Back to School, Back to Beans
Quick meals for midweek
We have closed the books on another Labor Day. The most iconic weekend, the end of the summer vacation. It was a beauty here in Newport. Already the nights in New England this past week were requiring a long sleeve t-shirt. But yesterday was hot and humid. The weather is all over the place. As we pivot back to school, fall weekends, and new schedules we look to September to make a bridge between summer and fall.
My mindset is different in the summer. The days are longer and warmer. We may pack a cooler and have a casual meal on the beach with friends. Come fall we button up a bit more. This month we try to hold on for as long as possible; the first couple of weeks in September, even if you don’t have children going off to school, there is still a change in the air and meal planning can get tiresome as the sun is setting earlier.
Someone should tell the gardens. They are still in full bloom giving us a few more weeks of tomatoes, plenty of greens, melons, potatoes, the list is endless. Whether you are still enjoying tomatoes or if you are looking to turn the page, I thought I would give a bonus recipe this week. The first is if you are “team summer” loving your greens and tomatoes. The second is if you don’t know where summer went and you need a quick “go to” recipe to get the vitamins and nutrients needed to make it through the week. They are both delicious, both quick. Enjoy.
Recommended Recipes:
Alubia Blanca (cannellini) beans with kale (or any late summer green) and cherry tomatoes and tahini/lemon dressing–Quick, easy and delicious.
This one will keep your time in the kitchen to a minimum. Feel free to add some canned tuna if you eat fish. If I am eating for breakfast I often add an egg, no tuna and no dressing
Beans are a low glycemic ingredient keeping our blood sugar stabilized, no crashing 30 minutes after we eat, and also high in protein and fiber to keep our brains humming and to keep us feeling satiated.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked or 1, 15 oz can alubia blanca beans
~ 1 pint cherry tomatoes -I slice some in half (your preference or what you have on hand. If you only have larger tomatoes you can use them. I would cut them first, throw a bit of salt on them and let them sit in a bowl to release some of the juices before tossing into the pan)
1 bunch of kale, washed and dried, hard stems removed and big pieces torn up and massaged for 30 seconds to a minute. My kale was tough but it is so worth the extra time. If you are using an alternate green such as spinach, Swiss chard, or lacinato kale you will not need to massage.
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon
1 tbsp pepitas
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Water as needed to thin it out If you like heat you can add 1-2 drops of sriracha or hot sauce of your choice
Salt and pepper
Make the dressing by adding the tahini and lemon juice to a measuring cup or small bowl. If your tahini is loose you may be able to whisk, if not add cold water, a teaspoon at a time, until you get a consistency you like to drizzle over your beans and greens. Set aside to blend while you are making the beans. Note: Sometimes I add sriracha for a kick. This time I did not because I wanted the lemon garlicky taste alone.
Next, the beans, turn your burner on medium high and add a tablespoon of olive oil or veggie stock to the pan and let it heat up for a minute. Add the minced garlic and swirl until you can smell the garlic-30 seconds.
Turn the burner to medium/medium low, add the kale, beans and lemon. Stir to combine for a minute. As I said, my kale was hearty so it took me about a minute and a half to incorporate the beans and the kale. If your burner does not cool down quickly you may need to pull the pan for 30 seconds or so, or add a bit of veggie stock or water so the beans do not get dry or stick to the bottom.
Add in the cherry tomatoes. Cook until heated through. Your kale will be cooked but not wilted.
Add a big scoop to a bowl and garnish with pepitas. If I have a baguette I like to toast and sop up the bean and tomato magic. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the whole dish. The tahini dressing over the warm, garlicky beans is heaven. It is great anytime of day. Yum.
Be sure to make it your own. If you don’t care for lemon, hold off on the lemon and squeeze it over the top when you add the pepitas. I think the lemon brightens the dish. If you have fresh corn or some leftover grilled peppers add those, too.
Midweek Lentils
Lentils are a powerhouse for being so small. They have plenty of protein, dietary fiber, iron and B6 in each bite. Additionally, they supply smaller amounts of potassium and magnesium. The pepitas that I always add on top will contribute to your intake of potassium and are a great source of magnesium which helps other functions in our bodies run well. Knowing how the food you make helps your body to function may make cooking more enjoyable.
Lentils are the easiest to prepare midweek if you want to do something besides use a can. Green, brown or French lentils often come in a bag. You can follow the cooking instructions on the back and they will come out perfectly. I always add (if I have it) a stalk of celery broken in half, a bayleaf, a piece of carrot chopped in half, ¼ of an onion and a garlic clove smashed along with my 1 cup of dry lentils. Sometimes I make a bigger batch 2 dry cups or more and then make mushroom gravy or mushroom lentil burgers. I will follow up next week with the gravy.
If you are at a market where you buy lentils in bulk and there are no cooking directions. I use 2.5 cups of water or veggie stock to 1 cup of dried lentils. That is pretty standard. Add it all to the medium pot, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. I do not drain any liquid from the pot at the end. I find the lentils like to absorb any leftover liquid; there will not be much.
Remove the cooked carrot, celery and onion and store the lentils in a dish in the fridge until you are ready to use them. To eat as is from the pot, I chop up garlic, parsley, zest some lemon, stir in to a bit of olive oil and pour over the top of my warm bowl of lentils.
If I don’t eat lentils in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic, parsley and lemon, I usually will have them over rice or potatoes and whatever veggies I have. I find a simple bowl of warm lentils all by themselves to be so comforting; not necessarily fall/winter cosy but midweek, losing my steam, and they build me back up comforting. The next day, you can add the lentils from the fridge to a green salad or make a salad with lentils as the base with cucumber, dill or mint, pickled radish, red onion, and capers with a lemon dressing and cracked pepper. So many options.
Enjoy your week and remember to start with beans.
Contact
If you have any additional questions on the bean protocol, beans/greens, lentils and midweek easy recipes please email me at Denisemancieri1@gmail.com. Feel free to comment below if there are topics you would like to see.
Please like this newsletter by clicking the heart emoji if you find it may assist you or others. Thank you!
Note: I am not a doctor. I am a teacher and an educator with an earned doctorate in educational leadership. I enjoy research and I can take large amounts of information and parse it out into easily understood and digestible steps so people understand what is happening to their body and possible steps to reverse it with food as medicine. I have healed my own GI issues through choices with food. I followed Karen Hurd’s bean protocol diet, I meditated and still do and I healed. I feel compelled to be in service and educate others as the more people eating beans, alongside a healthy diet and sharing their stories the more people will live a healthier existence. Joy, peace and freedom abound. Please see your doctor and discuss nutritional options before you change any course of action with your health.