White Bean Basil Dip

If your house is like ours, basil grows abundantly all summer. This is a good thing, however, we aren’t people to freeze pesto like most do. Instead, we try to enjoy basil as much throughout that growing season and when it feels a bit overwhelming, that’s when I know it’s time to stretch my brain for a new way to use it.

Meet the white bean basil dip– we do a lot of pesto and white beans so why not a dip?

Here’s the recipe:

1 can great northern beans (or other white beans), no need to drain as there isn’t a lot of liquid in great northern beans

1 bunch basil

1 lemon juiced

salt, to taste

garlic

1/2 cup or more olive oil (more if you want it creamier)

Optional: hot sauce…. add a dash of your favorite for a twist.

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor and serve with vegetables, chips, etc.

Mushroom Chipotle Tacos

I like meat. Not a lot of meat, but some meat. Yet I still believe there are so many other options and that meat should be a treat. Mushrooms are a great alternative if you’re looking for a change. Add the right seasonings/marinade and you’ll be asking yourself, “Meat? What meat?”

I made these mushroom tacos last week and the recipe below is how I adapted the one I found online (it didn’t have enough marinade for one). Also, as we’ve been trying to back off on cheese (again, a treat!), I mix plain Greek yogurt with chile powder, garlic, and salt for a creamy sauce to spread on the tortilla. We opted for flour tortillas so you could say it’s a burrito but either flour or corn will work and taste great.

Greg also adds, the mixture is great cold.

Marinade:

2 tablespoons oil (I used olive oil)

4 tablespoons canned chipotles sauce and pepper

2 tablespoons agave nectar (adds a nice sweetness to counter the chipotle heat)

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriandar

salt to taste

For the tacos:

1 pound mushrooms of your choice

2 bell peppers (red is preferable, but I had orange so I used orange)

1/2 red onion

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 cup corn kernels

tortillas (either flour or corn)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix marinade per ingredients above. Slice mushrooms, bell peppers (removing seeds), and onion. Place them in a bowl and add the marinade, mix well. Spray sheet pan (it never hurts!) and then spread ingredients on pan and place in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, remove from oven and return to bowl, adding the black beans and corn. Mix well.

Make tacos per your preference. We like to spread the tortilla with the yogurt sauce, add the mixture, and then top with sliced avocado.

Finding Inspiration in Cooking

Recently, I have been struggling with lunch. My days are packed– even more so right now between work and planning for a June wedding– and I have so many phone calls that I don't have time to think about what I'm going to have for lunch. 

Finally today I decided to pick up some frozen meals just so I didn't have to think about it for a week. I was at Target and looked for a few of the Amy's brand Mexican casseroles. I like them but as someone whose body can't handle a lot of salt, the sodium content is much too high for me. However, today I found them with half the sodium. But then I looked to the right of the Amy's section and saw the evol (with the backward e) meals including gluten free burritos (which Greg's says should not be called burritos at that point). And then I spotted a fire-grilled steak bowl with black beans. I need meals high in protein, low in carb. It took me a long time to figure out how I function best; there is no pizza for lunch in my world or I'll be asleep all afternoon.

As I continued to walk through the frozen food aisle, I realized I was getting ideas: inspiration. While sometimes recipes are good inspiration, trying a combination someone else has made can work better. The fire-grilled steak bowl wasn't bad but a little tasteless for me. That means next Friday I'll be picking up the ingredients to make my own. Look forward to the recipe here soon.

The key for me is having enough meals in the refrigerator (because I work at home) that I don't have to think hard about lunch. And with today's inspiration, I think I'm good for awhile. All it took was a little time to let my mind wander at the store.