Well, hello there, dear friends! First thing’s first: By random number generator, the winner of the NatureBox Giveaway is Cait! Congratulations, friend. 
Email me all of your information and you will be receiving your NatureBox within the next couple of weeks.
Workout
This morning, I brought my trainers to the gym with me again! I completed the Beach Babe arm circuit and moved onto complete 10 minutes on the StairMaster and 10 minutes on the arc trainer. It was quick, sweaty and fantastic! The arms circuit was short and sweet, and totally burned. Three pound weights are no joke, peeps!
Lunch
The dining common’s main Farm to Table entree was really interesting: a “cobb salad” with green apple, ginger seitan and roasted veggies, drizzled with avocado “cream.”
I pushed the green apples aside (too tarte for this lady) and dug in. It was delicious! I think they should change the name, though, because nothing about this resembles a cobb salad. Ya know? A side of mustard greens with balsamic reduction and shallot rounded out the meal. These were even better than the salad – I went back for seconds!
Eating lunch alone certainly has its perks. I love listening to other people’s conversations. One girl nearby was talking about these “hippie people” that she babysits for. She alluded to their refrigerator, which was stocked with “a bunch of weird stuff from Whole Foods.” I bet I could make her a killer meal. 
Dinner
After classes and a couple hours of working on a group project, it was time for dinner. Kristen and I headed over to cure our hunger pangs.
There were slim pickings so I opted for a salad with hummus and tabbouleh, roasted zucchini and a small blob of curried lentils. Despite being a total zombie (looking at computer screens all day really does a number on you), it was still a great dinner.
Chickpea Aurora
When I was younger, my family and I would frequent Cassarino’s Ristorante, a charming Italian restaurant in Providence’s historic Federal Hill. While I no longer dine there with my parents (there are slim-to-none vegan options), there is one distinct dish on the menu that I will never, ever forget: the gnocchi aurora, potato pasta tossed in a rich, vodka cream sauce with sundried tomatoes. It was my favorite dish as a kid.
Late Sunday afternoon, as I was prepping my food for the week ahead, that dish popped into my head. I’m not sure what elicited the thought; maybe it was all of the quality family time I had this weekend. I thought it would be fun to create a fast, simple and nutrient-dense dish inspired by Cassarino’s gnocchi aurora. Where there is no dairy and no potato, there is nutritional yeast, chickpeas and smoky sundried tomatoes. And where there is no intense labor, there is just ten minutes of cook time!
Chickpea Aurora
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 2 cups organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 4 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (I love California Sun-Dry’s Smoky Sundried Tomatoes)
- 1 1/2 tsp. basil
- 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
Instructions
- On medium heat, combine all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan.
- Heat for 5 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- That’s it!
Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, fiber, iron and folate. They also contain some omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In short, they’re a powerhouse of nutrients! Recent studies have also shown the antioxidant powers of legumes, meaning they work to fight off cancer and other diseases in our bodies much like fruits and veggies do.
With that said, I hope you take 15 minutes to make this. It’s delicious. It’s fast. It’s spoon-licking material, too. Not that I would know or anything.
Stay lovely,
Heather
Thank you so much for sharing that recipe! When I saw it on your blog the other day I knew it was a must-try for the madre and I. One of those sides to serve with dinner on a night the chickpea-averse daddio isn’t home, ya know? Haha!
I also thank the random number generator for picking me. I’m SO EXCITED to get my Naturebox and share my own thoughts about it on my blog!
I agree, that ain’t no Cobb Salad…
My pleasure, love! I hope you and the madre enjoy it.
…and SO happy for you for winning the NatureBox. You’re going to LOVE it! I can’t wait to read your thoughts.
Congrats to the winner!
I just got back from trader joes and picked up 2 packs of kale, because of you! Lol, I can’t wait to stuff my face with KALE! Out of curiosity, the bags said good for cooking. Does that mean I can’t eat it raw?.. I usually cook my kale, when I had it before, but seeing your salads with kale just looked so yummy!
I’m glad you shared the chickpea recipe with us! Need to go buy some dry beans to make them! xoxo =]
You can totally eat it raw! That’s how I usually roll.
holy moly I missed so many posts
hopefully I get updated now!
Wahhh! Rude Google Reader.
This looks so good! Sort of like Italian chick peas?
Yes! Totally.
Hmmm…I haven’t been getting e-mail notifications of your posts all week!
Oh no! I missed a giveaway as well
I’m sorry, Maddy! I working on it. <3
OH! Thank You! I re subscribed and I think that may have done the trick!
Yay! I’m so glad that worked.