What is a Legume?

I like the word legume.  I like saying it and writing and mostly.....I like eating them!

If you are wondering what a legume is, I have an answer for you.  Here is a list:

• Baby Lima Bean
• Black Bean
• Black-eyed Peas
• Boston Bean
• Boston Navy Bean
• Cannellini Bean
• Chickpeas
• Chili Bean
• Fava Bean
• Great Northern Bean
• Green Beans
• Kidney Beans
• Lentils
• Lima Bean
• Mung Bean
• Navy Bean
• Pea Bean
• Peanuts
• Pinto Bean
• Red Bean
• Red Kidney Bean
• Snow Peas
• Southern Peas
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Soybean
• Wax Bean
• White Kidney Bean

Avocado and White Bean Wrap

I've officially run out of no cook dinner recipes. And now I'm onto a new diet that I'll be focusing on and suffering through the heat to cook them.

I'm going Paleo. So...coming up will be a bunch of Paleo friendly recipes and restaurants. I'm pretty excited about it and really hope that it works for me.

Back to the wrap. This was awesome. Hubby loved it and said it was even better the next day in his lunch. It's a little spicy and super tasty.

 Avocado & White Bean Wrap
adapted from Eating well

2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons minced red onion
4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps, or tortillas

Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.

Mash the beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in the cheese and onion.

To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.

Edited to Add:

I bunched the ingredients into the recipe thingy on My Fitness Pal and here is what the results are:

click to make bigger

Black Bean Salad

I made a number of new recipes last week from the book. When I read through the recipe section I knew immediately that some of the recipes were not for us.  We aren't smoothie people and my husband didn't know there was any other kind of butter other than peanut.

I may try them down the road....but for now I stuck with stuff he's familiar with.  This week, I'm making the same recipes...but tweaking them ever so slightly.  Because that's what I do.

This recipe takes about 10 minutes to put together.  You can use canned beans or make them yourself from a bag of dried ones.  They are really easy to make if you have time....and have less chemicals and other crap you don't need.  One bag made three meals for us and you can just throw them in a freezer bag in the portion size you need.

Black Bean Salad
adapted from 20 Years Younger

4 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups black beans
2 cups diced cucumber
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 avocado, diced
1 small jalapeno, diced small
Juice of one lime
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir.  

Makes 4 adult and 1 child size serving.  Serve with a piece of whole wheat bread and a teaspoon of olive oil, and fruit.

Nutritional Facts Per Serving:
Calories: 253
Carbs: 34g
Fat: 10g
Protein: 11g
Fiber: 14g
Sodium: 298

Curried Lentils

I've mad a lot of beans lately for my slow carb diet....but I hadn't tackled lentils.  I like lentil soup so I was sure I'd like them prepared any other way.  I was right!

I also love curry so I thought this would be a great way to prepare them.  Even my kids liked them....although they were not sure about them to begin with.

Curried Lentils

1 white onion, chopped
2 carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 apple, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup uncooked lentils
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
4 cups water


Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low/medium and cook until done, about 70 minutes. 

Slow Carb Recipe: Ham Hock and Navy Beans

I'm trying the latest diet craze called The Slow Carb Diet. I've tried every diet known to man and I didn't want this one to be left out so I have to give it a go. So far...I haven't lost much weight, but I feel better and I'm sleeping better.

Carbs just might be evil.

My taste tester (my husband) really liked this meal and he didn't even add anything to it. I do think he missed having bread with it but he'll get used to it!

If you want to know more about the plan that I'm following, you can check out my fitness blog...Fat to Fit Mommy.

 Ham Hock and Navy Beans

4 (1/2-pound) ham hocks, scored
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onions
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound navy beans, rinsed, picked over, soaked overnight and drained
8 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a large, heavy stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ham hocks, onions, celery, bell pepper, carrots, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme and bay leaves, and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and saute for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the navy beans and stir. Continue simmering over medium-low heat for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the beans are almost cooked and ham hocks are very tender. Season with salt and continue cooking 15 to 30 minutes, until beans are done and ham hocks are beginning to fall apart.

Red Beans and Rice

It's been awhile since I cooked something that I absolutely loved and couldn't wait to make again. I've been trying to come up with recipes that are inexpensive to make and that will stretch into several meals. This is my new favorite!

All of the ingredients came to $11.01 and that comes $3.67 per meal. You have no idea how excited that makes me! I wish I had a picture...but we were so excited to eat that I didn't get to take one. Next time...

Red Beans and Rice
adapted from Tyler Florence

1 pound dried small red beans, picked over and rinsed.
2 smoked ham hocks
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Red Pepper Sauce
2 Andouille sausages, cut into 1 inch chunks
4 cups cooked white rice

Place the dried beans in a large pot and cover with water. Soak the beans overnight.

Drain the beans and return them to the pot along with the ham hocks, adding just enough water to cover (about 2 qts). Add the onion, celery, green pepper, cayenne, thyme, bay leaves, garlic and several shakes of red pepper sauce. Stir to combine and then simmer, uncovered for about 2 and a half hours. Add about a cup of water towards the end.

Mash about a cup of the beans to make the broth thicker. Toss in the sausages and cook for another 30 minutes to heat them through. Adjust the seasoning (more cayenne) if needed. Serve the red beans in a bowl with white rice, corn bread and a beer.