Bean Spread

I use this as a spread in sandwiches. It's a really good way to make veggie sandwiches more filling, not to mention it adds protein too! Yummmmm!


Ingredients:
1 cup canned kidney beans
1 cup canned chickpeas
1/4 chopped green onions or purple onion
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 large lemon's worth of juice
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like!)
4 small roma tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes on the vine halved or quartered
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat up the olive oil
2. Toss in the onions and garlic
3. Once they've browned add the crushed red pepper and stir for a minute
4. Next throw in the tomatoes, cook until the skin starts to peel
5. Finally throw in the beans, oregano, cumin and rosemary and cook for about 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat.
6. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes
7. Pour into your food processor, along with the salt and lemon juice, and puree.

Fancy Butternut Squash

This one sounds more complicated than it really is. Just throw the squash in the oven while you're putting together the veggies and you should be set with everything in under an hour.







Ingredients:
2 small butternut squash cut in half lengthwise with the seeds taken out (unpeeled!)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp apple pie spice
1 tsp crushed cayenne pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 jalapenos chopped up
1 can of black beans (16 oz)
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh chopped basil
7 medium roma tomatoes
1 clove garlic grated
1 small white onion chopped up
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a cake pan or deep baking dish place the squash face down (so the skin is facing away from the bottom of the pan).
3. Fill the pan with about 1/2 an inch of water
4. Bake for 25 minutes then take out flip over the squash, drain the water and brush the mixture in the next step onto the squash and bake for another 20 minutes.
5. In a small bowl mix 1 tbsp olive oil, cayenne pepper, apple pie spice and 1/2 tsp salt and put on the side
6. Saute the garlic, onion, jalapeno in the remaining olive oil.
7. Throw in the tomatoes, and cook on medium-high heat until the skins start to come off.
8. Turn the heat down a smidge and throw in the black beans. Cook for a few minutes.
9. Add the basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and cilantro. Stir for a few seconds over low heat.
10. Salt to taste
11. Set the squash up in the dish you want to serve them in and pour the veggie mixture over each one.

Enjoy!

More Almonds.... This time with Coffee!

Ok... I think I've outdone myself. Heather and I were a smidge devastated when Starbucks discontinued their coffee coated roasted almonds. I tried to recreate them and I swear I think mine are better. I'm eating them as I write this... Let's hope Heather actually gets to try some!

Ingredients
2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup coffee
1/4 cup ground coffee
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Toss together the sugar, coffee and ground coffee
3. Add in the almonds to your mixture
4. With a slotted spoon scoop out the almonds onto a non-stick cookie sheet and spread them out. Try and drain out most of the liquid before transferring the almonds to the sheet.
5. Bake for 10 min
6. Scrape up and reposition the almonds on the cookie sheet. At this point things may look a little goopy and scary, don't panic that's what it supposed to look like
7. Put the tray back in the oven reduce the temperature down to 250 and bake for another 15 minutes
8. Take the tray out and let the almonds cool for 20 minutes. If after 20 minutes they're still wet/soft put them back in at 250 for another 5-10minutes.

Roasted Almonds With a Twist

Ingredients:
Soy Sauce
Almonds

Directions:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Take a bunch of almonds and put them in a bowl.
3. Drizzle soy sauce (I used the low sodium kind) over the soy sauce and mix until they're well coated.
4. Pour out the almonds onto a baking sheet.
5. Bake for 7 minutes
6. Take out the almonds and loosen them up and mix them around with a spatula
7. Bake for 10 minutes
8. Let them cool for at least an hour before serving.

This started out because I was craving tamari roasted almonds and didn't have any tamari sauce. I think these are similiar enough and taste great! Enjoy!