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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

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

 

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.

Southwest Hummus

Beans are so important to our health that we should  Eat More Beans. Hummus/bean dips are a delicious way to do this. I use them instead of mayo as a sandwich spread, or in wraps with leftover grains and spinach (or other greens).

Roasted bell peppers make this one of my favorite bean spreads. Garbanzo and tahini are staples in our house. When bell peppers are not in season, I use store-bought roasted red peppers (read ingredient label to ensure there’s no sugar or unnecessary addivites).

This a quick appetizer to put together for impromput dinner with friends, or to take as a contribution for dinner at someone else’s home.

Garbanzo beans have been used to treat blood pressure for thousands of years and can lower cholesterol levels. So let’s have Hummus for a Healthy Heart

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

Recipes

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

 

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.

Southwest Hummus

Beans are so important to our health that we should  Eat More Beans. Hummus/bean dips are a delicious way to do this. I use them instead of mayo as a sandwich spread, or in wraps with leftover grains and spinach (or other greens).

Roasted bell peppers make this one of my favorite bean spreads. Garbanzo and tahini are staples in our house. When bell peppers are not in season, I use store-bought roasted red peppers (read ingredient label to ensure there’s no sugar or unnecessary addivites).

This a quick appetizer to put together for impromput dinner with friends, or to take as a contribution for dinner at someone else’s home.

Garbanzo beans have been used to treat blood pressure for thousands of years and can lower cholesterol levels. So let’s have Hummus for a Healthy Heart

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