Pinto Bean and Hominy Salad

Tags

gluten free, healthy, hominy, pinto beans, protein, salad, side dish, vegetarian

The holidays are just around the corner and I am sure that at least 75% of people have already thought about the possibility of gaining that extra holiday weight. Who can resist all the deliciousness? Rather than deprive myself, I am trying to eat really healthy beforehand.

This recipe is full of fiber and protein to help you stay fuller longer. It’s cheap to make and delicious. You could serve it as a side dish or as a vegetarian main course.

Pinto Bean and Hominy Salad (from The Homesick Texan)

• 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can hominy, drained
• 1/2 sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup cilantro, roughtly chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded, and diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, add the pinto beans, hominy, onion, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and peppers. Toss to combined.

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and smoked paprika. Pour over the salad and stir. Add the feta cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

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Tapas Week Part 2: Crispy Spicy Black Eyed Peas

Tags

black eyed peas, gluten free, healthy, protein, salty, snacks, Southern, tapas, vegetarian

When I have a food craving, it’s usually for crunchy saltiness. I usually don’t want potato chips, just because they are so bad for you. These little babies meet my needs. And they have a little boost of protein that keeps you from getting hungry. I love that you could use nearly any flavor combination with them. Next time I am thinking something curry… What flavor combo would you use?

Crispy Spicy Black Eyed Peas (from Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide)

• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Old Bay
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• sea salt to taste (it takes quite a bit)
• white pepper to taste
• black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse beans removing any stones or dirt. Cover with water simmer for 15-20 minutes. They should still have a little bite in them. Drain beans. In a bowl, combine the peas, oil, spices, salt and pepper. Stir gently to coat. Pour beans onto the baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 1 hour or until the sound like popcorn kernels rolling around on the tray. Let cool. Store in airtight container.

Pan Bagnat

Tags

food, french, lunch, overnight, pan bagnat, protein, quick, sandwich, tuna

I love tuna because it is such a quick source of protein. I eat it a lot and am always on the lookout for new ways to try it, other than the usual tuna salad. This recipe is fantastic! I made it the night before my work week. It was super convenient just to grab a sandwich and go. The flavors complimented each other amazingly. I definitely will be making this again soon!

Pan Bagnat (a variation of a recipe from Food52)

• 1/2 loaf crusty French baguette
• 1 clove garlic, cut in half
• 4-6 basil leaves
• 1(6oz) can tuna (I used the pouch kind because it’s drier)
• 3/4 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
• 1/2 small vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Remove some of the insides of the bottom half to create a trough into which the filling will go. Brush both halves with a little extra virgin olive oil. Rub each with the garlic. Line the half with the trough with the basil leaves.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna, olives, red bell pepper, onion, parsley, and artichoke hearts. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil until well combined. Pour the vinaigrette into the tuna mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Spoon tuna mixture into the trough of the baguette over the basil leaves. Wrap sandwich well in plastic. Crush it down by placing a brick or heavy cast iron skillet and refrigerate, preferably with the weight, overnight.

Granola

Tags

food, fruit, grains, granola, natural, protein, snacks

Every one loves granola. Plain, as cereal, on yogurt. There are endless combinations of fruits, nuts, and chocolates. Unfortunately good granola is expensive. And hard to find. Many granolas are just packed full of sugar with little other nutritional value. When I purchase granola, I usually pick Kashi’s GoLean Crunch, which has 9 grams of protein per serving. It makes a pretty good snack, especially if you pair it with a protein rich yogurt.

I specifically didn’t want my homemade granola to have a lot of artificial ingredients.  I chose as many non-processed things as possible, including non-sweetened coconut. I wanted to sweetness of the granola to come from the honey and brown sugar, though you could omit the sugar and just use honey if you like. Another sweetener idea might be molasses. Hmmmm…. anyway, let me know what awesome granola combinations you prefer.

Granola (loosely based on Ina Garten’s Homemade Granola)

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup of sliced almonds (I didn’t have slices so I blitzed some whole ones in the food processor a bit)
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup non-salted pepitas
• 1/2 cup quartered dried apricots
• 1/2 cup dried sour cherries
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup cashew pieces

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine the oats, coconut, and almonds. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, vanilla, and sugar. Pour the liquid over the oat mix and stir until they are well coated. On a parchment covered cookie sheet, spread the oat mixture into a thin layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until the coconut starts to toast. Every 10 minutes, stir and re-spread the granola. Cool the oats to room temperature. Gently break apart into bite sized pieces. Stir in the fruit and nuts. Makes about 5 cups.