four-bean & avocado quinoa salad

happiness. i think i just found my new go-to salad.

so i’m still on my salad kick for the new year… and in the spirit of culinary experiments, i figured i’d try introducing a new healthy ingredient to my kitchen. <drumroll, please…> beans! <toot, toot!> ok, so that’s not the sound of a drumroll, but you get my point. haha! beans are a great source of protein and fibre, though i’ll admit they aren’t a pantry staple in my kitchen. other than the occasional slowcooker chili, i haven’t really ventured into the land of cooking with beans. but, as they say, in with the new year…

here’s an easypeasy salad featuring a hearty bean medley — awesome as a fab side or a main dish. it’s inspired by (and adapted from) a recipe from my fave cooking show on the telly – cbc’s best recipes ever (thanks, kary osmond!).

the quinoa:
- bring to a boil: 1 cup (250mL) organic quinoa & 2 cups water in a small pot (no cover)
- then reduce to simmer, cover pot and cook until the water is absorbed into the grains (approx 10-12 min). it’s ready when the grain is translucent.
- allow to cool, then fluff with a fork

the dressing:
in a large bowl, whisk together the following ingredients:
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
- pinch of sea salt
- season w/ ground black peppercorns

the salad:
in the same bowl as the dressing, toss together the following ingredients until well combined with the dressing:
- 1 large can (approx 500mL) bean medley (drained, medley includes red kidney beans, romano beans, chickpeas & black-eyed peas)
- 1 cup organic quinoa (cooked)
- 1 haas avocado (pitted, halved, sliced)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (pitted & thinly sliced)
- 1/4 cup fresh organic cilantro (stems removed, finely chopped)
- season w/ 1 tsp ancho chile powder (divided)

adapted from best recipes ever

food styling:
- dish up and serve immediately
- also serves well chilled, or packs nicely as a healthy lunch for the next day! <toot-toot!>

happiness. :)

ancho chile black bean chili

snow day? hello, comfort food. nothing like a winter storm to make you crave some slowcooked goodness. this hearty slowcooked chili will warm you up and have you coming back for seconds. it did for me. :)

what’s great about this recipe is that you don’t need to run to the grocery store for the ingredients. i’m guessing you probably have everything you need right in your kitchen. you can prep the chili for the slowcooker and then smell the lovely slowcooker aroma while you curl up on the sofa. now how’s that for a pretty stellar snow day?

the ancho chile beef:
- heat up 1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (evoo) in a large saucepan on high heat
- brown 2 large shallots (peeled, rough chop) in pan
- add a dash of sea salt
- add 500g lean ground beef to shallots
- sprinkle 1 tsp ancho chile spice
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- sauté ground beef until browned, but not fully cooked
- remove from heat & set aside, while prepping other ingredients for the slowcooker

cashew beef & veggie stirfry

one wok wonder. i love to cook, but i’m not a fan of cleaning up the mess in the kitchen afterwards. :) so i thought i’d take the challenge of cooking up a meal in one pot or pan to keep it simple. wok this way…

the beef:
- heat up 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil in large wok on medium heat
- add 2 sprigs of green onions (rooted stems removed, rough chop into sliced rounds)
- add 250g beef stirfry strips to wok
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- add a dash of sea salt
- season w/ chinese five-spice
- stirfry beef until partially cooked

the cashews & veggies:
in the same wok, add the following ingredients to the stirfry beef:
- 2 cups broccoli (ends trimmed, chopped into small florets)
- splash of water
- 1/2 orange bell pepper (pitted, sliced)
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper (pitted, sliced)
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- stirfry for 1-2min
- then add 1 cup crimini mushrooms (sliced)
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- stirfry ingredients together in wok until well combined