Creamy Lentil and Potato Stew

For the longest time my idea of protein meant one thing... meat. I definitely grew up in a meat and potatoes household. Chicken, ground turkey, ground beef or the occasional steak: one of these was almost always the shining star on our dinner plates. Letting go of that traditional notion of what makes a "meal" is pretty liberating. I rarely set out to plan meatless meals, but they have slowly crept into our dinner rotation and have become some of my very favorites.

This creamy lentil stew has become one of my go-to recipes during this exceptionally snowy winter. It's filled with veggies and packs a protein punch with green lentils and great northern white beans. It is thick, creamy, warm-your-bones comfort food. This stew also works perfectly for meal prep. I like to make this and serve it to my family for dinner, then use the leftovers for lunches or busy weeknights. I hope you love it!

Creamy Lentil Stew:
Begin by warming 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add your finely chopped yellow onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute for 6-7 minutes until onions are translucent and carrots and celery begin to soften. Season well with salt and pepper.

Next add your chopped potatoes and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

Next add chicken broth, herbs, beans, lentils and water to your soup pot and bring to a rolling boil. Continue cooking at a low rolling boil for 10-15 minutes to soften potatoes and lentils.

I like to let the stew simmer for as long as possible --an hour or two-- to let the flavors develop, but if you are short on time, it really only needs to boil/simmer until the veggies and lentils are soft. After potatoes and lentils have softened, remove 2 cups of the soup and transfer it to a blender. **Let the soup cool for several minutes before blending- boiling hot soup will cause excessive steam and could cause your blender lid to fly off your blender and cause a huge mess** Blend the soup until smooth.

Return the blended stew to the pot and stir to combine. This is when your stew will really thicken and become creamy---transforming it from a soup to a stew. I like to continue to simmer the soup for a little while after this point, but you are ready to eat at this point. 

This stew reheats really well and like most stews and soup, I think it tastes even better the second day. I usually garnish mine with dry chili flakes for a little heat. It would also be great garnished with fresh avocado or some crispy crackers. Enjoy and stay warm!

Creamy Lentil Stew

Ingredient List:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 med onion, chopped

4 ribs of celery, chopped

1.5 cups carrots, chopped

3 large or 4 medium red new potatoes, cubbed

2 tbsp or 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 cups or 32oz of Organic vegetable stock

1 cup water

1 15oz can of Great Northern Beans

1 cup lentils

1.5 tbsp dry parstly

1 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 - 1 tsp Salt, or more to taste

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, or more to taste

Easy Margarita Pizza and Asperagus

It's summer. We all need easy and dare I say it...we all need pizza. Here is a quick and delicious summer dinner for under 400 calories. 

This is a great family meal as well. The kids will love to help you make homemade pizza and its easy to make as many or few servings as you need. 

**note: lavash bread can be found at most grocery stores. It is usually wherever pita bread and flat breads are sold, not in the bread aisle. This brand was purchased at Walmart near the deli meat counter**

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees 

Pizza:

Brush one lavash bread with 3/4tbsp olive oil and dust with garlic powder. 

Place the "crust" in the oven for 5-6 minutes until it is crispy and golden. 

Remove the crust and top with 2tbsp 100% natural tomato paste, basil paste (ground fresh basil in a squeeze tube available near lettuce & herbs in produce section) or fresh basil, 1/2 c thinly sliced cherry tomatoes, 1/2 c 2% mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and dried  Italian seasoning. (Meat optional- just make sure it is thoroughly cooked)  

Bake 5-7 min until bubbly and cheese begins to lightly brown.

Remove from the oven and drizzle with 1 tbsp reduced balsamic vinegar.

Asparagus: 

Wash and trim asparagus, place
on foil lined pan. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Roll them around on the foil so all sides are coated with the oil, then sprinkle lightly with sea salt. 

Bake in 400 degree oven (with pizza) 7-10 minutes depending on the size of your spears.

Yea, yea...you can thank me later...and you will, it's that good.

Ingredient list:

Lavash bread

Olive oil

Garlic powder

Tomato paste

Basil paste or fresh basil

2% mozzarella cheese

Fresh Parmesan cheese

Cherry tomatoes

Italian seasoning

Asparagus