tuRNing twentysomething: cloudy with a chance of veggies

If you couldn't tell by my grocery shop, there are a TON of vegetables in the forecast for lunch and dinner this week.

As per usual, I made my lunches in advance for the week ahead of time. This week the menu is:

- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

- Whole wheat flat bread with Babaganoush

- Organic baby carrots

- Fruit (apricots, an apple, or an orange depending on what's in the bag)

- Greek yogurt (various flavors) w/ Hemp Plus Granola and dried coconut

- Diet Coke (got a new case!)

Yesterday I posted the babaganoush recipe, so here's the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad. It's pretty similar to Tabbouleh Transformed, but with a few ingredients swapped out and less herbiness. Really tasty with some great crunch (celery, cucumbers) and chew (wheatberries).

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

1 cup hard red winter wheat

2/3 cup dried chickpeas

1 English cucumber (seeded)

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (not oil packed)

2 scallions (chop green and white parts)

3 celery stalks

15 kalamata olives

2 lemons

1/4 cup olive oil

3 oz feta cheese (I used TJ's light feta)

1 cup fresh mint leaves (loose, not packed)

Soak chickpeas for 4 to twelve hours, covered in water. Place soaked chickpeas in pot with about 3 cups water. bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours partially covered until tender to desired doneness.
While chickpeas cook, rinse winter wheat and place in pot. Cover with 1 -2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and turn to a simmer. Simmer 45 minutes to an hour until chewy to desired doneness.
Chop cucumber, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, celery, olives and mint. Toss chopped veggies and mint with cooled chickpeas and wheatberries.
Crumble feta well into small bowl. Add EVOO and lemon juice to bowl and whisk. Toss dressing with salad. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve cold. Makes 4-5 main dishes or 8 side dishes.

Yum. I have to admit, all of that was made yesterday since I knew today would be busy. Just didn't have time to blog about it.

Anywhoo, this morning it was spin at 9:45. I wanted to go at 8:30 but sleep won over... which meant no strength training. I'm trying though! I was well fueled with 1/3 of a ClifBar I had left over and a smoothie made with 1 cup plain, low fat yogurt and 1/2 cup each of frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries, and frozen pineapple w/ some dried coconut and agave syrup stirred in at the end.

After spin, I headed up to visit grandparents (Moms and Pops). Moms is on the mend from a hospital stay, so it was nice to go for a visit. I wish I could get up there more but its been tough with work. At least I made it today before I took my pre-work nap!

I'd eaten a banana with PB after spin, which was good because I didn't get to eat until after the visit which was 3 pm. Yikes! It was a quick fried egg + egg white plus my last two pieces of Seedy Whole Grain Bread toasted with olive tapenade.

As for dinner before work, it was an Italian-style salad (everything but the cucumber was organic :)). I piled baby spinach with cucumber, yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, 1 oz fresh mozzarella, and some French lentils w/ scallions and celery. Dressing was balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

French Lentils w/ scallions and celery

For protein, I also added some baked tofu. I marinated the tofu overnight with balsamic, EVOO, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper and baked at 400 degrees for forty five minutes. Mmm... this tofu thing is really growing on me!