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Rest Day Means Time & Vegan Lentil and Veggie Loaf

Rest Day = Time for Errands
Is it me or did Monday show up entirely too quickly? I feel like I didn't get nearly enough accomplished from my ever-expanding to-do list. I guess enjoying the weekend is really more important. But now I have to find time to get a wedding gift for a friend's upcoming wedding (this weekend), a gift for my nephew's fifth birthday (party also this weekend), typical errands and chores in between work and workouts.

Speaking of workouts...I'm still itching to run in my new running shoes, but it was another insanely windy day. And, I'd promised to meet my friend for spin after work. I did send her an email to check on the status of her legs after yesterday's leg workout. Her reply, "OUCH." She initially thought she would still hit spin to try to work out the kinks. In the end, she just couldn't make it.

I totally understood. And in all honesty, a rest day for me today wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It gave me a chance to get to Target and do some food prep for the rest of the week. I won't lie and say I took the unexpected rest day like a champ. There was still a part of me whining and sulking a bit, looking out the window seeing the sunny day and thinking I should be out there running (especially since the wind finally died down). Tomorrow....tomorrow.

Rest Day = Time in the Kitchen
After knocking Target off my to-do list, I headed home and got to work in the kitchen seeing as I actually had time I hadn't planned on. I made some Where's the Beach Setian (both cutlets and strips) to stash in the freezer. I also made a Vegan Lentil & Veggie Loaf.

Vegan Lentil and Veggie Loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup dried lentils (approximate) cooked per directions.
2-3 carrots (depending on size)
1/2 yellow squash
1/2 zucchini
1/4 yellow onion
To taste: liquid smoke, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, garlic powder, red pepper
1 cup oat flour
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water)
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard (optional)
1/2 cup whole oats

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In food processor, shred the carrots, squash, zucchini, and onion. Change from shredder to a blade and add in the lentils and spices. Blend until lentils are smashed.

Transfer to large mixing bowl. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Re-season if needed.

Transfer to a prepared loaf pan. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes then uncover and bake an additional 30-45 minutes until firm.

Since it wasn't scorching hot out, I didn't mind having the oven on. And, since it was on, I decided to make some roasted potatoes (Jason's been wanting them) to go with the Vegan Lentil & Veggie Loaf. We also had green beans sauteed with onions, and garlic. Jason and I sort of concocted a Roasted Yellow Bell Pepper Sauce to go with the veggie loaf (team effort).


Roasted Yellow Bell Pepper Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 roasted red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 garlic clove
1/4 cashew flour (or raw cashews soaked if you have high-powered blender)
red wine vinegar - to taste
water - to consistency
Dijon mustard - to taste
To taste - salt, black pepper

Directions:
In blender, puree all ingredients to desired consistency.

 
 

All in all, not a bad meal tonight. The veggie loaf was a little softer than I had wanted, but it wasn't mushy by any means. I know the veggies added additional moisture.

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