Recipe

One of the most common staples in our house with many meals is black beans. Sometimes they are a side dish and sometimes they are part of the main dish.

Also, because our family has members who are mostly vegetarian and other members who eat meat regularly, this is a good option for everyone. If we do not have black beans for more than a day or two, I make a special trip to the store for them because we start missing them that fast.

I do what to share with you the black bean recipe, which is less of a recipe and more of a group of variations to change up how your black beans can be prepared.

Healthy Black Bean Instapot Uses

This is a common staple of people in Latin America and is frequently eaten in the home, but traditionally is not served to guests because it is so inexpensive and common. It can be used in a lot of ways, and here are some things you can do once the base beans are prepared.

1. Refried Black Beans
2. Bean Nachos
3. Black Bean Soup
4. Bean Quesadillas
5. Chili
6. Bean Dip
7. Vegetarian Black Bean Burgers

What makes this version of black beans more healthy is the addition of flaxseed, which has very positive properties and is a vegetarian supplement for fish oils, and is easily mixed with the beans and does not change the taste. The key is to not add too much or it clumps and looks less appealing in the beans. Be sure to mix them before serving.

We actually do double this black bean recipe every 4-5 days and do not need to freeze it because we finish them so quickly. We usually eat them with our breakfast as well as with our dinner. It is a great, healthy staple that is very versatile.

Anyone who says that my Mexican Rice Recipe is actually Spanish Rice, you are correct. However, this dish is commonly cooked in Mexico and commonly served in Mexican restaurants, and some people might be searching for Mexican Rice Recipe and wondering why they cannot find it. So I decided to post this in a way to help those people out.

This is one of those easy recipes that people always want to learn because it takes a few simple ingredients to turn plain white rice into a tasty side dish for many Latin American meals. Even if you are buying a “taco kit” and phoning in the Mexican meal, you can still benefit from authentic Mexican rice on the side.

This rice is not only excellent on the side, but it can also be part of bowls, like what you get at Chipotle, or added filler for burritos or vegetarian enchiladas. You can also mix in grilled shrimp to make a wonderful seafood and rice dish.

One of the aspects of this that makes it different is that you fry the rice before you boil it. This adds a different, slightly crispier texture to the rice and because you fry it with garlic, onion, and tomato, it absorbs those flavors into the rice kernels and makes the rice pack a bigger flavor punch.

If you have kids who do not love tomatoes, this is also a good way to get them to eat some as it is really cooked into the dish and does not feel like you are eating tomatoes, and the flavor is savory but not specific to the tomatoes. Our kids rarely at tomatoes but were huge fans of this Mexican Fried Rice Recipe.

The Mexican Rice Recipe is a base for many things, and you can put your own spin on it. I promise that when you serve it to guests though, they are going to be impressed with your authentic Mexican cooking skills, even if it is really called Spanish Rice.

This Mexican Rice Recipe can be made with an Instapot as well. In that case, simply use the saute setting and brown the ingredients the same way in the pot of the Instapot. Once they are brown, then add your liquid and seal the Instapot and cook for 4-5 minutes. The rice will be fluffy and nice, and have the same delicious flavors as the more traditional way of cooking it in a pot.

One of the main reasons so many people eat out is that they are so busy. If you work 8-10 hours a day and also have a commute, no wonder cooking at home is rare. However, there are a lot of things you can prep at home so that you can whip up a good healthy meal at some in less time.

White rice can be prepared in a pressure cooker or Instapot in a few minutes. The reason to prep this in advance is that cold rice is best to make fried rice of any type. There are a lot of ways to season and saute’ rice and make a nice main dish or side dish with the right things added.

• Traditional fried rice
• Rice and vegetable stir fry
• Cajun beans and rice
• Add to lentil soup or black bean soup
• Spanish rice can be done with cold white rice as well

The reason prepping a day before is better, is that it is easier to work with if it is cold.

Next, chopped vegetables that you use regularly. If I do not prep, I might chop onions and peppers 2-3 times per day for each meal. If you have vegetables you use very regularly, and they do not turn brown fast, chop enough for a couple of meals and save them.

Black Beans or Pinto Beans – The only good way to prepare these is soaking them overnight. You must then discard the liquid and then cook them in a pressure cooker or Instapot. You can then freeze them in smaller containers after they cool and get them out as you need them. Beans in the refrigerator will only stay good 3-5 days max so you should freeze what you will not eat.

These can then be used as a refried bean side item, added to tacos, burritos, bean quesadillas, tex mex bowls, or things like soups and vegetable medleys.

Wontons for wonton soup are also a great thing to prep. Making the filling and stuffing the wontons are a lot of work, but once done you freeze them and can use a few at a time as needed. Simply heat up chicken broth and add the wontons to the broth until fully cooked and you have a great, healthy soup you can make for one person or ten people. Very handy to have ready to go.

These are just some food prep tips that can save you time and make it easier to decide to cook at home instead of eating out. Enjoy.

While the entire family is not vegetarian, some people are close so it is important for us to have vegetarian dishes often. This Asian Black Bean burger makes low-calorie sliders that can be part of a fun, tasty meal.

I suggest you do not dress the vegetarian sliders yourself because some people will like the wasabi mayo and other people will not.

What makes this dish Asian is the ginger, cabbage, sesame seeds, red chili paste and sesame oil in the dish which gives it an Asian flavor. It also has more rice and less bread crumbs/flour than a traditional recipe. However, it is not an overwhelming vegetarian slider taste. Most people will enjoy the subtle flavors.

I also use whole wheat pitas with flax seed as the bun, which can bring down the calorie count substantially on this dish compared to using slider buns. That way the Asian Black Bean Burger is low cal and very different.

When I do serve this dish to the family, I need to have some truffle fries or chile adobo hash on the side to give it a bit more heartiness. Just warning you in advance, this is tasty but also a light dish you will want to have a good side dish with.

This dish is inspired by black bean burgers and Asian flavors, along with a Mediterranian Pita flair that makes the whole dish lower-calorie, healthier and a combination of flavors you have probably never tried before.

You can use canned black beans for this dish, but you can also make your own black beans in an Instapot and enjoy having more black beans for less cost, plus you control the levels of salt and additives.

Any time I make a curry or some other Indian food, I do not feel the dish is complete unless we make Naan to go with it. I created this Naan recipe which requires no yeast because we do not want a lot, and we do not want leftovers.

One thing I know from my Indian friends is that stuffing naan with garlic or onions is delicious, but a lot of work. This recipe is simplified and by adding some spices to the dough, you end up with a vivacious taste and you did not have to do a lot of extra work.

One trick I have found for making excellent naan is to roll out the dough as thin as you can. This means use very small balls of dough and flour them well before you start to roll them. Pictured here I have left the dough balls resting and covered in a light dusting of flour, so that when I start cooking them I can immediately roll and cook easily.

Traditional Indian Food

You might be asking yourself how traditional this naan is. I have had naan made by excellent Indian cooks from India, and their naan was better. But their naan was also probably two or three times the calories. I like to make food that tastes great, feels cultured but does not destroy my diet for a week. When I have had naan made by Indians, it has been basted in gee and filled with delicious stuff like potatoes. So good!

This naan recipe is good for someone who does not want to use yeast or gee and does not want a lot of it.

One thing you will notice in the naan image above is that some flour coats the outside even after browning. As I flip the naan, I add a very light layer of butter to the outside of the naan to add flavor and get rid of the flour that might be there.

Which Indian Food Gets Naan?

I have no idea if certain Indian dishes do not get naan. What I do know is whenever I have an Indian dish that has a sauce or a curry gravy I need naan to help soak up all that flavor and help me enjoy the dish so much more.

I eat naan with the following Indian dishes regularly

• Turkey Curry
• Chicken Tikki Masala
• Various lentil dishes

As you can tell, that list is limited and I am no Indian chef, but I have some dishes I enjoy making and this is an excellent bread to go with it. This same recipe for Naan can go with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes as well.

If you are wondering about the yeast, the reason I use this recipe is that it is faster to make this naan and I do not always keep yeast in the house. Searching for naan recipe no yeast is a very common thing that people are looking for because I am sure I am not the only one who does not have yeast around all the time.

What did you think of this Naan Recipe with No Yeast?

If you made this recipe please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I am always very happy to get feedback from people who try our recipes.

How “real” barbeque sauce should taste is one of those arguments up there with whether beans belong in chili. Territory wars between Nashville, North Carolina, and Kansas City complicate the issue, but barbeque sauce doesn’t have to be complicated.

This sauce is great on grilled chicken, coating crispy wings, or drizzled on the top of a pulled pork sandwich and appeals to everyone, whether they are looking for sweet and sticky or the tang of vinegar. With the perfect blend of acid, heat, and sweetness this sauce recipe is sure to win over even the pickiest barbeque fanatics.

This sauce is a versatile staple and having a quick homemade recipe that is easy to whip up on a moment’s notice is sure to impress at your next summer barbeque.

The good thing about this BBQ recipe is you can use it for a lot of things.

• Sauce for fries or potatoes
• The coating on meat when grilling or after cooked
• Spread on sandwiches
• Dipping sauce for chicken tenders
• Eggs (Yes, some people like it)

The versatility of the spicy barbeque sauce makes it something handy to have around and use generously when a dish calls for a coating of flavor.

I am not usually as healthy as I would like to be most days. Luckily I have a dependable healthy breakfast recipe I eat most mornings, which always has the same ingredients but can be prepared in many variations and has easy substitutions for key ingredients. Get into this breakfast habit and no matter how bad the rest of the day is, you had a lot of healthy variety in the morning to get you started right.

What makes this breakfast so healthy?

The first thing is that it is not so healthy that you will get sick of it. I eat this almost every day other than Saturdays, where I still eat a similar breakfast but add cheese and bread or tortillas to splurge.

Next, it is made up of a small amount of red, purple, yellow, green, black and pale colors. When you bring in the rainbow of vegetables, you are getting more nutrients. However, you will not even realize you are eating such a vegetable feast. We add eggs, and sometimes small amounts of all-natural sausage to boost the flavor.

The real advantage of this dish is you do not feel like you are eating a salad for breakfast but in many ways you are. The variety of vegetables and the side of black beans, along with the egg, provide a high protein and nutrient-rich breakfast that can’t be beaten. By changing it up and making an omelet one morning, a scramble the next morning and making the vegetables into a hash and putting a fried egg on top of it another morning, your breakfast will not get boring even though you are using similar ingredients repeatedly that start your morning off the right way.

This healthy breakfast recipe is important because will power lessens as the day goes on and it is much harder to eat perfectly in the afternoon and evening. However, it the morning most people are able to confidently start out the day with a healthy breakfast and avoid the temptation of something bad.

We used to make pancakes a couple of times per month as a treat. However, when my daughter started taking college classes she was in class from 8:30 to 2:00 without time to eat a meal. So instead of the normal oatmeal breakfast, I looked for something that would keep her feeling more full while still being more healthy than many of the options. That is when I invented this healthy banana oatmeal pancake recipe which has worked out very well.

To begin with, do not buy that pancake mix at the store. All it is is flour, baking powder and some dried ingredients like powdered milk. You are going to be surprised how easy it is to make your own pancake batter and it is also going to replace a lot of flour with oatmeal and banana, to make tastier, healthier and moister pancakes.

When I say healthy, I do feel the need to point out that it all depends on what you are comparing it to. I tried to use whole wheat flour and plain oatmeal, and it was a healthier pancake recipe but the people who were eating them did not like pancakes as much. I found this happy in-between where the pancakes are healthier and the pancake syrup is healthier. You could go more extreme but you have to find a good balance for your family.

As mentioned earlier, you can keep this dish much more healthy by avoiding things like store-bought syrup. Instead, make your own healthy berry syrup and top the pancakes with fresh sliced strawberries or mango chunks. A couple of sprays of whipped cream can make it seem, decedent, while only adding 15 calories per serving.

This Healthy Banana Oatmeal Pancake recipe can also be a nice night time snack if you are hungry for something sweet and carb-rich, without completely throwing your healthy diet to the wind. We often keep a few leftover pancakes in the fridge and call them our emergency pancakes, for when someone is hungry and wants to grab a quick bite.