Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel

Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel

Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine’s Day!

Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~

 Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~

Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel
 
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Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 large beet or 2 small beets, roasted and cut into hearts
  • 4 cups baby arugula
  • ½ bulb fennel, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • ½ avocado, diced
For the dressing:
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ½ shallot, minced
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wrap beets in tin foil and bake for 30-45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. (cooking time depends on size of beets) When tender, remove from oven and let cool. Remove skin and slice into ¼ inch pieces. Use a heart cookie cutter or paring knife to make heart shapes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk dressing ingredients together adding sea salt and pepper as desired.
Assemble salad and top with dressing, enjoy!

    Not only is February Valentine’s Day, but it’s also Heart Health Month.  I guess the two go hand in hand!

    This salad is beaming with heart health benefits:

    ~Fiber filled arugula

    ~Vitamin E rich walnuts

    ~High antioxidant beets

    ~Monounsaturated healthy fats from the avocados

    ~Potassium packed fennel

     Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~

    Not familiar with fennel?

    I admit, it’s an odd looking vegetable.  One that’s easily passed by in the grocery store.  It kind of hides out down by the beets, rutabagas and parsnips.  It is a root vegetable that has a long history of medicinal uses including improved digestion, treatment for anemia, boosting the immune system and increased heart health.  One of the reasons it is so beneficial for your ticker is its high level of potassium.  Potassium acts as a vasodilator, which means it relaxes the blood vessels allowing blood to easily pump through the body and in turn normalizing blood pressure.

    Fennel has a sweet aromatic flavor, similar to licorice.  The bulb is the main part of the vegetable; however, fennel fronds can be clipped and tossed into salads or used as a garnish.  Raw fennel is crispy and crunchy, which makes it great in a salad!

    Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times

    Beet and Arugula Salad with Fennel Share this heart healthy salad with your loved one on Valentine's Day! ~vegan & gluten free~

    Lemon Coconut Lentil Soup

    Lemon Coconut Lentil Soup, a warm bowl of lentils seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, hot pepper flakes, then mellowed out with coconut milk for a warm and comforting meal!

    Lemon Coconut Lentil Soup, warm bowl of lentils seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, hot pepper flakes and mellowed out with coconut milk for a warm and comforting meal!

    I’m hell-bent on sticking to my grocery budget this month, which means by the end of the week its slim pickings in our kitchen!  I looked through the pantry, emptied out the refrigerator and this is what I came up with!  A meal that is super nutritious, high-protein, vegan, gluten-free, fiber-filled and…yup, another recipe that is made in under an hour!

    Lemon Coconut Lentil Soup, warm bowl of lentils seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, hot pepper flakes and mellowed out with coconut milk for a warm and comforting meal!

    Lemon Coconut Lentil Soup
     
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    Lemon Coconut Lentil Soup, a warm bowl of lentils seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, hot pepper flakes and mellowed out with coconut milk!
    Author:
    Recipe type: Main
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Serves: 6
    Ingredients
    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
    • ½ yellow onion, minced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 stalks celery, chopped
    • 2 carrots, chopped
    • 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1½ teaspoons cumin
    • ½ teaspoon coriander
    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • 4 cups water
    • 2 cups red lentils
    • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • ⅓ cup full-fat coconut milk
    • sea salt and pepper to taste
    • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
    • Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional, but highly recommended)
    Instructions
    1. Melt coconut oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, add onion and sauté until translucent.
    2. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Stir in celery, carrots, smoked paprika, cumin and coriander and sauté an additional 5 minutes.
    3. Add broth, water, lentils and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, around 30-45 minutes.
    4. Stir in lemon juice, coconut milk and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
    5. Top with crushed red pepper flakes, lemon wedge and fresh cilantro prior to serving.
    6. Enjoy!
    Nutrition Information
    Serving size: 1 Calories: 161 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 19 Fiber: 7 Protein: 7

    We had this soup for dinner one night and lunch the next day,  

    2 meals made with easy-to-find ingredients and minimal effort!

    Here are the nutrition fact per serving:

    161 calories

    7 grams of fat

    19 grams of carbohydrates

    7 grams of protein

    7 grams of fiber

    Lemon Coconut Lentil Soup, warm bowl of lentils seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, hot pepper flakes and mellowed out with coconut milk for a warm and comforting meal!

    Moroccan Lentil Stew

    Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour!

    Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~

    This week I’m bringing you a couple of my favorite “family meals in under an hour” recipes.  I realize it’s very challenging for working families to put a home cooked meal on the table each and every night.  It’s not easy, however meal planning helps A LOT and I totally recommend it.  Start by finding a few recipes that are easy to make, the whole family enjoys and are economical.  Over time you will build up your recipe library and you can rotate them through the weeks.  This Moroccan stew recipe is made a few times a month in my family and has been for a few years now…and we’re still not sick of it!   I’m not sure where my sister-in-law originally found it, but we’ve altered it a lot through the years.  In fact, we alter it almost every time we make it!  It’s a very versatile stew, you can include all sorts of vegetables or grains and it will still taste good!

    Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~

     My mom adds pasta or orzo however, I didn’t add it this time to keep it gluten-free.  I sometimes add brown rice or serve on top of warm quinoa.  

    Moroccan Lentil Stew
     
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    Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~
    Author:
    Recipe type: Main
    Cuisine: Vegan
    Serves: 6
    Ingredients
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 celery stalks, chopped
    • 3 carrots, chopped
    • 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • 4 cups water
    • 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
    • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1½ cup cooked chickpeas)
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ⅓ cup raisins or currants
    • sea salt and pepper to taste
    • extra fresh cilantro and lemon wedge for garnish
    Instructions
    1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent.
    2. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
    3. Add celery and carrots and sauté until tender crisp.
    4. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
    5. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
    6. Remove cinnamon stick, top with fresh cilantro leaves and lemon wedge and enjoy!
    Nutrition Information
    Serving size: 1 Calories: 423 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 82 Fiber: 10 Protein: 17

     Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~

    Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~