squash curry stew.

how many of you made new year's resolutions to:

a.) eat healthier

b.) stop buying lunch

c.) be more organized

d.) all of the above

for those of you who circled 'd', I have the one dish wonder that will keep your resolutions going strong... well beyond january.  

this is my go-to sunday stew, which I prep and portion out into tupperware at the beginning of the week.
when time is tight, these pre-portioned goodies go straight from the freezer into my bag and are thawed by lunch.  

it's delicious.  it's healthy. 

it's convenient.  it will save you money.  

WIN!

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squash curry stew

servings: 4
source: slightly adapted from oh she glows


the goodies:
- medium kabocha squash (japanese pumpkin squash) ~ 500 g
- 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. curry powder
- 1/2 tbsp. cayenne pepper *optional
- 1/2 tbsp. chili powder *optional
- 1 c. red lentils
- 1 carton low sodium broth
- 2 cups of greens, chopped (I use kale, de-stemmed)
- freshly grated ginger, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste

the fun part:
1.) preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  cut the squash into 1 inch pieces, arrange on foil lined baking sheet and bake until tender, and browned slightly.  approximately 30 minutes.
2.) meanwhile, in a large pot, heat extra virgin olive oil.  add chopped onion and minced garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes over low-medium heat.
3.) stir in curry powder, cayenne and chili powder and continue to stir to prevent burning.  after a couple of minutes, add lentils and broth and bring to a boil.  reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.
4.) stir in cooked squash and greens. cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes.  season with salt, pepper and freshly grated ginger.


what your body will like:
1 serving = 1.5 cups
per serving: 340 calories - 49 g carbs - 3 g fat - 23 g protein - 18 g fiber

for a vegetarian dish, this is PACKED with PROTEIN! as we've discussed before, it is the winning combination of protein and fiber that will keep you fill you up and keep you satisfied for longer.

can you do the can can?

sound familiar?  remember the time I went to india and got a bonus day?  

with my new found time I wrote a post about delicious 

cranberry oatmeal.

fast forward 5 months, and here I am with a bonus day before I leave for africa.  

{can you do the can can revisited}

for the last three weeks I've avoided grocery shopping so that don't leave the country with a a fully stocked fridge.  

perhaps a little too preemptive, but it's forced me to be creative and to make some picnics out of my pantry.

I plumped up my fresh produced with some protein packed canned foods and voila, a well balanced meal is born.

of course, due credit goes to my mother who recently replaced our rickety old can opener because she feared it may give us tetanus.  more proof she's a major contributor to this blog.

canned goods + sparse veggies = delicious salad

summer salmon salad.

the goodies:

salad:
- 1 can of salmon
- 1 can of artichoke hearts
- 1 can of lentils
- 1/2 cucumber, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 bell pepper, cut into bit sized pieces
- 1/2 c. grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1/4 c. quinoa, uncooked

dressing: 
from: KathEats

- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/3 tsp. pepper


the fun part:


#1.) get your quinoa cooking while you prepare the rest of the salad: add 1/2 c. of water to uncooked quinoa in a small pot and bring to a boil.  lower heat, cover with a lid and let simmer for 15 minutes.
#2.) crank open your cans, and toss in bowl with remaining chopped vegetables.
#3.) prepare your dressing in a small bowl.
#4.) add quinoa to veggies, drizzle dressing over top and stir until combined.

minimal grocery shopping + minimal dishes = maximum satisfaction.

what your body will like:


#1.) salmon: all those good omega-3s we talked about last time!
#2.) lentils: fiber and protein? win!  eating your carbohydrates with protein slows down their digestion, and prevents blood sugar levels from spiking.  lentils are full of this dynamic duo!
#3.) quinoa: not only is quinoa a whole grain, but it is also a complete protein.  want a refresher on all quinoa's health benefits?  check out this versatile quinoa recipe!

excuse me, I have a plane to catch and a few extra items in the refrigerator that need to be polished off before take off.  

stay tuned, the next picnics and pantries post will likely be coming from kenya!