Meal in a Pinch! Hot and Healthy, No-Fat Meal in 5 Minutes!

I came home from a 2-hour appointment that took place during the time I would normally eat lunch.  It was 2:30, I was grumpy and nearly passing out from hunger (ok, so I’m exaggerating a tad – but you get the picture.  I was HUNGRY!). I needed to put something together fast!  Anyone who knows me well, knows I do NOT skip meals.  If and when I do, it’s not pretty.  Sure, I could have shoved my fist in the peanut butter jar (this may, or may not have happened previously), but I wanted to make a good, nutrient dense, low-fat choice.

I pulled mashed yams out of the freezer – sold by Trader Joe’s.  The bag contains frozen “pucks” of cooked sweet potatoes and you simply reheat as little or as many as you need. Genius.  Then, I grabbed the frozen chopped kale, also a Trader Joe’s item.   And lastly, thank you Trader Joe’s – the frozen brown rice.  I threw all these items with some water in a pan and had lunch in 5 minutes.  I seasoned it with some hot sauce, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper.  I was ready to eat in literally 5 minutes.  Not only was it quick, and healthy with no fat, it was GOOD!  Since I was basically delirious from hunger while preparing it, I didn’t measure or really even pay attention to amounts used.  I will do my best to recount the details in the recipe here, so that you too can have a super quick and healthy meal next time you’re in starvation mode.  It would be difficult to screw this dish up so play with it and enjoy!

Red Lentil and Rice Soup

RedLentilRiceSoupWhy are they called red lentils when they are pink, and become yellow once cooked? Weird.  All I know is they make an amazing soup!  Unlike other types of lentils, these cook and break down quickly, and end up soft, almost as if they have been pureed.  The first few times I made this soup it was on the stove, but recently I used the crock pot and it was even better.  There really is something to slow cooking, allowing the flavors to build and grow.  Either way, it’s an easy, delicious meal, any time of year. One of our favorites!!