My Rascal has been a terror for the past week. Dinner times have been fraught with screaming, since he won’t eat unless he’s sitting on my lap. Eventually, I give in and hold him. He eats a few bites and he’s done. Until I bring out the organic blueberries.

I didn’t know what to make for dinner tonight. I was so distraught by all Rascal’s screaming that I could hardly eat. I’m also so run down from doing so much myself. The last thing I wanted to do was cook up a non-vegetarian meal for my non-vegetarian family. That’s hard enough for me (vegan) to do on a GOOD day. So, I took out the lentils.

I had an organic bag of dried lentils in the pantry. I poured a cup of them in a pot, along with 3 cups of water, and I brought them to a boil. I let them simmer for 45 minutes — of which I kept track by watching three episodes of The Backyardigans with The Monkey, while Rascal napped.

Now, how to get the family to eat the hugely healthy — one of the healthiest foods in the world — lentils? Hide them in pasta sauce, of course!

And, it worked. Monkey loved the concoction…. Here she is posing with her already half-eaten dish:

One of the reasons it worked was THE PINE NUTS. They really complimented the nutty texture and taste of the lentils. It was brillers…. Check it!

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 4. But, it’s all to taste, really — it’s the ingredients, not the measurements that count here.)

3/4 cup Cooked Lentils (cooking instructions described above)
Bag of Pasta (I love kamut pasta)
Jar of Tomato Sauce of your choice
1 cup Pureed Broccoli (optional; for extra veggies the children will NEVER know about)
Pine Nuts (a couple handfuls)
Parmesan cheese (preferably vegan)

1. Cook the pasta. Drain. Return to pot (at low heat).
2. Dump in the tomato sauce, lentils, pine nuts, pureed broccoli.
3. Stir it up.
4. Dish it out.
5. Sprinkle on the parmy.

Enjoy! It’s SO easy. Let us know how you like it!

Love!
xo Haley-O

I am on a HEALTH. KICK. And, I feel great. In fact, I haven’t felt THIS good in a LONG time. And, it didn’t take long at all.

For a complete overview of the plan I’m on, check Cheaty Monkey. I designed it myself! There’s something to be said for putting the diet books DOWN and listening to your own body.

By far, the best thing I ever did — I HAVE TO SAY — is ditching the dairy. In fact, I attribute how great I’m feeling to that alone. I feel lighter, less congested, clearer-headed. And, it’s because I gave up dairy, FASHIZZLE. And, I was ADDICTED to cheese. I’d have cheese on EVERYTHING. Peanut butter and cheese on a bagel was, like, MY FAVOURITE THING! Now, though, not an INCH of a craving.

One thing I thought I’d really miss is parmesan cheese. BUT, in the following pasta recipe, I used a FAKE parmesan cheese (with no casein — very important to look out for that in fake dairy products), and it did the job. It wasn’t PERFECT, but it satisfied my craving for the texture and saltiness of parmesan.

CHECK IT!

TASTY TOFU BASIL PASTA

INGREDIENTS
(serves 4-6)

1 block (organic) tofu, cubed
4 cups cooked brown rice pasta
Bunch Portobello Mushrooms (optional)
Bunch Spinach (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp canola Oil
1 tbsp olive Oil
Basil (generous amount)
Pepper (to taste)
Fake Parmesan Cheese (to taste)
Pine nuts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get your pasta cooking…. When pasta is halfway done, toss in portobello mushrooms. Drain them with the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat canola oil — MEDIUM HEAT (never heat oil on high) — in medium-sized pan. Lovingly…, throw in the garlic and onion, and saute until softened.
3. Throw in the tofu, flipping it over and over gently, letting each side brown.
4. Sprinkle with TONS of basil and a little bit of pepper. TONS of basil.
5. Mix pasta and tofu together.
6. Drizzle with Olive Oil. Add MORE basil — you really can’t have too much.
7. Pour into dishes. Sprinkle fake parmesan on top, and PINE NUTS. And, ENJOY!

Serve with a nice raw green salad with flax seed oil dressing (see next post!).

By the way, this dish is of course great WITHOUT tofu, as well. The pine nuts and the portobello mushrooms provide ample protein.

Let us know how YOU like it!

xo Haley-O

Gorgeouses, this is the easiest recipe ever. And, YUMMY! When NEXT you go to the grocery store, buy yourself some egg noodles, preferably these spelt ones for added fiber and vitamins and other nutritiony goodnesses. They’re quick, and they’re delish, and — added bonus? — kids love ‘em.

Check it!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-6):

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2.5 cups of 1% milk
1 tsp spice mix (any brand you want, i.e., Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning)
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3/4 lb or 340 g broad egg noodles (preferably SPELT!)
3/4 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese
Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Boil large pot full of water.

3. Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan at medium heat.

4. Once butter is melted, remove it from the heat and blend in flour with a whisk or fork.

5. Gradually whisk in the milk.

6. Turn the heat back on to medium.

7. Add spices and stir until mix thickens.

8. Remove from heat.

9. Throw egg noodles into pot of boiling water for no more than FIVE minutes. Then drain and rinse them in a colander.

10. Add egg noodles to milk mixture, and crumble in the grated cheese…. (You can add in some veggies here, or tuna, tofu, etc….)

11. Spray a large casserole dish and pour in the noodle mix.

12. Cover tightly with tinfoil (shiny side down), and place it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

If you want it nice and crispy on top, uncover the dish and turn the heat up to broil for, like, 2-4 minutes (WATCH IT DOESN’T BURN — trust me…).

Enjoy! And, let us know how you like it!

Recipe adapted from The Healthy Family….

Cheaty highly recommends….