Brown Rice with Black Beans & Salsa

 

If you follow my blog at all, you may know that I've been trying to incorporate some "meatless meals" 1-2 nights a week. This is one that I love! It's packed with protein, iron, folate, fiber, vitamin B, antioxidants and the "good fat" that avocados provide. I also love how it looks so festive! I know they say don't judge a book by its cover, but that rule doesn't apply here. This one tastes just as good as it looks!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans or approx. 1 cup of dried black beans
  (NOTE: Be careful when buying black beans. Not all are treated equal! If you are going to use canned, make sure to check the ingredients and nutrition label. Look for no added salt and as little ingredients as possible. I like Eden's Organic Black Beans. I've also tried using dry, but they require a bit of planning as they need to be soaked in water overnight.)
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2-3 tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh salsa
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare 1/2 cup brown rice, as directed on package.
2. Halfway through rice being cooked (approx. 15 minutes after starting rice), heat pan with 1 tsp. canola oil over medium heat.
3. Add black beans, 1 tsp. paprika and 1 tsp. cumin to pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add tomatoes, corn, salsa, cilantro, 1 tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. cumin, salt and pepper to bowl and mix together.
5. Add to pan with black beans and let simmer for 10 minutes.
6. When rice is done, combine with black bean/tomato mixture and heat on low for 1-2 minutes or until ready to serve.
7. Top with avocado slices and savor every bite!

Spinach Quesadillas

As I'm sure most of you can relate, Pinterest is my go-to guide for new recipes. I found this one via Closet Cooking's blog and I immediately wanted to give it a whirl! So glad I did because it was gloriously delicious and EASY (the best kind of recipe)!

Ingredients:

*** Makes 2 quesadillas ***

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups packed spinach, steamed and squeezed to drain
• 2 tablespoons herbs (a combination of mint, dill and parsley), chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 4 tablespoons feta, crumbled
• 4 (8 inch) tortillas
• 2 cups mozzarella, shredded

Directions:

• Mix the spinach, herbs, green onions and feta in a bowl.
• Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Place a tortilla into the pan, swirl it around in the olive oil and repeat with the other 3 tortillas.
• Sprinkle half of the cheese on the tortilla followed by the filling, the remaining cheese and finally the other tortilla.
• Cook until the quesadilla is golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 2-4 minutes per side. (Tip: To easily flip the quesadilla place a plate onto the quesadilla in the pan and flip it from the pan to the plate and then slide it back into the pan.)
• Cut into quarters and ENJOY!

Vegetarian "Meatballs" with Spaghetti Squash

As a follow up to my Forks Over Knives post yesterday, here is an interesting take on "spaghetti" and "meatballs". I found this recipe thanks to Cookin' Canucks blog and while I cannot say that this will satisfy a dire craving, I do think its a creative twist on a traditional, not-so-healthy family staple and in my opinion, its worth a try!


 What you'll need:

• 1 ½ cans (15 oz. each) Bush’s Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
• ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 egg
• ½ cup dried breadcrumbs
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups marinara sauce (your favorite kind)
• Parmesan cheese for grating (optional)
• Cooked spaghetti Squash

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.) Thoroughly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray

3.) In the bowl of a food processor, combine beans and roasted red peppers. Pulse until chopped, but not smoothly pureed.

4.) Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl and stir in grated onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until well combined.

5.) Using a rounded 2 tablespoon portion of the bean mixture, form “meatballs” by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the “meatballs” on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.

6.) Bake until the meatballs are firm to the touch and have developed a light golden brown coating, 15 to 20 minutes.

7.) In a large saucepan, heat you favorite marinara sauce over medium heat until simmering (I use my mother-in-law's secret recipe).

8.) Add “meatballs” and stir to coat; Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes

9.) Serve over cooked spaghetti squash and lightly top with grated parmesan cheese

 




And there you have it - a healthier alternative to "Spaghetti and Meatballs"!









NOTE:  If you want to ease into this recipe, try the "meatballs" over your choice of pasta instead of spaghetti squash. Ya gotta start somewhere, right??

Forks Over Knives

If you read this blog and especially the "On the Menu" section, you may have noticed that I've been trying to incorporate a few meatless-meals into our diet every week. "Why?", you probably wonder.  Well, thanks to the eye-opening documentary "Forks Over Knives", my husband and I have started to re-evaluate our diets. I am not writing this post to persuade anyone to transform their diets or make any drastic lifestyle changes. I just suggest that everyone watch this film and make the choice for yourself! 

The film focuses on two researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who through much research were led to a startling conclusion: degenerative diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, could almost always be prevented- and in many cases reversed- by adopting a whole-foods, plant-based diet. Crazy, right!?!  These doctors highlighted stories of several "regular" people living with these diseases, and showed that through diet and excercise lifestyle changes made by these people, their conclusions were true. They talked about how as Americans, the food and drug industries have convinced us that we need meat for protein and dairy for calcium, and we have been brainwashed our whole lives to believe this is the only or best way to receive these essential nutrients. However, there are several plant-based foods that in fact, are greater and more complete sources of protein and calcium. I found the entire film and its message to be extremely interesting.

While I have not drastically changed my diet, I have become much more aware and have personally concluded this for myself-  My meals should not be based around what meat I'm going to eat. Instead, I am making an effort to make plant-based foods the primary source of my diet as much as I can, watch the portion size of my animal-based foods, eat as little processed foods as realistically possible, and most importantly, pay careful attention to the nutrients each meal I eat is providing. I don't beat myself up if I have a huge, juicy burger at a cookout, or eat a processed granola bar before the gym because I don't have time to prepare anything else, but I am aware of what I am eating and do my best to stay on track! I think this is the first step to healthy living. Whether you agree or not, I believe it is our duty to put in the time to learn what the foods we are eating are actually doing to our bodies and make educated decisions of how we are going to live and feed our lives. Maya Angelou said, "When you know better, you do better" and I completely agree! 

Find out more about the Forks Over Knives movement here, watch the film, and let me know what you think!

Whole Wheat Pizza with Eggplant & Parmigiano

After a lovely coworker convinced me to watch Forks Over Knives (stay tuned for a post on this in the near future!), I have been making an effort to incorporate more meat-less meals into our diet. My goal is 2 every week. I originally thought this would be a challenge, but when you put some thought into it, I have discovered many of these meals can be quite delicious! I decided to make a Whole Wheat Pizza with Eggplant and Parmigiano. Sounds fancy, huh? Really, it was quite simple and could just be called Eggplant Pizza... whatever floats your boat. But, as I was saying... Eggplant is a great option for a meat-less meal. While it doesn't contain loads of protein, it is loaded with phytonutrients, antioxidants & dietary fiber. It also contains vitamins and minerals such as B, C and potassium and is a good source of folic acid. While I am generally a believer in incorporating protein into every dinner, whether plant-based or not, I do think it's ok to go without once in a while. And if protein is a concern for you, add some quinoa on the side or increase your intake during breakfast or lunch that day. Regardless of how you meet your protein needs, the most important thing to consider is an overall healthy diet and everything in moderation. (Disclaimer: I am NOT a professional. Consult a nutritionist before taking my word for it and please don't hold any nutritional information I share against me if you do not agree. :) )

What you will need:

• 1 small eggplant
• 2 cloves garlic (or 2 tbsp. minced from the jar)
• Your favorite pizza sauce (I used Casa Visco All Natural Italian Style Pizza Sauce, but if I'm feeling ambitious, I'll make my own)
• 1 cup shredded parmigiano
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• Your choice of whole wheat pizza dough (I used Tuscan Pizza Co's organic pizza dough from Market Basket, but if you like thin-crust I love the Rustic brand or you can make your own)
• Cornmeal

What to do:

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.) Slice eggplant into 1/4-1/2" rounds.
3.) Place on baking sheet and bake 6-10 minutes (until slightly soft). Let cool.
4.) Meanwhile, sprinkle the cornmeal onto a pizza stone and roll the dough. (according to your thickness preference)
5.) Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake pizza crust for 5-10 minutes (depending on your crust crispy-ness preference)
6.) Meanwhile, slice eggplant into small strips or cubes.
7.) Remove crust from oven.
8.) Top with pizza sauce, garlic, basil and cheese.

9.) Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Voilà!



The perfect accompaniment to a glass of shiraz & The Bachelorette!