Tag Archives | black beans

Red & Black Velvet Brownies

Published on in Freeze-able, Fruit, Legumes, Nightshade-free, Roots, Snack, Sweet-ish By |
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I’ve never thought of Valentine’s Day as a particularly romantic holiday. Thanks to TV and Archie comics, I knew that it was supposed to be, but that’s not ever how it’s seemed to me. I think it’s because we celebrated it as a family my whole life, even back when boys were gross.

It represented love for sure, we all loved each other and had a special dinner together that night (fondue, most likely) (have I mentioned how much my Mom ruled?) and my Stepdad would bring us all home chocolate and cinnamon hearts. So it has always meant love and chocolate, not too far off what Hallmark is telling us, but I kind of love it.

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Avocado & Black Bean Salad

Published on in Greens, Legumes, Main course, Nightshade-free, Salad By |
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Avocado & Black Bean Salad

Sometimes I reeeeeally don’t’ feel like making dinner. When I’m by myself, that’s ok, lazy guacamole with veggies, almond butter on basically anything, a homemade jar of soup pulled from the freezer, or sometimes even just this (ridiculously good) Turmeric Popcorn to go along with the movie that my husband refuses to watch with me. It’s actually kind of awesome.

Avocado & Black Bean Salad

But when I’m cooking for more than just me, I know these options won’t fly and I can’t do delivery because it’s a grim scene in my neighbourhood. This salad was born out of those lazy nights, trying to disguise easy food as exciting and special food (it can definitely be both, sshhhhh).

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Mexican Tomato & Black Bean Soup

Published on in Freeze-able, Grains, Legumes, Main course, Soup By |
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Whenever I finish cooking for a client (their treatment is over and they are starting to feel better) we often have a conversation about how they are going to keep up the nutrient-dense way of eating on their own (without a chef).

Mexican Tomato & Black Bean Soup

My first recommendation is always juices and smoothies. I don’t have a ton of recipes on here for either (well, some, here and here) because it seems like such a simple thing to figure out on your own (is it? Should I have more?), but it is truly one of the best ways to ensure a good volume and variety of nutrients. You don’t need a lot of skill and you can consume 3-5 lbs of veg in a glass of juice and all kinds of hard-to-include-in-your-regular-diet super foods in a smoothie.

Mexican Tomato & Black Bean Soup

Those options are both raw, which is a good thing in many different ways, but it can require some balance as the cooler months come into play. Some good soup recipes can be useful, as soup is warming, nutrient-dense, savory and satisfying on many levels. It’s a bit like a cooked smoothie, offering lots of veggies, but with fewer nutrients that don’t do well in the heat and more nutrients that expand and multiply with some heat, so it literally brings something different and balancing to the table.

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Mexican Cauliflower Rice & Refried Black Beans with Fresh Salsa

Published on in Breakfast, Condiment, Legumes, Main course By |
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I have found that the less preamble before a meal the better. If you set someone up for something new and wonderful for dinner, some recipients can become suspicious and mentally prepare themselves for something scary. You know who they…..or possibly you are.

For instance, it is more effective to say ‘Ha! There was no dairy at all in that mac and cheese that you just said you loved!’ (you can word this more maturely if that’s your style) than ‘You are going to loooove this mac and cheese, you can’t even tell it’s dairy-free’. Even if you are cooking food for adults, in my experience, unless they are your fellow nerdy nutritionist friends or vegetable-appreciating sisters, it is usually better to be sneaky.

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