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Saturday, August 17, 2013

Food: Vegan Organic Delicious New Kitchen Toy

 
I haven't done a food post in a while! My cousin Debra sent me this recipe via face book,  (http://www.insonnetskitchen.com/zucchini-spaghetti-with-easy-lentil-marinara/ and I decided to try it. It's called Zucchini Spaghetti.

Zucchini Spaghetti with Easy Lentil Marinara

Author:
Recipe type: Entree

Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:


Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried french lentils
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-15 oz cans organic tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 6 medium zucchini, spiralized into pasta
  • salt and black pepper to taste


Instructions
  1. Add lentils and 2 cups of water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and liquid is evaporated, about 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic cloves and saute for an additional minute, until fragrant.
  3. Add the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.
  4. When lentils are done cooking, add them to the sauce and simmer for an additional 5 – 10 minutes.
  5. In a separate pan, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and saute the zucchini pasta for 5 – 10 minutes, until desired tenderness is achieved.
  6. Divide the pasta among four plates and top with lentil marinara. Serve hot.
Notes
Fresh zucchini will often lose moisture as the zucchini pasta cooks so be sure to drain any liquid that has built up in the pan. The recipe holds well as leftovers, but the zucchini does tend to release extra moisture as it sits so be sure to drain pasta before serving.

[I made this just for myself so I cut the recipe in half, worked and  fine made three meals, sauce extended to make two more meals, just needed another zucchini] Lynn

I needed one of two suggested tools. One is called a Spiralizer! You have one of those? It's a small machine that cuts veggies, including potatoes into spirals! Makes zucchini look like pasta. I'm not eating pasta in my vegan way of eating. But I'd have to order it on Amazon (couldn't find one in town) and I wanted to eat  this NOW. So instead I bought the second choice: a julienne slicer. I got a NorPro with Gripez, as shown in my top picture. (I am not supporting any companies, just telling you what I found at the Ace Hardware store locally. Around $7. The Spiralizer on Amazon is around $34.


Watch your fingers as you do this. One brush with the peeler gives you a row of thin slices of vegetable.

And when you put it in a skillet with a little extra virgin olive oil to cook for five minutes it gets soft and  curly like pasta.

Then you make the sauce. Actually its best to make the sauce first, which I did, but I loaded my photos differently. I cooked the lentils in water for 20 minutes until slightly soft. I like a little crunch to mine.


Then I added them to the sauce made from sauted onion, garlic, canned tomato sauce, herbs (all organic of course) olive oil...

 
Finally you  pour some lentil sauce over the braised zucchini and you have



 a delicious feast of Zucchini Spaghetti...all organic, and very vegan! It was so good I had some for lunch, more for dinner and then the next day for lunch again! I could eat this all day, and did!!!

I've been doing this vegan thing (with a very few exceptions: Salmon a few times a month, I did have some ice cream on a vacation in July, but not planning on doing that again anytime soon. Otherwise, strict vegan: veggies, grains, non-dairy products, nuts, seeds, fruit.

My progress today.

Began end of April 2013
Now August 16, 2013

Beginning weight: 148 lbs
Today's weight: 135 lbs
loss of 13 pounds

Beginning tummy measurement: 41"
Today's tummy measurement: 37 3/4"
loss of 3 3/4 inches

Beginning waist measurement: 37"
Today's waist measurement: 36" oops, correction: 31.5" Thanks Diane!
loss of one inch
 
 
Exercise: 4-5 days a week
 
20-30 minutes on treadmill, intervals 2.6 mph- 3.0 mph
 
10 minutes floor exercises, crunches (40)
 
every other day, 5 pound weights for biceps/triceps


 Feel great!



 

17 comments:

  1. Zucchini cut this way is also good added raw to other soups just before serving.... such as a vege soup. I'll have to try this way.

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  2. This sounds like a yummy way to eat zucchini. I like zucchini and I am not vagan but would love this recipe. I eat about anything. ha... I admire how you are following what makes you feel better.

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  3. Perfect timing the zucchinis are taking over my kitchen! And I can always use another good zucchini recipe. Reminds me a little bit of a spaghetti squash recipe I have.

    Glad you are feeling so great but I wonder if you put in your waist measurement incorrectly?

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    Replies
    1. Oh my goodness. I just measured it again and it's 31.5" not 36". Well, that's nice to know. still way too big, but next year at this time just you wait and see (along with me!) tee hee!

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    2. Yeah, thought so. I am short, about 5 lbs less than you and my waist is much smaller than 36 inches....

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    3. I'm short too Diane, 5'2" and shrinking. Used to be 5'4".

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    4. I am inspired, both by the zucchini & by your work on getting healthy.
      Lynn, I think sometime ago you mentioned an online sketch blog...I can't do it at the moment, still settling in from the big move in my life...perhaps in the future, but I want you to know, I was honored that you asked me...

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  4. Fun looking gizmo..you will have a full Chefs kitchen soon. :)

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  5. Oh forgot.. congrats on the progress..:)

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  6. looks so delicious and inspiring. I believe what we eat completely affects how we feel. Well done. Wishing you healthy and creative week. Thank you for sharing

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  7. Glad you feel inspired! Here's to creative eating!

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  8. This looks really good. However, the Geek is highly allergic to lentils (and peas), so I can't make it here. Congrats on your exercise success.

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    Replies
    1. So sorry Geek is allergic. Perhaps have it and fix him something else? My DH pretty much prepare our own meals separately now, as we are eating so differently. Both watching what we are insuring for different health reasons. He's lost 20 to my 13 lbs and says is bcause he's given up vegetables. That's not true of course. He still eats chicken, and I eat vegetables, fruit,d legumes, and grains. He eats eggs, and dairy. I do not. So you can see why we make our own meals. He oes share in some of my veggies, but restricts his carbs to very few.to each his/her own!

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  9. Oh, Lynn your post could not have happened at a better time. Daughter and I are trying to be more vegan in our eating!!! I must go to Ace and see if I can find one of these tools you have! This is so awesome! I just bought a pack of zucchini today. I use it in smoothies (virtually tasteless, but adds vegie to the smoothie), and I also recently made a zucchini pizza casserole that everyone here loved! It was amazing. Zucchini is so versatile! Thanks so much for this recipe...the addition of lentils just really is the icing on the cake, isn't it??? Lovely!!! God bless!
    Julie

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I love this lentil marinar sauce!
      I must try zucchini in my smoothie. I have a post scheduled about my green smoothie! Have fun with food prep! I still want a spiralizer, and will order one soon! I see reason for another food post coming soon!

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  10. We are such zucchini freaks in this house...favorite meal is stuffed ones, or a tempura style zucchini...I keep seeing this recipe everywhere and people raving over it. Will have to try it!! Love that tool too!!

    Hugs Giggles

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Thanks for leaving your comments as I love hearing from you. Your words of encouragement are why I continue to draw!