This recipe was sent to me by a friend and I was pleasantly surprised by these little bites. I knew the peanut butter and chocolate chips would be delicious but I wasn’t sure about the addition of beans. The beans add creaminess, texture and of course, essential nutrients and fiber but thankfully you can’t detect…
Category: Legumes (beans and lentils)
Curried Baked Beans with Pita and Yogurt
For a healthier 2018, add more beans to your plate, 2 cups per week to be exact. Beans are inexpensive, easy to prepare, extremely versatile, and are waiting in your pantry for a quickly assembled weeknight meal. No excuses. If your concerned about the unwanted gassy side effect of eating beans, start slowly, allowing your…
Moroccan Lentil Stew
Once cold weather arrives, soups and stews are on my weekly menu. I was looking through some old recipes and found this delicious vegetarian stew, seasoned with cumin, coriander and garlic. It will definitely be added to my winter line-up. This stew is thick and rich, full of warm, fragrant spices with a heartiness that…
Eggplant “Meat”balls over Zucchini Noodles
Meatballs are a perfect little package of protein but not all meatballs have to be “meat”balls. For a vegetarian twist, swap the meat for lentils, mushrooms, bulgur or as in this recipe, eggplant. Eggplant has a texture that works well as a meat substitute and the addition of beans helps to boost the fiber and…
Curried Chickpea Pita Pockets
Sandwiches can be fast, easy and excellent for “on-the-go” meals but not all sandwiches are created equal. Using whole grain pita bread and filling the pockets with delicious, plant-forward ingredients is a satisfying, “better for you meal” with very little fuss.
Award Winning Turkey Chili
My husband and I make this chili when we are hosting big gatherings. It serves a crowd but it also freezes well so don’t be intimidated by the quantity it makes. We’ve entered this chili in several chili cook-offs and not to brag, but it has won its share of ribbons. That says a lot…
The Basics of Cooking with Beans
My new cooking goal is to master the craft of cooking dried beans. This should be simple but my past experience resulted in soft, mushy or mealy beans but then I stumbled upon the website, Rancho Gordo. It inspired me to start cooking dried beans and to stop opening a can. Rancho Gordo beans are beautiful,…
Mediterranean Cranberry Bean Dip
Getting a little tired of hummus? I know I am so here’s a solution. Bean dips. By using any variety of beans and seasonings, you can create an endless array of dips and spreads. I used cranberry beans in this recipe (thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for sending me samples to try) but any cooked or…
Deliciously Fast Tuna and Bean Salad
This month’s Recipe Redux theme is to make a recipe that uses staples from my refrigerator and pantry. I can pull this delicious tuna and bean salad together in a few minutes using simple ingredients that I always have on hand; canned tuna fish, beans, olive oil and vinegar, chopped onions and Dijon mustard. Like…
Lentil Quinoa Burgers
It’s the end of the week and I have leftover quinoa and a can of lentils so I thought I would make “burgers”. They are so simple to make, just combine the quinoa and lentils with a few spices, minced onion and eggs. Instead of bread crumbs, I processed oatmeal in a food processor and…
Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
Chili is one of my favorite one pot meals. It feeds a crowd and there’s an endless selection of recipes to choose from. I typically make a turkey chili (I’ll post the recipe in a later post) but whenever I come across a vegetarian option, I have to give it a try. I like this…
Friday Night Nachos
Here’s an idea for a quick, end of the week meal. Leftovers in the fridge come together to create a “better for you than ordering out” nacho dinner. I used leftover roasted chicken, half a can of whole tomatoes, a package of mushrooms, black beans, chili spices and frozen edamame. Served it with whole grain…