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What:

• Standard Beans: Lentils, Garbanzo, Kidney, Great Northern, Black Beans
• Try these: Adzuki, Black-Eyed Peas, Pinto Beans, Edamame

Why:

• Full of protein and fiber
• Contain B vitamins, iron and other vitamins and minerals
• They are cheap!
• Canned beans can be high in sodium, so rinse them before using

How:

• On salads (Tuna & White Bean Salad)
• In dips and spreads (Lentil Hummus)
• In soups (White Bean & Ham Stew)

How do beans play a role in your diet? 

I know all of my Midwest friends and family will think that I’ve completely lost it, but its been cold in California. (And raining. No one told me it rained here, but I kind of like it.)

And when its cold, I crave soup to warm me up! I’m a fan of all kinds of soups – from creamy and rich (my Mom makes the best Shrimp & Artichoke Soup) to healthy, chock-full-of-vegetable soups.

This time around, I wanted an extra-healthy soup. Brimming with vegetables. Free of meat. Something that would warm me up and fill me up without a ton of calories because I’m pretty sure I’d rather eat more cookies this time of year. Healthy soup = more room for cookies, right?

So I threw together a ton of vegetables, a few beans, and my favorite, kale for a light, yet hearty soup that will leave you feeling good! I added a decent amount of red pepper flakes and the Taster loved the spiciness of the soup. Season the soup to your preference!

White Bean & Kale Soup

Hi Friends!

The last few daily eats posts have had some sort of theme, but I’ve got nothing for you this time! Just a normal, old day.

I started out the day with some green tea. Even though I just picked up a new coffee pot (I broke mine last week) I might be on a tea kick. I love the flavor of coffee, but when I had it the other day, I just didn’t feel  as clean(?) as I do with tea. More experiments coming on this front.

Breakfast: needed to be light since it was 8am and I had a workout scheduled for 10:30 so I had a slice of sprouted bread (French Meadow) with one organic egg.

Workout: This was our second time doing the Lunch Crunch workouts by Open Sky Fitness and they are TOUGH! In a really good way. It is a quick-moving circuit of exercises and drills and an intense workout outside at the La Brea Tar Pits Park –  I love it!

(I went a little darker with my hair, what do you think?)

Lunch: Greek Salad (cucumber + tomato + red onion + olives + goat feta cheese + olive oil +salt + pepper) with a side of Kale & White Bean Soup.

After my first course of soup and salad I decided I was still hungry so moved onto 1/2 sprouted tortilla + tuna salad (leftover from the Tasters lunch) + sprinkle of cheese + arugula – all baked in the oven. It was just ok.

Snack: Last night I re-stocked my dried fruit stash, so I snacked on some dried mango + pineapple for an afternoon snack.

Then I was hungry again (thanks to my light breakfast and hard workout) so I had a little wine, cheese and proscuitto!

Dinner: We haven’t found a good burger joint in our new neighborhood (haven’t even gone out for burgers since we moved here!) so we decided to try out The Counter. It is a build-your-own burger bar…which was much harder to do than I thought!

Ultimately I chose beef + pepperjack + tomato + fried onions + lettuce + pickles all on an english muffin. Oh, and a combination of regular and sweet potato fries hiding in the back. The burger was great, but I’m not sure how I feel about the whole “choosing your own” which is surprising, because normally I love that kind of stuff! Maybe I’ll be more adventurous next time.

Needless to say, it was a good burger.

The night was finished off with some of my favorite chocolate and relaxing with the Taster – perfection!

Enjoy your Thursday!

Don’t worry, I’m not going to give you a science lesson on protein. I like the food aspect so much more than the scientific one.

Protein. We all need it. Some of us get too much. Some of us don’t get enough.

Sometimes it is easy to get enough. Other times its not.

I am definitely what I would consider a “protein person.” I need a decent amount of protein (and fat) at each meal or I get hungry. And then I get really crabby. Ask the Taster, he’ll tell you it isn’t pretty.

Here are some of my favorite – EASY – ways to get in protein!

Favorite, Easy Proteins: 

• peanut butter or other nut butters
• cheese sticks
• greek yogurt
• tofu
• hard boiled eggs
• edamame
• protein bars like thinkThin
• sprouted bread
• cottage cheese
• tuna
• beans like lentils
• protein shake/smoothie 
• oatmeal

Fall always seems to be a favorite of seasons among the masses, and I always get really excited for slowing down, using the crock pot and making football food.

Since I’ve lived in the Midwest my entire life, I have no idea what fall will feel like in Southern California. I’m sure I’ll miss the change of seasons but I also really like palm trees, so I might be ok.

Because I’ve had a few weeks without a kitchen, I can’t wait to cook some fall foods once we are settled in California. Here are some that have caught my eye! Add your favorites below!

Breakfast

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (Budget Bytes)

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal 

Butter Toffee Oatmeal 

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts (Healthy. Delicious) 

Pumpkin Doughnuts (Annie’s Eats) 

Veggies/Sides

Braised Red Cabbage

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Parmesan

Roasted Cauliflower with Brown Butter & Pepper

 Slow-Cooker Pork & Beans (Savvy Eats)

Main

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Chorizo Soup

Acorn Squash Soup with Crab

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili (Weekly Bite) 

Sweet Potato Corn Chowder (The Healthy Everythingtarian) 

 Smoky Potato Soup with Kale (Fake Food Free)

 Crock Pot French Onion Soup (How Sweet It Is)

Sweets

Apple Bread Pudding with Brandy Sauce 

Maple Vanilla Almond Clusters (Pinch of Yum)

Individual Pumpkin Pie Trifles (The Avid Appetite)

Autumn Almond Butter (The Wannabe Chef) 

Pumpkin Spice Lattes (Eating for England)

We are actually making a dent in our Diners, Drive-In’s & Dives restaurant list here in Minneapolis. Let me tell you, it hasn’t been exactly easy, the list is rather lengthy, but slowly but surely we’ve been making our way around town. I have to admit it has been rather fun! The latest crossed off the DDD list: Victor’s 1959 Cafe.

Victor’s 1959 Cafe has been inching its way towards the top rather quickly however as I love small, kitchy, restaurants that serve delicious food without being overly fancy and stuffy. Located in South Minneapolis, Victor’s itself is tiny. The walls are bright, the patio upbeat with cuban music and the vibe is what I would consider to be eccentric. And absolutely perfect on a summer day.

I was surprisingly in the mood for a mojito (I’m normally just a wine girl) but Victor’s doesn’t have a liqour license so it is beer and wine only. I was a little disappointed until I saw a champagne mojito on the menu….

It was amazing/life-changing/completely delicious and I’m actually glad they didn’t have a regular mojito – this was bubbly, refreshing and we will be making them at home soon. Seriously.

In terms of food though, which was the whole reason we were there, we started with the Cubano Mix – a plate of fried tostones, croquetas and empanadas. Much of the food reminded me of the food I ate in Haiti- fried plantains, rice, beans, etc. and brought back many good memories.  The appetizers were pretty average – they were good, but nothing amazing.

We weren’t really there for the appetizers though, we were there to try the “as seen on the food network” specialties: the Sandwich Cubano and Ropa Vieja. The Cubano was the classic sandwich – ham, pork, pickles, swiss and mustard between pressed bread. It was simply delicious. And everything I had hoped for.

The Ropa Veija (literally “old clothes”) was outstanding. Served with your choice of rice and beans (we went with rice + black beans) and some plaintains, this was amazing. You can tell that the meat simmers for hours, it is so flavorful.

I love living in a city with so many cultural food dishes to experience – it is one of my favorite things to do! Victor’s was great and definitely a trip if you are in the twin cities!

Victor’s 1959 Cafe

3756 Grand Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN

612-827-8948

My good friend Megan and I made “Mexican Pizzas” for the full year that we lived together on a very regular basis. They were simple, cheap and really satisfying – the perfect college food! Tortilla + refried beans + cheese + hot sauce all microwaved into a hot, cheesy mess.

I still think about those pizzas a lot (along with the fun we had as 20 year olds) but this time, nearly 8 years later, I thought it was time to class it up a bit. The tortillas are now organic and sprouted, the beans are black, salsa verde and fresh herbs are used along with grilled chicken and mozzarella cheese. A little more grown-up maybe, but still a hot, cheesy, satisfying mess.

I’m always looking for new salads that are portable and can be made ahead of time. They also need to be filling, healthy and delicious. I’ve told you how high-maintenance I am when it comes to lunches. And even though I can eat the same breakfast, day after day, lunches need to be new, exciting and always different. Oh, and then healthy too. I swear I’m fun to go out to eat with!

This is the kind of salad that fits all of my requirements – we’ve got veggies (about 4 servings); fiber from the beans, flavor and protein from the meat and cheese and some good fat from the salad dressing. It is a change from the usual, sometimes boring, and just what I need from time to time to mix things up.

Italian Chopped Salad – 2 servings

• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
• 4 basil leaves, cut into thin strips
• 1 thin slice red onion, cut in half
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 english cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup garbanzo beans
• 2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette (I used garlic gold)
• 2 oz provolone cheese, chopped
• 2 oz genoa salami, chopped

Layer half of the lettuce, basil, onion, pepper and cucumber slices on plate or in a bowl.

Sprinkle garbanzo beans and dressing over veggies and top with cheese and salami.

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There are many times in life, when spending an hour or two preparing lunches to take to work or school throughout the week is just not feasible. You know the times. While you may think the only option is to pick up lunch at a restaurant there are some options that require little or no prep time, can be very well balanced and save you money all at the same time.

Here are some of my favorites – most of them require a quick trip to the grocery store and will provide a few lunches!

• Mezze Platter: whole grain pita + hummus + baba ganoush + baby carrots & pepper slices
• Avocado Sandwich: whole grain bread + wholly guacamole packet + tomato slices + lettuce or sprouts
• AB & J: sprouted bread + almond butter + jam or preserves (grown-up PB & J!)
• Cottage Cheese: cottage cheese + garbanzo beans + favorite seasoning + baby carrots on the side
• Cheese & Crackers: triscuits (or other 100% whole grain cracker) + 1 oz sliced cheese + 2 oz deli turkey + grape tomatoes
• Yogurt Parfait: plain greek yogurt + fresh or frozen berries + 1 serving high fiber cereal like Uncle Sam’s Original
• Snack Plate: hard boiled egg + carrots & celery sticks + whole grain crackers + 1 oz cheese cubes + apple

What are your quick and easy lunches that you rely on during busy times?

Hummus is great on it’s own, but when it’s topped with feta, roasted red peppers, artichokes and kalamata olives it is downright delicious. (It would also be a good way to serve hummus with a non-believer crowd. )

I’ve wanted to make a dip like this for quite some time so I jumped at the chance to bring an appetizer to the first cookout of the year. (True Minnesota story: it has snowed since that first cookout and may snow again tonight!) It is essentially Greece’s version of taco dip and is wonderfulwith pita chips and cucumber slices.

Lucky enough to have some leftovers? It made a great lunch stuffed in a pita with a tomato and cucumber salad.

Layered Hummus Dip - 8 appetizer servings – inspiration from Whole Foods Market

• 1 batch of hummus (or 16 oz prepared)
• 1 – 14 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained
• 3/4 cup roasted red pepper
• 3/4 cup kalamata olives
• 1 cup feta crumbles

Prepare hummus if making it from scratch.

Chop artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and olives.

Layer hummus on the bottom of glass dish. Sprinkle artichoke hearts, red peppers, feta cheese and olives over top.

Serve with pita chips, cucumber slices and any other vegetables.  You could also add chopped red onions or tomatoes if desired. A healthy, different crowd pleaser perfect for spring and summer afternoons!