Revamped: Brown Rice and Lentil Pilaf

| roeliaschoeman

I am currently on a mission to re-make most of the recipes on this blog. The aim is mainly to help me focus on healthy meals again and also to add some new photos on my previous pics.

The next one in line is this Brown Rice and Lentil Pilaf! Originally posted on the 8th of January 2015: https://lifeistooshorttoeatlettuce.co.za/2015/01/08/brown-rice-and-lentil-pilaf/

A broken record?

| roeliaschoeman

Looking at my last post on this blog, dated FEBRUARY 2018, I’m just thinking: “Are we really on the 30th of December already?” and “Oops, you didn’t really listen to yourself, now did you!” Again. Deja vu! Do I sound like a broken record? Yes, I sure do! Does it bug me? Yes, it does. Which, to me, is a sign that it still matters. The moment you stop caring, that is the exact moment when you give up.

I won’t go into elaborate details and plans, because I am still figuring it out. The only thing I know for sure is that things will have to change. I’m not healthy and I feel it every single day. Self care and self love is at an all time low for me, and I know what will change it. No use feeling intimidated by the mountain that lies in front of me, I can only do it by focusing on breaking my numerous bad habits, one at a time.

So as we approach the euphoria of the new year (whether you believe it is just another arb day on the calendar, or the perfect opportunity to push that ‘reset’ button), I am taking the time to take a step back. It is obvious what has not worked for me. It isn’t always that obvious how to fix it. Time to sit down and do some planning!

Time to take some responsibility.

Breathing New Life!

| roeliaschoeman

I was just looking at this lil’ blog of mine and realised that it looks as if I haven’t posted anything in MONTHS.

And it actually isn’t true.  My mission for 2018 is mainly to re-work most of the recipes, try some new flavour combinations and most importantly, take better photos for some of the posts.

When I started this blog in 2015, my aim was to basically have an online recipe book of healthy and quick to prepare recipes.  Just a list of ingredients, a method and a sometimes crappy cellphone photo (and God forbid, with text added)! During that time I was very health conscious and for a little more than a year I was a ‘weight loss coach’ for one of the major weight loss organisations in South Africa.  Well, stuff happens and my situation is very different – I won’t bore you with the details.  But I have decided to go back to what I really enjoy, and why I started this blog initially – just sharing simple and easy healthy dishes, and yes Life is Too Short to Eat (only) Lettuce!

In an attempt to go back to my roots, but to also give more attention to this blog baby of mine, I want to breathe new life into it – and with 130+ recipes I have so much to work with, there’s not need to recreate the wheel! So it will probably keep me busy for most of the year – and it is a work in progress, so don’t judge! 😉

So I actually have been updating some of the older posts, but I also realise that people don’t always go back to see if new info was added to previous posts.  So I will do an ‘update’ blog post every time I make changes to some of the recipes – and you can let me know if you like the changes etc.  How does that sound?

We will chat soon!

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Roasted veggie wrap with Herb Yogurt and #MeatfreeMonday

| roeliaschoeman

I say this often – and you will hear it often as a result:  I am convinced I am an undercover vegetarian.  My knee-jerk reaction, especially when it comes to planning my lunches – is to go for a meatfree option.  It may be that I feel that my lunches must be ‘lighter’ than dinners – or maybe it has got to do with the fact that Hubby isn’t too keen on vegetarian meals?  So although I don’t really need an excuse to do ‘Meatless/Meatfree Monday’ I do try to make it a ‘thing’.  Making the conscious effort to, at least for one day a week, try to have a vegetarian meal or two.

If you are keen to read a little bit more about this initiative:  https://www.meatfreemondays.com/

As a rule I also tend to overindulge over the weekends – yes, major facepalm, I should be over that by now!  It eases my conscience to know that, by going veggie for a meal or two I can at least TRY to rectify the ‘damage’.  (In that case I am a couple of hundred vegetarian meals behind!  LOL!).  Ag whatever, it is what it is, every little bit counts.

This is really such a simple meal, it doesn’t actually justify a full ‘recipe blogpost’, but here goes:

2 cups of roasted veggies – you can make up your own selection.  I used butternut, peppers, red onion and asparagus.  Place in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with some olive oil and coarsely ground salt (I used Woolies Garlic Salt).  Oven roast at 180C for about 30 minutes, until the veggies start to char a bit.

In the meantime, prepare the yogurt dressing:  175ml yogurt, mixed with a good sprinkling (about a teaspoon full) mixed herb seasoning.  This time around I used Woolies Za’ataar Blend.  This versatile blend contains roasted sesame seeds, Oregano, Sumac, Thyme – I added a few chili flakes as well.  Leave to ‘infuse’ for a bit – usually I use all my yogurt or mayonnaise dressings overnight.

Cool veggies slightly and serve on a wrap (I used the Weigh-Less ones, it is more the size of a soft taco, but it works well), and drizzle with yogurt dressing.

WL Breakdown – 2 CC, 2 Veg, 1 Fat, 1 Milk