Never Again (Mango Salad.)

One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 mango, pitted, peeled, and cut into cubes
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into cubes
¼ red onion diced, or more as desired
1 bunch fresh cilantro (or arugula or spinach)
Zest and juice of 1 lime



Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Be sure to use enough lime; if there is not a lot of juice in your lime, use two.
Serve immediately, or chilled

This was gross, I took a bite of this salad, chomped on the avocado and gagged.  It was like eating a chunk of room temp butter.  :(

Food for today (Lentil Tacos)

This is what I cooked today, it also came from the My Beef with Meat cookbook

One 12-ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed, or 1 cup dry lentils, cooked
2 cups diced onions
2 tablespoons diced garlic
One 1.25-ounce package taco seasoning
2 cups vegetable broth
10 taco shells
Taco toppings: diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, guacamole, peeled and shredded jicama, salsa



If using dried lentils, cook the lentils in 2½ cups of water to 1 cup lentils. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the lentils are soft, about 20 minutes.

Sauté the onions and garlic,  in a couple of tablespoons of water. Add the cooked lentils and taco seasoning to the cooked onions-garlic-mixture. Mix well to combine and add the broth. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Then make a taco. 

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadilla

I'm not a huge fan of sweet potatoes, but I love black beans, so I saw this recipe in the Cookbook entitled My Beef with Meat, I decided to run it.  This cookbook follows the China Study and Forks Over Knives both of which advocate a plant based diet to lower cholesterol and lose weight.  Let's take a look at the recipe

1 large sweet potato (I used a microwaveable sweet potato)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup salsa, plus more for serving
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces vegetarian, no-added-oil refried beans
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
6 to 8 whole wheat tortillas (make sure there is no lard in the tortillas)




Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

An hour before you plan to eat, peel and quarter the sweet potato. Bake the sweet potato on the lined pan in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker. Remove the sweet potato from the oven and transfer to a mixing bowl. Mash the sweet potato with the salsa, rice, and fresh spinach. Place the sweet potato mash in a saucepan and mix in the black beans and refried beans and heat the mixture thoroughly over medium heat. Add the onion powder, chili powder, and cumin to taste, and stir to incorporate.

Place a tortilla in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and slather the side facing up with the sweet potato–bean mixture. Add jalapeños, if using. Place a second whole wheat tortilla on top of the first. Press down on the top tortilla with a spatula, then cook in the pan for about 3 minutes. Flip the tortilla with the spatula and cook the opposite side for 3 minutes more. Voilà!

Cut into the desired number of sections. Serve topped with salsa.

Here is a look at the finished product. 

I made this (Vegan Potato Soup)

I made this last night.

Well this morning.  Early in the morning, my sleep schedule is screwed up! 

Potato Cauliflower Soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 potato, diced
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large soup or stock pot, sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onions are soft.

Add the potato and cauliflower and cook for a few more minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook for 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves, then transfer soup to a blender and puree. Season with salt, pepper  and re-heat if needed.