Red Lentils and Green Broccoli - Easy, Healthy, Yummy

I had an unusually productive afternoon (at least by my typical standards)! Laundry, dishes, dabbled a bit in the garden, blog posts - and I also managed to cook a few lunches to boot! I don't have much time or energy when I return home from work to do much in the way of cooking - either for dinner that night or as prep for next day's lunch. This is a set up for bad choices (both financially and nutritionally as I end up eating out more) which I confess I do make. So I was glad I was able to do this today. Here's what I did, I hope it helps you as 
well ... 

I adapted this recipe from Whole Foods Market: 
Red Lentils with Garlic and Onions 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups uncooked red lentils, rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 6 cups cooked brown Basmati rice

Method: 

Put lentils, turmeric and 4 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are very soft and pulpy, about 25 minutes. Add salt to lentils after cooking, then purée in blender and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until golden brown, taking care not to burn them. Add onion mixture to lentils and stir well. Serve hot, with basmati rice on the side.

Nutritional Info: 

Per Serving: 340 calories (50 from fat), 5g total fat, 220mg sodium, 57g carbohydrates, (11 gdietary fiber, 5g sugar), 17g protein.

I cut the recipe in half - 2 cups of water (I ended up adding a bit more later) and 1 cup of uncooked red lentils. I did not cut the spices in half, and I also added 1/2 teaspoon of Red Curry (good decision, I actually wish I had add a bit more of all of the spices). I used 1/2 of a regular onion and less garlic (3 cloves - I like garlic, so it would have been fine to add more. I didn't even notice it called for so much until just now). 

I cooked the lentils until they were mushy, and added the onions/garlic about half way through. I also did not puree them in a blender or food processor - so I simplified the recipe and I am glad I did as it still turned out yummy, but fewer dirty dishes to clean. Since I did not cook the onions and garlic separately I omitted the oil. Lastly I also omitted the rice. 

While the lentils were cooking I steamed some broccoli (using the cut open bag and dump into steamer method!) 

When it was done I divvy'd the broccoli and red lentils into two storage containers, ate a small amount of each for a snack - and poof - done, two lunches in the fridge.  

Sorry, no pics - I'll try to remember next time! 

Breakfast is so easy I assemble it in the morning as I make my coffee (Peet's - I am grateful Publix carries it!) and is inspired by Chocolate Covered Katie (I think she calls them overnight oats). I take a mason jar, sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of raw rolled oats (I like Bob's Red Mill), pour some kefir (from Maple Hill Creamery) over it, add a scoop of plain yogurt (usually homemade using Kalona Milk), add a generous pinch of coconut flakes, add a generous pinch of whatever nut I have handy (hopefully toasted) and a smaller pinch of mini-chocolate chips. I will sometimes also add a dribble or two of maple syrup and/or a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Screw the top on, grab my coffee and head out the door. I eat it when I get to work. It is yummy and incredibly filling. 

Most of us lead crazy busy lives - I hope these ideas help you manage yours! 

(no affiliate links in this post)

Evernote - Excellence!

I have been using Evernote (not an affiliate link) for nearly two years and really appreciate it. My favorite feature thus far is the web clipper - it's an app embedded in your web browser with a button you can use to clip web pages. You can clip the entire page, or a portion of it, or simply a screen shot. I have another blog - https://vaccinedepot.blogspot.com and use Evernote to save clips of webpages for blog posts. You can also use it to write draft blog posts. 

There are three levels available - Basic (free), Plus ($24.99/year) and Premium ($45.00/year). I started with the Basic, but quickly went with Premium because the price is so reasonable and I wanted to be able to save items (almost) without limit - with the Basic plan I would bump up against the monthly limit, with the paid plan I never have, though I suppose it is possible depending upon how you use it. You can upload up to 10GB/month with the Premium plan, but there are additional functions that come with each level above Basic. 

I have needed to contact customer support on a (very) few occasions and have been very happy with the service they provided - the issues have been resolved quickly and I found them to be very responsive and helpful.    

Even if you are not a blogger it can be very useful - it can be a great place to keep recipes for easy access. I also like to use it to store contacts/business cards - a quick scan with my phone's camera and done! I don't need to have the card continue to clutter up my wallet or my desk. 

Once an item is in Evernote it can be organized into Notebooks. You can also assign multiple tags - so between the Notebooks and Tags searching for an item is easy. 

I suspect that if you try Evernote, you will like it! 

Travel Tips - Hampton Inn

I love to travel - especially if it involves going to someplace I have never been, and even more so if it involves going to someplace warm and sunny with a beach! 

Why do I like Hampton Inn?

When my travels require me to use a hotel I am fond of staying at Hampton Inns (a Hilton Hotel - this is not an affiliate link). They intersect reasonable cost with pleasant amenities. Rates have ranged from <$100 to no more than $150.00/night (they vary by location and room size), and since they have many locations it has not been hard to find one fairly close to, if not actually in, my ultimate destination. Rooms are appointed comfortably and in all my stays have always been clean and well serviced. 

I appreciate that WiFi and breakfast are included with your stay (at least in the US locations) - I doubt I would stay at a hotel that did not provide these amenities.  

Frequent Traveler Program

Hilton has its "HHonors" points program - but this, understandably, is mostly a benefit to frequent travelers. Points expire if you are not continuously accruing additional points. Though considering the bennies of the four levels it is clear only someone who stays frequently enough to earn "free" or comped stays should bother opting in to this as many of the bennies are available to any guest (spouse stays free, complimentary continental breakfast - how is that different from what is already provided?) 

I currently have no points (Blue level - I had points that I lost through inactivity) - and to reach the next level (Silver) I would have to stay at a Hampton 4 or more times or 10 days. So that should give one an idea of just how frequently someone would need to stay at a Hampton to earn the elite "Diamond" level - quite a few, no doubt! 

I usually make my reservations through the Hampton Inn website. The "Find a Hotel" feature on the left makes it easy to find a Hampton Inn close to where I am going and usually provides a list of Hampton Inns nearby. This way I can choose how close do I want to be (and do I want to pay a premium for being closer to my destination or would I rather stay further away and save a few dollars - I typically opt for the latter).  

Do you travel with pets? 

I could not find a specific policy about pets on the Hampton Inn website. A quick search about pets shows that some Hampton Inns are pet friendly, though it is likely prudent to call a specific location and ask about their policy regarding pets before making a reservation.