tasking!)
• Healthy fats: there’s no prep that needs to be done here, hooray! Just top your Burnout Bowl with whatever you like: olive oil, avocado oil, avocado, nuts and seeds of your choice like sunflower seeds or hemp seeds
• A big dollop or drizzle of something that’ll pack tons of flavor in one-two scoops like these sauces below
• After these meal components are cooked, store them in an airtight glass container in your fridge then reheat as you need to, then throw everything in a bowl, stir it up and enjoy the simplicity in this!

Sauces that you can use with your Burnout Bowl:

1. Sweet Creamy Onion Dip
2. Cashew Kimchi Dip
3. Green Goddess Dressing
4. Creamy Turmeric Salad Dressing (also doubles as a nice drizzle sauce)

Other recipes that you may really enjoy:

Lentil Salad with Feta and a Lemon Turmeric Sunshine Dressing

This post is all about how to take a very basic ingredient from your kitchen and turn it into a (healthy) gourmet salad. Are you excited to try this out with me?

The basic ingredient I am referring to here are lentils. Given that the vegan revolution is spreading through the world, lentils have started making an appearance in a variety of healthy dishes in restaurant menus.

Indian cuisine puts to use a spectacular variety of lentils (dals, split or whole) in dishes like dals, khichdi, as a filling inside breads / puri and so on. But mostly dals, which are consumed on an everyday basis, pretty much across India.

When we talk about lentils and Indian cuisine, salad is not the first thing that comes to mind. One of the only lentil based salad that I can think of is  kosumalli where split skinned yellow mung dal is mixed along with cucumber or carrots. This makes a light dish that heralds the onset of summer. A spoonful of this salad is served as a part of a larger meal.

Lentil Salad with Feta

 Brown lentils or whole masoor / sabut masoor is the hero ingredient here. While a curry using this dal along with rice is my favourite weeknight dinner, these lentils are the perfect Indian pantry ingredient for a lentil salad.

When you cook the whole masoor just right, it retains its shape well enough to be tossed into a salad. I make sure not to pressure cook the soaked lentils, but just steam cook (minus the weight), for it to be cooked just right.

To complement the earthy flavour of this lentil, I have used fresh and flavourful ingredients like green apple and cucumber, all brought together with a sunshiny lemon turmeric dressing.

A few tips for this Lentil Salad with Feta

Ensure that the lentils are not overcooked. Please follow the instructions on cooking these lentils given in the recipe below.

Make sure to douse your salad with plenty of dressing as lentils are flavour sponges. Allow this salad to sit for a while. Lentils will absorb all the flavours of your dressing as well as the juices from the other ingredients like cucumbers and apple.

The feta cheese adds a sharp saltiness that pairs wonderfully with these lentils. For a vegan version of this lentil salad, simply omit feta and use some crumbled smoked tofu instead.

Want to check out another healthy lunch salad – calorie counted recipe? Here it is 

Here are the list of ingredients that pair great with whole lentils

• Rocket
• Beet
• Lemon
• Olive oil
• Feta cheese
• Cumin seeds
• Tomatoes
• Tahini
• Eggplant
• Garlic
• Runny eggs
• Yogurt
• Thyme

Choose 3-4 ingredients from this list to make your own version of a lentil salad

Substitutes for whole masoor in this lentil salad with feta — If you don’t find whole masoor outside of India, you can substitute it with Puy lentils.

Other lentils you can use in this salad are —

• lightly blanched sprouted moong
• lightly blanched sprouted moth beans

If you have stocked up on whole masoor, this is the other very popular Saffrontrail recipe that you must try out – Whole Masoor Dal Curry

To get all my latest recipes and news straight into your mailbox, subscribe to my mailing list here and get a free copy of my e-book specially put together for you – The Ultimate Salad Master Table that will have you making salads like a pro HERE

For more such healthy recipes, get my book The Everyday Healthy Vegetarian! Get all the info about my book and order it here.

Like what you see here? Stay connected with me on Instagram, Facebook, BlogLovin’ and Pinterest.

Source: https://www.saffrontrail.com/lentil-salad-with-feta/

One $10 Dunkin’ Gift Card

Hey, it’s a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card! Oh wait, I mean, a Dunkin’ gift card. If you haven’t heard, the company will eventually rid itself of the “Donuts” part of its name because, according to Dunkin’, it’s known for more than its donuts. Well, if Dunkin’ is willing to make this change after decades, I wonder if Krispy Kreme is willing to change its spelling of doughnuts. I’m tired of always typing “doughnuts.”

RULES:

To enter this prize drawing for a $10 Dunkin’ Gift Card, leave a comment with THIS post. You can write whatever you want, but please don’t forget to fill out the email field because we’ll be emailing the randomly selected winner for his or her mailing address.

We will stop accepting entries on December 23, 2018 at 9:00 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Only one comment allowed per person, and it’s only open to U.S. residents 18 years old or older.

Just a note: If you post a comment but it’s not showing up, it ended up in our comment spam folder for some strange reason. There’s no need to attempt to post another comment. I’ll be pulling those comments out of the comment spam vortex throughout the day.

Good luck and don’t forget to come back tomorrow to find out what we’re giving away!

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Hi!  In less than three days, we’re jumping on (or, more accurately, “squeezing a toddler and many bags and a stroller and a car seat onto”) a plane and heading to Hawaii for the first time since our two-bowl household became a three-bowl one.  There are aunties and uncles and cousins for Luke to meet for the first time, beaches to explore, galbi to chew on, and to say we–and even more, his grandparents–are excited would be an understatement.  Our fellow passengers are probably less excited, though they don’t know it yet.  (If you have any tips for entertaining a 14-month old in an enclosed space for five hours, I welcome them and our seatmates will thank you.)

But first, cookies!  I had to restore some kind of holiday order to this place, lest we go the entire month of December without a post that is at least somewhat cookie-related.  So here’s a little round-up of some favorite holiday cookie recipes, some old and much-loved and some I’ve been meaning to try, plus an update on that classic to rule all classics, the chocolate chip cookie.  (Also, some gratuitous Christmas pajama photos, which have nothing to do with cookies.)

I had no intention of sharing another chocolate chip cookie recipe here, because no one needs me to tell them how to make chocolate chip cookies when there are so many impeccable versions out there already (most recently, this ripply, thin-and-crispy beauty from Sarah Kieffer that has been taking the world by storm!)  But then I realized that the only CCC recipe here to date is the infamous David Leite New York Times recipe, which I continue to love but to which I’ve rarely adhered in the last five (!) years since I posted it, and it didn’t seem quite right to leave out the recipe that I actually make every time I crave this classic cookie.  

So, here it is!  This one hews most closely to Tara O’Brady’s recipe from her cookbook Seven Spoons, and it stole my heart because it uses melted butter, meaning no waiting for the butter to come to room temperature or creaming it with the sugars (my two least favorite cookie tasks) and, therefore, cookies even faster; the cookies it makes are thick and hefty, with crisp tops and edges but velvety, fudgy innards, puddles of chocolate on top and striated ripples within, and, if you can bear to let the dough rest a few days, warm, round notes of butterscotch and toffee underneath.  There are a few quirks from David’s recipe that still make their way into my kitchen when I make these:  It has more chocolate, and even though many have rightly pointed out that a mix of bread flour and cake flour should average out to the protein content of all-purpose, there’s something about the mix that I find adds a little extra depth to the flavor.  But while I like to use chocolate chip cookies as a repository for as many flours as possible, you shouldn’t need to, so the recipe below is written with all-purpose.

As an alternative, for a little holiday version, I like replacing a third or so of the flour with a whole grain flour like sprouted wheat, white whole wheat, rye, or spelt, to add extra nuttiness, and a touch of rosemary to lend a little savoriness, akin to the sea salt on top, which makes the sweet sweeter and the dough deeper and richer.  This makes for the extra craggy cookies pictured up top and at the end, while all-purpose flour will give you the softer, more tender cookies directly below.  But rest assured, I love these pretty much any way they turn out.

Happiest holidays, friends!  I hope it’s filled with coziness and all the cookies you could want.  

a whole lot of cookies

rosemary caramel linzer cookies • macau-style almond cookies • classic gingersnaps

fig jam & goat cheese thumbprints • cranberry orange shortbread • coconut oil gingerbread folk

pan-banging ginger molasses cookies • chewy chai snickerdoodles • matcha shortbread

oatmeal raisin cookies • black and white cookies • dark & stormy sugar cookies

and

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