Showing posts with label Lunch & Dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lunch & Dinner. Show all posts

Five-Minute Garbanzo Bean "Salad"

October 11, 2017





A few months ago, I had one of those crazy weeks where cooking a decent meal is pretty much out of the question (I was basically living off of apples and peanut butter). And while apples and peanut butter are a delicious and classic combo, it got old quick and wasn't doing much to fill me or keep me focused. After reaching a point of desperation for something more nutritious, I decided to go on a scavenger hunt through my fridge and pantry to see what I could gather. I only had about eight things to eat in total; thankfully, I'm always up for a food challenge. ;)

What I found in my fridge was everything I normally eat on a salad (tomato, cucumber, red onion and feta cheese) ... but there wasn't any spinach, lettuce or dressing in sight. So, I reached for some garbanzo beans and olive oil in my pantry. I chopped up the tomato, cucumber and onion, and tossed them in a bowl with the beans (which I drained and rinsed), feta cheese, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. It might sound boring, but this "salad" ended up being surprisingly flavorful (note: I used basil and tomato feta instead of regular - it's a game changer) and was easily one of the healthiest and most satisfying meals I've ever thrown together in less than five minutes. I still make it often, even when I have a fully stocked fridge and pantry ... and plenty of time to spare.

*You can always replace olive oil with a Greek salad vinaigrette. I did this once and it was delicious!

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, drained (and rinsed, if desired)
Cucumber
Tomato
Red onion
Feta cheese (basil & tomato feta is the way to go here - trust me)
Olive oil (or Greek vinaigrette)
Dash of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired

Directions:
Finely chop up the cucumber, tomato and red onion
Add in beans; mix all ingredients together
Drizzle in olive oil or dressing; mix together
Add salt and pepper; mix again

Enjoy!


The Best Homemade Vegetable Soup

March 20, 2015



I try my best to maintain as healthy a diet as possible, but during spring break, it’s safe to say I dismiss the notion of healthy eating almost entirely.  I was on a cruise a couple weeks ago celebrating my last spring break with a bunch of friends, which meant consuming a lot of alcohol and carbs.  Needless to say, as soon as I got home, I was desperate for a nutritious meal.  This homemade vegetable soup my mom and her best friend taught me how to make is not only insanely healthy, but incredibly satisfying as well. 

Ingredients:

48 oz. reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 sweet onion
4 cloves garlic
1 head of cauliflower
2-3 carrots
2 zucchini
2 yellow squash
One 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (or you can dice your own, of course)
¼ scotch bonnet hot pepper (1/2 if you prefer food to be more on the spicy side)
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Sea salt to taste (if desired)


Chop zucchini, squash, and carrots and place in a large pot filled with the broth.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Heat to boil, and then reduce to simmer (heat setting 2) and cover.  


While pot heats to a boil, quarter the cauliflower, break the stem off, and break apart into smaller pieces.  Place in the pot. 



Remove the seeds from the scotch bonnet pepper, and finely mince.  Chop the garlic into small chunks.  Cut onion in four and coarsely chop.  Add to the pot. 



The soup should be ready to eat when the carrots and cauliflower have softened.  Enjoy!