The weekend lazies & a chili recipe

Oh, yes!  Monday!  I love Mondays.  Sometimes it feels like a relief to go back to work.  I usually stay pretty busy on the weekends so Mondays are a break sometimes.  This weekend I told my wonderful husband that unless I was in the kitchen I didn't plan on doing anything all weekend.  I wanted to get well so I could get back to my normal schedule.  I held true to my word.  Other than hitting the grocery store, doing some cooking, and having a much-needed pedicure, I didn't really do much else.  Oh, sure, I worked on my studies a little bit, but I was quickly overcome with sleepiness and ended up taking a nap.

I was able to make it to the gym Saturday and realized I wasn't quite up to par, so didn't push it wimped out on Sunday.  I promised myself I would get back into the groove on Monday, and I did.  I was there bright and early with all of the New Year's Resolution folks.  I was one of the lucky ones and got a treadmill!  It felt good to do a good leg workout too.  I'd forgotten how hard I pushed until I got out of the car and had to trek down four flights of stairs from the parking garage!  Ouch!

Saturday's breakfast - tropical fruit salad, a chopped date, unsweetened coconut & chia seeds!

Cooking is always a highlight of my weekend.  I might complain about how much time I spend in the kitchen, but I really do find it relaxing.  I enjoy having things chopped and ready for a meal.  It makes things much easier during the week on those harried evenings to have meals prepped.  I'm very task-oriented and like to see things finished, so a feeling of accomplishment generally comes when the fridge is full of containers of chopped veggies, sauces and dressings.

Saturday's time in the kitchen produced massaged kale salad with peanut dressing.  You can find the recipe here.  My nap took me up to the time I needed to get to church, so dinner was eaten out.  If it would have been just the two of us, a quick salad would have satisfied us, but our son came home early from a training exercise and I figured a plateful of greens with beans on top would not have produced the type of evening with the most joy.  So we ran out for a quick sandwich that put a smile on everybody's face.  Quality time around the table apparently can be purchased!

Ingredients for massaged kale peanut dressing (not the bananas)

Sunday I was much more productive, though not creative.  I stuck to recipes this weekend; recipes that were familiar.

Breakfast was cooked oatmeal topped with berries.  Or in my case, berries topped with oatmeal.  Can't forget the nuts and seeds for those Omega-3s!

 

I love my electric pressure cooker, so I used its "slow cook" function to make a double batch of chili for dinner (the same recipe I used for the Glaze Family Christmas gathering).  Soups and stews are my favorite go-to meal this time of year.  They're so warm and comforting. 

It started out like this....

7 hours later, we served it up like this

A side vegetable was requested over a salad, so I made Dr. Fuhrman's asparagus with dijon Vinaigrette.  I really liked it though one of my guys said he preferred just plain ol' asparagus.  I think I would have to agree with him, especially as a side dish.  But as a main dish, load it up with massive flavor!  I could have eaten the whole bowl myself.  As a matter of fact, I took the leftovers for my lunch today.  Dessert was a piece of fruit.  Take your pick -- an apple, pear, berries, etc.

Recipes:
 

Crock Pot Mushroom Chili

www.drfuhrman.com

 

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 7 hours

 

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 zucchini, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

3 cups diced tomatoes or 2 (15 ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes

3 cups cooked kidney or pinto beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans low-sodium or no-salt-added kidney beans

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

dash cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

Asparagus with pine nuts, tarragon and Dijon vinaigrette

www.drFuhrman.com

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

 

Ingredients:

2 pounds asparagus, tough ends removed

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced

2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Instructions: Place asparagus in a large skillet; add 1/2 inch of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain.

Combine water, vinegar, walnuts, raisins, mustard, and garlic in a high powered blender. Stir in red onion. Mix with asparagus just before serving. Add roasted red pepper. Sprinkle with pine nuts and tarragon.

To learn how to roast red peppers, click here. You don't have to do them in mass quantities like I did, but it sure is nice to have them stocked in the freezer.  I thaw a whole bag and what I don't use, I store in a jar in water in the refrigerator!