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:
- Preheat oven to 375F and grease a standard loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, combine applesauce, stevia (or other sugar), non-dairy milk, and lemon juice/extract.
- In a smaller bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, nutmeg, and sea salt.
- Mix dry into the large bowl, adding more non-dairy milk for moisture if necessary.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Add tomatoes and heat until hot.
- 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,
