Confetti Rice and Bean Salad (Chipotle)

Instead of paying $8 at Chipotle, try this!

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:
3 cups cooked rice, cooled to room temperature (see note)
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
4 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 red pepper, seeded, cored and diced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients and toss. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Toss to coat. Chill the salad for at least 2 hours before serving to let the flavors blend.

Recipe Source: Mel's kitchen adapted slightly from Dawn P., mother to my neighbor with the amazing garden

Brown Rice with Scallion Confetti

2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1 tsp hot sauce, plus more to taste
1 tsp EVOO
1/8 tsp sea salt, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine the rice, scallions, hot sauce, EVOO, and salt. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 (1/2 cup) servings
Calories: 122
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates: 23g
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 2g

Rice and Black Beans

Yields 12, 1cup servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Dried Black Beans
2 Bay Leaves
1 head Garlic
1/4 Cup coconut butter
2 Cups coarsely chopped Yellow onion
1 Cup chopped celery including leaves
2 Cups coarsely chopped Green Peppers
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Thyme
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp Sea Salt
3 Cups Brown Basmati Rice
Chicken stock to prepare rice (4 1/2 Cups)

Directions

Soak beans overnight.

Drain and place them in a large soup pot with head of garlic and bay leaves.

Cover with plenty of water, place pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat & let simmer or an hour.

Remove from heat and drain. Discard garlic and bay leaves. Set beans aside.

Rinse rice.

Heat coconut butter over medium-high heat in large pot. Add onion, celery and peppers.

Cook until vegetables are soft. Add garlic and cook until it is fragrant.

Add tomato paste, beans, vinegar and spices. Heat through.

Add chicken stock and rice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Let cook until rice is tender- about 45 minutes.

Number of Servings: 12

Nutrition Facts (1cup serving size):

Calores 344

Protein 13g

Carbs 58g

Total Fat 6g

Fiber 6g

Sodium 534mg

Sugars 4g

Source: Tosca Reno's "The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook"

Persian Rice and Cashew Salad

Persian Brown Rice and Cashew Salad

Makes 6 to 8 side-dish servings

1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

2 tsp finely grated lime zest

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp liquid honey or brown rice syrup

3 cups cooked brown basmati rice or other long-grain brown rice, cooled

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates

3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

3/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/2 cup lightly salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

1. In a small bowl, whisk together cinnamon, salt, lime zest, lime juice, oil and honey.

2. In a large bowl, combine rice and dates. Add dressing and gently toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until chilled, or for up to 24 hours. Just before serving, add green onions, mint and cashews, gently tossing to combine.

Creole Dirty Rice with Sausage & Red Beans

serves 6.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup brown rice

7oz smoked lean andouille sausage

olive oil cooking spray

1 medium yellow onion, dices

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

8oz dried red beans, soaked overnight in water in a covered pot

1 bay leaf

2 tomatoes, preferably Roma, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. cook brown rice according to package directions. Remove from heat & set aside.

2. In medium pot, cover sausage with about 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

3. Heat a large pot on medium high. Mist with cooking oil spray- add onion, green pepper and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes or until cooked through.

4. Drain saoked beans and rinse with cold water. Add beans, bay leaf and 3 cups water to pot with vegetables. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 20 minutes before reducing the heat to medium-low.

5. Cook until beans are soft, stirring occasionally and adding more water as it evaporates, about 2 hours.

- When beans are cooke through and water has reduced to less than 1 cup, add tomatoes and cook for at least 15 more minutes.

6. Remove bay leaf, stir in Cajun seasoning, cooked rice and sausage- cook for about 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, garnsih wtih cilantro.

TIP: Feel free to go wtih canned beans instead, just remember to drain and rinse them first. You'll only need to warm them for 5-10 minutes instead of cooking them for 2 hours. And, you can reduce the water from 3 cups to 1/2 c.

NUTRITION per 1-cup serving:

Calories 292, Total Fat 2g, Carbs 53g, Fiber 4g, Sugars 4g, Protein 15g, Sodium 427 mg

From "The Best of Clean Eating 2" Cookbook, p. 126

Protein Power Goddess Bowl

Protein Power Goddess Bowl Yields 6 cups
Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked green lentils (yield 2 & 3/4 cups cooked)
• 1 cup uncooked speltberries (yield 2 cups cooked) OR grain of choice, like brown rice
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil, for sautéing
• 1/2 red onion (~1 & 1/3 cups), chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 3 cups spinach or kale, roughly chopped (I used Lacinato kale)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1 batch of Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing (recipe below)
• Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
• Lemon Wedges & lemon zest, to garnish

Directions:

1. Cook lentils and speltberries (or grain of choice) according to package directions. I did this the night before to save time. Drain and set aside.

2. Prepare the Lightened Up tahini-Lemon dressing in food processor (see below for recipe).

3. In a large skillet over low-medium heat, add your olive oil and sauté the chopped onion and minced garlic for a few minutes, being careful not to burn. Now add in the chopped red pepper and tomato and sauté for another 7-8 minutes.

4. Stir in the chopped kale or spinach and sauté for another few minutes, just until tender. Stir in the full batch of tahini-Lemon dressing, the cooked & drained grains and lentils, and simmer on low for another few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the minced parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with lemon wedges and zest. Makes 6 cups.

***

Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing Yields Just under 1 cup of dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Tahini
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup Nutritional yeast or a bit more, to taste
• 2-4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• 1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 tbsp water, or as needed

1. In a food processor, add all ingredients and process until smooth. Makes just under 1 cup.

* Find it here

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain rice
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
½ tsp. salt
½ cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped

Directions:
Combine the rice, 2 cups water and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stir briefly, cover and reduce the heat to low. Let cook, covered, until the water is absorbed and rice is fluffy and tender, 16-18 minutes. (Cooking time can vary depending on the brand of rice. Check the package directions.)

While the rice is cooking, combine the cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, garlic and 2 tablespoons water in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Stir the mixture into the cooked rice and fluff with a fork.

Black Beans & Rice

Simple, Classic: Black Beans & Rice

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 (16-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4-5 cups hot, cooked white or brown rice

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic and saute, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft and tender. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, oregano and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a tablespoon or two of hot water to thin to desired consistency.

Stir in the fresh cilantro and season with salt and pepper; discard the bay leaf. Serve over the hot rice.

check out the recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe