I refuse to call it a resolution. It's a lifestyle change darnit!!

I will write more blogs this year... I will. I read a number of blogs each day, and I actually get annoyed when they don't post every single day. Every day??? That's crazy nuts. A goal, sure- but maybe let's start with one a week for now mmmkay?

Recently I have discovered quinoa. And lentils. And kale chips. I'm going bonkers over health food these days. Somewhat necessary to balance out the fact that my husband received a deep fryer for Christmas. (Expect a post about deep fried pickles in the very near future)


Ever heard of Stevia? It's my new best friend. Goes in my coffee each day and replaces those 30 calories I was consuming with sugar aaaaand has no aspartame. Aspartame is a big no no in our household these days. I told you- we're going bonkers up in this hiz-ouse! Like, butter instead of margarine, greek yogurt instead of fat free sour cream (so much sodium!), all natural peanut butter, (which oddly doesn't come in "light" ha ha) no more 0 calorie yogurt (aspartame city!) and a crazy amount of fresh fruits and veggies. The goal in simple terms is to not eat anything we can't pronounce. Yikes!

OK, so back to the lentils. Super rich in protein and fiber, and way low in calories and fat. Last night we had lentils with chicken, and it was SO filling. And delicious! I thought I would share the recipe for all you lentil lovers out there. Admittedly, this was the first time I had ever had lentils be the main act of a dish, but they sure did not dissapoint.

So, I bring you, straight from the Clean Eating website... One Pot lentils & Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

5 INGREDIENTS:

• 2 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1-oz pieces
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 1/2 cups dry green lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

PANTRY STAPLES:

• Pinch each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high. Add chicken and cook, turning occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add curry powder and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add lentils to saucepan and stir to coat. Stir in broth and 3 cups cold water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and most liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Divide evenly among serving bowls, season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish each with yogurt and 2 tbsp cilantro. (NOTE: if lentils are still hard after 30 minutes, add 1/2 cup more water and continue to cook until softened.)

Nutrients per serving (3 oz chicken and 1 cup lentils): Calories: 389, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 45 g, Fiber: 11 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 42 g, Sodium: 139 mg, Cholesterol: 49 mg

**Note- I needed to add about 1 extra cup of water, adn ended up covering the saucepan for an extra 20 minutes. Altogether it took about an hour for me. Next time I'll try covering the saucepan from the start to see if that is the key!

For reals, you need to try this. Omit the cilantro if you're a cilantro hater like me- it's still quite delicious. Especially if you throw a little Frank's Red Hot on there (What? I put it on everything!!) Speaking of cilantro, did you know that according to some studies, it is believed that cilantro is a flavour you are genetically predisposed to like or not like? And those two different groups actually taste a different flavour? Makes so much more sense to a person like me, who frankly, thinks it tastes like soap!

Oh, and I'll end with a shout out to my husband who is not only the least picky eater ever, but due to having a short vegetarian stage, he actually loves vegan and vegetarian cuisine, and therefore enjoys beans, chickpeas and lentils. Don't get me wrong, my man loves him some steak, but the fact that he loves ALL food sure does make meal planning easy. I am so lucky!!