I know a lot of you are probably scared of beans because they have a substantial number of carbs but they have a lot of benefits as well. Only you can decide if they work well in your diet. Beans are high in protein, most types are in the double digits and high in fiber. For example, soy beans have a whopping 33g of protein, 11g of fiber and 124% of your daily Vitamin C. Nice, right? Legumes are controversial–some camps say eat them, they’re a great source of fiber and protein, others say they’re too difficult to digest because they’re both a protein and starch. Personally, I eat them. I love chickpeas (garbanzos), black beans, cannellini (white) beans, fava beans, soy beans…you get the picture. What about y’all? Beans or no beans? If so, what are your favorite ways to incorporate them into your diet? 4-5 cups weekly is ideal.
Below I have included two of my most favoritist recipes. Both can be enjoyed while juice feasting. The first one, Maya’s Chickpea Salad, was inspired by my friend of the same name. She made hers with fresh Thai chiles but being that I had none on hand, I did what I do best, improvise. It really doesn’t take much longer than chopping up the avocado so it’s quick, easy & scrumptious. The addition of avocado pairs well with the chickpeas because of the contrast in textures & the lemon adds a perfect amount of zip. I love the idea of taking it to my next BBQ or get together.
Maya’s Chickpea Salad:
2 cups dry chickpeas prepared according to instructions or 1 can organic chickpeas
1/2 cup red onion
1/3 cup cilantro
celtic or himalayan sea salt to taste
the juice of one lemon
1 tsp garlic chili paste (more if you prefer more spice)
1 avocado chopped
Mix the first 6 ingredients (everything but the avocado). Add the avocado and toss until blended. Serve immediately. If you have left over, the salad will keep 2 or 3 days, just squeeze more lemon to refresh.
Cannellini or white beans look similar to kidney beans but smaller. They’re loaded with nutrition, help reduce cholesterol & prevent headaches. Also, they have TWICE the iron as red meat, they’re low-fat, high in fiber AND provide a high quality of magnesium, fiber, iron and folate. What I love about white beans is how creamy they are on the inside. That makes them perfect for spreads or dips like hummus. I actually prefer white bean hummus to chickpea hummus because the texture is so much creamier. Trader Joe’s sells a fantastic white bean and basil hummus if you wanna try it. I’m hooked! So here is a fast way to make a veggie sandwich sparkle! Yes, I said *sparkle.* It’s that tingle food gives me when I bite into something really good & I’m overcome with a sense of euphoria. That’s what tells me my food is sparkling. As in, “That white bean & veggie sandwich sparkles!” Ok, maybe I built it up too much. Try it & let me know. In this rendition I use tomato, onion, sprouts–I personally ❤ pea sprouts. They taste a lot like the peas themselves, sweet & flavorful. If you want a sandwich that is heartier or warm, maybe for dinner or Winter months, pair the spread with roasted or grill sliced vegetables such as eggplant, squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and on & on. Sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary or pine nuts would be a good mix-in as well…basil to replace the sprouts. I like it open-faced. Use you imagination. When I’m being bad I’ve been known to add a slice of thick cut (nitrate-free, thank you!) applewood smoked bacon in there. Damn, I wish bacon was a vegetable!
Vegetable Sandwich w/ Garlic White Bean Spread:
2 slices whole grain or sprouted bread (nix the bread during juice feasting, opt for grilled veggies to dip or lettuce wrap–I like collards because they’re sturdy–and wrap white bean spread & veggies like a burrito).
1 can white beans or 2 cups (cooked) dry beans prepared according to pkg. instructions
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp cold pressed olive oil or coconut oil
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin
tomato slices
onion slices
sprouts (bean, alfalfa, pea, radish, etc.)
Toast bread. Spread white beans thick on both pieces. Layer the veggies & enjoy.
I’d love to hear what you think of the recipes!
love & light,
MK
k i m c h e e + c o l l a r d s 