Green Split Peas & Cilantro Pesto Over Greens

I've been so excited to hear what everyone is up to and off to do in their New Year! There's something about this wiping the slate clean, though we could technically do so any time of the year, that gives our intentions and resolutions sticking power.

One thing that I'm cultivating in 2014 is an 80/20 rule in eating. Normally I'm not the kind of person who's a proponent of rules, especially when it comes to your food. But this rule is adaptable. 80 percent of the time, you eat clean, whole foods. That 20 percent is where you get to indulge.

So what defines a whole food?

A whole food is a food in its most natural form. You can grow it, you can harvest it. If it comes in a box or container, there are less than seven ingredients, and you can define each and every one of them. These are foods that your great, great grandparents would have been able to find and eat. These are foods that the body knows how to break down for energy. These are foods that break down with time in the body, like time released energy. They do not spike blood sugar, but rather offer a steady flow of energy.

What counts?

A great rule of thumb is to shop the perimeter of your grocery store, and your local farmer's market. This includes all fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, whole grains-- such as barley, cracked wheat, pseudocereals such as millet and quinoa. I also include rolled oats, but not instant oats. The more a grain is processed (as in the case of instant oats) the quicker it will hit your blood sugar and cause it to spike, and then consequently fall later. We're aiming for a middle of the road, constant flow of energy taken in. There are also, beans, legumes, olives, nuts, all-natural nut butters, eggs and quality sourced meat and fish.

What kinds of foods fall into the 20%?

This is something you totally have to define for yourself. For different people, indulgence means different things. For me, dairy products such as milk, cream, and cheese are indulgent foods, so they are part of my 20%. Though it depends who you're talking to because one person might argue that you can certainly milk a cow, make butter and make cheese, therefore they are in fact whole foods. TRUE, I just know that for me, and my  body, this is a food that I need to keep in moderation. I also moderate flour and breads, whether I've made them at home from scratch or not. Flour, hits our blood sugar faster than the whole grain. Also, cereal, granola, honey, maple syrup, fruit juice-sweetened jams, and any other natural sweeteners. Going out to eat is another activity that falls into the 20 percent. We love to go out and treat ourselves once in a while. Our intention this year is truly making it a treat, not a habit.

Like I said, the 20 percent of indulgence is something you'll have to look to your eating habits and say, ok what do I like, where can I compromise? This is a rule that works because it is adaptable to your life. One thing that I'll do, is plan my grocery shopping and meals for the week around a 100% whole food plan, then I have room to play and let indulgence step in without worry and anxiety. 

This recipe is a great example of the 80/20 rule. The dish is primarily whole foods, plant based protein from the green split peas, yet still decadent and delicious with the cilantro pesto. This recipe is inspired by one of Heidi Swanson's recipes from her book, Super Natural Every Day. I adapted my parsely pesto recipe and turned it into cilantro pesto, using cilantro, pepitas, coriander and lime.

This salad packs well, green split peas keep sturdy when cooked. If you'll be packing this for lunch, separate greens and split peas until the day you'll be eating them.

Green Split Pea & Cilantro Pesto Salad serves 4-6

cilantro, pepitas, arugula, parmesan

• 1 bunch cilantro, about 2.5 cups packed
• 1/3 cup dry roasted pepitas + 1/4 cup to garnish
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 -1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp sea salt + more to taste
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup dried green split peas, rinsed
• 1 small spaghetti squash, roasted optional
• 2 large handfuls each, spinach and arugula

Method

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add green split peas, simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain and salt to taste. Place in a medium sized mixing bowl to cool.

Add cilantro, 1/3 cup roasted pepitas, parmesan, 1/3 cup olive oil, lime juice, coriander, and 1/4 tsp sea salt into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor as necessary. Add more olive oil if needed to create a smooth consistency. Add more salt and black pepper to taste.

Once the split peas have cooled a bit, add pesto and stir to entirely coat the peas.

Divide greens onto 4 serving dishes, shred spaghetti squash on top, add green split pea mixture, and garnish with pepitas. 


enjoy!