Trying to budget coming down to one income, certainly will mean cutting out the trips to the deli. This shouldn’t be too hard, as for the past three months since I discovered those magical two pink lines, my deli trips have been non-existent. Reducing my espresso intake to zero was an easy enough transition. I was getting caffeine from the occasional cup of tea, chocolate and sip of the dreaded diet coke, a long way from activated nuts, (more on that later)! It was the deli meats; prosciutto, actually the ‘no prosciutto’ that I struggled with. Normally an addition to every second meal, on top, grilled and sprinkled through to give a salty crunch. On top of the no espressos and deli meats, NO CHEESE! No sneaky double Brie, no goat cheese to mix in with my salads; the only cheese I can have is ‘tasty cheddar’ which, in comparison is not so tasty. My taste buds have slightly relaxed so accommodate this ‘tasty’ companion, as any bit of cheese is better than no cheese. Isn’t it? Whilst the list of foods to avoid while pregnant is long and extensive I have not found myself craving anything I can’t really have. Except those sweet cravings I was able to ignore pre wedding ‘I must fit into my dress’, well, these have somewhat relaxed to ‘I know I am not eating for two, but I am certainly eating for more than one, right?’ It would seem that some people eat runny eggs, pate and have a glass of wine right through their pregnancies, and although I love the thought of pate, poached eggs and a side of pinot…(I still feel incredibly guilty for consuming and entire tub of Maggie Beer pate, to myself, in the week prior to finding out) Alors…I am trying to following ‘le guidelines’.
I decided to create something I was allowed to eat and is friendly to the cost cutting budget! It also seems timely to get back into writing about my food adventures. So tonight, I cooked a simple lentil dish, which surprisingly is making my little belly beam with happiness. A delicious, nutritious, quick and CHEAP mid-week dinner = a winner in my books.
Warm Lentil Salad
Cover and soak 1 cup of Puy Lentils in a dish for 12 hours. Cut a small onion and heat with some olive oil, coconut oil (what ever you fancy). Add the lentils to the pot and cover with about 1 cup of water. Add half to one carrot carrot and continue to cook. Mix in spices, cumin, turmeric and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for about 10 mins, until lentils are soft on the inside, but still retain their shape and are slightly crunchy on the outside. Finish by adding fresh baby spinach and mix in until slight wilted and top with a generous squeeze of lemon. Voila. A one pot wonder, which is delicious as an entrée, side, main or even if you are eating for ‘not quite two’.
Served both warm or cold.
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