Meatfree Monday: Black Beans, Corn, and Rice

     I really enjoyed this dish, and it was so easy! Originally, the recipe called for quinoa, but when I went to get that at the store, it was about $10 a pound. Delicious as it may be, that doesn't fit into our penny-pinching budget. I decided to substitute brown rice instead.

     We all really liked this dish, and we were full afterwards. I think my favorite part was the addition of the corn which really makes it stand out in comparison to other black bean and rice recipes. It just tasted fresher or something. This is really nothing like the black beans and rice I posted a couple of weeks ago!I used a combination of beef and chicken bouillon to make the broth called for in the recipe, but I found a similar recipe by Mark Bittman, that recommended substituting beer for broth instead. Next time around, we may try that and see how the flavors are different...not that they need to be different. I love this dish the way it is!



3/4 cup brown rice

1-1/2 cups broth of choice (or beer)

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn kernels

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

fresh or dried cilantro for sprinkling

• Put rice, broth, onion, garlic, cumin, red pepper, salt and pepper in a sauce pan. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce to simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid is gone. 


• Stir in frozen corn and beans. Cook until heated through. 


• Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

Meatfree features of the week...
a small collection of my favorite meat free recipes that I come across as I search the web each week. All the recipes that I post from various blogs will be stumbled to bring a little extra love to their posts...and if you happen to be one of my featured recipes you can grab my "I was featured on Meat Free Monday" button for your post.

Z

 Zucchini Pizza by Crazy for Crust

Now, I need to make this while I still have tons of zucchini!

Homemade Granola from Whole, Fast, and Frugal

I've been meaning to make homemade granola too!

Tortellini Primavera by Hezzi D's Books and Cooks

This reminds me of a dish I had at a restaurant one time

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

     If you have been following for a while, you know we really love our pancakes and waffles. We eat them every Friday morning. Lately, since my husband got a new job, I make huge batches and freeze the extras so that he can let me sleep in eat them before he goes to work. For an on-the-go breakfast, Heat a frozen pancake in the microwave and top with peanut butter. Fold up like a taco, and get on your way.
     Usually, I just make plain pancakes, but I went all out last week and added mini-chocolate chips. I hate when you bite into a chocolate chip pancake and all you taste is chocolate. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate! I just don't want to eat something that sweet and rich for breakfast. Mini chocolate chips were the perfect compromise. You still taste the chocolate, but it's note overpowering the whole pancake.
     In addition to the chocolate chips, this particular recipe includes oatmeal. This makes me feel less guilty about serving pancakes to my two year old every Friday! They are super filling and mostly healthy.
     If you want to freeze them....Cool completely and layer wax paper between each pancake in a resealable freezer bag.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 Tbl brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

• Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
• In a different bowl, mix the milk, oatmeal, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the eggs and then add the flour mixture a little at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. 
• Coat a griddle (or skillet) with spray. pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. 
• When the edges are cooked and little bubbles form in the middle, flip the pancake over. Cook until golden. 
• Serve with syrup or peanut butter. 

Check out these other pancake recipes on my blog:
Cinnamon Chip Pancakes
Blueberry Cheesecake Pancakes
Best Ever Pancakes
OOPs Pancakes
Cornmeal Pancakes
Blueberry Pancakes

Meatfree Monday: Sloppy Joes with Lentils

     Lentils has been a scary word in our house. The first time we had them, we tried this recipe that I assume was supposed to be a variation of baked beans. It was terrible. I'm not sure if I didn't do it right, or if it was a bad recipe. Either way, it gave lentils a bad name here. I had half a bag sitting around for a while, then I started mixing it into things like chili and other dishes with a lot of texture.
     Last week, I saw a recipe for Tacos made with lentils and I started wondering if lentils could replace meat in other recipes as well. I thought I would give it a try with Sloppy Joes. It turned out great! These sloppy joes really did taste like the "real thing." The texture was slightly more bumpy, but overall I would make these again. Lentils are so good for you, so it's worth the texture tradeoff.

1cup lentils
1 Tbl vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire
1-1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c chopped onion
1/3 c chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped banana pepper or pepperoncini
8 oz tomato sauce
1 (12oz) bottle  Chili Sauce
1/4 tsp chili powder
Hot dog buns (or other buns/bread)

• Boil 1 cup lentils in about 3 cups of water until soft. I boiled them for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine vinegar, worcestershire, and honey.
• Drain lentils if needed. Add onion, bell pepper, pepperoncini, tomato sauce, chili sauce, red pepper, chili powder, and vinegar mixture. Stir to blend.
• Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer 20 minutes or until thickened. 
• Serve on toasted buns.

This week's featured recipes...
Don't forget to grab my "I was featured" button if you are one of the following:

Taco Lentils by Creatively Domestic

Black Bean Burgers at Hezzi-D's

Penne with Creamy Zucchini and Basil Sauce at Eats Well with Others

Meatfree Monday #6:Pesto Pasta

     This is similar to my previously posted Basil Pesto Spaghetti, but this pesto is made with mainly spinach rather than mainly basil. I probably like the basil pesto a little better, but this spinach version is much more nutritious!
     You will notice in my photo that there is a picture of the spinach in the pan...my family won't eat the pasta if I just mixed it with that mixture. After I cooked it and it looked so pretty, I had to puree my pesto to add it to the pasta. It's not as appealing, but my family ate it. Feel free to skip the pureeing step if you can!

I need to start remembering to document the costs of the meals in case some of you are interested. This is, after all, a journey to good food on a budget.
Cost? about $3.75
1 box whole wheat spaghetti $0.49 great sale (normal price $1)
bag of Spinach $2.18
basil---from my garden
walnuts, olive oil, minced garlic, seasonings--already on hand, so I'll just add $1

1 box whole wheat spaghetti
4 Tbl olive oil
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 clove garlic, minced
8 cups torn baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup chopped basil (fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mozzarella

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook for a couple minutes. Add the garlic, spinach , and basil. Cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese to serve.

Other Meatfree ideas I've found this week...

Meatfree features of the week...
a small collection of my favorite meat free recipes that I come across as I search the web each week. All the recipes that I post from various blogs will be stumbled to bring a little extra love to their posts...and if you happen to be one of my featured recipes you can grab my "I was featured on Meat Free Monday" button for your post.

Squash and Chickpea Tortilla Soup by the Vintage Wife

Grilled Pizza from Frugal Farmhouse

Mexican Quinoa and Beans with Pico de Gallo by Closet Cooking