Tag: lime

Wild Rice and Canellini Bean Salad with Raisins

Here we are, and another year has arrived! I don’t know about you, but I am feeling a little sluggish after an overindulgent holiday season. Even though I was still doing my best to exercise and eat healthy, when I was out at holiday parties, I ate what was there. And there were definitely times that I ate things I shouldn’t have and paid for it later. I’m human, though, and the holidays happen.

Instead of dwelling on it, I’m getting things back in order! Last night? Salad for dinner. Today? Minty-delicious fennel and celery green juice.

This easy, vegan wild rice salad makes for a quick and nutritious lunch or dinner that will get you back in the groove with your healthy eating this new year.

WILD RICE AND CANELLINI BEAN SALAD WITH RAISINS
serves 3-4

1 1/2 cups wild rice, cooked (3/4 cup dried)
1 1/2 cups canellini beans, cooked (3/4 cup dried beans, or one can)
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes to plump
1/3 cup cilantro or parsely, chopped small
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil or other oil (flax)
2 drops stevia or 1 tsp honey or maple syrup

Mix the cooked rice, beans, raisins, and cilantro or parsley together in a large bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together separately and then toss the salad in the dressing. Bam! So easy!

+ Erin
P 01/05/2013
t Blog, Gluten-Free, Salad, Vegan
Ccanellini beans, cilantro, lime, parsley, raisins, wild rice
9 No Comments

White Bean Dip with Red Chard and Caramelized Onions

Hey all, this is going to be a quick one. I’ve been chasing my tail since last week, and finding I barely have time to catch my breath. This holiday break is going to be a much needed rest period for me as I try to see how I can do better to manage my schedule in the new year.

Lexi chose this week’s Food Matters recipe: Pureed White Beans with Tons of Fresh Herbs. I didn’t have tons of fresh herbs, so I went with caramelized onions and red chard instead. It made my bean dip pleasantly pink! See what the gang thought up over here.

WHITE BEAN DIP WITH RED CHARD AND CARAMELIZED ONION
adapted from Food With Presence <-- I go to school with her, and you should check out her site for some awesome inspiration!
serves 4-6 as an appetizer

2 cups cooked canellini beans (soaked overnight and cooked for 35-40 mins or until tender)
2 onions, halved and sliced
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 bunch red chard, or 5 leaves, de-stemmed and sliced thinly
juice of one lime
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
1 drop stevia (this is my not-so-secret ingredient in just about everything)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Caramelize your onions by sauteeing them in the coconut oil on med-high heat until soft. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook them for 45 minutes, stirring once in a while so they don’t burn. You can have the beans cooking at the same time as the onions and be prepping the chard and pre-mixing the rest of the ingredients while the beans and onions cook. Once the onions are all nice and brown they are done! Remove them from the pan, turn up the heat to med, and stir in the chard along with a splash of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. In a bowl, coarsely mash the beans with a fork and then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and voila! Bean dip.

+ Erin
P 12/03/2012
t Blog, Gluten-Free, Sides, Vegan
Ccanellini beans, caramelized onion, lime, swiss chard
9 4 Comments

Corn-Avocado Salad with Mango

Last week the climbing camp I was supposed to coach was cancelled, so Reid and I took advantage of some mid-week time off and went up to Whistler. We recently inherited a bike rack, so we took our bikes up with us and I realized in all the time I’ve spent in Whistler, I’ve never explored on two wheels. We had a great time cruising around, jumping into lakes, relaxing in the sun, playing card games, doing some casual hiking, and of course, eating our faces off.

It was a welcome respite from the city and real life.

Some really good news: My Dad is home now. He didn’t end up needing surgery, and his heart wasn’t significantly damaged by his heart attack, so he’s now been put on a drug cocktail and been given fair warning that if he doesn’t make some major lifestyle changes, that he will eventually end up right back in the hospital.

The whole thing gave him (and the rest of us, too) a pretty good scare. Understandably, he’s still a little overwhelmed. Where do you start when you know you have to make big changes in your life, and a lot of them?!

I’m doing my best to be supportive and let him work through this all in his own way. Information overload isn’t going to do much for him right now except frustrate him, so I’m working on trusting that it will all work out. Yesterday we had dinner together and he made the most fantastic veggie and fruit-filled salad. We talked about carbohydrates and blood sugar, plus a bit about fat and cooking with less (or no) oil. Mostly, I tried to encourage him to just eat as many vegetables as he could possibly manage, while cutting back on the meat, dairy, and sugar. I think his initial resistance was aimed more at the idea of extreme changes and having to eliminate all the things he enjoys eating from his diet. He kept saying “I’m not going on any vegan diet”, so I’m hoping that he will see the benefits and gradual changes coming from increasing his veggie intake and that will propel him forward into health.

I dream that one day he will start his mornings with green smoothies. That would fill my heart with joy.

He said something like “Keep dreaming, kiddo”, but I’ll convert him yet.

For now, lots more of the healthy things he (miraculously?) likes – kale, quinoa, oatmeal, salads…

And how fitting that this week’s Food Matters Project recipe is a veggie-packed summer salad?!