Phew

So far, working two jobs is hard, so I don't expect the time to post this week - I'll do my best to get back on track, but for now try to eat some celery sticks. And p.s. an apple at three in the afternoon is a better pick me up than two cans of coke.

hearts,
m

Quick Cuban Black Beans and Rice

OMG, here is a full, low fat meal you can whip up pretty fast. Black beans + rice = all of the eight essential amino acids in ONE PLACE, plus when we fortify those beans with some tasty fresh vegetables...LOOK OUT.

I usually make half this recipe, which makes enough for two Maura-sized meals (about a 3/4 cup of beans + rice), so tomorrow's lunch is covered with this one. This recipe can be stretched by upping the vegetable content and or serving this in burrito form (also delicious).

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans (29 oz total)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloved of garlic, minced (for your lazies - 1 t garlic powder)
1 cup chopped zuchini
2 cups chopped baby spinach (wash it well!)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in saucepan, add onion and cook for 3 minutes on med-high.
2. Add garlic and zuchini, cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in spinach to wilt.
4. Add beans and spices - bring to boil then reduce to low, loosely cover.*
5. Let simmer for at least 20 minuts to thicken.**
6. Prepare rice and cook according to package.

Serve over rice with and smother with fresh chopped tomatoes.


* Tilt lid to allow venting.
** If you've got the time, these puppies get tastier the longer they are allowed to simmer, just don't let them dry out.

I've Got a Proposition For You

For over a year I've been living with a picky meat-eater who counts garlic and onions as major players in the vegetable category of his dietary catalog. He refuses vegetable-heavy dishes with the stubborn resove of a three-year-old and has a proven shocking ability to scrunch his mouth until it literaly disappears - a feat I formally thought anatomically impossible.

Matt's coming along, kind of, last night he ate about a twelth of a small roasted beet and said that it "wasn't horrible." But living with someone who was quite content before cohabitation to subsit on nothing but white rice and soy sauce can depress your vegetable ingestion prowess. And for this decade-plus-vegetarian, that is pretty depressing.

Did you know you are supposed to get AT LEAST five 1 cup servings of fruits and vegetables in a single day? I mean, I have made vegetables a central part of my life and even I struggle to work that volume into my daily diet. So, I am on a mission to greenify your plate (and mine) and promise to offer you recipes and tips for getting more vegetables (and fruits) into your tummy.

Sometimes I might use some scary words on this site - like "broccoli" or "beets" and sometimes I'll suggest you steam something when you know full well it would taste infinitely better smothered in cheese or served fried under chili. But, keep your mind opened - your colon, heart, and waistline'll thank you.

Let's cook!