White Bean, Tomato & Cucumber Salad

I posted this photo on Facebook over Memorial Day weekend and I had several people ask me about the salad. It’s so quick and easy to fix. This salad could be the main course or a side.

1 15 ounce can of Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained
1 pint of Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1 large Cucumber, seeds removed and sliced
1 medium sized Red Onion, chopped
1/2 cup Fresh Parsley (optional)
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Best if you let it stay in the refrigerator over night to let the flavors meld.

 

Egg and Bean Burrito with Avocado and Yogurt-Lime Sauce

Here’s an easy to fix after run meal that works for dinner too.

 

¼ cup non-fat Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Red Onion, diced
1 Jalapeño Pepper, diced
½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 15 ounce can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
4 eggs, mixed
1/8 teaspoon Salt
4 Whole Wheat Tortillas
½ cup Shredded Cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.)
1 Avocado, sliced
1 cup Salsa

In a small bowl, mix the yogurt and lime juice. Place bowl in refrigerator until final steps.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and jalapeño pepper and cook until soft. About five minutes.
Add the cumin and beans to the skillet and stir. Once the beans are hot, add eggs and cook until eggs are fluffy.
Warm the Tortilla for 1 to 2 minutes in a pan over medium heat. Lay out the tortillas and divide egg & bean mixture among the four tortillas. Top with cheese, avocado slices and yogurt-lime sauce. Roll up and top with salsa.
NOTE: I like to make this in advance and serve for several meals during the week. If you wish to make the mixture ahead of time, don’t add the eggs. When ready, re-warm the bean mixture in a skillet in the portion needed and cook eggs accordingly.

Almond Cherry Granola

I eat this granola with Greek Yogurt almost every day of the week. It’s easy to make, tastes great and is full of carbs, fiber and antioxidants. I first learned of the recipe from the book, “Runner’s World Meals on the Run” from Rodale Press. I’ve modified it slightly though. My recipe makes twice the amount and I’m not a big fan of cloves so I reduced the amount used.

Makes 10 Cups

Wet Ingredients:

6 ounces Canola Oil
4 tablespoons Honey
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract

Dry Ingredients:

4 cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
1 cup Slivered Almonds
1/2 cup Chopped Cashews
1 cup Toasted Wheat Germ
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 cup Dried Tart Cherries (Added after baking)

Pre-heat the oven to 35o degrees F.

In a medium bowl stir together the wet ingredients. The mixture should have a medium brown color when blended.

In a large bowl add the dry ingredients (minus the dried cherries) and gently toss to mix the dry then pour the oil mixture over the oat mixture. Stir to combine, making sure all the dry ingredients are coated.

Spread half the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the ingredients. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes. (I prepare two baking sheets and I use parchment paper on the baking sheets to make clean up a little easier. You can bake both sheets at the same time but I prefer to bake one sheet at a time.)

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the dried cherries onto the baking sheet. Allow the granola to cool on the pan then store in an airtight container.

Repeat the baking and cooling process for the remaining half of the granola mixture.