WIAW #14- More Food and BREAKFAST RUTS

As you know from my past experiences, it can get tricky to capture every meal Tuesday to make this Wednesday post. So I decided to try something different this week... I've compiled a few pictured from meals throughout my week (not just yesterday) to share with you all!

I like this format a bit better, so let me know what you guys think of it. It is similar to The Lean Green Bean's "Weekly Eats" post.

Breakfasts:

Above: Peanut butter with an apple and a hard boiled egg
Below: Peanut butter and 1/2 an apple, with a TBSP of homemade hummus and carrots. Also a slice of Pumpkin Walnut Oatmeal Bread with the butta'. 

I have a confession. I am IN A BREAKFAST RUT.
Don't get me wrong, I love my peanut butter and everything... I just think things are getting boring. The same basic things over and over again... any suggestions on recipes?

Lunch:

Vegetarian Chipotle bowl with brown rice, black beans, TONS of fajita veggies. corn, pico, and lettuce. I tossed some Tabasco sauce on there too. Talk about sodium overload. But I only go here every other week or so... so it is alright! 

I am bad at lunches. Really, when it comes to taking pictures, I FAIL at this meal.

Here's a picture of a lunch from the weekend, CHIPOTLE! One of the few restaurants I like going to. I cook 99% of my meals at home... Chipotle is the occasional treat, as they are a restaurant that I trust and appreciate. I really love their recent pledge to go GMO free, plus they cook everything FRESH right there. Ingredients are also bought locally when possible, and meat and dairy is hormone free!

Other lunches included dinner leftovers, some pictured below.

Dinner:

Top: Baked Acorn Squash stuffed with sauteed brussle sprouts, plus a bell pepper stuffed with turkey meat. 

Middle: ALL HAIL LEFTOVERS! This was so easy and so good. I tossed an acorn squash in the oven (can you tell I like me some winter squash?), stuffed it with leftover beans. The beans were a mix of pinto and great northern, with some summer squash and other veggies sauteed in there. Similar to my lentil recipe. 

Bottom: A new chicken recipe... done in the crockpot! So tasty, simple, and the tomato paste used makes it SWEET. Recipe to come soon! 

How do you guys like this new way of WIAW?

What have you been eating?

Natalie

Squashy Chicks... Just read the recipe!

If you have read my posts before, you are probably aware that I am not exactly a huge meat eater. Not saying that eating meat is bad, just that my system feels ran down and sluggish when I eat animal products.
That being said, I seriously LOVE legumes. Lentils, pinto beans, black beans... they are by FAR my favorite source of protein.

Growing up in the south, both I and past generations were raised on having a big pot of pinto's with some corn bread for dinner a few nights a week. I still enjoy having a bowl of plain beans, with nothing else in the mixture... however, I do frequently take the time to be creative and try to break out of the down home cookin', plain East Texas suppers. ;)

Here is where this recipe came in... I've read lentil recipes that call for vegetables, and usually vegan chiles and soups call for beans with the accompany of fruits and/ or veggies. So why not create a little version of my own?

You'll get the title once you read the ingredients... no baby chicks were squashed in the making of this meal!

Squashy Chicks
Yields 5 servings 

1 large zucchini squash
1 large pattypan squash (or other soft squash)
1 cup kale, chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (I used orange)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 lb dry chickpeas
3 bay leafs
1 TBSP chile powder
1/2 TBSP cumin powder
1 TSP black pepper
1/2 small can tomato paste, unsalted

1) QUICK SOAK the chickpeas by bringing them to a boil in regular water for 3 minutes. Turn heat off, cover, and let sit for at least an hour. 

2) Drain the beans, and put them in fresh water that covers them about an inch above. Add your spices, bay leafs, and bring to a low boil. Cover for an hour.

3) Chop up your harder veggies (so not the tomatoes) first, and add to the pot! 

4) Bring the boil up a bit, place in the harder vegetables, and cover for about 20 minutes. 

5) Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste, and stir well. Cover again for another 10 minutes.

6) Make sure all your vegetables are soft, then add your kale and cover again to let steam, about 5 minutes. Stir the mix of beans and vegetables up and enjoy!

This recipe does take a bit of prep work, but overall I found it pretty easy. You could try it with canned chickpeas but I am not sure if it would taste the same.

Try this recipe out, and tell me how you like it!

What are your favorite ways to enjoy beans?

Natalie

Savory Style Lima Beans RECIPE: Vegetarian, Vegan

So for yesterday's What I Ate Wednesday, I posted a picture of my yummy dinner and promised a recipe! Today, my friends, I will give you that recipe. And you better make it, too, darn it. 

I have made this recipe with both Lima beans and Black Eyed Peas. I find each to be just as delicious. The Lima beans obviously give a more creamy texture, and I think this effects the flavor in a beautiful way (is it weird to say something tastes beautiful?) However, the peas are sweet and go perfectly with the other ingredients just as the Limas do!

ER MUH GOWSH, SO TASTY.
Ahem.

The recipe is quiet simple, actually! Especially when you use frozen beans, you do not have to pre soak them and they take much less time to cook.

Savory Style Lima Beans with Cilantro 
Yields 3-4 servings 

1 bag frozen Lima Beans
Large diced tomato
1/2 medium onion, diced (optional)
2-3 medium mushrooms, chopped
1/2 large sweet bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 cups water
1 cup unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
1 TBSP Chile Powder
1 TBSP Onion Flakes
1 TBSP Cumin
1 TSP Garlic Powder
1 TSP Paprika

 1) Place your Lima beans in a pot with the water and stock, and bring to a hard boil. Let it hard boil for about 3 minutes.

2) Reduce boil to a light roll, and add spices.

3) Chop up all your veggies! Add them to the pot, cover, and allow it all to simmer/light boil for about 25 minutes.

4) Once your veggies and beans are soft, add in cilantro and cover again for a few moments to let it wilt. Mix it in with the beans, and enjoy! 

I think this dish is perfect for the summer and winter months alike. Either eat a larger portion and call it a meal in itself, or have it as a side with meats and veggies. 

What are your favorite kinds of beans?

How do you prepare them?

Natalie