plant based

Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans

July 21, 2017 By Diane Boyd

Smoked paprika gives these cowboy beans a deep, woodsy flavor, but can you guess the secret ingredient?Summer is for entertaining, and when the crew gathers at my home, I think about making a BIG pot of beans. After all, they’re delicious, go with just about anything I dish up, are budget friendly, and usually help me uphold my reputation of putting out the healthiest of spreads! But then I remember the downside, they take so darn long to cook and when it’s 90+ degrees outside, I ask myself, “Do I really want to turn on the oven?” After reading this month’s Recipe Redux theme:

Beat the Heat with the Slow Cooker /Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker

I’m ready to prepare that pot o’ beans sans the oven, because any recipe that requires a prolonged cooking time has slow cooker potential! My original recipe, requiring 2 1/2 hours of baking time, now sounds promising. Not only did I tinker with the cooking method, I also made the recipe vegan using smoked paprika for a smokey taste without bacon. It’s a little sweet and a little spicy with a secret ingredient that unifies all the earthy flavors ; can you guess the ingredient? (Insert sound of drum roll please.) A of a mug of black coffee left over from my morning pot. Surprised?

Mark my word, coffee is the secret to great tasting beans! #theRecipeRedux

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This side is not only delicious and easy to make without heating up the kitchen, it’s also low in fat, high in protein, high in fiber and delivers 15% DV* of calcium , 25 % DV* iron.

Get out your slow cookers today and discover more ideas from my colleagues in the links below for delicious, healthy recipes to beat the heat.

*Daily Value based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans

Slow cooker cowboy beans are appropriate for vegans and are nice addition to a summer meal.

Author: Diane Boyd
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours + 10 minutes
Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound dried pinto or navy beans, washed and picked clean of debris
10 cups water, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup strong coffee
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons brown mustard
1/2 cup barbecue sauce+2 tablespoons
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
dash of hot sauce
ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Soak beans in 6 cups of water overnight. Drain beans.

2. In a Dutchoven add oil and stir in onions ; cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until beginning to brown. Add garlic, and cook for 30 additional minutes.

3. Add beans,water, coffee, . Bring to simmer over high heat and cook for 10 minutes. Add brown sugar, mustard , 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, hot sauce and salt. Return to boil over high heat.

4. Remove from heat and pour contents of Dutch oven into a slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours. Add smoked paprika last 30 minutes of cooking. Before serving stir in remaining barbecue sauce, season to taste with black pepper. (Beans can be refrigerator in an airtight container for several days.)

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 cup
Calories: 200
Sugar: 13 grams
Sodium: 570 mg
Fat: 3 grams
Saturated Fat: 0
Unsaturated Fat: 3 grams
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 35 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 9 grams
Cholesterol: 0

Smoky Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with Avocado

October 21, 2016 By Diane Boyd

in-style I enjoyed seeing many of my registered dietitian (RD/RDN) friends in Boston last weekend at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE); all committed to staying abreast of the current scientific research in the field. Please take note: this is what makes registered dietitians your source for credible nutrition information. I hope in the coming weeks to share nuggets of knowledge learned and more yummy ways to integrate that knowledge into your meals and snacks.

On the heels of my trip to Boston, is the October Recipe Redux. Here’s our challenge: Plant Protein Power Bowls: Packed with protein, fiber and color, plant protein bowls are trendy and delicious.

Today I share

A plant-based breakfast that packs in plants, protein, fiber and gorgeous color.

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Using the whole grain quinoa as a base (flavored with smokey paprika), I slip in some high quality protein as egg whites allowing me to keep the calories low and still meet my protein needs early in the morning. Here’s a little fact that influences my food choices: older adults need less calories, but NOT less protein. To this high fiber, lean protein base, I add sauted grape tomatoes in olive oil and top with heart healthy avocado cubes. Tossing in some fresh oregano from the garden adds even more color and flavor. Please visit the links at the bottom of this post to see how my Recipe Redux colleagues are packing in protein, fiber and color into their trendy bowls.
Smoky Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with Avocado

Smoky Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with Avocado

Boosting protein at breakfast can be as easy as adding two scrambled egg whites to a delicious and trendy plant-based bowl.

Author: Diane Boyd
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
3 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 cup rinsed tricolor quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock
1 ripe avocado
2 teaspoons lime juice
pinch of salt
8 egg whites
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
fresh oregano

Instructions

1. Heat one teaspoon of oil in a saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium -low heat until soft, about 3 minutes.

2. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add smoked paprika. Stir and cook 1 more minute. Add rinsed quinoa and stir to combine.

3. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the cubed avocado with lime juice and a pinch of salt. Mix and gently set aside.

5. Place egg whites to a microwave safe bowl, and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Continue to microwave about 30 seconds longer or until egg whites are set.

6. In a separate saute pan, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add halved tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes soften and the skins begin to wrinkle, about 2 minutes.

7.Add quinoa and cooked egg whites to sauted tomatoes. Stir to combine. Spoon into serving bowls.

8. Top each bowl with cube avocado. Sprinkle with fresh oregano.

Purple Quinoa Salad + Juicy Giveaway

June 6, 2015 By Diane Boyd

The five ingredient Quinoa Salad that even your children will love!Disclosure: This is my recipe for Welch’s Recipe Contest. I received coupons for Welch’s 100% Grape Juice Products mentioned in this post, for creating a family friendly recipe and for the giveaway. I am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

The quinoa craze reminds me of the story by Hans Christian Anderson, The Emperor’s New Clothes. No one wants to come right out and say, I don’t like quinoa, much like no one wanted to confess they couldn’t see the Emperor’s new duds, without being labeled a fool. Sigh!

So guess what? Today I am sharing a recipe with you that will make you really want to eat this translucent grain, for reasons beyond it’s good for you (’cause you already know it’s nearly a complete protein, high in fiber, and gluten free.)

There are 2 parts to preparing foolproof quinoa, that even a child will love. The first part is cooking technique (thank you America’s Test Kitchen) and the second part is a purple cooking ingredient. Here’s how to to make quinoa tender with a satisfying bite (bye bye messy soggy quinoa).:

1. First toast quinoa in a pan over medium high heat until you hear a popping sound and the quinoa is fragrant (5-7 minutes).

2. Alter the common ratio 2:1 of water-to-quinoa to equal amounts.

Now for the the purple ingredient that will forever banish bitter, earthy tasting quinoa… Welch’s 100% Grape Juice. Not only does this ingredient boost the flavor, it also has the power of purple Concord grapes.

This photo is so cheesy, I apologize, but it calls attention to my message regarding grape research. For more than a decade, researchers have been exploring an important mix of plant nutrients-polyphenols- found in Concord grapes and the effects they have on the body, including possible benefits in supporting heart health. In addition, emerging research is being conducted to determine whether Concord grapes play a role in supporting a healthy mind and immune system. Click to see research. Using Welch’s 100% Grape Juice is a simple way to squeeze more flavor and better nutrition into foods you prepare for yourself and your family. Please try this recipe and enter to win!

Purple Quinoa Salad + Juicy Giveaway

Quinoa boiled in grape juice and made into a salad that even yur children will love.

Author: Diane Boyd
Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/4 cup Welch’s 100% Grape Juice
1/2 cup cucumber sliced and quartered
12 yellow grape tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Instructions

1. Toast quinoa in medium saucepan over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until quinoa is fragrant and make a popping sound, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Add Welch’s 100% grape juice to medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.

3. Stir in quinoa and reduce heat to low. Simmer until grains are just tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat .

4. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and stir in cucumber, tomato and oregano. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

Smoky Quinoa Breakfast Bowl with Avocado

Ingredients

Instructions

Purple Quinoa Salad + Juicy Giveaway

Ingredients

Instructions

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