I haven’t been able to make new recipes lately. I have a stack of new recipes that I want to tackle but having my last 3 months of Physician Assistant school is giving me a lot of anxiety and very little time to do the things that I want to do.

The next two weeks are going to be hell on earth because I have 3 of my exit exams and I am really praying that I do well enough to pass. I have been working really hard so I hope everything turns out ok. My anxiety doesn’t help but I will try my hardest to get a handle on it….we shall see.

Once I am done with school, I am also planning on spending time overseas. First I would like to secure a job before my departure so let’s see how that turns out as well…. So much to these few months…..Just wish me luck!!!!

This super awesome high protein white bean arugula salad was something I just put together in about 10 minutes….literally. I have never added pesto as a dressing for any of my salads but I think the combo was rather tasty.

As any salad, you can add any veggies of your liking and if you are not too fond of white beans you can just use any other legumes you may like. Chickpeas will go great in this salad as well.

On another note, this coming summer I will be going to Morocco for about 10 days. I have been there once but really didn’t get to explore or do much. I am really excited to explore some of the areas and experience their culture, food and much more.

It is something that I have been wanting to do for quite some time so I can’t wait. I will be posting much of my adventure in my blog so you will be able to learn things to do while there if you ever make it to that side of the world.

Anyways, I leave you with this amazing high protein white bean arugula salad. I have to head to school to practice and study now.

Until my next recipe,

Enjoy!

High protein white bean arugula salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 15 oz white beans, I used canned
• 7 oz fresh Arugula
• 1 large cucumber, chopped
• 6 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced
• 1/3 cup hemp hearts
• 1/2 cup pesto sauce
• 3 tbs rice wine vinegar

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl mix all the ingredients. Toss to combine. Serve.

Note: I have taken this for lunch many times to work. It is the perfect salad.

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I really plan of making way more salads this summer. I want to experiment with different kind of dressings and vegetable combinations so I hope I can get creative and come up with awesome recipes for you to try.

I actually made this caramelized tomatoes, white bean and kale salad using broccoli instead of kale last week, which was equally good. I thought of adding some kind of grain to it as well. I think quinoa, couscous or even some type of pasta may also work great. Perhaps I will do that next time I make it.

On another note, a couple of weeks ago I started my rotations for physician assistant school. I was a bit excited and nervous at the same time because I didn’t know what to expect. I ended up been placed to do OBGYN rotations first, which I couldn’t have been happier. My preceptor, who actually is from the Dominican Republic, is the absolute bomb. He is down to earth, funny and most importantly a great person to learn from. To say that I am learning tons is an understatement. There is nothing better than been hands on.

It is going to be hard to top my current preceptor, so will see how the next few months go. I really can’t wait for the day to finish my program so I can stop driving back and forth from school to my house in NJ to be with my family. A 2 hr drive that doesn’t seem much but really adds up after a while.

Anyways, soon….very soon!

Well, I know a lot of people are getting ready to be with family, friends and gathering around this holiday weekend. If you are looking for a simple, tasty, healthy salad recipe this would be a great contender. If you are not to fond of kale just use broccoli and you can even add some pasta to it.

Enjoy!

Caramelized tomatoes, white bean and kale salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 oz fresh kale
• 2 x 15 oz cans white beans (rinsed and drained)
• 16 oz fresh cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp celtic salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh grated cheese
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Over high heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil to a saute pan. Add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they start to pop and brown add the balsamic vinegar and kale. Cook further for 1-2 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl add the white beans and tomato mixture. Add the remainder of the olive oil, salt, pepper and grated cheese. Mix through and serve.

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I love Thai curries so I thought, why not incorporate the flavor into a salad? I have seen salad dressing recipes using coconut milk but in my version I used a mixture of coconut cream and almond milk because that is what I had on hand. It turned out better than I thought. This salad dressing is one of the ones that I am going to keep stocked in my fridge for when ever I make a salad. Together with my honey mustard dressing this dressing has become one of my favorite ones.

By using Silk unsweetened almond milk I kept the dressing dairy-free. I like using this type of milk mostly because it is very neutral in flavor, has no added sugar, it is Non-GMO, and has no artificial colors, or flavors. This is my to go type of milk not only for when I bake and make desserts but I also use it when making smoothies and eat cereal. In addition, almond milk is lactose free and it has 50% more calcium than dairy milk.

I purchased the butternut squash already chopped so the only thing I had to do was to roast it in the oven with some olive oil and black pepper. Surely you can peel and chop it yourself but getting already prepared butternut squash save me a bit of time.

I am in love with butternut squash lately. I think I am going to make a macaroni and cheese version using this vegetable. It will give the pasta such a beautiful color and flavor. I think my kids are going to love it too.

If you like Thai flavors you are going to love this salad. I have a couple more salads in store for you using butternut squash, like I said, I am obsess with it lately.

If you are looking for a heathy dish for your Thanksgiving table this butternut squash black rice bean salad will make a great contender.

I hope you like it.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash black rice bean salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried black rice
• 2 lb butternut squash, chopped
• 6 oz fresh spinach, chopped
• 15 oz white beans, cooked
• 10 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tbs olive oil
• black peeper

Dressing

• 1  cup coconut cream
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (I used panang curry paste)

 

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the butternut squash, olive oil and pepper in a baking pan and coat the butternut squash with the olive oil. I use my hands for this step. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes and cool.

On the meantime, cook the black rice. I do this in my rice cooker. Let the black rice cool once it is cooked. In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl add the cooled butternut squash and black rice and the rest of the salad ingredients. Combine. Add the dressing and mix through. Serve.

 

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Butternut squash black rice bean salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am finding myself using my crock pot quite often lately. Given the fact that it is so convenient and easy I take it out from storage at least twice a week.

For this sweet and sour recipe I almost doubled my batch. If you have been reading my other recipes you will know that more often than not I tend to double my recipe so that I can have leftovers to use for the days ahead. This way I don’t have to cook every single day since we  don’t mind leftovers!

Also, for this recipe, I used dried white beans but you can use any other beans of your choice. I think red beans or even a mixture of them will be good as well. If you like you can also add some other veggies as well as some sort of protein. Lean ground turkey, chicken or beef will complement the beans and veggies rather well. I just left my version vegetarian though.

I cooked the beans on a high setting but if you have more time you can cook it on low for longer. I don’t think that should be a problem. Also, if you like, you can freeze part of the beans and used later on. Beans freeze very well.

On another note, how cold it is where you are? We are experiencing a rather cold winter, however, I think some other parts of the country as well as Canada are way worse than here in NJ. I think I need to move to a hotter area with a warmer climate. It is way too cold for me here.

I leave you with this recipe that I hope you will enjoy.

Slow cooker Sweet and sour beans

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, gluten free
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp unrefined sugar
• 1 tbs dried marjoram
• 1 tbs dried thyme
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 lb white beans, soaked over night
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder, or corn starch

Directions:

In your crock pot, place the first 10 ingredients and mix through with a whisk. Add the vegetable broth and beans and cook on high setting for one hour.

Add the diced carrots and potatoes and cook further on high for 4 hours. When the 4 hours have gone by dissolve the arrowroot powder in some of the bean broth and incorporate to the soup. Cook for another 15 minutes or so until the broth thickens.

At this stage you can add some celtic salt if you like. Serve while warm.

Recipe adapted from the Slow Cooking Book

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This is one of my favorite comfort bean soups. Very simple and extremely nutritious. I use dry beans for all of my legume soups as I find them to give the soups a different consistency.

I actually obtained a very amazing and distinctive flavor with this soup because I used a very rare wine that came from my cousin’s vineyard in Spain. You can use any other white wine of your choice though.

Like with most soups, you can add, substitute or omit any veggies of your choice. Nevertheless I am sure it will turn out fabulous for you.

Also if you would like to omit the wine you can do that too, it just gives this soup a very distinctive flavor!

Enjoy!

White Bean and Vegetable Soup

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried white beans pre-soaked over night
• 2-4 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup vermouth or dried white wine
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2-3 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• 4-6 cups of water (depending on how thick you want the soup)

 

Directions:

Heat oil in a 6 quart dutch oven medium high heat. Add onions, pepper and garlic and saute for 2-4 minutes. Add wine and let it reduce to half the amount. Add paprika and stir. Add the white dried beans (without the water), tomato paste, salt and water.

Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until the beans are tender.

When the beans are tender turn off the heat and stir in the fresh spinach.

The post White Bean and Vegetable Soup appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I think it is soup time. I normally tend to use legumes for any soup that I make since they are one of the power foods. I actually love legumes so it is pretty easy for me to incorporate on my dishes. I also like the fact that they are so economical so for those on a budget, load up on these. This soup can also be made with any other type of legume or vegetables you may prefer.

I normally pre-soack the beans the previous night I am cooking them, it is easier for me that way since they have to soak for quite a while. You can also use canned legumes but I have made both versions and for me I prefer to use dry version. On any event, this is an easy, and fast recipe to prepare. You only need to chopped the few veggies and let it them all hang in the pot with the beans pretty much, so enjoy!

Red Bean and Spinach Soup

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 cups fresh spinach
1 lb small red beans, previously soaked in water for 12 hours
1 6 oz can tomato paste
6-8 cups water, depending on the consistency of the soup you prefer
Salt to taste

 

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions, carrots and garlic and cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add cumin seeds and cook for an extra minute.

Add beans (I do not use the water from the pre-soak), tomato paste, water and salt. Bring the stew to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes or until most the liquid has evaporated and beans are tender. ( I have put 6-8 cups of water but you may want to use a more or less depending on the consistency of the soup you desire)
Turn of the heat and add spinach. Enjoy

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