The Final Countdown.

Absolutely unbelievable to say it, but there are only 7 days left in my Lenten goal. Turns out if you don't subtract the 6 Sundays in Lent, I will have completed 46 days by next Sunday. On that note, I have decided to extend the original goal of 40 days to 100. 

So, as of late I've been continuing to cook and I haven't been doing an awesome job of reporting recipes so here are a few of my favorites. 

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps (wonderful recommendation from Megan, thank you!):

http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/spicy-chicken-lettuce-cups-50400000133646/ 

I forgot to buy lettuce so I ended up shredding cabbage and making spicy chicken cabbage bowls. Megan warned me that boiling the vinegar mixture would make my eyes burn. I wish I would've believed her. Overall, amazing flavor and enough to spread out throughout the week for lunch and dinner meals. The video below is the real life definition of a rolling boil. If you were wondering. 

Now, for something new. Black rice. In a mad attempt to try out some new grains other than brown rice or quinoa, I decided to try out black rice. This stuff blew my mind when I started making it. It looks like a purplish/blackish wine in a pot and it kinda freaked me out. But in the end I found it to be a great complimentary grain to a variety of dishes. 

How to prepare it: 

1. Rinse rice. Do this in a bowl that you don't mind staining just incase it does. 
2. Add 3 parts water to 1 part rice. 
3. Boil for 25-30 minutes until cooked completely. 

And this is the result: 

Ya, I thought the same thing. Gross, it looks so nasty. BUT it turns out its actually really good. I used it for two different dishes: scallops with asparagus (http://jessicadoesclean.blogspot.com/2014/03/recipes-galore.html) and stuffed bell peppers (http://jessicadoesclean.blogspot.com/2014/03/quinoa-for-win.html).  

How does black rice stack up nutritionally? Check it out: http://www.livestrong.com/article/265623-black-rice-nutritional-information/. Turns out black rice has an abundance of nutritional properties including anti-inflammatory characteristics and antioxidants. 

Greek Salad with Chicken: More or less a makeshift recipe revolving around a home made greek salad dressing: (http://aggieskitchen.com/2010/07/12/greek-grilled-chicken-salad/). My ingredients, other than the dressing listed, included: kale, chicken, walnuts, mango, oranges, and green bell pepper. Such an easy recipe to replicate and use for lunches!

Oh, and the cantaloupe has been fantastic. :)