Surviving Busy Season: Go Veggie!

Guys.  I had the BEST lunch today.  And I’ve been thinking about writing this post for a long time, but this lunch finally gave me the proper motivation.

My senior and I are working in the city today instead of out at the client site.  Since I’ve already been going through withdrawl from the food I got used to while being out here on my last client, I decided to make the most of my lunch.  I was CRAVING veggies again, and headed down to the deli in our building.  They have this sandwich – grilled eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, and provolone cheese.  And in case I didn’t have enough veggies – I got some grilled asparagus on the side!  It was amazing!  I washed it all down with my favorite Honest Tea – Moroccan Mint Green Tea.  I could drink this stuff by the gallon – and I would if it wasn’t so expensive   It was worth the splurge for one day in the office though!

Anyway, I’d been meaning to write this post for a while and my lunch just inspired me.  I’ve noticed that a lot of my meals this busy season have been vegetarian.   I know that part of this is thanks to the blog world for letting me know how creative you can be as a veggie, and part of it is thanks to one of my bestest work friends who is a veggie for religious purposes.  Being around her makes me feel more like being vegetarian is just normal.  Anyway, I’m not gonna lie – I know that the biggest motivation for going partially vegetarian is for the ease of preparation.

As I’ve been packing my lunches and dinners for the week, I’ve tried to make things as easy as possible for myself.  This includes not having to cook chicken or beef or pork any more than I have to.  Instead, I try to incorporate my nutrients elsewhere.  I am a big fan of canned beans – they provide protein without any additional prep work.  I throw as many different veggies in my soups and meals as I can so that the fiber will fill me up.  And if I think it won’t be enough, I just add some grains.

Going veggie for most of my meals has also encouraged me to be more creative.  Instead of just chopping some chicken over rice, I have to think about the individual flavor of the beans, veggies, and any condiments.  Will carrots change the taste of my butternut squash soup?  Hardly.  But will it add additional beta carotene, and vitamin A?!  Certainly.  They were well worth the addition to the soup.  So far my two favorite meals so far have been the above mentioned butternut squash soup – and this little scrumptious number… adapted from trader joe’s “polka dot mac and cheese.”  I prepared one box of Annie’s mac and cheese, and added frozen broccoli, and shelled edamame.  Edamame and cheese?  Don’t knock it til you try it. And the protein content is out of this world!  It kept me full for hours.

I grew up in a veggie-starch-protein family.  Prior to this busy season, I’ve never appreciated a vegetarian diet before – but I’m slowly coming to find that it can be just as delectable as eating meat based dinners.  Vegetarian recipes can be so simple, and if cooked properly are missing the grease and fat which are so frequently a side dish of meat entrees.  While I don’t think I am in a proper mindset to appreciate a full veggie diet, I strongly consider giving it a shot – even if it’s just for a few days.  Your tummy and mind will appreciate your creative veggies dishes!  Godspeed

Exhausted

Hey guys!

So obviously I fibbed a little bit in my last post – clearly I have not posted since Saturday.  I’m not going to lie – I feel like I’ve gotten hit by a mack truck.  We worked until 11 on Monday and 930 last night, and I’ve been using every extra minute to sleep and catch up with robert (oh and maybe read a few chapters of twilight!).  I hope you all understand!

I have so many pictures to share with you all, but I haven’t even had time to load them to the computer.  I’ve gotta get one of those new fangled card reader devices

Hang tight – I hear tonight is supposed to be an early one.  So hopefully I’ll talk to you all later!

In the mean time, what is your best tip for getting back into the swing of healthy habits?  Since the snowstorm last Tuesday, I haven’t gone to the gym once.  And BYOD is on the outs… I’ve brought soup the past few nights, but wraps and pasta just sounded so much better.  Maybe if I take care of myself better I won’t feel so exhausted?

Fun With an Immersion Blender

So as I’ve mentioned, I’ve been relying on soups to get me through busy season without consuming a gazillion calories worth of cheese and oil.  On top of this desire to stay healthy, I also got a fun toy for Christmas that I’ve been LOVING – my Cuisinart Immersion Blender.  A pre-requisite for my soups has been a “puree” step

My favorite soup so far has been my Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup.  I adapted the recipe from this one I saw on RhodeyGirl Tests.

Ingredients:
2 packages frozen butternut squash
kosher salt & black pepper
3 tbs olive oil
3 dried bay leaves
lots of garlic  (i used the minced kind from a jar)
2 large yellow onions, diced
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon each: cinnamon, thyme, and paprika

Instructions:

1) Add the olive oil to a soup pan over medium low heat.  Add the onions and garlic, and cook until transluscent.

2)  Add the bay leaves, chicken stock, carrots, and frozen squash to the pot, and bring the soup to a boil.  Once at a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

3)  Once the squash is defrosted and distributed around the broth, and the carrots are tender, take the pot off the heat and blend the soup with an immersion blender.  (My favorite part!)  Add the herbs, and serve!  (Or separate into tupperware containers and bring to work!)

This soup was delicious.  I served some to my friend at work, and told her to be a harsh critic – but she loved it!  I can’t get enough of it either.  Good thing there’s still some in the freezer for next week

This week I’m bringing a soup I saw on Healthy Eats… Potato and Kale Soup.

I followed the recipe virtually to the T, but Trader Joe’s didn’t have any kale.  I walked across the street to my local farmers market – but don’t you know that it closed at 4, and I walked up at 4:08!  I made do with a blend of Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, and Mustard Greens from Trader Joes.  I hope this soup is as good as it looks – I have 6 servings to eat!

What is your favorite pureed soup to make?