Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini Paremsan

Perfect for all the late summer vegetables at the farmer's market. This dish was super easy to make, and very tasty. The two picky kids were a little turned off at the vegetables (eggplant and zucchini are rarely at the top of their favorites list) but cleaned their plates once they gave it a chance.This had a ton of flavor despite being such a simple list of ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 in slices
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 in slices
1 pound silken tofu (you can use ricotta cheese here, if you'd prefer)
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
pinch of salt
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil 2 large baking sheets. Place eggplant and zucchini slices on sheets and bake 7 to 10 minutes per side, or until tender. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. While vegetables are roasting, puree tofu, parsley and olive oil in a food processor (I added a little salt to the mix since I didn't see any used in the recipe).
In an 8 or 9 inch square pan, layer the vegetables with sauce and tofu mixture in the following order:
sauce
eggplant
tofu
zucchini
tofu

Repeat until all the ingredients are used. Finish with sauce on top. (It really doesn't matter the order- just get it all in there and top it with sauce.) Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: This can be frozen just prior to baking. To reheat, thaw in refrigerator. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Inspired by Cathe Olson's "The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook"

A reincarnated rotisserie chicken

Among my other staples at Costco is the rotisserie chickens. Some stores make them fresh and serve them by 4:00, but here, I am lucky enough to score one just about anytime of day. They are large, juicy, and reasonably priced. I could buy one raw and unseasoned at the regular grocery store for the same price. So, I save myself a little time and fake it!
I have been buying two each time I'm at the big box store, and usually serve one for dinner as-is with a couple sides and refrigerate the other. I can usually count on my husband to de-bone the other so I can incorporate the mess into a new meal. What's amazing is that second chicken goes twice or three times as far as the original served whole!
I'll share a few of the recipes with you over a few posts.

Super-Easy Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 rotisserie chicken, de-boned and cubed
1/2 cup Craisins
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients, add more salt/sugar to taste. If it's too sticky, add more orange juice to thin mayonnaise. No need to refrigerate to let the flavors gel. Serve on sandwich bread or rolled into lettuce wraps. This should keep in the refrigerator for a few days and you'll get more than one meal out of it for your family.

Honey-Balsamic Bean Salad

This is the recipe I tried last night in a pinch when I didn't know what to make. I found it on an awesome blog 101 Cookbooks, who I later found out is written by the same author who wrote Super Natural Cooking- a cookbook I've admired and it's purchase is long overdue. It has now definitely made it to my short list, because everything I've tried from her site has been fantastic and easy to adapt to the available ingredients in my pantry.
What I ended up with is a fairly far departure from the original, but fantastic nonetheless. I adapted the original recipe to include more vegetable so the kids would not look at a plate of canned beans and wonder what else we were eating. The dressing: I followed to the "T" and it was stellar. Even little T noticed that the dressing tasted like honey. It had such great flavor and it was gluten-free (something not available on the grocery store shelves near us)!

Ingredients
1 (14 oz can) EACH cooked beans: chickpeas (garbanzo beans), pinto beans, black beans
1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cucumber, finely chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
5 sprigs fresh thyme

Dressing:
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons runny honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4+ teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Combine the beans with all the vegetables, and the almonds. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients and whisk together. Serve immediately.

Blueberries

This summer I have fallen in love with blueberries. Living on the island is strange in the fact that the blueberries I eat have traveled like five thousand miles to get here. If I buy the regular packs at the grocery store, they quickly turn rancid after a day or two. But somehow, the berries at Costco are far superior in taste and quality. Of course, I have to buy a pound of them at a time!
Fruit salads have abounded in our house this summer because of the large quantities of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries I indulge on from Costco. But, sometimes, there can be a little bit too much of a good thing. Like bananas when they sit on the counter too long, they are reincarnated into an awesome banana bread. Blueberries, too have a future destined for a delicious baked good, where blemishes are no longer seen and purple-y goodness melts in your mouth.
Last night, a pregnancy craving overtook me, and I was compelled to sympathize with this aging batch of blueberries and incorporate them into a cobbler. It was already 8:00 by the time these fantasies took over, so I was pressed for time, needless to say. Using small souffle dishes, I made four individual cobblers in about 15 minutes. Super easy, delicious, and just what the doctor ordered.

Ingredients:

2 pints blueberries
1/4 cup organic sugar or evaporated cane juice
2 cups granola cereal (I used Quaker Naturals- it had little slices of toasted almond in it that added a great texture and flavor)

Combine blueberries and sugar in a bowl. Divide equally among four souffle cups. Top with equal amounts of cereal. Place all on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes (the last couple minutes take off the foil to brown the cereal a bit). They will be done when you see the blueberry goodness bubbling up from underneath the cereal topping.

Note: These weren't as good the second day, so reconsider saving one for breakfast like I did. Enjoy!

I've got two pounds of hamburger...now what?

I have this strange thing against casseroles. Really it expands beyond casseroles to anything that was invented in the 50s and involves a strange concoction of meat, sauce, noodle, and a vegetable in one dish. I just hate making them, they are an embarrassment to serve because no one looks at them and says "hmmm, that looks delicious". What's strange is that I think I am alone in this aversion. What tipped me off was this great little cookbook from a church group that has loads of favorite recipes from women my age. I am amazed at how so many of them are still cooking the dishes their grandmothers made.

Now, I am not against family tradition- some of my favorite dishes from my childhood (comfort food) are handed down from my grandmothers. But, most of them involved several processed and canned ingredients. My friend Jennifer told me what she made for dinner last night, it was Chicken Divan (I'd never heard of it- it's probably a classic Tuesday night meal in most households). She explained that it is the worst combination of ingredients, but her kids love it. In it was a boiled chicken, mayonnaise, cream of chicken soup, cheese, curry...I got nauseous after that and couldn't hear another random ingredient. 

I'm not saying we should all be cooking the South Beach Diet or asian fusion, but with today's global economy and local food craze, there are so many fresh ingredients available that are so easily thrown together, that it seems silly to raid the cellar for the evaporated milk and macaroni noodles . 

It still begs the question of my post- I've got two pounds of hamburger... now what?

Which brings me to tonight's dilemma. I have an awesome menu planned for the week, but a couple meals are entirely new to me, and it's 4:40p. Dinner should have been started a while ago. Do I mail it in and whip up one of the three obvious choices: meatloaf, hamburgers or stuffed peppers? Of course, there is the whole spin on hamburger helper routine... no thanks. I basically feel like when I bought the hamburger it had a purpose, and to stray from my creative intent would insult the process. I saw it best served as an awesome baja style mexi-cali burger with beans, tortilla chips, and avacado. But, no buns in sight. It's definitely a weekend meal. So, it shall remain in the freezer until I can serve it in a way that truly is a delight to the senses.

My last resort- stick to what you have planned, no matter how daring and give this recipe a try. 

I'll put my own spin on it so it's big enough to feed us all as a main dish and let you know the results. It does have some of grandma's favorites in it: canned beans; so maybe the apple isn't falling too far from the tree after all. 

Chocolate Raspberry Cakes

This is my favorite dessert. It is super-simple to make, has few ingredients (all of which are easy to come by) and is tasty for days after it's prepared. Bonus: if you are mindful what chocolate you buy, they are Gluten-Free!

Ingredients:
8 oz bittersweet (dark) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons seedless raspberry preserves

4 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

fresh raspberries
vanilla ice cream

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter six 3/4 cup souffle dishes or custard cups. Arrange dishes on a baking sheet. Mix chocolate, butter and preserves in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl to blend well, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chocolate mixture. Divide batter among prepared dishes. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter still attached, about 20 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes (centers may fall). Serve cakes warm or at room temperature with fresh raspberries on top and ice cream on the side.

Notes:
I've made these without complication by omitting the cooling of the chocolate and the stovetop rest period at the end. (So delicious- we couldn't wait!) Makes 6 servings.

Bon Appetit, November 2004

5 minute Breakfast Burritos for one

Source: LizzyB original

Prep/Cook Time: 5-6 minutes (includes cutting and clean up!)

Serves: 1*

Ingredients:

1 small potato, cut in 1/4 inch dice

2 eggs

1 green onion

1 oz shredded cheddar cheese

2 flour tortillas

olive oil

kosher salt

Tajin Clasico Seasoning (red pepper with lime)

Place diced potato on a small plate, toss with a teaspoon of olive oil, a 1/4 tsp of kosher salt and a dash of the Tajin seasoning. Microwave for two minutes.

Warm up a saute pan on med-hi and add a teaspoon of olive oil to coat the pan. Add the potato mixture to the pan, saute, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop up the green onion and set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the heat once they are slightly browned. Crack the eggs into the same pan, turn the heat to low and scramble. They only take about 30 seconds to cook all the way through.

Place 2 tortillas on a fresh plate, add eggs, potatoes, cheese, and onions. You may have a little potato left over depending on the original size of the potato and how full you make your burritos (it makes perfect breakfast potatoes).

To clean up quickly, put some tap water in the pan, place it back on the burner as it cools. The egg and potato will scrape off nicely right on the stove. There's nothing harder than getting dried egg yolk out of a pan- here's a quick way to leave the pan for later without the harsh scrubbing. Enjoy your breakfast instead!

*Of course, multiplying this to accommodate a family is pretty simple, just add on an additional minute for every potato you add, up to five minutes.

Crepes- naughty, little crepes

Warning: these are in no way healthy for the body, but extremely beneficial for the health of the soul.

At a recent visit to DaVinci Gelato, I was tantalized by a picture of their crepes, filled with chocolate, topped with strawberry and chocolate drizzle and a beautiful showering of powdered sugar. Because we had just filled up on gelato, we didn't order any, but I made an immediate plan to serve them the next morning.

Crepes are actually very easy to make. They take hardly any ingredients as well. Here's my version, adapted from Mark Bittman to match that glorious photo I admired:

Crepes with Chocolate and Strawberry

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Strawberry Sauce

3 cups frozen, unsweetened strawberries

1/4 cup Evaporated Cane Juice or sugar

Combine both in a small saucepan. Heat on med high until strawberries have defrosted, stir occasionally. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to med low. Continue stirring, watching the heat so as the mixture does not boil over. It is finished when strawberries are completely soft and mushy. Smash further with a potato masher or whisk. Set aside.

Chocolate Sauce

2 oz. dark (bittersweet) chocolate*

1 tsp unsalted butter

Heat both on med low, stirring occasionally to melt together. Once melted, continue stirring and warming gently.

*You can also use milk chocolate or Hershey's Syrup- I am a huge dark chocolate fan and will opt for it's richness over anything.

Crepes

1 cup all purpose flour

Pinch salt

1 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

powdered sugar

While chocolate is melting, combine dry ingredients for the crepe batter. Beat in the eggs and the melted butter. Warm a flat or shallow non-stick skillet over medium heat. Melt a pat of butter on the center. Spoon 3-4 Tbsp of batter onto the center of the skillet. Swirl around to spread it out as thin as possible.

The batter will dry before your eyes; when the top is no longer liquid, about a minute, turn the crepe and cook the other side for 15 to 30 seconds. The crepe should brown only very slightly and not become at all crisp.

Place individual crepe on a plate and spread the strawberry compote and chocolate sauce in the center. Fold in half and then in half again to create a triangle. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.

This should make about a dozen good-sized crepes.

Cooking Club

Several years ago, I read an article in Better Homes and Gardens about initiating a cooking club. I really enjoyed the idea. I do get excited about sharing a common purpose with a group of women. I especially like it if participating in something make my life a little easier with the added benefit of spending time with people. Plus, you walk away with great recipes from friends!

There are a lot of businesses that are cropping up like this in town. Super Suppers comes to mind. I've heard of a group of women getting together, having some wine and assembling a slew of meals. I think it's fabulous, plus all the shopping and cutting is done for you. I have never done it because we seem to have more time than money at this point. I can afford to spend 45 minutes putting together a healthy meal, but not every night. I have to admit, between all the fantastic reports of healthful meals, you'll find Mickey Mouse-shaped chicken nuggets, peanut butter and jelly, and pizza take-out. Having some reliable freezer food and a well stocked pantry would save both our gut and our wallet.

Despite my enthusiasm for this project idea, I never did get this enterprise up and running. After mentioning it in several circles, I didn't find a group of women who either had the time or the passion for cooking that a group like this requires. I did pull away from the article several good recipes that have become staples in our house. I mention particularly the meatball recipe. I love that I can create a decent meatball- actually a lot of decent meatballs- throw them in the freezer and pull them out for dinner, all ready to add to a dish. In fact, I have a large container of ground turkey already thawing in the fridge for this very purpose!

An absolute favorite recipe is the meatball sandwich. It is a totally different meatball sandwich than the typical marinara and cheese saturated hoagie roll. This recipe is more refined and has amazing flavor. I highly recommend it. Even the guys will love it!

I hope to get a cooking club up and running someday, especially since life seems so busy and isolated for me lately. A congregation of friends cooking together is something our generation never experiences. With fragmented family schedules and after school activities, it's hard enough to even get a family together at the table. I think this is one way to give mom a little social recharge time and benefit a hectic dinner schedule.

Comment if you're in the area and interested in batching together passion for cooking, family togetherness, and friendship. Maybe we can make this idea work after all!

Lentil Soup w/ Prosciutto

With the recent cold front, it brings the habits of winter out in all of us. Yesterday, while I was wrapping up a painting job and loading the truck, I smelled a faint aroma of a wood-burning fireplace. Okay, it's still September, we live in the south- the winter has not befallen us. I laughed at the zeal for the change of weather. I think all of us are feeling a bit nostalgic with our warm soups, fires in the fireplace, and quiet afternoons spent reading and drinking hot tea. I think all of Texas has gotten a bit romantic about the idea of fall arriving this week.

Rather than light up a fire, I indulged the inner longings for winter by creating a hearty winter soup. Browsing through my How to Cook Everything cookbook, I glanced at all the delicious soups. I noticed, amazingly, that I could possibly have the ingredients for about a half a dozen soups. Of course, soups were the staple when it came to surviving winter in centuries past. Preserved stocks, canned vegetables, dried beans, carrots and potatoes (which are winter crops here). A winter soup is very natural in the scope of what's available when cooking in season.

This recipe is actually a hybrid of split pea soup and lentil soup. It began with the diced prosciutto I had leftover from another meal last week. I really love split pea soup with ham, but the pantry contained no dried split peas, so the lentils took center stage.

Lentil Soup with Prosciutto

Cook Time: 1.5 hours

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced prosciutto

1 small onion, diced

2 cups dried lentils

1 carton organic vegetable broth

1 carton organic chicken broth

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

4 small carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch sections

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add prosciutto and saute until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add onions to the pan and saute until soft. Next, add lentils, stocks, carrot, bay leaf and thyme.

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Continue to let it simmer on med-low for about an hour. You are looking for the consistency to thicken. After about 45 minutes, add in the prosciutto. When I did this, the water content decreased significantly after about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to low, and continue to simmer until the lentils and carrots are soft. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

If you'd like a smoother consistency, consider using and immersion blender or transferring about 3/4 of the soup into the blender in two small batches. (Noteworthy warnings: be careful with the hot soup, it will expand and likely blow out the top of your blender if you blend on high. Another thing: blending will cause this to look strangely similar to diarrhea- that's what happens on the color wheel when you mix orange and green!)

Turkey Burgers w/ Mango & Red Pepper and Green Beans with Lemon Herb Butter

Wednesdays are always a crunch day for us, lately we've been spending Wednesday afternoons getting fillings in the kids' teeth. (I swear, it costs a fortune to keep these teeth in their heads- I hope they're all okay joining the military, cause there went the college fund!) We dash home, try to whip up dinner and we're back out again for Wednesday Night Church activities. This is currently our only weeknight obligation, but girl and boy scouts will move into the routine pretty quickly here.

So- what did we make for dinner with only an hour between appointments? Well, you can bet eating out definitely crossed my mind- but we eat out more than we should already. I wasn't in the mood for ultra whole grain healthy, but I didn't want to waste a whole meal on junk either.

The compromise: Turkey Burgers. Add on plenty of colored vegetables, be sure to include a healthy side of vegetables and fruit, and try to reach for whole grain buns.

We blasted through the store, got a mango and fresh green beans, some wheat buns, a jar of peppers and ran home. Here's the recipe: Enjoy!!

Turkey Burgers w/ Mango and Red Pepper

Source: Inspired from an overpriced veggie burger @ Gourmet Burger Co.

Cook Time: 20 min

4 frozen ground turkey patties (freezer to grill- no defrosting required)

1 jar fire roasted red peppers

1 ripe mango

1 packet Wholly Guacamole

1/4 cup Mayonnaise

1/8 tsp Chili Powder

1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp fresh lime juice

chopped cilantro (optional)

4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Light grill to medium high. Once warm, put turkey patties on the grill. Place red peppers on the second rack, if you've got one (otherwise, heat these up when you flip the burgers). Grill turkey patties as you would any hamburger.

Peel the mango and slice into large slices. Make the spicy mayo by mixing the mayo, chili powder, cayenne, and lime juice (you can also add chopped cilantro).

To assemble: Spread spicy mayo on both sides of the bun, followed by a spoonful of Wholly Guacamole, then add turkey patty, next layer the mango and red pepper.

Green Beans w/ Lemon Herb Butter

Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker

Cook Time: 15 min

1 lb fresh green beans

3 Tbsp butter

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp dried marjoram leaves

1/4 tsp salt

Steam the green beans as usual. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted. Immediately remove from heat. Stir in lemon peel, marjoram and salt. Pour over beans; toss to coat.

Brown Rice Soup with Asparagus

Source: The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil, M.D. and Rosie Daley

Cook Time: About an hour

3/4 cup brown rice

1/4 cup wild rice

2 tsp salt or to taste

1 bunch asparagus

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 celery stalks, chopped fine (about 2/3 cup)

1/2 onion, chopped fine (about 1/3 cup)

1 small carrot, chopped fine (about 1/3 cup)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

6 cups vegetable stock

2 Tbsp minced scallions

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp natural soy sauce (such as tamari)

1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Garnish:

Parsley Sprigs

Put the rice with the salt in 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the rise is tender and the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.

Trim the tough ends off the asparagus stalks and discard. Steam the asparagus until tender yet crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain it in a colander, then rinse under cold water. Let the asparagus cool for a few minutes. When completely cooled, cut into 1-inch peices, reserving 1/4 cup of tips for garnish.

Meanwhile, coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and thyme. Cover and cook over low heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the vegetable stock and cooked rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let cool a bit.

Carefully transfer small batches to a blender and blend until smooth. Return all the blended mixture to a pot. Stir in the asparagus, scallions, parsley, soy sauce, pepper sauce, and ground pepper. Return to a simmer for 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved asparagus tips and parsley sprigs.

Serves 8

108 Calories per serving

2.3 G Fat

.3 G Saturated fat

My notes: I steamed the brown and wild rice together in the steamer to save some time while I did some other things earlier in the afternoon. I don't recommend using brown Minute Rice, however, you want that nutritious husk left on the the grain. I also omitted the pepper sauce because of all the little ones who would be eating with us. We managed to get our pickier two to eat it, which was a huge accomplishment, given the runny oatmeal texture. Overall, it was a very hearty soup, which I served with a tomato salad and french bread with fresh garlic. It stood up well in the lunchbox and was even better the next day- as most soups are.

Linguini with Tomato/Olive Sauce

Source: William Sonoma Catalog (a loooong time ago)

Prep Time: 45 minutes (including marinade time)

3 1/2 cups seeded plum tomatoes

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

1/4 cup diced yellow pepper

1/2 + 2 tsp slivered basil

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt + fresh pepper

1 pound linguine (I used Central Market whole wheat pasta, and everyone loved it)

8 oz Mozzarella (1/2 inch cubes)

Freshly Grated Parmesan

Combine tomatoes, garlic, peppers, basil, olives, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will smell fantastic!

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Cook linguine.

Mix together noodles and pepper mix. Garnish with basil, mozzarella and parmesan.

Awesome Strawberry Smoothie

As an occasional replacement for breakfast or dessert, I have been making these Strawberry Banana Smoothies. Let me walk you down my trail of inspiration: at Starbucks (of course, where else?) they are featuring these Vivanno Strawberry Banana Smoothies with protein and fiber. They cost $3.87. In an attempt to have this wonderful food available without the trek to SBUX, I have made an extremely close replica. Here's the recipe: enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2 medium size smoothies

Pour into blender:

1 cup crushed ice

1/2 cup milk (your preference)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup Whey Protein Powder- Vanilla (We use TwinLab brand)

1 Tbsp Amazing Grass Green SuperFood drink powder (available @ Wild Oats/Sun Harvest)

1/2 cup frozen strawberries (unsweetened)

1 banana

Blend on High until smooth. If it's having trouble moving, add a splash of O.J. If it still cant move, give it a stir and add a little more milk. Alternate until you reach the consistency you want. (Sorry I didn't measure the exact amount of liquid- it all depends on your blender and desired texture).

Enjoy your protein & fiber kick! It's filling, and my kids LOVE it! My husband loved these, especially since I stole all his health powders to make something that didn't taste like a health drink.

Leftovers for lunch

So, if you made the black bean/brown rice dish, you may have something or other leftover. Yesterday, I had some of everything in the fridge, so I made a salad. Actually, I tried to make a salad. The package of spring lettuce was a little slimy and stinky, so it went over the fence to the rabbits. But, I did have everything else to make a salad, so I used my brown rice instead of lettuce, and it was awesome!

Brown Rice Salad

1 cup brown rice

1/4 red pepper, chopped

1/4 avacado, chopped

1 small tomato, diced

2 Tbsp natural pumpkin seeds (shells removed)

1/4 cup garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas)

Homemade italian dressing

Mix all together, and drizzle the dressing over the top.

I found this to be far more filling and satisfying than a regular salad (probably because of my insane carb addiction!). This could definitely make my lunch box during the week if I separate the dressing. (Hmmm- shopping opportunity- I need one of those tiny little plastic dressing bottles...)

Black Beans and Rice

Source: Kelly Minter "No Other Gods"

Prep/Cook Time: 1 hour

Preheat Oven to: 325*

4 cans Black Beans

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 Yellow Onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

2 cups brown rice

2 avacados

salsa

sour cream

1 bag Tostitos Scoops

Prepare brown rice according to package instructions.

Heat black beans (without draining) in a pot over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Warm olive oil in a saute pan, add onion, cilantro, and garlic and saute until onions are soft.

After the beans have heated for 20 minutes, stir in the sauteed ingredients.

Add bean mixture to a 13x9 pan and add 2/3 of the shredded cheese on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes @ 325*.

Serve black bean entree over the brown rice, serve with chips. Use avacado, salsa, remaining shredded cheese and sour cream as topping.

Enjoy!!