Tag Archives: Fruit and Vegetable

Black Bean & Rice Soup

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Prom was this past weekend, I’ll be sharing more about it soon but I prepared this post ahead of time so I could enjoy the weekend without stressing about the blog!

Black Bean and Rice Soup | Beautiful Disasters

Black bean soup has become one of my more recent absolute favorite soups. I have always been a big fan of soup, but black bean has just become my new bestie, especially since I made the whole vegetarian change in my life a couple months ago.

Black Bean and Rice Soup | Beautiful Disasters

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Panera’s black bean soup, but never quite realized how easy it is to make my own black bean soup at home.

Black Bean and Rice Soup | Beautiful Disasters

This version is not really exactly like Panera’s because I decided I wanted it to have a bit more body to it. The addition of rice is purely optional, but I think it really adds something! You can enjoy this as a meal by itself or if you’re feeling hungry, some bread or focaccia would be aweee-some.

Black Bean & Rice Soup

2 cans black beans

4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

3 cups prepared rice

  1. Blend together the black beans with the broths, using an emulsion blender or food processor.
  2. With the black bean mixture in a large pot, add in salt, flour, and seasonings. Cook on medium heat until nice and hot. (You don’t need to bring it to a boil).
  3. Add in rice and keep on medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until everything is incorporated. Enjoy!

Random Fact of the Day: The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 ft. (GAGGGG!!)

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Black Bean Salsa- SRC Post!

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Happy SRC Reveal day! Ah, I just love the Secret Recipe Club!! So much fun to explore new blogs, while someone else gets to try one of your recipes and post all about it.

Black Bean Salsa | Beautiful Disasters

This month, I got Renee’s blog, Eat. Live. Blog. Renee went from the busy business world to world of education. She keeps in touch with her creative side by keeping up with her blog. I think that it is awesome that she has truly found that perfect balance in her life!

Black Bean Salsa | Beautiful Disasters

Originally, I was going to make her black beans over rice dish, which sounds so yummy to me. A couple months ago, I made the switch over to becoming a vegetarian, so it is always exciting to find tasty, filling entrees.

Black Bean Salsa | Beautiful Disasters

However, I did not get around to making the beans and rice dish, so I whipped up her black bean salsa in a jiffy. Whew-eee! I’m glad I did! It was so quick and simple and I go through jars of salsa like crazy, so it was nice to have such a big homemade batch around. You guys have got to try this salsa, and check out some more of her yummy concoctions!

Black Bean Salsa | Beautiful Disasters

Black Bean Salsa

(From Eat Live Blog)

1 can black bean (drained but not rinsed)

1 jalapeno (seeded and roughly chopped – keep a few seeds for more heat)

1 small tomato (roughly diced)

1/2 small onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 handfuls fresh washed cilantro

1 lime

    1. Place beans in a bowl and lightly smash with a fork, I left about half of the beans whole, unmashed.
    2. Squeeze lime juice over the beans
    3. Place cilantro, garlic and onion in a food processor or blender and pulse until diced but not liquified
    4. Mix diced veggies into beans
    5. Add diced tomatoes and mix
    6. Salt and pepper to taste
    7. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, stir and serve!

Black Bean Salsa | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: Henry Ford produced the model T only in black because the black paint available at the time was the fastest to dry.

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Baked Sweet Potato Fries

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Sometimes I have those days where I just want to bury myself in a bag of popcorn.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries | Beautiful Disasters

Or chips.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries | Beautiful Disasters

Or Girl Scout Cookies. (curse you girl scouts!!!)

Baked Sweet Potato Fries | Beautiful Disasters

These are the days that I hope to the good Lord that I remember that gross feeling in my stomach after I bury my head in chips, and then I make an equally delicious snack that is a bajillion (<– exact measurement) times better for you.

 

Baked Sweet Potato Fries | Beautiful Disasters

Sweet potato fries happen to be a sweet love of mine and I finally got around to making them at home. This recipe is the perfect yield for one person for one nice snack (a little bit over 100 calories!). You only have to wait about 25 precious minutes for that them to be done.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries | Beautiful Disasters

Twenty-five minutes may seem long, but in that time you could do so many things! Fold laundry, watch Modern Family, dance like a maniac, watch youtube hair tutorials, pin workouts to look like a Victoria’s Secret model on pinterest, you name it..

Baked Sweet Potato Fries | Beautiful Disasters

Next time instead of grabbing that deadly box of Girl Scout Tagalong cookies, grab a sweet potato and bake it turn into this delicious recipe! Happy Friday :)

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

(serves 1)

1 medium sweet potato

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

pinch of salt and pepper

cooking spray

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Either spray lined baking sheet with cooking spray, or line with silpat.
  2. Wash sweet potato, cut sweet potato into thin strips for fries. Place strips in bowl and either coat with cooking spray (or about 1 Tablespoon oil).
  3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Once combined, coat the sweet potato slices with this mixture until every piece is coated.
  4. Place sweet potato fries on prepared baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until turning crisp. Enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: Club Direct, a travel insurance company in Britain, provides insurance plans for protection from falling coconuts.

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Zucchini Chips

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Oh hello there, snack numero dos for this week.

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I have been meaning to try zucchini chips for a while now. Those of you who are half as obsessed with pinterest as I am, you’ve probably heard of/seen these before. I was a little skeptical at first, but then I figured…a chip recipe that is under 100 calories if I eat the whole batch (did that), what the heck do I have to lose? A zucchini? That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

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Here’s the final verdict. These are super easy and a great snack, but you DO need to watch out for a couple things. It is possible to over-season these.

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Seriously, lay low on the seasoning or else you may find yourself wondering where the zucchini chip is under all the seasoning. The zucchini rounds shrink as they bake because they have such a high water content, so when they’re done baking you may wonder who snuck in your oven and stole half your chips…Fear not, they’re all [most likely] still there. Hopefully none of you have little zucchini chip stealing elves in your kitchen.

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P.S. Feel free to let your creativity flow in this recipe. You as much and whatever spices you like, and they’ll taste great. I was even thinking about a sweeter-dessertish chip sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, but then I realized I was dealing with zucchini and freaked myself out. Anyone out there daring enough to give the cinnamon-sugar zucchini chip a go?

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Zucchini Chips

(Serves 1)

1 medium sized zucchini, sliced thinly into 1/4″ rounds

cooking spray

2 Tablespoons paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

3 teaspoons BBQ seasoning (I used my classic recipe)

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper

1 Tablespoon sea salt

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray an oven-proof wire rack with cooking spray and place on cooking sheet. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine spices except sea salt. When spices are thoroughly combined, lightly coat (be sure to not get too excited on seasoning your zucchini rounds, they shrink in the oven so your zucchini chip will not need as much seasoning as you may think) each zucchini round in spice mixture. After each piece is lightly coated, place on prepared oven-proof rack. Sprinkle sea salt over top of arranged rounds.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, watch carefully to be sure chips don’t burn. Let cool for about a minute and enjoy!

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Random Fact of the Day: Fingernails grow fastest on the hand you favor.

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Popeye’s Pasta

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I’ve realized it has been quite a while since I shared a non-dessert recipe! I’m not sure if I even want to know what you guys think of my eating habits. I swear I’m not addicted to sugar and butter! (at least that I know of)

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So to give you a break from all the sweets, I’m sharing with you all one of my absolute favorite pasta dinner dishes. I have used many different types of noodles for this. Penne, fusilli, farfelle, are all great, basically whatever floats your boat.

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One of my favorite combinations in savory dishes is parmesan cheese, spinach, and bacon and this pasta dish combines all of those!

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This is one of those easy and quick to prepare dinners that really satisfies and is comforting and warming in this winter season. So when you want to take a break from all the cookies and cupcakes, fix up yourself a nice dish of popeye’s pasta.

PopeyesPasta

Wondering why it’s called Popeye‘s Pasta? Click here! :)

Popeye’s Pasta

1 box pasta

1/4 cup unsalted butte or margarine

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 (9 oz.) bag of spinach

1/4 cup bacon bits

  1. Prepare pasta as directed on box, drain, place pasta back into large pot. Add butter (or margarine), cheese, spinach, and bacon bits to pasta. Mix and stir over the lowest heat until cheese is melted, spinach is wilted, and everything is thoroughly combined. Serve and enjoy!

Random Fact of the Day: There are 92 known cases of nuclear bombs lost at sea.

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