Mediterranean Pasta with Chickpeas

Adapted from Clean Food

Cook 1 pound 100% wheat bowtie pasta.  Rinse, drain, and return to pot.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large dutch oven over medium heat, saute the following for about 3 minutes:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic glove, minced
1 shallot, chopped (could use 1 small onion here instead)

Add to the dutch oven and saute for about 5 minutes:
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups diced tomatoes with their liquid
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Add 1 small bunch of kale, chopped into bite size pieces to the dutch oven, cover and cook about 3 minutes.

Uncover and stir to combine all ingredients, including the pasta.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve and enjoy. 

Carribean Style Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans over Brown Rice

From The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook


Get your brown rice started

Cut up 3 sweet potatoes into bite size pieces
Place sweet potatoes and water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.  You want the potatoes to be tender but not falling apart.  Drain and set aside.


In the same saucepan, whisk together:
3/4 cup orange juice,
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon jerk seasoning
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil until thickend, whisking constatnly.

Stir in sweet potatoes and 1 can black beans (after rinsing).  Cook, stirring until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Serve warm over the rice.

Bean Sprout Cabbage Salad

This was my first time to eat cabbage and bean sprouts.  Turns out they were both not as scary as I had thought!  They each were a touch bitter, but mixed with everything else made a tasty combination!  This recipe made plenty for two plus enough for at least 4 more meals.

Remember to wash and spin your greens. 

1/2 head red lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
1/2 head green lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
4 leaves red cabbage, cut into thin strips
2 carrots, shredded
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup pecans
1 peach, cut into bite size pieces

Dressing
Mix together:
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Ginger-thumb size, shredded
1 small scallion, diced
Salt and pepper-shake of each

Hummus

This recipe was given to me from a co-worker several months ago and I finally got around to making it. 

You could use hummus as a dip  for veggies or as a spread on a tortilla. 
  
You need the following:
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons juice from one large lemon (I hand squeezed it into a cup)
2 tablespoons tahini (this is a sesame seed paste)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 garlic clove, minced (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Pinch cayenne pepper

Put the chickpeas, water, lemon juice, tahini, salt, garlic, cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil all into a food processor and process for about 1.5 minutes.

Transfer the hummus into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Bring to room temperature and season with additional lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper as needed.

To serve, make a well in the center and drizzle with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.

Spicy Black Bean Salsa

Mix together:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes (look for organic)
3 peppers:  one jalapeno, one serrano, one red hot pepper
1 small can corn
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice from 1/2 a lime

You can adjust the heat on this salsa by adjusting the peppers to your liking.

Tortilla with PB and Apple

Here is one of our favorite lunches.  This is Danel Fast approved and actually quite filling.

Start with a whole wheat tortilla. 
Smother with peanut butter.  Ya know, the kind made only of peanuts.
Slice up a green apple to top.

Eat like a pizza or roll it up and eat it like a burrito.

Daniel Fast Menu Day One

Remember you can read more about a Daniel Fast here.  It is basically a diet of foods that originate from a seed.  That means no processed foods, no dairy, no meat...you get the picture.  If you don't know if something is Daniel Fast approved, ask yourself, did this come from a seed/grow from the ground?  That should answer your question.

Here is an example of what you could eat for one day on a Daniel Fast:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal (plain oats) plus sliced up green apple with cinnamon

Snack:
Banana
Handful of almonds

Lunch:
Baked potato, salted
Mixed green salad with a fresh pear sliced, grapes, pecans, and almonds

Afternoon snack:
Two or three celery stalks with 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Dinner:
Veggie tacos

Evening snack:
Popcorn, popped on the stove, salt optional