3-Bean Salad

One of my best friends has been following a vegan diet for the past few months and claims she has never felt better. I eat vegetarian accidentally all the time and have tried eating vegan once before. There is a ton of information out there about the benefits of veganism, so I thought I’d challenge my self to eat plant based last week. I prepped some delicious overnight oats, and this delicious 3-bean salad, but dinner got away from me when I ended up at a new Dallas hot spot and dove into enchiladas completely forgetting about my “vegan” diet. OOPS!

Anyway, back to this salad. I love beans, but I feel like they can get a bad rap. For vegans and vegetarians, beans are an incredible source of protein. Even for meat eaters, I think we should all love a bean now and then. There was a little sandwich spot at OU that my friends and I loved to go to. I’d almost always order a 1/2 sandwich and salad combo with my salad choice being their 3-bean salad. It wasn’t a popular opinion amongst my fellow 20 year olds, but I loved the kidney bean, green bean and chickpea salad they served.

I’m going down a rabbit hole and I’m not surprised if I lost you, but if you are still here, I’m basically just here to tell you that this 3-bean salad is great. Great for lunch balanced with some berries or apple on the side, would be great as a side at a barbecue or could even make a great dip with Fritos or tortilla chips kind of like a Texas Caviar situation.

3-Bean Salad
yields about 4, 1 cup servings

Ingredients:
1 -15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, cubed
2-3 Tbsps. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste (I use a decent amount)

In a large mixing bowl add first six ingredients. If serving immediately add avocado. If serving later, wait to add avocado until time to eat. Add in olive oil, lime juice and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Serve as an entree with fruit, a side dish or with chips for a dip!

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Will stay good for 5-7 days (without avocado). I take this salad as lunch and divide amongst 4 of my favorite jars and take 1/4 of an avocado with me to add day of right before I eat.

Annie

Cauliflower Soup (Whole 30)

Hello soup season! This time of year, if it’s served in a bowl, I’m game. Some of my favorite soups include this one, this one and this one. This cauliflower soup is simple, but real good. It resembles potato soup, but a little healthier for you. Not to mention whole 30 compliant and vegan depending what type of broth you use!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
32 oz cups of chicken, veggie or brone broth (TJ’s is now selling this and I love it)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
*½ cup coconut cream from coconut milk (the thick stuff from the top of the coconut milk can - do not shake!)
chopped green onions, cayenne and olive oil for garnish

Directions:
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Sauté until the onions are cooked down and translucent. 

Add the cauliflower florets to the pot and pour in the broth. Turn the heat to medium and cover the pot. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. It’s done when the cauliflower is fork tender. Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until very smooth. An immersion blender is ideal, but if you are using a food processor, puree in 2 to 3 batches to avoid an extreme mess. (I know this because I do not have an immersion blender, and while the processor worked, it was messy).

After pureed, pour back into your soup pot unless you used an immersion blender. Whisk in the coconut cream. Add a pinch more of salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick you can add a bit more broth. 

Serve with a garnish of chopped green onions, a pinch of cayenne and a fancy drizzle of olive oil. A little cheddar cheese or crispy bacon bits would be great too to resemble potato soup! Great by itself but would also be great with a piece of crusty bread or a kale salad on the side. 

*Grocery stores sell "coconut cream," DON'T buy that. Buy regular coconut milk in a can. Do not shake the can of coconut milk. Open with a can opener and scoop out the thick cream from the top. Discard the rest. 

Annie

Cauliflower Cutie Pizza

My friend Kate and I have had plans to make cauliflower crust pizza for a long time now. We made it Tuesday night and it totally lived up to the hype. When I asked Kate for a creative name we could call our za, Cauliflower Cutie is what she came up with....not really what I was expecting but we'll go with it!

Going with the theme of a crust made from vegetables, we kept our pizza vegetarian. We did a little truffle oil, some of my homemade Kale Pesto, two kinds of tomatoes, pine nuts, red onion and more cheese, of course! I have to say the key was sprinkling a little extra grated parmesan over the crust before we cooked it! It worked as a binding agent and made it a little extra crusty. 

After taking a bite of our pizza, it was clear that it exceeded our expectations. We both agreed that we killed it. Bookmark this recipe and put it on your cooking list! 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe adapted from  The Lucky Penny
yields one 12 in. pizza

Ingredients:
1 small to medium size head of cauliflower-should yield 2 to 3 cups once processed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (plus more for topping)
1 egg

Toppings:
pesto, I used my homemade
Kale Pesto
truffle oil
cherry tomatoes
sundried tomatoes
pine nuts
red onion, thinly sliced
mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. 

Cut up your cauliflower into small floretsUsing a food processor, process the cauliflower to about the texture of powdery snow (I don't have a food processor and had to use my blender. I do not suggest this, it was a pain and took forever!). Dump the cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 4 minutes. Let the cauliflower sit until it's cool enough to handle. at this point, wrap it up in the dish towel and wring out as much liquid as you can. This will give you a chewy crust instead of a crumbled mess!

Dump the cauliflower back into the bowl and add the salt, basil, parm and mozzarella. Then add the egg and mix to combine, hands work best. Once mixed, dump on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone and use your hands to form the crust. Pat it out flat until about 12 inches in circumference. Bake for 8-11 minutes or until lightly browned. We sprinkled a little extra parmesan before we baked the crust to make it extra crusty!

Once your crust is finished baking, drizzle a little truffle oil over it. Incredible flavor here people! Then top with a layer of pesto, cheese, tomatoes, onion, pine nuts and finish with more cheese. Put back in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until all the cheese is melted. 

Using a pizza cutter, slice up your za and serve it up! 

Annie