I need more of these meals in my life!
Here's a strange fact: We went to Fresh Market on Tuesday ,spent a good chunk of money, and I'm still finding it hard to figure out what to make. I swear we bought nothing but, juice (Josh bought five containers of fresh pressed pomegranate juice), fruit, lettuce, cereal and two pounds of bacon. I should never go to the store without a plan. I will end up buying elements of a meal that just don't go together.
So now I need a plan, because I ate out Wednesday night with my girlfriends, which is fine. I out breakfast out yesterday morning, which is not fine. And I made egg noodles with butter and parmesan last night for dinner. Also, not good.
And I need to learn how to soak beans. I know, put them in water and let them soak. But, mine took so long to get soft, they got moldy. How does one not know how to properly soak beans?
I want to go to the store today and not go again (except for fresh produce) for about two weeks. The next two weeks are going to be busy and I want to be ready with fresh, prepared food and a plan.
Here's what I want to make more of:
Tortilla Pie I already have the polenta for this.
Scrambled Chickpeas and vegetables.
The occasional breakfast plate with egg, bacon, toast and fruit.
Chinese inspired dishes like kung pao.
Chicken Fajitas.
More raw dishes and desserts.
Lots of chopped salads with my favorite dressing.
Recipes I Want to Try:
Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad
Banana Soft Serve
Spaghetti and Meatless Meatballs
Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Shake
Dairy-free Cheese and Spinach Lasagna
Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing
Time to make my list and go shopping!
Gosh, that first picture look so amazing. I need more meals like that in my life!!
I made it once in January and it was spectacular!
Soaking beans should not take longer than 12 hours. After that, you still have to boil them. ^^ (You can also just boil them, let them soak for three or four hours and boil them again.)
Good to know! I didn’t even consider that the cooking process would finish the process.
Sounds like some tasty recipes! I just found your blog, and I love it – thanks for contributing something helpful to the internet! I thought I’d offer my two cents on the beans: don’t worry about soaking them until they’re soft. Just cover them with a couple of inches of water, soak them overnight, and cook them the next day. They’ll take two or three hours (depending on the size and freshness) of simmering in a covered pot on the stove, or you could use a crock pot or pressure cooker if you’re so inclined (I’m usually not). They’ll get soft.
Also, I have my own take on a spicy daal – I use red lentils, an apple, coconut milk, Indian-type spices, and sometimes I add kale or other greens in there. It’s one of my favorite soups, and it freezes really well. Good luck, and let me know if you’d like the recipe!
I think I need to make your spicy daal. I like that you add an apple to it too.
Thank you for the bean advice! Why didn’t I think of cooking them? That’s really obvious.
Bean cooking tip – don’t add salt before cooking, they’ll stay hard – add salt after! Also fenugreek takes the gassiness out of lentils (flavour goes with indian stuff) and there’s another (mexican) herb (forgot the name but looks like oregano) that takes the gassiness out of black beans (and probably others too)!
I <3 beans!
I did the exact same thing this week. Stocked up on chicken, turkey and veg and made plans for recipes to freeze in bulk.
The vegetable kung pao looks so tasty. Just wondered, you posted a month or two ago about a chicken kung pao recipe and said you were just waiting to fine tune it before you posted it. Did you ever get round to it? It looked great! x
ah! yes! I’m so bad at making recipes! Soon!
Looks amazing and super healthy!
Thanks Ruthie!
I always do the “quick” boil method with beans. (It’s not truly “quick” but faster than other methods. Bring the dry beans to a boil for about 3-5 minutes, remove them from heat and cover them. Let them sit for about an hour or so and they’re good to go.
If I use my slow cooker for beans or recipes that contain beans I don’t have to soak them. I almost always toss dry beans in my soups/stews in the morning when I put everything in the slow cooker. They come out creamy every time!
Just soak a bag of beans overnight in cold water with about an inch over the top to cover. Drain and rinse in a colander, then fill a large pot with water and a teaspoon of salt. Depending on the beans, simmer for up to a few hours.
I make a pot of beans, then freeze them in serving sized portions to toss into salads, soups, stews and Mexican dishes.
I have a recipe blog with lots of easy and low calorie recipes you might enjoy.
Have a good week!
Just wanted to say hello,
I found your site the other day, and inspired by you, this morning I started by own blog to share my weight loss journey.
Just wanted to say thanks.
theoneyearchange.wordpress.com
I once soaked them for two days. One of those in the refrigerator, the temp was low enough that they didn’t mold. I don’t usually do that, but I soaked them the night before and forgot to get them ready for the crockpot the next morning, so that night they went in the fridge. The next day they were fine! I usually drain off the water, rinse, and add two cups chicken broth and 1 tablespoon either kosher or sea salt and 1/2 of a medium onion,one tablespoon miced garlic, and 1/8 teasppon cumin. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours, remove onion and serve with tortillas, sour cream, cheese, avacado, and salsa. Leave out the cumin and you can serve with cornbread. YUMM-O!
I once soaked them for two days. One of those in the refrigerator, the temp was low enough that they didn’t mold. I don’t usually do that, but I soaked them the night before and forgot to get them ready for the crockpot the next morning, so that night they went in the fridge. The next day they were fine! I usually drain off the water, rinse, and add two cups chicken broth and 1 tablespoon either kosher or sea salt and 1/2 of a medium onion,one tablespoon miced garlic, and 1/8 teaspoon cumin. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours, remove onion and serve with tortillas, sour cream, cheese, avacado, and salsa. Leave out the cumin and you can serve with cornbread. YUMM-O!
Man that food looks so good! What kind of soup is that next to your salad?
Sure does look good. I love enchiladas too. That recipe doesn’t look low in calories. I found a recipe “not low in calories” online. I goggled chicken and sour cream enchiladas,yummy, and I use the recipe on the back of the Green Chili Enchiladas Sauce. That is also yummy and quick to make. I look forward to trying some of your recipes.