Oh, hello....oh no!

I don't really have a guest du jor for this post because I ended up using things I already had on hand. I also don't feel like any one ingredient is highlighted here.  I had purchased a package of Italian sausage (meaning it's pre-seasoned) over the weekend and wasn't sure what I was going to make with it.  So today, I visited my trusty Pinterest to look for inspiration.  I had pinned this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen a while back and have really wanted to try it.  Since this recipe calls for unseasoned beef and follows more of an Indian flavor profile, I figured this wasn't really going to work with the Italian sausage I had purchased.  Then I began to think about what I already had in my kitchen to see if I could make this work.  The following is what I came up with.

1 package of Italian sausage (without the casing if possible, otherwise remove and crumble)

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 can of garbanzo beans

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 white onion, diced

2 cups of spinach, roughly chopped

1 1/2 cup water

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Cumin

Paprika

• Drain your garbanzo beans and rinse until you no longer see bubbles forming.  
• Heat the olive oil, in a deep skillet.  Add the sausage, break it up, and let it cook for a 3 minutes.
• Mix your seasonings with your water.  (I just sprinkled a little of each, mixed, then tasted and adjusted to taste.  Remember, it's easier to add more, than to take away when you've added too much).
• Toss in the beans and cook for another 7 minutes or so.
• Add your onions, garlic, and spinach and saute for a 3-5 minutes.
• Add your seasoned water and simmer on low until the liquid is almost evaporated. (I placed a lid over it so the liquid could evaporate a little more rapidly and be done near the time my rice was to be done).

This is before I added the water.

I served this over rice, but I think any starch will do. It was a home run and Biz loved it!

This was one of the few times where I truly improvised and I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself.  However, it wasn't smooth sailing.  I want to share with any amateur cooks out there my experience with this experiment because great things can come from our mistakes and/or when we're forced to think quick on are feet. 

Kalyn's recipe calls for you to reserve the liquid from the garbanzo beans and add chicken broth.  I did not have chicken broth, but noticed I had an open carton of vegetable broth in the refrigerator.  

I checked the expiration date, still good. 

I opened it up and smelled it, still good.  

I proceeded to pour it into my measuring cup that contained my bean juice, and then a big clump of coagulated vegetable broth plopped out! I stood there for a second, throughly annoyed that my attempt to be creative was backfiring.  Then I thought, what about dissolving some chicken bouillon in some water and voila! 

Not exactly.  

I opened my pantry and zilch.  I stood there staring at what I did have and decided to pull a few things I thought would taste good.  I came up with the combination you saw listed above and it all worked out!

I welcome any of you to share some of your mishaps that turned into miracles.  Let's inspire and learn from each other!

Peace, Love, & Yummy Stuff

Oh, hello Bell Pepper!

Lately I have been craving more veggies and so today I decided to share with you one of my favorite salads.  It combines a variety of my most favorite foods: beans, cheese, and bell peppers!  I started to do some research and was surprised to learn that bell peppers come in more colors than just green, red, orange, and yellow.  They can be black, brown, or purple too!  Which kind of makes sense since they're a part of the "nightshade family" that includes potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant.

Red bell peppers are my personal favorite because they're sweet and taste good raw and cooked. Below is my recipe for what I call a Fiesta Salad, it's colorful, spicy, and tasty!  I didn't include many pictures because it's not very complicated.

Red Bell Peppers

Fiesta Salad
Ingredients
Your choice of greens
Black beans, drained
Red bell pepper, diced
Shredded cheese (I prefer the "Mexican" blend)
Tortilla strips
Brianna's Chipotle Cheddar dressing (this is important!) 

Directions
Add as much of each ingredient as your heart desires and dig in!! But of course, be mindful of how much dressing you add...that's where the healthy can easily slip into unhealthy if you're not careful!

These are the tortilla strips I use - found at your neighborhood Savemart

This is the most awesomest dressing and is what gives the salad a little kick! I had trouble finding it at Savemart even though they carry the brand, but WinCo seems to always have it on hand.

This is before the strips and dressing. I'm sharing this pick because I knew once I put it in my lunch bag it wasn't going to look as pretty.  I wait to add those two final ingredients if I'm not going to eat it until later.  Who wants a soggy salad?

Sometimes our best stuff comes out of desperation.  This was born out of stuff I had on hand.  I would love to hear some of your salad creations!

Do Share!

Peace, Love, & Yummy Stuff 

P.S.  I know the cheese in the picture is not the "Mexican" blend I love, but I was out, so I shredded some pepper jack.  I can never have enough spice :)  But after I did so, I wish I had used feta.  I think the tangy flavor of feta would have complimented the dressing nicely.

Chick-A-What? Chick-A-Who? Did you say chickpeas and lasagna?

As I began thinking about what I wanted to write for my first post, the chickpea was the first item that came to mind.  If you asked Biz to guess the topic of my first post, he'd say, "She's probably going to make it all about pasta" (insert eye roll here).  Nine times out of ten, he'd probably be right; and that's exactly what got me to thinking about what I could do differently.  I know a pasta-heavy diet is not cholk-full of nutrients, so I got to thinking...what could I possibly substitute in it's place?

What

about

CHICKPEAS?

The Guest Du Jour

I can't tell you the exact moment that I first consumed chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), but I do remember thinking, "where have you been all my life?" It is a lovely legume that I have come to appreciate for all its versatility.  Chickpeas can be served cooked, baked, roasted, fried, blended, the possibilities are endless!  They're full of zinc, folate, and protein, polyunsaturated fat (good fat) and low in calories.  

With that in mind, I was off to the drawing board to figure out how I was going to make this work.  I thought about what kind of pasta dish would allow for an easy substitute and could remain relatively healthy, as I am trying to promote the benefits of substituting my precious pasta with a bean.

Then it hit me, what about using the ingredients typically found in a lasagna!  Thus, Chicksagna was born!  Here's what you'll need:

Chicksagna

Ingredients:

1 8x8 baking dish

2 cans of chickpeas

3/4lbs ground turkey

1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

1/2c Low-fat ricotta cheese

2-3Tbsp pesto

2Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/4c diced carrots

1/4c diced yellow onion

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside while you dice your carrots and onions. In a medium pan, heat your oil and saute your carrots and onions on medium heat, until softened (the carrots will help to cut down the acidity from the marinara sauce).

While those are cooking, combine your ricotta and pesto sauce in a small bowl.  

               

Then add your ground turkey to the saute pan to brown and season to taste.  I didn't spoon out the fat because there wasn't very much, but if you're using beef, you may want to.  Once cooked, add about half the jar of marinara and continue cooking until it's heated through.

Now you're ready to begin layering.  Pour just enough marinara from your jar into your baking dish to coat the bottom.  Then pour in and spread out half of your chickpeas.

Then add your layer of meat mixture, followed by some of your ricotta mixture, then sprinkle with mozzarella.  You should have enough to last you for two total layers.

On your final layer, pour in any remaining sauce from your jar.  Then sprinkle with Parmesan.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

  

Presto!  You have a healthy alternative to a common pasta dish.

Now I know it's not the same layers of flavor you may be used to, and this is more a bowl-friendly dish, but it was a hit with Biz and it's so much more healthy.  You could serve it along side some roasted veggies or a light green salad.  I'd love to hear your thoughts if you decide to try it.  Are there any recipes involving chickpeas that you've been dying to try?  If so, I'd love to hear about them!