As far as detoxing goes, this recipe is more like an in-between stage from pecan pie and mashed potato coma to kale salads with lemon tahini dressing. Still rich and decadent as a dish, and full of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables.
I love this dish because it feels like something I would find in our local Co Op Deli, a mecca for healthy and indulgent food.
This past week was my birthday, which is like the universe saying, 'Yes,
Through the rest of the night and over the span of a few days, I began to feel sick to my stomach. I didn't feel on top of my game at all, and I began to see that saying yes to treats a few times here and there had turned into a habit in recent weeks. That night, in the intensity of feeling the sickness, I had this shift-- I do not feel at my best, this is not balanced, and I am beginning to crave sweets. Something needs to change.
I realized that previously, I had made a habit out of choosing healthy options, it was what my body naturally craved in order to thrive. More recently though, when put under new stress of teacher training, two jobs, and maintaining a home life, I had started to dip into old habits of using food to find comfort. I felt the effects of my actions. It wasn't great. I felt slow, lethargic, heavy, bloated, and irritated. As I got bogged down in poor habits I begin to feel my stress further increase. Talk about a vicious cycle!
The thing is, though, once we see clearly, we can make a shift.
Over the past week, I've taken time to prepare my meals and snacks. I also made the resolve to get my butt back into the studio. I took a new interval training class last night, and it brought me back to the way I felt two years ago when I first discovered the power and energy of group fitness. I felt challenged to failure, my heart was pounding, my muscles were struggling to keep up with a new array of movements. It was fabulous! I left the studio feeling inspired by what's possible when we find something that we love, and when it hooks us in! Think back to a time when you felt that surge of inspiration when you tried something new that excited you. If it's been too long to recall, start today, right now, do one thing today that makes your heart skip a beat!
Maybe it's a new fitness class that you've been wanting to try. Maybe it's signing up for a new course on a subject you'd love to learn more about. Perhaps it's connecting with an old friend, or maybe it's getting your butt into the kitchen and whipping up these bad boys! You are a fabulous cook!
Disturb business as usual in your life!
Black Eyed Pea & Goat Cheese Rollups serves 6-8 Adapted from this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis'
brown rice, chèvre, garlic, swiss chard, marinara
- 1 bunch of swiss chard leaves, 6-10 leaves
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1.5 cups cooked black eyed peas (roughly 1 15-oz can)
- 8 oz chèvre
- 1 cup arugula, chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane (or roasted for a less intense flavor)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 3 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade, I used Lucini Italia
Method
Preheat oven to 400F, lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working one at a time, take the chard leaves, dunk them in boiling water for 10-25 seconds until just cooked and bright green, remove from water and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel, set aside and repeat with remaining leaves.
In a large bowl, combine brown rice, black eyed peas, chèvre, spinach, cilantro, olive oil, garlic, sea salt and black pepper. Mix with clean hands to fully combine ingredients. Pour one cup of marinara to coat the bottom of the baking dish, set aside.
Working in assembly line style, take one chard leaf, fill it with about 1/3 cup of black eyed pea mixture. Roll tight, and place in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining leaves. Pour remaining marinara on top of chard leaves, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, and serve!
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