White Bean Minestrone

This is a great year-round soup. You can serve this warm or cold, but make sure to serve with your favorite crackers.

Ingredients:
olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cans (15-oz ea) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 can (14-oz) diced tomatoes
fresh basil
crackers

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add olive oil, about 1 Tbsp, and allow to warm up.
3. Sauté garlic, onion, and bell peppers until tender.
4. Stir in Italian seasoning and cook 1 minute.
5. Add beans and tomatoes (with juices), cover, and cook until warm throughout.
6. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with crackers

Notes:

• Serves 4
• Per serving (without crackers): 241 calories, 1.9g fat, 42.4g carbs, 13.6g fiber, 6g sugars, 14.1g protein

Ratatouille Rice

I'll admit it doesn't look great in the image, but it tastes fantastic and is amazingly filling.

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked brown rice 
1 sweet onion, diced 
3-4 garlic cloves, minced 
2 zucchinis, sliced 
2 yellow squash, sliced 
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced 
½ cup fresh basil, chopped 
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth 
Italian seasoning 
1 cup marinara sauce 

Directions:

1. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent. 
2. Sprinkle generously with Italian seasoning, stirring   to coat. 
3. Add zucchini, squash, red peppers, and marinara sauce.
4. Cover and bring to a boil. 
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are fork-tender. 
6. Stir in cooked rice and beans, plus broth to help moisten and combine everything. 
7. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables reach desired tenderness. 
8. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste, plus more Italian seasoning if desired. 
9. Stir in fresh basil, reserving a little for garnish.

Notes:

• Serves 4    
• Total Time: 20 min  
• Active Time: 15 min 
• Per serving: 415 calories, 6.6g fat, 64.7g carbs, 16.1g fiber, 11.6g sugars, 26.2g protein 

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Stove Top Baked Beans

After making stove top baked beans before, I decided to play with the recipe and make a bourbon and brown sugar version, kind of like the one you purchase in a can at the store.

Ingredients:
1 tube prepared polenta, cubed
1 cup dry white beans
1 cup dry kidney beans
1 Tbsp oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup Bourbon
3 Tbsp molasses (not blackstrap)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. Cook beans either soaking overnight and boiling in a pot for 20 minutes, or use a pressure cooker to cook from dry or soaked.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Bake cubed polenta for 5-10 mins, until golden and crisp (no need to flip).
4. Sauté onions and garlic in oil until translucent.
5. Add cooked beans, Bourbon, molasses, brown sugar, soy sauce, and maple syrup.
6. Bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until    liquid reduces, about 20 minutes.
8. Serve over baked cubed polenta.

Notes:

• Serves 4.
• You can sub 1 can of white beans and 1 can of kidney beans for the dry beans and skip cooking step.

Baked Beans

Tis the season for baked beans. This can be made as a main meal or it can be a side. They'd be great to bring to a potluck.

Ingredients:
1 tube prepared polenta, cubed (optional) 
1 onion, diced 
2-3 minced garlic cloves 
1 cup dry white beans 
1 cup dry kidney beans
1/4 cup water 
2 Tbsp ketchup 
1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap) 
2 Tbsp soy sauce 
2-4 Tbsp pure maple syrup 

Directions:
Optional if using polenta: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking  sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Bake cubed polenta for 10 mins. No need to flip. 

To make beans:

1. Cook beans using Instant Pot. Drain and rinse.
2. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent. 
3. Add beans, water ketchup, molasses, soy sauce, and maple syrup. 
4. Bring to a boil. 
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until liquid reduces, about 20 minutes. 
6. Once beans are done, divide equally among 4 bowls. 
7. Optional: Top with polenta cubes or gently mix in.

Notes:

• Serves 4 (if as entree)
• You can sub  1 can each white beans and kidney beans.
• Pictured with a side of green beans.

White Bean Zucchini Burgers

Burger season calls for yummy burgers. So many vegetarian and vegan burgers are so easy to make! I love collecting bean burger recipes.

Ingredients:
1 shredded zucchini 
¾ cup prepared white beans 
1 shredded carrot 
2 tbsp flour 
1 tsp garlic powder 
1 tsp onion powder 
dash smoked paprika 
2 burger buns
Burger Toppings (your choice) (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
2. Place shredded zucchini in a colander and gently press out excess liquid. (Leave in the sink to continue to drip.) 
3. In a mixing bowl, mash beans with a fork or potato masher until no whole beans are left. 
4. Add zucchini, carrots, flour, and spices. 
5. Mix together well. 
6. Divide mixture and make 2-4 balls. (Regular burger or sliders.) 
7. Shape into patties using your hands and place on the baking sheet. 
8. Bake 15-30 minutes, or until patties are brown and crisp, flipping halfway. 
9. Serve on a bun with toppings.

Notes:

• Per serving (without toppings): 314 calories, 3.2g fat, 57.9g carbs, 12.5g fiber, 7.0g sugars, 15.3g protein
• Serves 2

St. Patrick's Pasta

I'm not sure how this is St. Patrick's Pasta, except that there's green in it. But, it sure is tasty! I got this recipe through Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor. 

Ingredients:
4-oz dry noodles, ie rotini, macaroni, smaller pastas are better 
¼ cup (2-oz) vegetable broth 
oil
½ small onion, diced 
1 garlic clove, minced 
15-oz can white beans
salt
pepper 
garlic powder 
onion powder 
3 cups fresh spinach 
vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast (optional) 
smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta via package instructions. 
2. Drain, reserving ¼-cup cooking water. 
3. Rinse pasta under cool water, set aside. 
4. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until translucent. 
5. Add beans (with their liquid), stirring to combine.  
6. Turn off heat and mash the beans partially with a fork, or leave whole. 
7. Season with salt and pepper, plus onion and garlic powder as desired. 
8. Stir in pasta water to thin as needed, then toss with cooked pasta. 
9. Turn heat to low and add fresh spinach.
10. Cook, using tongs to stir around and incorporate, until spinach is soft and combined. 
11. Top with vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast and a dash of smoked paprika.

Notes:

• Serves 2.
• Per serving: 401 calories, 2.9g fat, 75g carbs, 17.8g fiber, .9g sugars, 22.9g protein
• Add pine nuts to the pasta. Omnivores  might enjoy some chicken added in.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

I LOVE Strawberry Salads!! This one is an excellent salad. It's strawberry season, so enjoy! I got the original recipe from Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor. 

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh spinach 
2 cups sliced strawberries 
1 cored and diced apple
1-2 cups cooked white beans, rinsed 
3 tbsp walnuts

Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette 
¼ cup applesauce 
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 
pure maple syrup, to taste

Directions:
Vinaigrette 

1. Whisk together until well combined. 

Salad

1. Toss salad ingredients with Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette until well combined.

Notes:
You can make this as a side salad for dinner, or eat it as dinner, serving 2.
Per serving: 390 calories, 9.5g fat, 62.2g carbs, 18.1g fiber, 20.1g sugars, 18.2g protein

Spaghetti and "Meatballs"

The "meatballs" here are perfect! Having a low calorie, homemade meatball that I can use for anything, like a meatball sandwich or pasta, is wonderful. Typically, if I wanted meatballs, I'd buy Gardein's, which I like a lot. This gives me a homemade meatball to use. Putting it on spaghetti squash is probably the healthiest option of spaghetti squash, pasta, or hoagie bun. It's your pick. I got the original recipe from the Happy Herbivore Meal Mentor. 

Ingredients:
oil 
¼ small onion, diced 
1 garlic clove, minced 
¾ cup cooked brown rice 
¾ cup prepared white beans 
2 tbsp tomato paste 
1 tbsp Panko 
¼ tsp dried oregano 
1 cup marinara sauce
1 spaghetti squash (or pasta or bun if that is your meal)

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic until translucent. 
2. Remove from heat and transfer to a food processor along with rice, beans, tomato paste, Panko, and oregano. 
3. Process for 10-15 seconds total, stopping every 3-5 seconds to scrape sides. (Mixture should be slightly chunky.) 
4. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 
5. Cook spaghetti Squash (see below)
6. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
7. Form mixture into meatballs and bake for 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch. 
8. Serve meatballs with spaghetti squash and warm marinara sauce. 

Spaghetti Squash Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Slice lengthwise, place in an oven-safe dish face down with 1/2-inch water. 
3. Bake for 30-45 mins at 400F. 
4. Remove seedy matter and use a fork to pull away the spaghetti strands. 

Notes:

• Serves 2
• 370 calories, 6.2g fat, 69.7g carbs, 9.2g fiber, 13g sugars, 11.7g protein
• You can also microwave the spaghetti squash: Poke holes in it with a fork, microwave for 10-15 minutes until fork tender. Then slice lengthwise, remove the seedy matter, and pull spaghetti strands away from sides.
• Serve with parm.