My Valencian Rice & Beans Recipe Was Featured!

Another one of my Recipes and Photos were featured over on The Raw Food World NEWS Recipe Section!  Check it out HERE and for a short list of ingredients here's what's in this dish...

• 1 cup, cooked rice
• 1 T grapeseed oil (I used Wildtree Brand)
• 1 onion
• 3 T garlic, minced
• 1 cup, cooked kidney (red) beans
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• Pinch sea salt
• Pinch black pepper, to taste

Beans, Grains, & Veggies Dish

This is one of the dishes I came up with last week!  I was looking to incorporate the Rice & Lentil Medley from Whole Foods Market I bought a while back along with some fresh and frozen veggies I had on hand.  After I was half way thru with making it I noticed I had a little less than a cups-worth of Black Beans that I needed to use SOON so I threw those in, too!  Basically - this was a "Throw-In What You Have" Dish.

I started off with a frozen Mushroom and Onion mix in with a little bit of Coconut Oil.  I then threw in some red and green peppers, some corn, fresh broccoli, and frozen Carrots.  I added the Black beans towards the end since they were technically 'left-overs'.  I really didn't add much else to this - other than the ingredients you see - with the exception of the very little bit of Coconut Oil.  It turned out really well.  The Rice and Lentil Medley had White and Brown Rice, Red and Green Lentils.

Algerian Tomato Soup with Cous Cous & Chips Made Out Of Beans - Stop The Madness!

I have two posts today...be sure to scroll down...there is a LOT more to come!  But for now...it's SOUP TIME!  Algerian Tomato Soup with Cous Cous to be exact!  Here's what's in this soup!

1 C of Cooked Cous Cous
1 Onion
5 Cloves Garlic
1/4 tea Cayenne
>2 tea Coriander
1 tea Curry
1 tea Cinnamon
2 Cans of Diced Tomatoes with liquid (in blender)
4 C Water
4 tea Wildtree Vegetable Bouillon
4 tea Lemon Juice

This made a HUGE Batch of Soup!  I really liked the kick to it and I really liked the Tomato-y Goodness!  It's something I would make again!  I liked this soup WAY better than the Algerian Carrots from earlier this week!  

 Another thing I wanted to mention in this post is I've been on a Bean Chip Kick lately!  I'll start off with these UNSALTED ones from Beanfield's!  They are Bean and Rice Chips and they are delicious!  I have many of their other flavors to share with you in the coming weeks, too!

Here's what their website says about these chips!
 

Great Taste First
At Beanfields your snacking enjoyment comes first–that's the whole point of snacking! So we make sure our chips are delicious. They're made with black and navy beans and long grain rice, and cooked in high-quality safflower or sunflower oil, giving them a great taste and distinctive crunch.

4 Grams of Complete Protein and Fiber
Beanfields chips give you important nutrition your body needs. A one ounce serving has 4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber—twice as much as most other tortilla chips, corn chips, or potato chips. Beanfields are tasty snacks you can feel good about giving your family!

All of our Corn Free Bean & Rice Tortilla Chips are verified to be free of any genetically-modified organisms (non-GMO) and have received the prestigious Non-GMO Verification awarded by the Non-GMO Project!

As for my thoughts on their NO SALT Flavor...they are great!  I'm not usually a fan of salt so this is right up my alley!  they are a little drier than the other flavors but you can really taste the bean in the chips this way and I really like that!

The Bean/Rice Combo provide a nice texture an wholesomeness to it!  They are sturdy and thick and a good dipping chip!  See if you can find these WINNERS in your area!  They are WORTH it!

Top 20 Ingredients I Can't Live Without!

Alicia Silverstone over at The Kind Life posted about the 20 ingredients she can’t live without. As did Cadry at Cadry's Kitchen.  So I decided to follow suit!  Here are my TOP 20 Ingredients in random order.

TEA - As many of you know I drink A LOT of tea.  All day...all night...I have even started using it in dishes!  All sorts of tea...Black, Green, White, Yellow, fruit and herbal tisane's, Oolongs, Pu-erh, Blends, Purple, Guayusa, Rooibos, Honeybush...the list goes on and on!

CHICK PEAS & BLACK BEANS - I was going to list these separate but came up with too many items I MUST HAVE in my kitchen, apparently!  The older I get the more I LOVE Chickpeas.  They are so versatile!  I would have also put HUMMUS on the list but it's not just ONE Ingredient it's a FOOD, a dish, a delicacy, really.  Okay, okay...you can tell I LOVE hummus!  Well, Chickpeas are one of the ingredients so it works, right?

GRAPESEED OIL - Why GSO?  I think this sums it up nicely!  I LOVE IT!  If you want to order some let me know!!  I can have it shipped directly to you!

LEAFY GREENS - I know this is more than ONE but I couldn't resist!  There are so many Leafy Greens to choose from and they ALL have their benefits!

CASHEWS - And other nuts, really.  I'm very fortunate to NOT have allergies to Nuts!  I don't think I would be able to deal with that intolerance, to be honest!  I'm finding Cashews are very versatile as well and now that I'm NOT doing dairy there are many things I can do with them as a substitute. 

NUTRITIONAL YEAST - I have used it for YEARS - but have been using it on a weekly - sometimes daily basis these days!  Along the same lines would be HEMP HEARTS and CHIA SEEDS, I guess, too!  For Digestion Issues/Benefits as well as a protein option.

VARIETY of RICES - Again, I am a REBEL, here, and noting more than one but I really can't help it!  Just when I think I know which RICE is my favorite I discover new ones...like Medleys from Bob's Red Mills as well as FORBIDDEN RICE, lately, too!

QUINOA - Quinoa is in a category all of it's own for me!  I have been eating it for years but continue to be amazed by it!  I LOVE the nutritional benefits as well as digestion support but also the texture and flavor and the ability to make it MORPH!

TOMATOES - Any kind, really.  I could go on and on about THE TOMATO but I will let it speak for itself!  YUM!

BALSAMIC VINEGAR - Yes!  BALSAMIC VINEGAR...Wildtree Brand, specifically.  And I'm not just saying that because I sell it!  The flavor CANNOT BE BEAT!  Plus it has the Grapeseed Oil Base, too!

TAHINI - I thought it was just for HUMMUS but it's good for SO MUCH MORE!!!  I'm using lately in Cheese and Cream Alternatives, too!

GARLIC - Need I say more?  I just LOVE it!  I can't get enough of it!  I'd put it on cereal if it were allowed.  Okay...that might be a stretch...but...you know what I mean, right!?

ONIONS - They give flavor to EVERYTHING and they make the perfect base for many things!

LEMONS & LEMON JUICE - I almost over looked this one.  It's one of those things I really use a lot of but just USE it and tend to forget about it BUT if I run out...there is HELL TO PAY, Mister!

CORN - It's so sweet, It's so cute, It's SO GOOD!  I have been using it more and more to kick certain recipes up a notch as well as add to leftovers, wraps, salads, etc.  So simple - yet - SO effective!

COLORFUL BELL PEPPERS - LOVE them!  In every way!  I find myself adding them to EVERYTHING and then some!  The sweeter the better!

SPROUTS - When I was a toddler they used to be one of my 3 favorite foods (next to Dried Apricots and Lima Beans - which SHOULD also play a part in this list somewhere...there...they just did!) and I lost touch with Sprouts for a while but have been having FUN Sprouting my own Sprouts at home on and off again for a couple of years!

CARROTS & CELERY - Mostly because I can't have one without the other - and because they are right up the same alley as Onions and Garlic and Corn!

ALMOND MILK - I prefer Almond Milk to any of the other Milk Alternatives.  It's my default, really.

AVOCADOS - I wish I could have one everyday but they are really expensive here but when they are on sale!  I'm ALL OVER THAT!  Nom.Nom.Nom.

Hope you enjoyed my list!  If you do one let me know!