Time to Get Saucy

Today was another beautiful day 🙂 I slept in (until 8 – what a rebel, I know) and decided to take a rest day from 5K training and go to yoga instead. As usual, yoga was a perfect start to my day, stretching out my running muscles that have been working so hard! I’m proud of them.

My morning fuel was a plum, a papaya, and a champagne-strawberry apple (that’s actually what it’s called! so sweet and delicious 🙂 ) paired with my favorite creamy buckwheat cereal con blackberries and some strawbs:

After yoga, I was starvin’! I came home to my Happiest, Healthiest Vegan Mac and Cheese, Beet Still My Heart Farmer’s Market Salad, sauteed broccoli, daikon, and carrots, and a farmer’s market dill pickle 🙂 Happy tummy? Oh, yes.

After lunch, Rebecca and I baked some of what I like to call Lemon Poppyn Lock it Seed Bread (recipe to follow) and watched some of The Little Mermaid 2. Awe, don’t you love Disney movies? Reminds me of being a little kid again 🙂

And, I enjoyed some of my homemade kombucha during the baking process…

Lemon Poppyn Lock it Seed Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup natural, unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup NuStevia Baking Blend (or other sugar substitute)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla non-dairy milk (I roll with Tempt hempmilk 🙂 )
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. lemon extract (I didn’t have any, but would definitely use next time – or lemon zest)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup spelt flour (or any kind of flour, totaling 2 cups)
• 1.5 tbsp. poppy seeds
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F and grease a standard loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine applesauce, stevia (or other sugar), non-dairy milk, and lemon juice/extract.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, nutmeg, and sea salt.
4. Mix dry into the large bowl, adding more non-dairy milk for moisture if necessary.
5. Pour into your loaf pan and pop in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Slice and enjoy! 🙂

This was great on its own, but would be even better with…

• A lemon glaze – combine 1/2 cup NuStevia Baking Blend (or other sugar) with enough lemon juice to moisten (3 or 4 tbsp.) and heat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring continuously. Drizzle over warm bread just before serving 🙂
• Some Earth Balance – is this stuff ever not good?
• Some homemade lemonade! (that rhymes)
• Your favorite jam or fresh fruit

For dinner, I felt like gettin’ saucy – Italian style! After having the Spinach and Chickpea Delight last night, I realized my true love for all things marinara-sauced – so it was time to get saucy.

I whipped up some Italian Mushroom Savory Buckwheat, roasted asparagus and zucchini topped with marinara sauce, Spinach and Chickpea Delight, and salads con avocado (mmm 🙂 ). It was certainly savory, if I ever tasted it.

Italian Mushroom Savory Buckwheat

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked buckwheat (hulled)
• EVOO (about 3 tbsp.)
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup diced/pureed/crushed tomatoes
• thyme and oregano
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil and then add buckwheat. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15-20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat EVOO over medium heat and sauté onion until translucent and fragrant. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until reduced.
3. Add tomatoes and heat until hot.
4. Add sauce to buckwheat, stir well, and serve! 🙂

This was to die for! The entire meal was a huge hit in my books, and received many happy smiles from the fam 🙂 I will definitely be making this combo again soon!

Note: Add marinara to just about anything and it instantly becomes a million times better – try it out!

For dessert, of course, was the Lemon Poppyn Lock It Seed Bread. No meal is complete without some dessert! 🙂

Question of the day: What’s your favorite savory meal? Favorite variety of bread?

Lasagna, Spinach Pie, and tonight’s meal would have to be at the top of my “savory” list – and for breads? Chocolate-chip banana bread all the way 🙂 Tonight’s is definitely close, but no bread can beat banana in my books.

I’m out to go read some Chi Running and Beowulf (thanks, AP Lit!), then I’m hittin’ the sack early – time to get back to 5K training! Goodnight lovlies 🙂

xoxox,