Lentil Samosa Patties

For more information, questions, or to tell me about your story, please email me at lunchladycynthia@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

My apologies that it has been so long since I have blogged about one of my recipes as I have been busy trying to start my Lunch Lady Business while also trying to hold down my full time job, see my friends and family, and still have time for myself every now and then.  I have so many good things going on in my life right now though that in spite of the fatigue and occasional sleepless nights, I am happy. Smiling from the inside out. Excited about what the future brings....

Why have I been so busy?

I have begun cooking lunches for my friends and co-workers and trying to perfect this aspect of my impending business.

I will be catering an event for a friend in a few weeks.  My first large event!

I am searching for ways to make my Lunch Lady business my full-time gig, since I am so passionate about it and really enjoy surprising people with the healthy gourmet concoctions.

With that, here is my latest creation which I tried with my friends a few weeks ago and had rave reviews.  My Lentil Samosa Patties are full of folate and fiber from the lentils, cancer-fighters from the garlic, digestion-aids from the cumin, and low in fat. Vegan-friendly, too!

Lentil Samosa Patties (makes about 6 patties)

• 2 servings (~2 cups) red or green lentils, cooked
• 1T olive oil
• 1 1/4 t cumin
• 1 t garlic powder
• 3/4 c mix cooked peas and corn
• salt to taste
• mango chutney (topping for the burgers) (I like the one from Stonewall Kitchen, and they have other types of chutney so feel free to mix it up!)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  While the oven is pre-heating, take the cooked lentils and olive oil and process them in a cuisinart or blender until they are about the thickness of mashed potatoes.

2. Add the spices to the lentils while in the cuisinart and blend some more. Remove from the cuisinart, add the peas and corn mix.  Add salt to taste.

3. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and then form into patties about the size of your palm and about a half inch in thickness. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.

4. Bake patties for 40-50 minutes, or until patties have a think crusty layer on them and you can smell the spices.

5. Serve patties with mango chutney for a mix of savory and sweet.  Enjoy!

Greek Quinoa Salad

To contact me, please email me at lunchladycynthia@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from you! Stories, comments, Qs...

It has been awhile since I have blogged about my recipes. Mainly because I have been traveling - for both work and pleasure.  But I also have been metamorphosing into the next chapter in my life.  I am not sure what it will be but I know that my job no longer feels authentic or fulfilling; I have amazing friends who love me just a few states away and I could use more of their presence in my life; and I am ready for change. So while I am not sure what my next steps will be in life, I know that those steps are imminent.

Having gotten back from vacation in OR where I met up with my old high school friend, and having eaten fresh food made from the land while I was out there,  when I got home I was inspired to make something simple yet fresh.  This Greek Quinoa Salad is full of flavor, nutrients, and love.  The combination of fiber and protein from the cheese, quinoa, artichokes, and peppers will keep you full while the healthy fats from the olives will help fight belly bulge.  Vinegar for the dressing will rev your metabolism.  This salad will have your body saying 'thank you!'  :-)

Greek Quinoa Salad:

• 1 c quinoa (cooked according to package directions)
• 1 can artichokes, sliced
• 1/2 red pepper, sauteed with onions and garlic
• 10-15 kalamata olives, sliced
• 1/3 c feta cheese, crumbled
• white wine vinegar, to taste
• garlic powder, to taste
• salt, to taste

1. Mix all ingredients after they are prepped and enjoy.  Feel free to use bottled dressing instead of the vinegar and spices, should you be short on time or want to make this recipe even easier than it already is!

Carmelized Onion Points

For comments, questions, stories, please email me at lunchladycynthia@gmail.com.  I would love to hear from you!

I am thoroughly enjoying life at the moment.  I am ecstatic.  I find myself skipping down the street to the grocery store. I am in love with my life again and it feels amazing.

So, you may be wondering why I haven't blogged in awhile...and I apologize for the pregnant pause. But I was finding my way back to "the happy Cynthia" - the Cynthia that was smiling and glowing inside and out.  I am happy to say that I feel her making an appearance again and I can't wait to know her again.  

To answer the Q's that you may be wondering: No, it has nothing to do with "D" and actually "D" proved to be a great sales man but carried an empty bag.  I am happy and free again without him and it was liberating to say "no," mean it, and walk away still smiling.  Good ridden, D. Yes, it has something to do with enjoying my job again and working with great people.  And yes, it has everything to do with the amazing support network of my friends and family who I am slowly weeding through so that I always know accepting, caring love.

To kick off resurrecting "the happy Cynthia" my baby sis "I" and I had a girls day.  Exploring, shopping, and ultimately eating.  In celebration, I made a decadent appetizer of Carmelized Onion Points, which you can see "I" eating (above).  To quote I: "I don't even like onions and this is delicious!"

It's easy, healthy, with a sweetness that reminds you of summer.  The onion is full of fiber (inulin) and quercetin (shown to help with endurance and as an antioxidant).  The cheese adds protein and the bread adds more filling fiber.

Carmelized Onion Points

• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 t crushed garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• 4 slices pepper jack cheese, low fat
• 2 slices whole wheat bread (I like Fitness Bread from Whole Foods)

1. Toast the bread lightly and then slice the bread into halves or thirds.  Add cheese slices to bread and bake until cheese is slightly melted and bread is crispy.

2. Put the olive oil and garlic into a pan and wait until the garlic begins to sizzle.  Add the onion.  Add the balsamic vinegar. Turn the heat down and let the onion cook until it is stringy and malleable.

3. Add a small portion of onion to the bread with cheese.  Serve and enjoy!

Italian Stallion Pasta Salad

I would love to hear from you! Tell me your stories, post a recipe or comment, or feel free to ask Qs on this blog or email me at lunchladycynthia@gmail.com.

I have been doing some deep self exploration lately about life - what do I want from it professionally? what do I want from it personally? what mark do I want to leave on this planet as my legacy?  And while I probably have asked these Qs of myself before, I am asking them again.  I want to make better decisions for myself.  I no longer want to react to situations but rather want to lead with intention and know what it feels like to seek something that is organic to me.

Among work drama, condominium issues, and wanting to be surrounded by loving people (after spending time back in CT), I met an amazing person (who I will call "D") in an elevator one grumpy Monday morning a few weeks ago.  Conversation is easy and comfortable and being myself is never compromised.  I dont worry about the future or dwell on the past.  It just is. And it is lovely :-)

D is not Italian but it is his favorite place to have visited.  He has a very european way about him in the way that he approaches life, with candor that is unpretentious and genuine.  And, ironically, he has the features and coloring of an Italian even though that is not his ethnicity.  This pasta salad is my 'thank you' to the powers that be for introducing me to D as well as a thank you to D, as well.

Italian Stallion Pasta Salad is full of heart healthy grains (see more about the importance of grains here) , antioxidant-rich vegetables, and vinegar to rev your metabolism.  You can easily add tuna, for a boost of protein and omega-3s; egg for a boost of protein and biotin; salmon...and well, you get the picture. 

Italian Stallion Pasta Salad

• 1 box whole grain pasta (I like Hodgson Mills brand which can be found at Whole Foods, as well as in the natural/organic section of your grocery store)
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 3 slices red onion, chopped
• ~1/4 c balsaminc vinegar
• salt to taste
• crushed red pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• 6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
• ~1/8 c grated parmesan cheese
• 1.5 T pesto (I like Sauces 'n Love brand which can be found at Whole Foods)

1. Cook pasta according to instructions on box.  After it is done cooking, run cold water on the pasta to stop it from cooking and allow it to drain and cool.  Transer to a bowl.
2. To the bowl with pasta, add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix and enjoy!

Cherry Bran Wonders

Have you ever just wanted to eat through your frozen foods in your freezer because you were too tired to cook?  Yea, well - that was me this week.

I am exhausted.  I came down with a stomach bug last week and my appetite has not returned to normal yet.  And while losing a few pounds a la stomach bug isn't necessarily bad, I am a little hungry and want some decent food.

In the throws of my illness, saltines and fruit were my drugs of choice. Just the thought of certain foods threatened the breadth of my appetite when I was sick (Eggs! ewww. Peanut butter! not going to happen). Wanting something that could sustain me a bit more than my crackers and oranges diet, I decided to try to make myself muffins.  Low effort, high energy, and enough food for a few meals - perfect!

Using whole grains which have been shown to improve weight loss success and help with long term weight maintenance; dried cherries which are rich in antioxidants for anti-aging and high in melatonin which can aid in sleep which helps with weight loss; and other simple ingredients, I concocted something that my stomach could handle.  Cherry Bran Wonders!

Cherry Bran Wonders

• 3/4 cup dried cherries (Try getting these in bulk from Whole Foods: wholefoodsmarket.com)
• 1.5 cups oat bran (you can get this dry and in whatever quantity you want at Whole Foods: wholefoodsmarket.com
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1.5 t cinnamon
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c applesauce
• 1 T canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients. Grease/oil muffin pan. Spoon ingredients into muffin pan until each muffin cup is 3/4 full.

3. Bake for 12 to 15 min, or until toothpick comes out clean.

4. Enjoy!

The 3 Foods Everyone Should Have In Their Diet

While I am not someone who thinks of what I eat as 'diet' foods, nor do I obsess over how much fiber I have had; how many servings of fruits and veggies I have had; or how many calories I have consumed; I do believe that certain foods are essential to my nutrition.  On that list of foods are those that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (aka MUFAs).

MUFAs have been shown to help people lose weight and keep it off, burn belly fat, reduce food intake, and much more.  The secret to why MUFAs are so great for us? They are healthy fats that can help with satiety.  Yep, HEALTHY fats.  Seems like an oxymoron, right?  These are cape-worthy super-fats that can help enhance heart health and protect against chronic disease.

MUFAs can:

• boost the number of calories burned within the first 5 hours after consuming a meal
• help you feel full on less calories, due to the natural fats contained in these foods
• help decrease body inflammation that can lead to co-morbid conditions, including heart disease and type II diabetes

So what should you add to your diet to ensure that you are taking advantage of these wonder fats?  Here are the Three Foods That Everyone Should Have In Their Diet

•  Nuts and nuts butters - people who ate peanut butter in their morning meal were less likely to binge late and remained fuller longer.  Nut butters are also some of the cheapest health foods on the market! Nuts are a wonder food due to the perfect combination of fat to fiber to protein. Try almond butter or almonds, which are higher in fiber than other nuts.  Add it to the power protein shake (on my site) or have it on some whole wheat toast.
• Olives and olive oil - People who ate olive oil had less inflammation in their bodies and controlled their hunger better than those who did not eat olive oil.  This wonder food is most often associated with the Mediterranean diet but olive oil can be used anywhere and on almost anything.  (think Rachel Ray, with her EVOO -extra virgin olive oil). I cook with it in almost all my recipes, so browse around for a recipe that catches your taste buds.
• Avocado - this amazing food can be found in guacamole, added to salads, used instead of butter for rich but mild flavor
• check out some of the recipes on my site, including the Mang-cado Summer Salmon and the Blue-n-Green Salad

For more information, stories, or Qs, please email me at lunchladycynthia@gmail.com

Cod and Sundried Tomato Saute

I had a great day today.  I went to the gym on my schedule, I ate when I wanted to and what I wanted to instead of being bound by meetings, I read...I took care of myself.  One of the most important and valuable things that we need to do and remind ourselves to do is take care of ourselves.  When we love and respect ourselves, we can give more of ourselves to other aspects of our lives (friends, family, work, children, etc...).

Part of respecting and loving yourself is making sure that you eat healthfully and feel good about yourself.  The mind-body benefits of healthful eating cannot best be captured in words, but is best understood once you experience it.  You have more energy, you sleep better, your mood changes, your body says 'thank you,' your cravings for other toxic food dissolve, and so much more.

Today, I took care of me.  And in taking care of myself, I cooked a delicious dinner of cod, which has high levels of DHA and EPA which have been linked to greater fat loss in people.  The mushrooms and spinach are high in water, fiber, antioxidants and folate which help make you feel full sooner and help fight cells damaged by poor eating habits, stress, sun, etc.

Cod and Sundried Tomato Saute

• ~1 lb cod, marinated in ~1/8 cup worsteshire, ~1/8 cup dry red wine, Spices of Provence, garlic, crushed red pepper (marinate for up to 3 hours in the fridge)
• ~1 c spinach
• ~1 package shitake mushroom (you can also use baby belle or portobello, but I like shitake because they nicely and gently absorb the flavors of your dish)
• 5-6 sundried tomatoes, sliced
• 2-3 white onion slices, chopped
• 6-8 kalamata olives, sliced
• ~3T pine nuts
• ~1.5T crushed garlic
• ~2T olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg.  Once oven reaches temperature, put fish into the oven (I use a metal pan) and cook for 20 min or until fish flakes.

2. In a satue pan on high heat, put olive oil with garlic and onion into the pan and cook until onion begins to brown.  

3. Next add the olives, tomatoes, and pine nuts and allow the flavors to mix.

4.To the satue pan, add the mushrooms and let them soften.  Last, add the spinach, sauteing until it wilts.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt.

5. Take the fish from the oven.  Take a portion of the sundried tomato saute and sprinkle with feta cheese.  Enjoy!