Greens and White Beans

I am always looking for new recipes. I hydrated some white beans and found a few recipes that I decided to combine to make a new dish with some of the ingredients I had on hand. 

 

You can use canned beans for this recipe rather than dry beans that you hydrate and prepare. If you use canned beans, make sure to drain the can and rinse the beans.

 Ingredients:

• 4 cups of white beans
• 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 TBSP fennel seeds
• 1/2 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 TBSP thyme
• (optional 1/2 tbsp rosemary too)
• 1/2 onion diced (I used a sweet onion) To add color, add a red onion
  
• 6 garlic cloves crushed and diced
• spinach or chard (I used 1/2 package of fresh baby spinach that I rinsed and patted dry)
  
• olive oil ... just enough so nothing sticks to the pan

Instructions:

• Heat olive oil, garlic, onion, and spices in the pan
• Add greens, beans, and broth
• Stir and allow to simmer (covered) until most liquid is cooked down

 

Serve with a wedge of bread (gluten free for me)

Black Bean Soup

Soup is a comfort food. I enjoy experimenting with soup recipes and finding ways to incorporate soup into the weekly meal routine. This black bean soup is quick to make and will disappear just as quickly. I suggest making a double batch!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 TSP cumin
• 1/2 TSP oregano
• 1/2 TSP paprika
• 1/2 TSP ground pepper
• 1 can tomatoes (I suggest fire roasted or a can with garlic included)
• 3 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
• 4 cups black beans
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 6 garlic cloves (diced)
• Olive Oil ... just enough to sautee aromatics 
  

Instructions:

• Add the onion, garlic, and spices into a pot with olive oil. Satuee until translucent.
• Add tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring to a boil. 
• Reduce heat and cover. 
• Cook for 20 minutes.
• Add an additional cup of broth if the beans soaked up all 3 cups or you prefer a more liquid consistency.
  

SunButter Chocolate Squares

 If you are a fan of Chocolate and Peanut Butter, then you will be a fan of this take on a peanut butter cup.

I found a recipe online and made a few changes.....it is difficult to have just a small piece .... 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cookies ... crushed (I put mine in the Vitamix) I used Enjoy Life gluten free cookies
  
• 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut butter (add a bit more if needed)
  
• 1/8 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup (I used NO SUGAR ADDED) Sun Butter
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Mega Chunks)
  
• 1 TBSP coconut butter
• 1 TBSP Sun Butter

 

Instructions:

1. Combine cookie crumbs, melted butter, and Sun Butter. Add to a square baking dish lined with parchment or sprayed wth a bit of oil so the treat does not stick
2. Refrigerate for a few minutes while you melt the chocolate
   
3. Melt the chocolate chips with 1 TBSP coconut oil and 1 TBSP Sun Butter.
4. Add melted chocolate to cooled crust
5. Refrigerate till it sets

NOTE: Start with 1/4 cup melted butter of choice. If the mixture is still dry, add more a bit at a time.

Butter Beans and Greens

I enjoying making new recipes. This one is inspired by several different recipes recipes I found online. My search began with an interest in finding additional ways to enjoy BUTTER BEANS. I love how butter beans melt in your mouth. They are a comfort food for me. I wanted to find a way to add texture and flavor to the beans to create a dish. 

I started with dry beans and re-hydrated them. You can start with canned beans and drain and rinse them. 

Ingredients:

1. 6 Garlic Cloves - smashed and diced
2. 1/2 cup onion - diced
   
3. 3 cups of Kale/Spinach/Chard  - diced
4. Sun dried tomatoes (2 whole then diced or 3 TBSP of diced)
5. 1 can of tomatoes (I used fire roasted with garlic)
6. 2 cups of butter beans
7. 1 TBSP Italian seasoning
8. 1/2 TBSP crushed red pepper
9. Olive oil (just enough so nothing sticks to the pan)
   

Serve: add parmesan cheese and/or cooked pasta

Instructions:

1. Add the olive oil, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and onion to the pan. Cook until the onions are translucent. 
2. Add the spices and the tomatoes. Stir to combine.
3. Add the greens and cook until wilted. Reduce heat.
   
4. Add the beans so they absorb the flavor. 
5. Cover for about 10 minutes.  Stir gently and turn off.
   
6. If you want a "runnier" dish, you can add an additional can of tomatoes. 
   

Nut and Cookie Butter

 Nut and Cookie Butter 

 

I enjoy making nut butters in my VitaMix. My recipe is simple...3 cups of nuts. I blend the nuts until a smooth consistency is achieved. Today I used roasted and unsalted peanuts.

 

Sometimes I make small batches of unique nut butters. Cinnamon is a favorite in our household. 

 

Today I made two small batches using HomeFree Treats. One batch used two packages of Crunchy Organic Ginger Snap Mini Cookies and another batch used Crunchy Vanilla Mini Cookies. The texture and flavor of both batches was great. It is a sweet treat to enjoy on the banana bread that I just made!

Kale, Chickpeas, and Tomatoes

My garden is producing quite a bit of lettuce, chard, and kale right now. As a result, I searched for recipes to use the bounty from my garden in new ways. I came across a recipe for Chickpeas and Kale in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce. 

I modified the recipe and made it my own based on the ingredients I had on hand and personal preferences. My dish features the KALE more than the original. It leaves the ingredients chunky and with a variety of textures.

 

Ingredients:

• 6 cloves of garlic (diced and crushed)
• 1 14 OZ can of diced tomatoes  (either with garlic or italian herbs)
• 3 cups of diced kale
• 2 cups chickpeas
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
• olive oil (so nothing sticks to the pan)

Instructions:

• Saute the garlic and onion in oilve oil until translucent
• Add the caraway seed and warm for a minute or two
• Add the diced tomatoes and stir to combine
• After a few minutes add the kale and chickpeas
• Cook until kale has softened to your liking 

Serve with rice, gluten free pasta, or gluten free bread bread 

You can add some shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese (I prefer Violife Vegan Cheese) to the dish as you serve

PB HomeFree Protein Bites

 I was looking to make a twist on a tried-and-true favorite snack. I took one of my favorite cookies and combined it with my PB Protein Bites Recipe and HomeFree Chocolate Mint Cookies. 

 

I substituted HomeFree Chocolate Mint Cookies for 1/2 of the oatmeal in my original recipe

 

Base Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Oats (DRY)
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
• 1/2 cup Ground Flax Seed Meal
• 1/3 cup Honey (or sugar)  (Sub Maple Syrup to make Vegan)
  
• 1 tsp Vanilla

 

 HomeFree Cookie Remix Recipe Ingredients: 

• 1/2 Cup Oats (DRY) 
• 1/2 Cup HomeFree Chocolate Mint Cookies (Crumbled)
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
• 1/2 cup Ground Flax Seed Meal
• 1/3 cup Honey (or sugar) (Sub Maple Syrup to make Vegan)

 

The result was a crunchier bite. You can add more chocolate flavor by adding additional chocolate. You could add more mint flavor by adding mint flavor in place of the vanilla in the original recipe.