Tag Archives: lunch

Black Bean and Spinach Salad

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13

Spring is coming soon and it’s time to say good bye to the soups and hello to salads.  This light and fresh salad would be a good healthy addition to any bbq.

salad

I love dishes like this.  They are easy to make and always a hit.  This particular dish was inspired by one that my mother in law made.  I made a few changes to the original.

Black Bean and Spinach Salad

2 1/2 cups black beans (I used dried, but measured after they were soaked and cooked)
2-3 cups baby spinach
2 cups organic corn (I used frozen and thawed out on the counter)
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 shallot chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped
1 heaping T pomegranate molasses (you can find this at most health stores)
Juice of 1/4 orange
1/2 tsp garlic
1 T avocado oil
salt to taste

Throw everything in the bowl and mix. I think it tastes better the next day because the flavors have had time to marinate.  This makes a good amount of salad.  I would guess about 4 large portions.  Should keep for a week, but ours will not last that long.

salad 1

Adzuki Bean Veggie Burgers

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6

I love veggie burgers.  It seems you readers love them too because my Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers is one of the most popular recipes on the blog.  As you may know, most store bought versions are not very healthy.  That’s why I make my own.  So much cheaper too!

burgers1

My younger daughter Olive loved these!  She is mostly tube fed and still learning how to eat by mouth so it was kind of a big deal to see her stuffing this into her mouth.  You can read more about her in the About Me section of the blog.  We liked these so much that I made a second batch yesterday.  Adzuki beans are mainly grown in East Asia.  They are tiny red beans, but don’t let the size fool you.  These little beans are packed with healthy nutrients.  They are high in iron, potassium and folic acid.  I got mine out of the bulk bins at Whole Foods.

Adzuki Bean Veggie Burgers

3 cups cooked adzuki beans
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 an onion chopped fine
3 carrots chopped fine
4 T bbq sauce
salt to taste
1 egg (I used a flax egg replacer)
2 T water
2 T oil (I used avocado oil)

Preheat oven to 400. In a pan, saute the onions and carrots in the oil on med/high heat for about 5-10 minutes. In a food processor, pulse the beans several times until they are half mashed. In a bowl, mix the quinoa, beans, onions, carrots, garlic, bbq sauce, egg and water until everything is incorporated. Add the salt to taste. Using your hands, form patties and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes. This recipe may seem like it has a lot of steps, but you can cook the beans and the quinoa ahead of time. You can also chop the onions and the carrots in the food processor ahead of time as well. That’s what I did. Enjoy!burgers1