Chicken, Chard, Bean and Butternut Squash Soup
February 10, 2011 - Written by DianaI told you I was going healthy for the Superbowl. We brought this soup, plus some berries and greek yogurt with honey – plus vegan chocolate avocado cupcakes. We did splurge though because my sister in law made some awesome queso with sausage that was great with chips and they also had some Buffalo Wild Wings. It was a small gathering, but there was plenty of food and even though our favorite team disappointed, we had a good time (well most of us).
I bought my butternut squash last fall at the farmer’s market. We put them into baskets and stored them on shelves in the unheated basement. The food doesn’t freeze down there, but it does get rather nippy downstairs. Last year I tried storing them in a warmer spot, but some of my squash went bad. This year, they are in perfect condition and not even drying out. I’m thrilled that we put up a nice shelving unit to use for winter storage.
Anyway, I also have been trying to work with beans more, but not canned beans, dry beans, and so that was the start of this soup. I …
Quick Quinoa Burgers
January 28, 2011 - Written by Diana
Quick Quinoa Burgers is from The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth by Jonny Bowden and Jeannette Bessinger. When Deb, Desiree and I were younger, my dad tried the meatless burger thing. He used birdseed – or rather millet, but they were dry and not very tasty. I tried this meatless burger thinking it would end on the same note, but I really was surprised at how good they were. No, they don’t taste like burgers, not at all, but they are packed with flavor. Where the recipe said to use a quality salsa – I used my canned salsa. Where it said to use canned kidney beans, I substituted pinto beans that I made up earlier in the week, and it had a little garlic flavoring in it. I also topped the burger and sauce with chopped avocado. Deb are you listening – this meal had quinoa, avocado and salsa in it, you will like it.
Ingredients:
(Burger)
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans
- 1/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
- 2 oz grated or crumbled cheese (or 1/4 cup nutritional yeast for a vegan option)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup cooked heirloom …
Chipotle Baked Beans and Kolbasz
January 19, 2011 - Written by DianaChipotle Baked Beans and Kolbasz (originally Kielbasa) comes from Slow Cooker Winners – 300 Easy and Satisfying Recipes by Donna-Marie Pye. My husband and I were invited to my brother in law’s to watch a Steeler’s game. We had a bit of running around to do beforehand, but I wanted to bring something to eat. So I went to the crockpot for my contribution. I didn’t tell anyone I was bringing a pot of beans and kolbasz, but it was a good decision. My sister in law’s chicken was bad when she defrosted it, so we would have been sending out for pizza. I’m so glad I decided to bring something along, it’s always a good choice to contribute something. This recipe turned out really well. We also brought along some whole grain rolls, and butter, along with a little cheese to sprinkle over top if you wanted. It was a nice hearty, smokey, slightly spicy bean and kolbasz dish. Notice Kolbasz, not kielbasa. I used nice Hungarian Kolbasz instead of kielbasa because I wanted to – hey I’m Hungarian, my grandmother would love that I put kolbasz in it.
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 cups …
Big Bowl of Whole Grainy Dinner Goodness
January 27, 2010 - Written by DianaTonight’s dinner was inspired by a store bought frozen lunch I had today. It had beans, whole grain orzo, dried cranberries, spinach and a little bit of cheese. I enjoyed it quite a bit and thought I would use it as inspiration to create my own big bowl of whole grainy goodness. Even though the barley and quinoa stuck to his braces, my son thought it was delicious. My husband also liked it a lot too. I know my daughter would have enjoyed it, and that she would have grabbed the leftovers thrown salad dressing over top and had it cold for lunch the next day. One thing I would have changed would have been to add in more chard. I dug through the snow to find what chard I could from the raised beds in the garden. I found some small leaves, only about 7 or 8, but it was enough to give it a little color and flavor. I just wish I had more. It’s so cool to go dig through the snow for chard in the middle of winter, but your fingers get awfully cold and you have to be careful that they don’t stick to the …
Bean salads: healthy fast food
August 6, 2008 - Written by RobinThis took me all of five minutes to make!
I ate this with a toasted whole wheat roll, avocado slices and some fresh corn on the cob. Bean salad is great when it’s 90 degrees out and you want something super easy to prepare. You could also stuff it in a pita and have it for lunch. It’s also a great side dish for a more ambitious meal.
I used:
1 can or drained and rinsed cannellini beans (2 cups cooked dried beans if you like)
1 TBL olive oil
1 TBL balsamic vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic (use one if you’re not a garlic addict like me)
1/2 of a small vidalia onion, finely chopped
seasoning to taste: Mrs. Dash Italian Blend, kosher salt, and shredded fresh basil or whatever you feel like. Parmesan cheese is also optional.
To prepare, stir everything in a bowl and serve. You can even serve it in the mixing bowl (as I clearly did!)
