Posts

4 Anytime Dips and Spreads

These beautiful, delicious, nutritious dips are rich in brain essential nutrients: minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals and fiber oh my!
Make a weekly batch through the holiday season to use as an
appetizer or side dish for holiday meals, for an easy nourishing lunch or yummy, healthy snack .

1 Colorful Bean Recipe for 3 Meals

I’m trying something new – integrating a blogpost (about food and health) with a weekly meal plan anchored on a core recipe. I’m still seeking the best way to translate my  meal planning and our daily eating into this blog to make it easier for you to make nutrient-dense homemade meals.

It was a revelation to learn how critical fiber is  for our  brain health, heart health – overall health.

  • It helps us absorb nutrients from food, boosting our immunity
  • It takes toxins and waste out of our bodies, reducing inflammation and risk of cancer
  • Helps regulate blood sugar, reducing the risk of type II diabeletes

So how do we get more fiber? Eat more beans; they are one of the richest sources of dietary fiber.  And they have powerful combinations of vitamins and phytochemicals.

So how to eat more beans in a week? I anchored my meals this week on a double batch of Southwest Black Beans.

Sunday

Pork Tenderloin

CMF Brown Rice

Made a double batch of rice; put away half to use later in the week. To the remaining half, I added 1 cup of peas and 1/3 cup chopped cilantro to the rice

Spinach Peach Salad

The recipe calls for citrus, but can replace with peach, nectarine, pear or mango

Monday

Southwest Black Beans over greens tossed with lime vinaigrette, served with avocado toast topped with toasted sunflower seeds

 

Tuesday

Fish Tacos

Roast fish fillets (brush with olive oil, top with lemon slices and broil in pre-heated oven for 10 – 15 minutes until begins to flake)

In a tortilla place greens, bean salad, fish, topped with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and pico de gallo or chopped jalapenos

Spinach Salad with Avocado and Tomato tossed with CMF Basic Salad Dressing

Wednesday

Soba Noodles with Mushroom and Cabbage, topped with leftover pork tenderloin,  thinly sliced (I used kale instead of cabbage)

Thursday

A “meal salad” tossing black bean salad with leftover brown rice and greens (I used a blend of baby kale and spinach), topped with feta cheese

 

What do you think? Is this a meal plan that you could use?

 

More Recipes Using Beans

Food Revolution Network: 12 Recipes using beans

White Bean and Kale Stew

I may be a little obsessed with nutrient-dense foods and repeating over and over again how greens, beans and onions are an immune-boosting power cocktail, but putting aside repetition, this soup is flavorful and sticks to the ribs.

Variations:

  • Add other vegetables (bell pepper, a turnip, maybe a cup of chopped broccoli or cauliflower) depending on what is in my refrigerator
  • Garbanzo beans or kidney beans if that was on hand
  • Add sausage (cook with the chopped onions)
  • Add leftover cooked chicken when adding the kale
  • Use other greens (spinach, swiss chard) instead of kale

Turkey Sausage and Garbanzo Soup

Easy to make, simple and delicious this soup is protein-rich and light in carbs.

The original recipe is spicy but because of my daughter, rather than including the jalapeno in the soup itself, I chop it up put on top with the avocado and chopped cilantro when serving.

Variations:

  • Instead of turkey sausage, use Italian sausage or Mexican chorizo
  • Instead of garbanzo, use white beans (or any other beans)
  • Add one or two chopped carrots
  • Add 1 chopped bell pepper (any color)
  • Add one potato, chopped smalle  so it doesn’t prolong  cooking time
  • The last 5 minutes, add spinach, kale or other chopped greens (swiss chard, mustard greens)

4 Delicious, Nutritious Chili

I love the versatility of chili – turkey, bison, beef or vegan, beans or no beans, onions and tomatoes or lots of veggies. It’s a nutrient-dense, one-pot meal just about everyone likes. Here are my favorite recipes.

Mushroom Barley Soup

More than a soup, this is a meal in itself—flavorful, filling, and nutrient-dense.

Mushrooms contain many disease fighting compounds.  Mushrooms and greens (spinach, kale, etc) together makes a powerful immune booster combination

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Joel Fuhrman, MD” source_title=”Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body’s Natural Defenses” full_quote=”Mushrooms contain many unusual disease-fighting compounds that are just beginning to be understood. These immune-supporting ingredients empower the body to react quickly and powerfully when we are exposed to disease-causing pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. Mushroom phytochemicals may even be helpful for autoimmune-diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus because of their anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects.” short_quote=”Mushrooms contain many unusual disease-fighting compounds”]

The aroma of mushrooms and onions, the comfort of a pot simmering with healthy goodness on the stove, cupping my cold hands around a hot bowl and savoring the hearty soup with its chewy barley and harmony of vegetables…this is one of my favorite winter meals.

Variations:

  • Leeks instead of onions
  • Add 1 cup white beans, cooked or canned
  • Add 2 cups spinach or chopped kale
  • Add 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs before serving (basil, dill, cilantro are some of my favorites
  • Add 8 oz jar of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Serve it with a nutrient-dense leafy green salad like Kale, Apple and Cranberry Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

Southwest Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad

There are recipes that stand the test of time. I’ve been making this one for more years that I can remember; it’s so versatile, delicious and nutritious.  Fiber-rich beans are a superfood;  tossed here with bell peppers, red onion and cilantro and this dish bursts with flavor and phytonutrients that boost our health.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”left” source_author=”Steven Pratt MD and Kathy Matthews” source_title=”SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life” full_quote=”Beans are a superb heart-healthy food. A study conducted over nineteen years following 9,632 men and women found those who ate beans at least four times a week had a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease compared with those who consumed beans less than once a week. Those who ate beans most frequently also had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol and were less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes” short_quote=”Beans are a superb heart-healthy food.Those who ate beans most frequently had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol.”]

Variations

  • Use any color bell peppers, or poblano peppers
  • Add 1 cup corn
  • Add 1 or 2 diced avocados
  • Use cilantro instead of parsley
  • Use other dried fruit instead of dates

This recipe can be used so many different ways. It’s a great one to  double and use differently throughout the week.

  1. Vegetarian dinner for guests, served over a bed of brown rice, with chopped cilantro scattered decoratively on top and accompanied by a green salad tossed with mango, nectarines or other summer fruit. For dessert Peach and Blackberry Crisp or Epicurious: Plum Kuchen
  2. As a side dish with grilled chicken and Watermelon Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
  3. Toss leftovers with greens (spinach, kale, arugula) for lunch
  4. Toss leftovers with grains (quinoa, brown rice, barley) for a second dinner
  5. Make a wrap or pita sandwich with guacamole, or feta cheese, or a dollop of pain Greek yogurt and a handful of greens

 

Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Salad

Oh la la the contrasts in this dish: color, texture, sweet and spicy. Now here’s a potato salad I love!

Add the black beans and it’s robust and filling enough to be a main entree.

I serve it at room temperature. You can make it a day ahead. If so (the dressing gets absorbed over night), mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and toss again before serving.

It’s very popular at our summer dinner parties. I like to serve it with pork tenderloin (grilled or roasted), a quinoa pilaf and a green salad. Vegetarians/vegans can skip the pork and still have a well-balanced, delicious meal.

It also pairs well with grilled chicken.

Sweet potatoes are rich in cartenoids, orange, yellow or red-colored fat soluble compounds that protect plants from sun damage while they help them attract birds and bees for pollination. Cartenoids help protect us from free radicals, modulate our immune response, enhance cell-to-cell communication and play a major role in protecting the skin and eyes from damaging effects of ultraviolet light. Foods rich in cartenoids have been linked to a host of health-promoting and disease-fighting activities. They have been shown to decrease the risk of various cancers, including lung, colon, bladder, cervical, breast and skin.
Superfoods RX: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life, Steven Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews

 

Southwest Hummus Wraps

For a delicious lunch or light supper, spread this Southwest Hummus , enriched by red bell pepper and cilantro, on a wrap or into a pita bread, add black beans, avocado and spinach for a healthy, delicious quick lunch or light supper. For an extra-kick add some chopped jalapeño, locoto or serrano.

Cumin Quinoa and Garbanzo

I like the combination of rice and quinoa, and this dish can be more interesting using wild rice or red quinoa if it is available. But for quicker cooking on a busy night, you can use a single grain (either brown rice or quinoa). You can also make this with another grain such as barley (but increase the water to 3 cups for 1 cup of barley)

Recipes

White Bean and Kale Stew

I may be a little obsessed with nutrient-dense foods and repeating over and over again how greens, beans and onions are an immune-boosting power cocktail, but putting aside repetition, this soup is flavorful and sticks to the ribs.

Variations:

  • Add other vegetables (bell pepper, a turnip, maybe a cup of chopped broccoli or cauliflower) depending on what is in my refrigerator
  • Garbanzo beans or kidney beans if that was on hand
  • Add sausage (cook with the chopped onions)
  • Add leftover cooked chicken when adding the kale
  • Use other greens (spinach, swiss chard) instead of kale

Turkey Sausage and Garbanzo Soup

Easy to make, simple and delicious this soup is protein-rich and light in carbs.

The original recipe is spicy but because of my daughter, rather than including the jalapeno in the soup itself, I chop it up put on top with the avocado and chopped cilantro when serving.

Variations:

  • Instead of turkey sausage, use Italian sausage or Mexican chorizo
  • Instead of garbanzo, use white beans (or any other beans)
  • Add one or two chopped carrots
  • Add 1 chopped bell pepper (any color)
  • Add one potato, chopped smalle  so it doesn’t prolong  cooking time
  • The last 5 minutes, add spinach, kale or other chopped greens (swiss chard, mustard greens)

Mushroom Barley Soup

More than a soup, this is a meal in itself—flavorful, filling, and nutrient-dense.

Mushrooms contain many disease fighting compounds.  Mushrooms and greens (spinach, kale, etc) together makes a powerful immune booster combination

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”full” source_author=”Joel Fuhrman, MD” source_title=”Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body’s Natural Defenses” full_quote=”Mushrooms contain many unusual disease-fighting compounds that are just beginning to be understood. These immune-supporting ingredients empower the body to react quickly and powerfully when we are exposed to disease-causing pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. Mushroom phytochemicals may even be helpful for autoimmune-diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus because of their anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects.” short_quote=”Mushrooms contain many unusual disease-fighting compounds”]

The aroma of mushrooms and onions, the comfort of a pot simmering with healthy goodness on the stove, cupping my cold hands around a hot bowl and savoring the hearty soup with its chewy barley and harmony of vegetables…this is one of my favorite winter meals.

Variations:

  • Leeks instead of onions
  • Add 1 cup white beans, cooked or canned
  • Add 2 cups spinach or chopped kale
  • Add 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs before serving (basil, dill, cilantro are some of my favorites
  • Add 8 oz jar of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Serve it with a nutrient-dense leafy green salad like Kale, Apple and Cranberry Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

Southwest Black Bean and Bell Pepper Salad

There are recipes that stand the test of time. I’ve been making this one for more years that I can remember; it’s so versatile, delicious and nutritious.  Fiber-rich beans are a superfood;  tossed here with bell peppers, red onion and cilantro and this dish bursts with flavor and phytonutrients that boost our health.

[su_expanding_quote_book alignment=”left” source_author=”Steven Pratt MD and Kathy Matthews” source_title=”SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life” full_quote=”Beans are a superb heart-healthy food. A study conducted over nineteen years following 9,632 men and women found those who ate beans at least four times a week had a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease compared with those who consumed beans less than once a week. Those who ate beans most frequently also had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol and were less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes” short_quote=”Beans are a superb heart-healthy food.Those who ate beans most frequently had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol.”]

Variations

  • Use any color bell peppers, or poblano peppers
  • Add 1 cup corn
  • Add 1 or 2 diced avocados
  • Use cilantro instead of parsley
  • Use other dried fruit instead of dates

This recipe can be used so many different ways. It’s a great one to  double and use differently throughout the week.

  1. Vegetarian dinner for guests, served over a bed of brown rice, with chopped cilantro scattered decoratively on top and accompanied by a green salad tossed with mango, nectarines or other summer fruit. For dessert Peach and Blackberry Crisp or Epicurious: Plum Kuchen
  2. As a side dish with grilled chicken and Watermelon Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
  3. Toss leftovers with greens (spinach, kale, arugula) for lunch
  4. Toss leftovers with grains (quinoa, brown rice, barley) for a second dinner
  5. Make a wrap or pita sandwich with guacamole, or feta cheese, or a dollop of pain Greek yogurt and a handful of greens

 

Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Salad

Oh la la the contrasts in this dish: color, texture, sweet and spicy. Now here’s a potato salad I love!

Add the black beans and it’s robust and filling enough to be a main entree.

I serve it at room temperature. You can make it a day ahead. If so (the dressing gets absorbed over night), mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and toss again before serving.

It’s very popular at our summer dinner parties. I like to serve it with pork tenderloin (grilled or roasted), a quinoa pilaf and a green salad. Vegetarians/vegans can skip the pork and still have a well-balanced, delicious meal.

It also pairs well with grilled chicken.

Sweet potatoes are rich in cartenoids, orange, yellow or red-colored fat soluble compounds that protect plants from sun damage while they help them attract birds and bees for pollination. Cartenoids help protect us from free radicals, modulate our immune response, enhance cell-to-cell communication and play a major role in protecting the skin and eyes from damaging effects of ultraviolet light. Foods rich in cartenoids have been linked to a host of health-promoting and disease-fighting activities. They have been shown to decrease the risk of various cancers, including lung, colon, bladder, cervical, breast and skin.
Superfoods RX: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life, Steven Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews

 

Southwest Hummus Wraps

For a delicious lunch or light supper, spread this Southwest Hummus , enriched by red bell pepper and cilantro, on a wrap or into a pita bread, add black beans, avocado and spinach for a healthy, delicious quick lunch or light supper. For an extra-kick add some chopped jalapeño, locoto or serrano.

Cumin Quinoa and Garbanzo

I like the combination of rice and quinoa, and this dish can be more interesting using wild rice or red quinoa if it is available. But for quicker cooking on a busy night, you can use a single grain (either brown rice or quinoa). You can also make this with another grain such as barley (but increase the water to 3 cups for 1 cup of barley)

Coconut Red Lentil Curry

Red lentils are made from whole yellow lentils that are peeled and split in half, exposing the red color under their outer seed coat which makes them cook quickly.

This dish comes together easily and leaves bellies full and happy.
If cooking for children or those who don’t enjoy spicy food, leave the Serrano/jalapeño peppers out of the pot; serve them on the side so people can add them as desired.

I serve it over brown rice; start cooking the rice first as it takes longer than the curry.

Variations:

  • Use green or brown lentils instead of red; add 10 minutes cooking time
  • Replace cauliflower with broccoli, zucchini with butternut squash, or bell peppers
  • Use parsley instead of cilantro

Greens and Edamame Salad

I love this salad for the hint of mint, the freshness of the greens and edamame; the blend of flavors is truly lovely. And it is also nutrient-rich, greens and beans are health-promoting superfoods.

The original recipe calls for escarole, a form of endive. Endive tends to be bitter, and it’ not always available so I usually make this salad with a blend of spinach and baby kale, or finely sliced lacinto kale.
Sometimes, to give it color, I add finely sliced raddichio to the green mix.

This salad can become a delicious entrée tossed with whole-wheat pasta (I like penne or elbow pasta for this) or leftover cooked quinoa.

To make it vegan, replace toasted sunflower seeds for the shredded Parmesan.