For the love of beans... and pressure cookers

Our bulk beans are stored in jars.

Many of us have a tough relationship with beans.  For some, beans are the "magical fruit - the more you eat them, the more you toot!" Others "just don't like them." However, for those of us who don't have issues with beans or can get it past it - they're a rich source of fiber and protein, filling and satisfying.  They're also very inexpensive! I love beans.

You can purchase a can of beans for $1 or less at most grocery stores. There are thousands up thousands of recipes that use beans and they're staples in many countries' cuisines - like Mexico and India.

Some of favorite bean recipes:

Zesty Wheat Berry - Black Bean Chili

Winter Vegetable Dal

Gluten Free Taco Bowl

Pressure cooker singin' while oatmeal is cookin!

However, you can get beans to go even further by purchasing a pressure cooker and buying dried beans in the bulk section of your grocery store or from a co-op like Azure Standard. Modern pressure cookers have safety valves and other features that prevent beans from ending up on your ceiling. Pressure cookers can quickly cook far more than beans - you can save time cooking rice, meats, other grains - there are even recipes specific for pressure cookers.

We have gotten into the habit of only buying in bulk. For example, we will buy 25 lbs of dried black beans from Azure Standard. Those 25 lbs of dried beans equal 100 cans of BEANS!  Plus you don't have the environmental impact of 100 can - from the actual steel can to the coating on the inside of the can and the extra ingredients needed to preserve the beans color and texture/firmness. 

Here's the math:

1/2 cup dried beans = 1 can

2 cups of dried beans = 1 lb (or 4 cans of beans)

20 cups of dried beans = 10 lbs (or 40 cans of beans)

50 cups of dried beans = 25 lbs (or 100 can of beans)

50 cups of dried beans = 100 cans of black beans

This saves you $75 in the long run - which just covered the cost of my pressure cooker and then some.

"But I have to remember to soak the beans!"  Yes.  That is true.  However, if you're using beans in your recipe for dinner, you can soak them when you're working or overnight.  Using the pressure cooker, you can turn your soaked black beans into ready-to-cook beans in just 2-3 minutes - less time than it takes to brew your morning coffee or tea.  It's really a habit you can get into - just like brewing coffee or brushing your teeth.  Check your recipe for the evening and put the amount of beans you need into a bowl and cover with plenty of water.

Toot! Toot!

Dairy Free Breakfast Smoothies! Yum!

A few years ago, it was suggested hat I give up yogurt completely. I had discovered that I had become lactose intolerant upon my return from Cote d'Ivoire after my two year stint in the Peace Corps. (I didn't eat dairy for two+ years.)  It made even more sense when my gallon-of-milk-a-day brother also suddenly couldn't eat or drink dairy anymore.

Quitting yogurt cold turkey was hard.  And sad.  I was super crabby about it. I had convinced myself that yogurt had a different make up (which it does) that I could still digest. But I couldn't.  Luckily it was December and steel cut oats held me over for a few week until I could find some smoothies that worked out. 

Here are three of my favorites.  They all make about 2 servings. I'll follow the recipe and then I end up drinking one for breakfast and freezing the other in a jar. When I need breakfast, all I have to do is pull one down from the freezer and put it in the fridge the night before.  It will be mostly thawed in the morning.  

Raspberry & Avocado Smoothie.

I first found this recipe from Eating Well.  I've made a few changes:

1 ripe avocado
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup cheery juice
handful of spinach or mixed leaves (like kale/spinach combo)
1/2 cup water (depending on how thick you like your smoothies)

Peel the avocado, remove the pit.  Slice it into small piece and blend with the orange juice and cheery juice until smooth.  Add your greens and blend until smooth.  Lastly add your raspberries.  You may have to take a spoon or spatula to mix it up so that you can finish blending it.  Divide the servings into two.  It will be thick.  You can always add some water to change the consistency. Drink one now, put the other one in the freezer for another day.


Kale Apple Ginger Smoothie

Again, I found this one in Eating Well.  It's super delicious but I've also changed it up a bit.

1 ripe banana
1 apple
1/2 cup apple juice/cider
1/2 cup water
1.5 - 2 cups chopped kale
1 tbsp. grated ginger*
6 ice cubes

Peel the banana and put it in the blender with the juice.  Slice up the apple, add to the mixture and blend.  Add the kale and the ginger and blend until smooth.  I will end up adding up to 1/2 cup water to get the desired consistency.  Then toss in the ice cubes.  Again, divide in half and freeze one and drink the other.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie

I just recently stumbled on this delicious smoothie in Clean Eating magazine! So yummy!   I altered this one just for one serving size as I found it was too much liquid to blend comfortably.

• 1 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 large bananas, peeled and halved
• 1 tbsp natural unsalted creamy peanut butter
• 4 pitted dates
• 1 cup packed baby spinach
• 1 cup unsweetened plain coconut milk

Blend the coconut milk, spinach and banana.  Add the peanut butter and dates.  Lastly add the frozen fruit.  Again, you may need a spatula to mix it up to get it the consistency that you desire.  This makes about 1 serving.

* splurge on organic ginger.  It's spicier than non organic.

Snacks!

I thought it would be fantastic to start off my food blog with snacks!  Energy bars or granola bars are great for after working out, while hiking, or to pop in the kids' mouths when dinner isn't quite ready or the grocery store line is taking longer than expected.

The problem with energy bars and other snacks bought in the grocery store is that they're filled with all kinds of stuff that I don't know that I would feed anyone.  Not to mention they're expensive and have so much packaging.

Below are two tasty recipes for snacks! Pictured above on the right are the Coco Cherry Sporty Balls and the ones on the left are "No Bake Energy Bites".

CocoCherry Sporty Balls (yes, that is what my friend Megan calls them)
1 cup almonds
8-10 medjool dates (or other dates)
1/2 cup dried cherries
3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips
1/4 pecans (or walnuts)

Mix almonds, dates and dried cherries in food processor for 30-45 seconds until mixtures gets sticky but still has appealing flecks of almond. Pulse in dark chocolate chips and pecans (or walnuts if you don't want them too sweet.) Refrigerate a bit and then roll into balls. Good for cooler weather. 

Choco Chip Cooke Dough Sporty Balls (variation on a theme)
1.5 cups cashews
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dates
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp chocolate chips

Mix cashews, salt, dates and vanilla in food processor until sticky. Add dark chocolate chips. Really do taste like cookie dough. (I have not made these yet but sound yummy just the same.)


No Bake Energy Bites
1 C dry oatmeal
1/2 C chocolate chips
1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C ground flaxseed
1/3 C honey
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all of the dry ingredients in one bowl: oatmeal, chocolate chips and flaxseed.  Combine the rest in another bowl: peanut butter,  honey and vanilla.  Fold the dry ingredients into the peanut butter.  

Of course, if you're vegan or have certain food allergies, you can change out any of the ingredients and try different combinations to keep it interesting and exciting.

I tried to make these various balls once a week and just keep them in a small plastic container and will grab a few for a post workout treat or for a mid afternoon snack.  Yum!