A Make + Lifestyle Blog
Ye haw! I’ve jumped on the healthy pasta bandwagon—carrot spirals, lentil sedanini, tofu noodles, edamame spaghetti, zoodles, brown rice and millet ramen, spaghetti squash, and more.
Most recently, I tried Trader Joe’s Organic Black Bean Rotini. It’s like eating a bowl of beans (holy protein!), but it tastes like pasta!
I distinctly remember the first time I heard of a balsamic reduction. It was years ago while watching Giada on the Food Network. It sounded so fancy and complicated, but I quickly learned that it was just fancy, not complicated.
Reduced balsamic vinegar or a balsamic glaze is one of my favorite sauces. It is the perfect versatile, tart and sweet topping. From adding a bit of sweetness to flatbreads to adding a hint of tart depth to strawberry ice cream, the possibilities are endless. On the savory side, balsamic reductions are great for topping off salads, tossing vegetables for roasting, glazing grilled tofu, or garnishing soups. On the sweet side, it works great with fruit, yogurt, and even ice cream.
The best part is how easy it is to reduce balsamic vinegar. It only requires only one ingredient and no special equipment, and the entire process takes less than 20 minutes!
Here I used my freshly reduced balsamic vinegar as a finishing touch to Caprese bruschetta made with homemade mozzarella cheese.
When I was grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s this week, I discovered Trader Giotto’s Organic Red Lentil Sedanini and my mind was blown. Lentils in the form of pasta! I was even more excited because I’ve been trying to eat healthier. Specifically, I made a deal with myself to avoid pasta. This discovery gave me hope that I could satisfy my pasta craving in a healthy way.
I needed to try it for myself. I looked in my pantry and freezer and found marinara, caramelized onions, and brussel sprouts. The result was delectable and guilt-free.
This protein-packed red lentil pasta with marinara, brussel sprouts, and caramelized onions is a simple, vegan pasta dish with freezer vegetable staples, basic marinara sauce, and this I-can’t-believe-it’s-lentils pasta. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in packing some protein into their diet.
This Egg-White Chili Shakshuka combines three of my favorite things: egg-whites, chili, and shakshuka in just the best way. Shakshuka is usually a dish with poached eggs on top of a tomato, pepper, onion stew and is a delightfully satisfying breakfast.
However, sometimes my picky eating gets the best of me and my distaste of peppers and egg yolk ruins the experience. In an effort to make a Shakshuka that was perfect to my taste, I decided to make a version without the peppers and egg yolk. To bring more hardiness to the dish, I added kidney beans, which matched the tomato flavors perfectly.
This healthy, filling breakfast is packed with vegetables and healthy protein. It happens to also be vegetarian and gluten-free. By holding the eggs, it can be a delicious vegan stew for lunch or dinner as well. This is a versatile dish that translates across dietary restrictions and meal times. I’m super happy with the end result of my Egg-White Chili Shakshuka and I hope you enjoy it too!
