Quinoa and Bulgur Salad

Thanks to the Good Food Store here in Missoula, I have come across an amazing recipe that I need to share.  It is called Quinoa and Bulgur Salad. Can be served as a light snack or side over mixed greens or it can become a full meal by adding a small amount of lean protein such as grilled shrimp or chicken.

Below is the recipe – both times I have made it, I have doubled the ingredients to make leftovers for lunches throughout the week.

1/3 c quinoa

4 c water

1 ½ tsp salt (I don’t add salt when I make it since the feta and olives naturally contain salt)

1/3 c medium bulgur

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

¾ tsp dried mint, crumbled

¼ tsp black pepper

4 Kalamata olives pitted and cut into slivers

2 radishes, quartered and thinly sliced

2 oz feta, coarsely crumbled (1/2 c)

4 c salad greens

1. Wash quinoa in three changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time

2. Stir together water, quinoa and salt in a saucepan

3. Simmer, uncovered, until quinoa is just tender and germ starts to separate from grain                      (about 20 minutes)

4. Drain well

5. While quinoa is simmering, cover bulgur in warm water by two inches and let soak (about 10 minutes)  Drain and stir into drained quinoa.  Let grains cool completely (about 20 minutes)

6. Stir together oil, lemon juice, mint, pepper and remaining salt in a bowl

7. Stir mixture into grains with olives, radishes, and feta

8. Serve over salad greens

Enjoy! 

b

A Case of the Monday's

Have you ever had good intentions to have an awesome week of workouts, then get off track and think you can just start over again Monday?  Have you ever eaten a little too much (or maybe way to much) and thought you are ruined until you start over again on Monday?  What is it about the day Monday that makes us think it’s the only day of the week to start fresh?  Yes, I realize that it is the first day of most workweeks and the first day after the weekend, however, it is not the only day or time to get back on track.

A few years ago I went through a phase where I had a ‘case of the Monday’s’ and I some how found comfort in the fact that Monday was my start over day, no matter what fitness or nutrition slip up I had.  Sometimes, if my slips up were mid-week, I felt like I was ruined until the next Monday, which was absolutely crazy!  Monday’s were my crutch to neglect self-responsibility and that philosophy did my body and my mental state more harm than good.  I have had to work exceptionally hard to change my thought patters around getting back on track and forgiving myself when my health behaviors don’t always go as planned.  I have had to accept that I should not expect perfection of myself when it comes to my eating and fitness habits, rather, I should aim for a healthy balance.  Now, you might be wondering what balance means to me, and for me it is allowing myself flexibility in what I eat and when and how intense I work out.  If I have to skip a workout, I do my best to get one in the next day.  If I eat too much at any time of the day, I do my best to get right back on track the next meal.  Often times this means eating a little lighter either the rest of the day, or the day following a heavier night meal.  Each person has their own definition of what healthy balance means to them. 

My challenge to you is to let go of Monday.  Start over in the next breath after you slip.  More often than not, starting over means changing your thought patterns.  Don’t fall into negative self-talk, instead acknowledge the situation you are in and move on.  Think of something positive you have to look forward to whether that is later that same day, or in the near future.  Define what your personal health balance means to you and strive each day to live by those words.

b.