High Protein Lentil Salad

I grabbed a bag of lentils at Costco a while back and I was running out of ways to put them to use, that wasn’t so repetitive. So I played around with a favorite salad of mine, and replaced the black eyed peas with the lentils. Try it out and see if you love it as much as I do! I love Mexican food, and my Granny taught me a few southern tricks of the trade, and thats where my usual black eyed peas came into play. Now I am proud to say that I have options!

High Protein Lentil Salad 

1 cup dry lentils (green or brown)
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained (could use black eyed peas here too)
1 red bell pepper
1 C thawed sweet corn kernels
1/2 small red onion (or sweet onion)
1-2 Roma tomatoes
Large bunch cilantro, stems removed
1 medium avocado, chopped
Optional: green onion (I love onions, so I use them!)

Dressing:

Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1/8-1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Tapatio hot sauce, to your personal taste

Directions:

Cook lentils according to package directions, leaving them firm and not mushy.
Drain them.

While lentils are cooking, you can make the dressing: place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Finely dice the bell pepper, onion, avocados and tomatoes. Roughly chop the cilantro.

In a large bowl, place the black beans, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and lentils.

Add the dressing and toss to combine. Add avocado and cilantro, and lightly toss.

Serve immediately or chill covered in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors combine.

I LOVE to eat this with tortilla chips, but it is amazing just as it is, a stand-alone salad packed with protein! Enjoy!

Brain Power Granola

Here is a quick recipe for some delicious and healthy, Brain Power Granola. This is a great snack for anyone needing a little brain boost. You can also add milk to the granola for a great breakfast or add it to yogurt! This is a really yummy homemade recipe that you will love!

Brain Power Granola

2 cups regular oats (gluten free)

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup chopped slivered almonds (I sometimes sub in some pistachios for walnuts or almonds)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking spray

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.

Mix orange juice, honey, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cooking over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves, making sure you are stirring frequently. Remove mixture from heat; stir in oil and vanilla.

Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture we first created, stirring to coat. Spread this mixture in a thin layer onto a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300° for 10 minutes; stir well. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the granola is a golden brown. Spoon granola into a bowl, then stir in dried cranberries. Cool completely.

If the Brain Power Granola outlasts a hungry household and you have extra, you will want to store completely cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.