Desperately Waiting....

In Week 3, I am able to add gluten-free grains and dairy back into my diet. I have know idea what grains are gluten-free and which aren't, so I'm taking my ignorance to mean that I can eat whatever grains I want. That logic works, right? Your lack of response tells me you agree.

 If I thought that gluten was a problem in my life, then I would be a more conscious about not adding it back in. That whole "Never want to stop eating" thing is really my life's problem.

Either way, I have been desperately waiting for Week 3 so I could make this dish for lunch!

I've changed some of the ingredients slightly to fit what I had in my kitchen, to be more diabetic-friendly (more veg then carbs), and what is in season. I found vine-ripened tomatoes grown in MA at Whole Foods!


And, by the way, the dressing for this recipe is fucking amazing!

Protein Power Bowl

Ingredients

3/4 cup uncooked green lentils

3/4 cup uncooked farro

1/2 tbsp olive oil, for sautéing

1/2 large red onion (~1 & 1/3 cups), chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped (not seasonal, I know!)

2 tomatoes, diced
3 cups spinach or kale, roughly chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

1 batch of Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing (recipe below)

salt & black pepper, to taste

lemon Wedges & lemon zest, to garnish

Method
1. Cook lentils and farro (or grain of choice). I did this the night before to save time.
2. Prepare the Tahini-Lemon dressing in food processor (see below for recipe).
3. In a large skillet over low-medium heat, add your olive oil and sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic for a few minutes, being careful not to burn.
4. Add in the chopped red pepper and tomato and sauté for another 7-8 minutes.
5. Stir in the chopped kale or spinach and sauté for another few minutes, just until tender.
6. Stir in the full batch of tahini-Lemon dressing, the cooked & drained grains and lentils, and simmer on low for another few minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in the minced parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with lemon wedges and zest.

Tahini-Lemon Dressing

Ingredients

1/4 cup tahini

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup Nutritional yeast or a bit more, to taste

2-4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

3 tbsp water, or as needed

Method
1. In a food processor, add all ingredients and process until smooth.