Sunday Supper - Red Lentil Curry with Crisp & Lemony Salad

I am a sucker for soup and salad for lunch. Fresh veggies and a cup of warm soup is a great, balanced and filling combination. I've been on an Indian kick lately so I decided to go with a curry and a bright, herby salad.

Red Lentil Curry:

1. Stir 2 tbs ground fresh ginger, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, and the chopped whites of 8 scallions into 3 tbs oil in a large sauce pan. Cook until fragrant.

2. Add 1 tbs curry powder and season aromatics with salt and pepper.

3. Add 4 chopped carrots, 1 russet potato, 1 cup red lentils and 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth.

4. Bring to a boil than reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Top with scallion greens.

Crisp & Lemony Salad :

1. Chop 1 head romaine lettuce, 1 cucumber and a bunch of dill sprigs.

2. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice.

Snack Attack Volume 4

My finger has finally somewhat healed from last month's cooking disaster so I'm back in the kitchen with renewed vigor and a wonky nail. I decided to feature the above dip I've been wanting to try for a bit in this last edition of Snack Attack. Don't let it's lack of picture personality fool you - it's a great, simple dip for crackers or veggies.

1. Tangy Pepperoncini Dip - Stir 1/4 cup mayonnaise into 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped pepperoncini and season with salt and pepper.

2. Endive with Chopped Pears & Blue Cheese - This classic combination is amazing wrapped up in some endive leaves.

3. Tomato and Cheddar on Toast - Toast one piece of wheat toast with a slice of your favorite cheese. Top it with a tomato and season with salt and pepper. This snack is tasty and full of fiber, calcium and vitamin c.

4. Frozen Grapes - This fun snack always reminds me of my sister and I sticking handfuls of grapes in the freezer when we were kids. Turns out we had the right idea. It's a super easy snack that gives you a serving of fruit and satisfies your sweet tooth.

5. Spiced Eggs - Slice a hard boiled egg, dip in olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Spice and protein - what else do you need in a snack?

Weekly Obsession - Habanero & Lime Salsa

So it's no secret that I love spicy food and have been going to Trader Joe's basically every Sunday since the new one opened on California Street - $2 for Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce, yes please! (Although I really need to stop screaming about the low prices at 9 am or I may be banned for life.)

I also love a good salsa. It's so easy to make a quick salsa fresca - dice tomato, jalapeno, onion and cilantro with a squirt of lime - but I always have a jar in my pantry for last minute baked potatoes, dip for veggies, and sandwich spread. Let's hear it for flavor!

Not only does this salsa have a sweet tomato base it has some nice habanero heat. It is more of a mild medium than a medium hot but I have an admittedly high spice threshold.  The acidity of the lime is complimented by the sweet surprise of carrots. I would never think of carrots in salsa but they definitely work and I'm going to start putting them in my homemade version.