Black Beans & Rice, Acorn Squash, Breakfast and Kale Chips

Since I haven't posted since Thursday, I have several things to blog about. I took off work Friday for my very last vacation day of the year....boo. So, that left me with part of a free day on Friday. Of course I had errands to run that morning, but Friday afternoon I was in the kitchen. We went to a UT Vols get together Saturday night to watch TN get stomped by AL :o( so, I made some roasted red pepper hummus and regular hummus to take. I also made some potato soup too but, I will blog about that tomorrow.

Friday night for dinner I made black beans and rice and cooked an acorn squash. This was my first time cooking an acorn squash, so I was worried whether I would like it or not. Guess what...it was great. Even Tony liked it...Yay! Here's the simple recipe for the acorn squash.

1 acorn squash
2 tablespoons vegan butter
nutmeg to taste
cinnamon to taste
brown sugar to taste

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Put the two halves in the microwave for 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking dish and a use a tablespoon of butter for each half. Rub the butter inside and on top of each half. After buttered, sprinkle each half with a little nutmeg, then twice as much cinnamon. Top that off by sprinkling brown sugar over the nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook in the oven at 350 for about 30 more minutes.



Now for the black beans and rice. Featured below is Tony's plate. The only thing he added to his place was some tilapia. At least he ate a healthy dinner. :o) I have to admit, I was surprised when he asked for some black beans and rice. Normally the only beans he will eat is pinto beans. Anyway, here's the recipe for the black beans and rice that was another success.

2 cups cooked black beans (or a 16oz can)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Vege-Sal
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup basmati rice, cooked

Saute onion and peppers until tender. Transfer to saucepan and add the beans with a little liquid. Add Vege-Sal, cumin, and chili powder and simmer over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Serve over the cooked basmati rice.

Tony's plate..... :o)

For breakfast Saturday morning I decided that it was time to do a little juicing. I figured it was time to try a type of beet juice. I used one beet, 1 apple, and one kale leaf. It was just enough for one serving. It wasn't near as bad as what I had expected. It actually tasted pretty good. I've never been a fan of beets or kale, so the thought of me drinking beet juice with kale had me a little weirded out. I don't think it's something I would drink everyday, but once a week I could do!

I also had some steel cut oatmeal Saturday morning. I cooked 1/2 cup oats with half cup water. When the oats were almost finished cooking I added 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of dried pomegranate. Talk about good....this was super yummy!

I also decided to try some kale chips. Now, as you know I'm not a big fan of kale, but these were very good. I know kale is good for you, so I am really trying to like it. I got this recipe from The Kuntrageous Vegan. They aren't near as bitter tasting as I thought they would be. I will definitely be making these again!

Question: Does anyone know if you can freeze hummus? I had quite a bit left over from Saturday night and there is no way I will eat it all before it ruins.

Hope everyone has had a great Monday!
~Peace~