WIAW + Easy Egg White Garlic and Veggie Frittata

Hello and welcome to my (at least lately) once a week post!  I used to be better about posting at least 3 times a week, but it's apparently busy season at work with life in general.  I've noticed a few other bloggers have decreased their postings too, so I don't feel so bad, but I do prefer writing to all of you about food over working.

Anyway, how's it going?  Are you taking advantage of the Cyber Monday week?  Seriously, retailers find any excuse to extend their "deals" to keep on advertising and get people shopping.  It works for me....when online....I despise going out in the crowds to shop.

Amazon has some pretty awesome deals all this week and although I should be looking for others, I always end up looking at the food deals....for myself! I can't help it, I have an addiction to seeking out good food!  Anyone else with me here?

Speaking of online shopping, time is limited and I want to get everything for friends and family now, so I'm cutting the post short.  Plus, I just tried to upload pictures and apparently I've met my 1GB of storage allowed.  So I have some clean-up on aisle Picasa Web Album before I can post more pics.

When you're in a crunch for time but still want a delicious and healthy meal, this loaded veggie frittata is a must! I like to microwave steam my frozen veggies while I let the pan pre-heat on the stove.  You could just toss them right on without steaming, but it will take longer to cook them...obviously.

Easy Egg White Garlic and Veggie Frittata

Ingredients

1.5 cups of frozen or fresh veggies of choice

3 egg whites; or 1/2 cup liquid egg whites

2 cloves garlic, chopped

A dash each of cumin, black pepper, dried basil, chili powder, and cayenne

1/2 tbsp Coconut Oil

Optional topping of choice - I like salsa or brown mustard

Directions (Follow them, or not, I'm sure it'll turn out great!)

-Set a wide, medium depth saute pan on the stove over medium-high heat

-Steam your favorite mix of vegetables. I used mushrooms, broccoli, red bell peppers, celery, and onions

-Add oil and garlic to pan and saute until fragrant; about 45 seconds

-Add the rest of your veggies and spices and stir to combine everything together. Let cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

-Add egg whites to pan and twirl to evenly distribute.

-Cover pan to let top of eggs cook from the steam for about 1 minute.

-Check to make sure top of eggs is set and remove from heat.  Slide onto plate, add toppings if desired and enjoy!

I love the fact that you can use a slice of the frittata as a delicious sandwich filler.  If you haven't tried....do it, sandwiches are awesome.

Okay, off to do some shopping for loved ones....and maybe some for myself.  Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I do have a nice salad topped with roasted veggies and eggs that made a great dinner.  Thanks to Jenn at Peas and Crayons for hosting What I Ate Wendesday!!

And of course I had a cup of both types of my chocolate and vanilla winter squash protein dip for dessert.

If you haven't entered yet, click here to enter for your chance to win a box each of Crunchmaster Kid's Cheesy and Grammy Crisps. The contest will end this Friday, November 30th.

Lightlife Vegetarian Foods - How They're Making a Healthier World

Have you heard of or tried Lightlife's veggie protein products?  I have only tried their vegetarian hot dogs and was pretty impressed with the taste and texture.  I'm not a dedicated vegan or vegetarian, but my consumption of meat is very limited and I make sure it's from a clean source.

Lightlife makes it possible to get plenty of high quality protein with their non-GMO soy products with no preservatives.  If you have read my blog before, you'd know I like to make most of my meals from whole food sources not in packages, but Lightlife products will help me when short on time.

I choose acceptable packaged food by studying the ingredients and nutrition, and I have found Lightlife has plenty of clean products to offer.  I'm really interested in their line of tempeh products and can't wait to try all versions, especially the wild rice!

With fall here and the slight chill (only slight because I'm in Texas) in the air, I've been craving comfort food that's healthy and delicious.  When I don't have time (a lot lately) to make my own from scratch, I am ready to pick up their Smart Chili to try out on a cooler day.  If you have tried it, please let me know your thoughts.

So why am I posting about Lightlife without really trying a lot of their products?  Someone on behalf of Lightlife asked me to share a new video they have posted and I liked its message.  The video depicts a farm where all of the animals are made out of veggies.  I think the message comes across loud and clear and it's just a neat video to watch.

Please watch this short video and let me know what you think.  Can you name the veggies that make up the animals?  Some are hard to figure out, but the bell pepper body on the cows is pretty cool; same for the corn cob pigs. With so much news about the world's meat supply dwindling, it's a "smart" choice to reduce our meat intake and eat more veggies.  I agree veggies give us most of what we need and meat is not needed with every meal.



Please, let me know how you add more veggies to your diet and if you have any great ideas to get enough vegetable protein from healthy sources and products like Lightlife.

Check out their website for info on how they can make you and the world a healthier place and see what they're up to on Facebook and Twitter.

WIAW #30 - Homemade Milks + Veggie Okara Burgers

I don't know about everyone else, but it I am positive the temp rose in conjunction with the first day of Fall. We were basking in the almost-perfect 80 degree weather last week, and now we're back in the mid-90's here in Texas. What gives?

Oh well, I shouldn't complain, I choose heat over cold any day.  I'd rather sweat pools, not shiver like stiff, rigid tree on a windy day.  Yeah, that was the analogy that came to mind, so I'm using it.

Besides the lack of Fall feeling in the air, I still feel like it's Fall when I go to the store. There is winter squash and Fall decorations place across the store I go to.  The squash catches my eyes more so than any decorations; you can't eat those!

This Fall, I'm predicting I'll use my new Soyajoy G3 Soy Milk Maker for a lot of things. Of course, I'll make soy milk, but you can make milk for anything that's a nut, seed, grain, or bean, so why limit myself to just soy?  I've already made quinoa milk and a mix of soy and pistachio milk which both created a creamy, tasty milk perfect for smoothies, cereal, or drinking alone.

But soy milk isn't all you can make with this handy kitchen tool; it makes juice, smoothies, soup, and a base for veggie burgers/patties too.  The pulp leftover after straining the fresh-made soy milk is called okara and is similar to tofu but less processed and has more fiber.  Yay, fiber makes you "move"!

My first attempt at using the pulp/okara to make vegetarian burgers turned out fantastic.  I'm not a fan of using the traditional bun, so I made an open-faced portobello bun burger instead. As you can see, I had to try before I felt it was picture worthy, but it obviously passed.  I'll be making these using different add-ins quite often.

When I don't have time to use the okara for patties, I can just make thick, protein filled smoothies instead. I haven't tried, but wonder how it would do in a microwave protein cake recipe like my chocolate layer cake.  Hmmm, stay tuned.

Old, recycled pic. Like the red tint everywhere? There's nothing actually red in there!

I need to do some more tampering with the burger recipe and then I'll share with anyone who cares.  The next function I am eagerly waiting to use is making soup.  As soon as the fall weather accompanies this fall season, I'll attempt a creamy pumpkin-ginger soup.

I know there's winter squash galore at the store (didn't mean for that to rhyme), but I also have 2 cases of Farmer's Market Pumpkin Puree to use when in a time crunch. You might say I got a little excited on Amazon, but organic and bpa-free cans at a lower that in-store price is hard to turn away. Plus, you can never have too much pumpkin on hand!

Needless to say, the soy milk maker is a healthy addition to the kitchen and you can expect to see several delicious creations I've made using this machine.

Thanks to Jenn at Peas and Crayons as always for putting on this WIAW event! Now, lets get to the eats....

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!

Ok, this is not my typical way of eating (although I do take in most of my daily energy at night when in the comfort of home), but I had to fast all day for a blood test in the afternoon.  After that, I finished my work for the day, struggled through a workout (yes, I'm stubborn....or is it stupid?), and then went about eating to my heart's stomach's content.

This is my breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc. all in one. Since my stomach has limits, I'll make up for the lack of food tomorrow, I'm sure of it!

I'll admit, I did have this in the morning with a little homemade soy milk.

Then, in the evening, I started with my usual big salad. This one had a lot of salmon and brussels sprouts drenched in my own lentil salsa dressing.

I snacked on a lot of these peanut butter pumpkin cookies along with a chocolate spinach protein smoothie.

Moving on, I demolished a microwave chocolate protein bread/cake with plain Chobani and peanuts.

Not one to give in to a slightly full stomach, I ended with a generous portion of my coconut peanut butter pumpkin protein dip. This stuff is bliss in edible dip form; so addictive!

Not as much as usual, but I'm sure you all have "those" days...right? Fasting as a foodie is no fun!

Hope you have a wonderful rest of the week!

If you could or do make your own alternative milk, what would you use (besides soy) to make the milk?  Think of all the nuts, seeds, grains, and beans; so many options, I don't know which to choose next.  Maybe black bean milk? Hmmm, sure that would look tasty....

Give the Cow Prod to the USDA and Support Meatless Monday!

Have you heard about the USDA retracting its statement referencing "Meatless Monday"?  It seems the Cattlemen's Beef Association flexed its "beefy" bicep when the Ag Dept posted a message to its employees about helping to reduce the environmental impact of eating meat by skipping it one day of the week.

Uh oh, the beef industry might be knocking at my door soon...

But what would the "cow people" association do if more people helped the health of the Earth and their bodies by abstaining from meat for one day?! They can't have that, so I can only imagine their well-paid lobbyists made sure the posting was removed promptly.  And it was......only hours after being posted.

I know I'm on a blogger break (I took only a few pics this weekend!), but I had to just make a quick post about this.  A huge reason America lives in a constantly confused state on what's healthy and what's not is because of the big industries and their money (aka power).

I know very little on the inner-workings of lobbying and getting messages out to the public, but I figure money is the biggest concern; not public health.  When I see/hear any sort of "this is good for you" promotion from the government or any big business, I raise a mental red flag and proceed with caution.

Just ask yourself these 2 questions when you see claims on packages, the television, magazines, billboards, etc:

Who or What will reap the most benefits of this statement? - It says it's healthy, but the 50 ingredients in this pretty package don't seem very good or natural.

How much money was spent so people like me can see this claim? - Only the big industries have great power to push their products for all to see. Small, local companies producing small batch, whole food goods, don't have the funding to really advertise as well.

I like all types of meat and fish, but I eat red meat sparingly and only grass-fed...preferably local too.  The economic cost of producing beef is just not worth it to me.  Just think of all the cheap, junky beef products fast food chains are rolling out to so many people each day; it's crazy! Sure, the $1 menu "deals" seem appealing to those who are ignorant to health and are short on cash; sadly, this is a common correlation.

Costs associated to produce a quarter pound of beef.

But consider other costs; the cost to get the meat wrapped in a paper package and handed to you through the window of a drive-thru...mmm. Producing just a half pound of beef requires 7.40 pounds of CO2, that's equivalent to driving 9.81 miles. Now take into account that in 2009 the U.S. consumed 14 million tons of beef; and 72 million tons for the world.  That's a lot of gas! (Source for this info.)

I will happily choose my meatless meals for Monday and other days of the week to help reduce emissions just a little bit. If more of us did this, our little changes will have a big impact on the health of our economy and bodies. So give the USDA and Beef Industry the finger a carrot, and enjoy a meal like spicy black bean patties along with a green pistachio and carrot smoothie for dessert! Check out wannaveg.com for a list of 10 reasons to go vegetarian one day each week.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! It was hot (not surprising) here in Texas, but I prefer the heat to the cold, so fine with me!

Thrifty Thursday Slow-Cooker White Bean Stew Recipe: Healthy and Low Cost!

What is it with so many people claiming eating healthy is expensive? Yeah, maybe when you go and buy organic doughnuts and poptarts, but that’s hardly healthy anyway. Not everything has to be organic, either. I feel choosing something with little to no processing is usually the better choice.


When I use the convenience of slow-cooker cooking, most of the veggies I use are frozen and not organic. You can find frozen store brand produce for cheap, and I stock up on these each week. If I need a quick dose of veggies, I just put a mix in a microwavable dish, cover, and steam in the microwave for a few minutes. Add several herbs and spices plus some tasty brown mustard and mix it all together….wham! Healthy eating in minutes for pennies on the dollar.

Example of a meal prepared for the work week lunch. I just add frozen okra that will cook when I reheat at work. Easy Peasy!

Frozen veggies, good; frozen meals, bad. I can’t stand seeing people open their Lean Cuisine or SmartOnes meal, tear a slit in the plastic covering, and set the timer to nuke for “X” amount of minutes. Then stir and cook a little more. Boo. If you really have no time, at least buy the microwavable bags of frozen vegetable mixes (beware of added salt and creamy sauces) and have some salsa to mix in once cooked. There are plenty of frozen mixed veggie medleys with beans for a healthy dose of protein.

Canned tuna or salmon in water is another easy add-in. Be creative and fast, people, it’s your health! Do you ever see people with their frozen meals and want to just tell them how easy it is to eat something better? It shouldn’t bother me, but this is my passion and for some reason I care. Sue me…….ok, don’t. Please, don’t.

Microwaving frozen vegetables seriously helps cut down the time I spend cooking meals for Kelley and me to bring for work lunch. I try to keep it varied to avoid meal monotony, but Kelley says she’d rather spend time with me than me taking longer in the kitchen. I still end up taking a long time though; I think I have a kitchen addiction. I could have no reason to be in there, but I’ll make sure to find something. Anyone else ever do this?

Quick and delicious tuna barley bowl with microwave steamed veggies. The Zevia was a refreshing drink to wash it all down.

Back to the slow-cooker. Today’s recipe is simple and very easy to change the ingredients to suit your preferences. You can make it vegan, vegetarian, or add meat if you choose. I actually added tilapia filets on top of everything in the cooker and then served them with a baked sweet potato and broccoli. This is another time saver tip; cooking food for 2 different meals in the same pot. It may not always be extravagant eating, but if it tastes good and is healthy, your body will thank you. And Kelley thanks me too…….unless I added too much cayenne. I didn’t think that’s possible!

I must cut today’s post short as I’m short on time. Balancing my job, exercise, meal prep, and quality time can be hard, but I feel it’s more than worth it when it comes to health. I make my food to be in control of my health, and am always up to help give advice to anyone who wants it. That’s the hard part, most people I see don’t want to hear they are doing the wrong thing. Ok, I’m stopping before I go on another rant.

Slow-Cooker Rosemary White Bean Stew

by RC Liley

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4)

• 2 (15oz) cans drained and rinsed or 1 cup dry white beans; I used dried cannellini beans and soaked overnight; use whatever bean you have at home
• 1 26.4 oz box of Pomi Chopped tomatoes; 2 (15oz) cans of diced/chopped will work too
• 1 bag of frozen fiesta blend mix; usually has red peppers 3 types of beans, broccoli, and carrots, anything you have works fine, this is very customizable!
• 1/2 bag of frozen or fresh sugar snap peas
• 12oz bag of frozen chopped broccoli
• 10oz bag of frozen diced green peppers, onions, and celery mix
• 4 – 6 cloves fresh garlic; crushed and chopped
• 1 T each of cumin, chili powder, turmeric, dried basil, dried parsley, and paprika
• 1 T dried rosemary
• 1 t cayenne powder
• 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock; or fill that almost empty container of mustard or salad dressing with water and use instead
• 2 T balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Heat a pan on medium-high heat on the stove and sauté onion and pepper mix with garlic until fragrant

Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker (you may need more liquid, but it should be thick to be called “stew”) and cook on high for 4 hours.

Serve in bowl or store in a dish to heat and eat later.

Garnish with extra paprika, parsley, and crumbled goat cheese if desired

Serve with hearty, crusty bread and refreshing iced tea; it is summer after all!

Optional: Try blending everything for a creamy soup or healthy dip.

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Thanks for listening and enjoy this stew. Make a double batch for a quick meal later too!

Q: Do you find yourself trying hard not to lecture those unaware of what they are actually eating in some processed food?

Spicy Protein Black Bean Cake Mistakes – My Meatless Monday Mishap

Time for posting will most likely be short this week (boo), but it’s hard to not post anything. Plus, I have to share this recipe I created on accident.


You ever do that; set out to make one thing, and wind up with something else? I guess that’s how a lot of great things have come into existence…..the slinky, microwave, Post-it notes, and even chocolate chip cookies, to name a few.

I was trying to make black bean burgers this weekend, but the wet ingredients seemed too much for the small amount of corn flour and protein powder I used; so I kept adding more until I could form patties.

Apparently, I could’ve stopped adding dry ingredients after the first 3/4 cup, but it just didn’t seem right to me.

So instead of a moist and tender bean burger, I wound up with a slightly crispy and tasty bean cake like you see here.

Meh, I didn’t want to use a bun anyway! These would’ve great formed into rectangles for a fun finger food you could use with cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, or just mustard as delicious dips. Kelley definitely didn’t mind either; she snuck a few bites before I was able to put the patty (cakes?) in the fridge!

This recipe is one delectable mistake that I’ll be making again………on purpose. Try it for yourself and let me know how you like or what you did different.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Shittake Mushrooms take the...errr...um...cake!

Spicy Black Bean Cake Mistakes

Ingredients

- 1 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight or 2 (15oz) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 6oz of your favorite salsa; the amount varies, just eyeball it and add more towards the end if needed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 bell peppers (any color); chopped
- 4 cloves garlic; crushed and minced
- 4 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 2 whole eggs or 3 egg whites; you can use 1/4 cup ground flax seed to make this vegan
- 3/4 cup corn flour
- 3/4 cup unflavored protein powder
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- Ground black pepper to taste; no need for salt as there should be enough in the salsa and mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 3 tablespoons dried cilantro


Directions
 - Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

- Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat, sweat onion, bell peppers, and garlic; add beans, cilantro, and spices and cover to let simmer for 20 – 30 minutes.

- Remove beans from heat and transfer to large bowl to let cool; you don’t want to cook the eggs!
- Using a large fork or potato masher, mash most of the beans leaving a few ones intact for texture.

- Add remaining wet ingredients to bowl and mix well. Sift dry ingredients in small bowl and slowly mix into wet.

-With a large spoon, scoop the mix onto a parchment lined baking sheet, form into patties or whatever shape you want, and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, and then flip over and cook another 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven (should have a crispy brown crust) and let cool on pan for 5 to 10 minutes.

 - Top each cake with salsa, plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or mustard and any of your favorite toppings. Serve with a big side of steamed veggies.

Q: Do you like finger foods or prefer to use utensils most of the time?

A: I love finger foods, but most of my comfort foods are consumed with a spoon and a cup. Mmmmm, squash and fruit purees……….

Spicy Corn Bread & Black Bean Casserole: Complete Protein with Spice

My love of quinoa and steamed veggie recipes has gotten the best of me; I've been stuck in a recipe rut lately and have felt the need to break free. But oh how I love cooking with quinoa and veggies! So quick and nutritious, plus it just tastes great, and I’m no Iron Chef. There’s a simple solution to this problem minor dilemma; just create a different recipe!

I have been so intent on making quick and healthy meals for our work lunches all in one day that I’ve neglected venturing out to create new meals.  You can only eat similar meals for so long before it starts to wear on you. This is a big foodie no-no, and I don’t like it; there are way too many foods and recipes just waiting to be enjoyed.

So good and easy to make. How can you not make this every week?

Is this a familiar occurrence in your home?  If you’re the main cook, do you feel the need to change it up a little?  Keeping a varied (but still healthy) diet is key not only for new flavors, but for providing essential nutrients the body needs and wants.  Of course, enjoying the flavor of something new is an added bonus; good flavor, that is.

When I cook, I have a tendency to try and pack each recipe full of beneficial ingredients, which sometimes most of the time goes overboard, but sometimes turns out great. 

I felt the need for a Mexican inspired dish, and the can of organic fat free refried black beans from Whole Foods was calling out to me.

Hi Señor, use me!

Casseroles are something I just downright enjoy; they are fairly simple to make, can be healthy, and versatile to boot! So, there I was, craving something Mexican, preferably a casserole, and with a can of “frijoles refritos” (organicos?) in hand.  After a short time of food meditation, a Mexican-style casserole was the obvious choice.

Mexican meals make me think/crave corn bread, so that was another key ingredient for my anti-monotonous meal. Long story short; I decided on a protein corn bread casserole. It had to be quick (I do still have 4 more meals to make for the week), so I opened the can of whoop a…..beans... and turned on the oven and stove.

Corn and beans, just like rice and beans, make a great combo; they both lack certain amino acids for a complete protein, but combined they complement each other by providing all 9 essential amino acids. Read my past post on complete protein to learn more.

Mmmm, the smell of cumin, garlic, and corn toasting in the oven is a treat to the senses, but a tease to the stomach….at least until it's done and cool enough to eat.  The casserole turned out deliciously well and left me eager to get to work just to have it for lunch, but then I’d be ready to go home again.

Have I rambled about my though process long enough? Would you like to see how to make this simple, yet tasty and nutritious dish? ?Try it tonight….it doesn’t take long to prepare; I promise!

Spicy Corn Bread & Black Bean Casserole

• Healthy corn bread batter; I used the recipe I posted for Chobani Greek Yogurt Corn Bread, but you could use this whole grain beer bread recipe too.
• 15 oz can fat free refried black beans; fat free refried pinto beans will work too; check the ingredients and make sure it’s only beans, salt, and maybe some spice.
• 1/2 yellow onion; chopped and diced
• 2 Bell peppers chopped and diced; any color will work; save a few strips for topping
• 12 oz bag of frozen chopped broccoli
• 6 oz salsa
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 cloves garlic; crushed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon cumin and paprika
• 1/4+ teaspoons cayenne
• 2 tablespoons dried cilantro

Directions 

• Prepare the corn bread batter of your choice in a large bowl
• Heat a sauce pan on the stove, add garlic and onion and let simmer for 1 minute
• Add broccoli, bell peppers, refried beans, salsa, broth, herbs, and spices to the sauce pan and mix well
• Preheat oven to 365 degrees

• Let cook for about 15 to 20 minutes on the stove and remove from heat; allow to cool for 10 minutes
• Add bean mixture to corn bread batter and mix everything together
• Pour mix into glass casserole dish (I used individual sized Pyrex containers), top with saved pepper strips, and bake uncovered for 30 minutes
• If the top is getting really brown, cover with foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes
• Insert toothpick or butter knife in the middle and check that it comes out clean; unless you like it a little soft, like me
• Once done, remove from oven and let cool before serving.
• Optional toppings: a dollop of plain, non-fat Greek or regular yogurt or more salsa are both excellent choices

Make extras in a small dish for a perfect snack to grab n'go!

This can be modified to suit your preferences, but I used these ingredients and Kelley (my official tester) confirmed it was great. As I posted yesterday, this can be enjoyed hot or cold for breakfast, lunch, or dinner

Don't forget....Just Add...this!

Do you like casseroles?  Do you feel they are best for breakfasts or as a lunch/dinner meal? 

Please share any casserole recipes you have; I love them any time of day with any kind of (healthy) ingredients.

Meatless Monday: Green Smoothies and Black Beans with Brown Rice

 How was your weekend? Did you do anything “green” for St. Patrick’s Day?

I took a shot at making a green smoothie with frozen banana and spinach; first vanilla flavored, and then mint chocolate. I was hoping to replicate the green smoothie Katie made on her blog at Chocolate-Covered Katie, but it wasn’t quite the same.

What do you think?

Do these compare?

At least Kelley enjoyed her mint chocolate smoothie!

I topped mine with pistachios (more green!) and frozen chopped carrots for good contrast.



Kelley and I walked over to a neighbor’s house on Saturday night for a St. Patrick’s neighborhood party and we finally got to meet some neighbors. We just moved in a few months ago, so it was good to mingle with the people we usually just wave to as we pass by.

There was green food and beer throughout the host’s home, but nothing Kelley and I really cared to try. However, I did find myself wondering if any green food was made “green” by pureeing spinach or another green veggie instead of artificial coloring. Beer pureed with spinach…anyone? Didn’t think so.

I cooked more NuNaturals stevia sweetened protein snacks than usual this weekend and they all came out pretty good. Well, besides the microwave chocolate cake I tried to make without actually measuring ingredients; as you can see, that didn’t go so well….



Mug Overflow!



The remains....



Cooking and preparing food each day takes a lot of my time and always leaves Kelley waiting for me to finish. The extra snacks I cooked are meant to replace my daily purees of squash, fruit, and almond milk as well as chopping apples and carrots to use as a mock cereal. Basically, I’m trying not to eat so much with a spoon and a cup which is my most common manner of eating in the evening. We’ll see how it goes this week, but with some of the goods I cooked, it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Yum! Who needs stuff in a cup with these Chocolate Protein Brownies?

Packed and ready for lunch!!

Today’s Meatless Monday lunch will be black beans and brown rice; I wasn’t lying about having beans and rice on Friday’s Post! This is no disappointment though; I snuck a taste (quality control!) and am very pleased with the outcome.

Want to make this for yourself? It’s easy, healthy, and inexpensive….a winning combo!

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

•3/4 cup brown rice
•3/4 cup dried black beans, soaked overnight (you can use canned too, just rinse and drain first)
•3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
•1 onion; I used a package of frozen and chopped onion

•1 package of frozen French style green beans

•1 package of frozen chopped broccoli
•1 cup preferred broth or stock
•1/2 cup of your favorite salsa

•2 tablespoons spicy brown or yellow mustard

•Mixture of several herbs and spices including: cumin, chili powder, basil, cilantro, turmeric, and cayenne

Directions:

1. Heat non-stick deep skillet or sauce pan on medium-high

2. Add garlic and onion. Cook for three minutes or until soft

3. Add rice and stir around to lightly toast it; about one minute

4. Add all remaining ingredients
5. Cook for about 45 minutes; the liquid should be mostly absorbed

Told you it was easy. If you don’t mind have things more than once a week, I’d suggest making a double batch for another meal throughout the week.

Have you ever made a large (to you) purchase and felt the need to cut back elsewhere?

I have (hence the recipe above), but I’m sure we’d be ok either way. Plus, this new camera takes some great pics! Enjoy your week!