recipe | Body Conceptions

Jenné Claiborne is one of those people you can’t help but admire and want to befriend at the same time. I met her at a health and wellness event at Barefoot Tiger last year and felt like her positivity and enthusiasm were incredibly contagious. She also made some of the most delicious vegan food I had tasted in a long time!

As spring finally comes (thank goodness!), we start thinking about venturing outdoors, wearing our long-awaited spring clothes, and making delicious salads. Jenné has offered a great salad recipe here – and I also recommend checking out her personal chef service and her vegan food blog at www.thenourishingvegan.com and www.sweetpotatosoul.com.

~Mahri

Springtime Salad by Jenné Claiborne

Since the beginning of the year, I have been looking forward to craving salads again. To feel warm and cozy during the cold winter, I filled my plate with roasted vegetables, cooked greens, lots of legumes, and plenty of hot drinks.

Now it’s officially Spring, and my body is asking for a salad. Not just any old salad, but one that is full of different non-starchy vegetables, healthy fat, a good amount of zest, and lots of color. I call this a “Daily Salad” because I could easily eat it everyday. When I grow tired of one component of the salad or need more bulk, it’s easy to substitute or make an addition. Some of my favorite additions are lentils, beans, strawberries, cilantro, mint, basil and sunflower seeds. Have fun with this salad, and make it your own!

Jenné’s Daily (Springtime!) Salad

(Use a food processor with a shred blade to shred the carrots and cabbage. It makes your life easy, and cuts the time it takes to make the salad.)

serves 1-2

6-8 leaves of kale, torn off stem
4 cups of arugula
1/4 head of red cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, shredded
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 ripe avocado, cubed or sliced
pinch of sea salt
juice of 1 lemon (or 1/2 lemon more to taste)

Place the clean kale into a mixing bowl. Into the kale add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, a pinch of sea salt and 1/2 of the avocado. Using your clean hands, massage the toppings into the kale for a minute or so, until the kale has shrunken in size and become tender. Rinse your hands, then add in the arugula, shredded veggies and remaining lemon juice. Toss it all together, using your hands then serve topped with more avocado, pumpkin seeds and a pinch more of sea salt.

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Jenné helps people adopt and maintain a healthy, delicious and sustainable plant-based diet so they can improve their energy, lose weight and feel their very best. She is the founder of The Nourishing Vegan, a New York based personal chef service. She is also the creator of Sweet Potato Soul, a vegan food blog that features recipes, tips and super fun cooking videos. In late-summer 2013 Jenné launched the 21-Day Vegan Blueprint–an interactive online program that takes the guess work out of becoming vegan and guides members to become vibrant, nourished and glowing herbivores. She is a regular contributor to the Vegetarian Times blog. Follow Jenné on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram @sweetpotatosoul.

It’s been cold!! This week, I asked Joanie – one of my instructors and resident health coach – to give me one of her favorite healing winter recipes to help us get through the season. Not only has Joanie’s clients seen amazing results, but her food is also incredibly tasty. Try this recipe, and you’ll be a happy camper!

~Mahri

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Warming Sweet Potato and Maple Lentils

The winter months are known for bringing on colds, coughs, sneezes and sniffles. That makes it more important than ever to eat healthy, mineral-rich foods to keep your energy up and your immune system strong. This simple recipe is flavorful, packed full of nutrition and warms you up from the inside out.

Ingredients
2 cups dry lentils
1 medium, red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 sweet apple, peeled and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced small
14-oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)
2.5 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp regular mustard
1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Rinse and drain lentils. In a large oven-safe pot bring lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for about 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring often. Cook until lentils are tender and a majority of the water is absorbed.
2. Add onion, garlic, apple, sweet potato, tomatoes, maple syrup, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper to the pot with the lentils. Stir well to combine. Add apple cider vinegar.
3. Cover and bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and bake for additional 8-12 minutes, uncovered, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste
4. Serve over toasted multi-grain bread, whole wheat pita or on a salad of dark, leafy greens.

Makes 4-6 Servings

For more recipes or information about Motivated Nutrition’s 6-month coaching program, visit www.motivatednutrition.net

Posts

Jenné’s Springtime Salad

Sweet Potato and Lentils:
Warming and Healing in Winter