Black Bean Soup (With all the Fixin's)

First off, I want to apologize for the lack of posts lately. My computer has been practically unusable and I've been trying to figure out what the issue is. Unfortunately, my technical issues are happening just as my prenatal and chiropractic appointments are moving to every week and Z appears to be dropping his one nap.

Now.

When I'm 9 months pregnant.

:Facepalm:

Silver lining though - as a result of my "I'm too pregnant to feel like doing anything but not pregnant enough to be nesting yet" state, I've been trying to think of super easy but healthy meals. This week I whipped up a simple but delicious black bean soup with all the fixin's. You seriously won't believe how easy this is to put together. It would make the perfect side dish to a Mexican or Southwestern meal, or you can add some rice to make it entree material.  I'll get a proper photo up once my technical issues are resolved!

Monday Meal Plan: Turkey, Pear and Brie Flatbreads

Have you ever had a week that went from normal-crazy, to crazy-crazy, to crazy-insane? That's how this week felt for me.  I won't bore you with the details - but the main event was Z coming down with what we think was scarlet fever. Yeah, it's been real, and it's been fun - but it hasn't been real fun. He's finally feeling much better and I spent most of the day trying to get the house back in order. As a result, we are keeping our meal plan even more simple than usual this week.

Tapas night is something we have come to love and is inspired by Hubs spending part of his childhood in Spain. This week tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and herbs are on sale - caprese it is!

The Healthy Taco Salad recipe is here and the Turkey, Pear and Brie Flatbread recipe is below!

Monday Meal Plan: Tuscan Bean Soup

So ...

I had a severe case of pregnancy brain this past week.  despite 3 trips to the grocery store within 2 days I somehow still managed to forget ingredients that I needed for last week's meal plan.  As a result, we ended up ordering pizza one night and the tikka masala I had planed was pushed to this week. 

Oh well.

The meal plan for this week includes: 

Tuscan Bean Soup

1 Simple Tip for an AWESOME Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Happy National Grilled Cheese Sandwich day!  For me, there are few things more nostalgic and comforting than a good grilled cheese sandwich. I have fond childhood memories of sitting in the kitchen with my dad and watching with anticipation while he made an ooey-gooey sandwich for us to share.

Today it's an easy go-to that makes life seem just a little less complicated for a few minutes... especially when paired with a nice bowl of tomato soup!

 A few years back I discovered a quick and easy tip for taking America's favorite sandwich to the next level. I'm not talking about "elevating" it with fancier or additional ingredients - just improving on the already delectable classic. As they say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"!

 Ready?

Meal Plan Monday: Weeknight Turkish Manti

Welcome to another Meal Plan Monday!

It's been a good but crazy week.  This whole pregnant-with-a-toddler thing is no joke! Z is just about to turn 2 years old - and, boy, can you tell. Overnight, he wants to do everything himself.  I'm not sure which one of us is learning more patience - him or me!

Looking ahead to next week, we have two nights that will be largely taken up by a worship band rehearsal and then a Good Friday service.  As a result, I'm keeping the menu fairly quick and simple. Each of these meals only takes 30 minutes at most, and making larger batches ensures that we can have a couple of nights off when it comes to making dinner.

As always, this week's menu is based on what's on sale and we plan to make enough to eat each meal at least twice.

I was looking over the sales for this week and I started to get excited. There are deep discounts on ravioli, Greek yogurt, butter, and fresh herbs.

This can only mean one thing - manti is on the menu.

::Steps away from the computer to do a happy dance::

This Turkish pasta dish features the flavors of beef, garlic, paprika, mint, butter, and yogurt.

Yummm ...

Meal Plan Monday: Slow Cooker Irish Stew

Happy Monday everyone!

This week we are going totally vegetarian with our dinner menu, which includes:

Asparagus and Mushroom Couscous with Aunt Ruth's Steak Sauce (recipe to come)

Mexican Baked Potatoes with Chips & Guacamole

Vegetarian Greek Pasta  (recipe to come)

Last week, I made an awesome whole food, slow cooker Irish Stew that's perfect for an easy peasy St. Patrick's Day dinner! After all, the best way to celebrate holidays is with food! Just wait til you see what I have planned for Arbor Day. ;)

Meal Plan Monday: Healthy Taco Salad

Welcome back to Meal Plan Monday!

Now that I can stomach real food again, I have been in a serious cooking mood.  As always, the dinners are based on what's on sale, and what I already have on hand from previous sales.

Last week's menu included:

Tikka Masala with a Minty Pea Salad
   Sidenote: I recently found this salad recipe from BudgetBytes.com and it is so quick and yummy! It was a nice balance for the tikka masala, and it satisfied a serious green pea craving. :)
Healthy Taco Salad
Breakfast for Dinner (Eggs, Turkey Bacon, Biscuits with Butter and Honey)
Greek Meze (Greek Salad, Hummus, Garlic Spread, Pita)

Healthy Taco Salad

We love Mexican food and eat it several times a month. Lately, I've been loving this cheap, simple and healthier variation of taco salad we've developed over the years which involves:

African Peanut Soup

Sorry for the hiatus!  I got a new job couple of weeks ago (a huge answer to lots of prayers) and now that I'm getting a hang of the new "normal", it's time to start blogging again!

West African Peanut Soup ...

I know what you're thinking.  If you've never had a peanut soup before, the idea can be a bit off-putting.  It's not a new idea to me ... I ate peanut soup as a kid when stopped in Williamsburg, VA on vacation.  But that was the very basic American colonial version - not the veggie filled West African version - and this soup was still a little out of my comfort zone when I first tried it.  However, I am SO glad I did!  Despite being completely vegan, this soup is creamy, hearty, and packs some protein without using any meat-substitute products.  Of course, you can always add some chicken to the mix if you like!

I try to plan on having this meal the same week there's another meal with rice.  That way I can add cooked rice at the end, making the cooking time much shorter!
*You may be thinking, "That's some funny looking rice in that photo ..."  You're right.  It's orzo.  I didn't have cooked rice and I got lazy.  :)

To add some green to the meal, I serve this soup with a side of roasted broccoli - YUM!

Easy, Healthy Pomegranate Guacamole

Thinking about taking some chips and guacamole to that party?  Take a good look at the ingredients before you buy a commercial "guacamole dip."  Some of them contain less than 2% avocado!  That's just wrong.   Instead, try whipping up this simple homemade guac with a twist - pomegranate.

Guacamole is super simple to make and the pomegranate seeds add little pops of sweetness and a punch of antioxidants that take this vegan dip to the next level. 

CAUTION: If you are not used to working with pomegranates be careful, the juice will stain very quickly!  Some stores carry pomegranate seeds which will some you some work, so keep your eyes out for those.  

If you want a more traditional guacamole, omit the pomegranate seeds and add some chopped jalapeno for some heat. 

Vegetable Korma

I love Indian food.  And when you're eating vegan, few things are as filling as a creamy vegetable korma over rice.

I prepared the korma with brown rice but I think basmati could be even better. Of course you could always adapt the recipe for carnivores by tossing in some cooked chicken. Also, this recipe is very mild, so feel free to add some heat! :)

I suggest pairing this with some naan (Indian flat-bread).  It's fairly easy to make from scratch, and you can usually find it already prepared in the deli section of the supermarket.

Vegan Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

 Last night I made a vegan mushroom and asparagus risotto.  I hadn't planned on blogging it yet because it was my very first attempt at making a risotto - a dish responsible for the downfall of many competitive cooking show contestants.  It seems like every time someone says they're going to make a risotto on one of those shows, you hear a canned gasp, the camera cuts to a shot of concerned judges and a competitor is shown in an interview saying that that person is insane to attempt making a risotto when the stakes are so high.

I was wondering what I was getting myself into.  Luckily for me, there were no judges - just the hungry hubby.  :)

I have to say, it was really good!  It took a bit more babysitting than most things I make, but the result was worth it.  It had a nice creamy texture despite being dairy free!  That said, I'm sure the addition of some fresh grated parm wouldn't go amiss.

Tip: When trimming asparagus, just bend a stalk and it will naturally snap where it's supposed to!

New Year's Black-eyed Pea Salad

 Happy 2013!  We survived the end of the world (again) and "live to cook another day."  :)
Here's an awesome vegetarian treatment for your New Year's "lucky" black-eyed peas.

I'm generally not one to follow such traditions, but I am one to base a weekly menu around whats on sale... and black-eyed peas are on the menu. I thought this salad would be pretty good... but I was shocked when I sampled it and I tasted BACON. I kid you not, it tastes like there's at least a 1/2 lb. of bacon in this salad!

note: this bowl was filled to the brim when I started "tasting" it.

This is a great make-ahead recipe for family gatherings, showers, parties and potlucks!

Caprese Salad (3 ways!)

A caprese salad is probably the most refreshing, simple, and elegant vegetarian dish I know of.  My husband and I often enjoy it along with pasta, and I frequently have leftover bits that are difficult to transfer to lunch bags... it just becomes too sloppy! 

For this post I've included the classic recipe for a traditional caprese salad, as well as two of my own treatments that make it easier for lunches and even parties or showers!  It could even add some festive color to your Christmas table. 

Tip: Opt for part-skim fresh mozzarella for the lowest fat content and most protein.

Rustic Garlic Spread

What I love about this appetizer is its pure, rustic simplicity and its insane garlicy flavor. 
Baking the garlic results in a milder, slightly sweeter taste and a creamy, spreadable texture that is amazing on crusty bread. Tonight, I decided to slice a small baguette into rounds and toast them up to make little crostinis.

“There are many miracles in the world to be celebrated and, for me, garlic is the most deserving.”
- Leo Buscaglia

To serve, you can either squeeze all the soft garlic out into a small bowl, or you can let everyone pick the garlic cloves off and squeeze the garlic out by hand. (Just be sure to have napkins around!) I personally love the beauty of the whole head of garlic on the plate. 

Enjoy!  (then have a tic-tac)  :)

Mujadara - Lebanese Lentils and Rice

This dish is about the best combination of tasty, economical, and healthy that I have found. I had my first  taste of Mujadara at a Lebanese cafe around the corner, and I immediately loved it. The savory use of cinnamon along with cumin and allspice makes it a perfect vegan and gluten free addition to the Thanksgiving menu - which is nice if you have 3 vegans at the table like we do.  :)  Plus,  it's a wonderful excuse for some yummy caramelized onions. MMMmmmm....  

The combination of lentils and brown rice not only makes a complete protein, but also provides iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese, copper, selenium, and a little calcium.  You can learn more about their combined nutritional powers at Livestrong.com

When served as an entree, I like to pair this with a Greek salad or tabbouleh to add a little freshness to the meal.

* Side note: For some reason, I've found that the flavor changes depending on the temperature it's served at. When warm, the cumin stands out more; and when cold, I get more of the cinnamon.  I think it's equally good hot or cold!

Gallo Pinto - Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice

Gallo Pinto, or "spotted rooster" is the national dish of Costa Rica and my personal favorite variation on black beans and rice, which is common to many cultures. If you want an authentic Tico meal - this is it! I've actually based this recipe on the one used by an older Tica woman who cooks for our mission teams when we visit Costa Rica.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Lizano Salsa and Chayote
What sets the Costa Rican version apart from the others is the chayote (chai-O-te) salsa it's often served with and a Costa Rican condiment called Lizano.

Lizano is a vegan vegetable-based condiment that's a staple the Costa Rican diet. You can order it from several places online, but snoop around your city first! I found some at a local Latin food store for about $5 a bottle! If you're not familiar with chayote, it's an apple-sized, light green squash with a wrinkled seam along the bottom. It kindof looks like it lost it's dentures... or like someone tried to make a Grandpa Pear muppet. :)