Five Bean Salad

I've been feeling a bit groggy in the afternoons recently.

My go-to fix is a second (or third) cup of coffee, which I know isn't the greatest choice. It rarely gets me out of my fog and more often than not, it just gives me a bad case of jitters. I did a bit of research (aka Googling), and it finally dawned on me that the high number of carbs in the sandwich and fruit that I usually eat for lunch may be contributing to that sleepiness later. Maybe steering more towards a high-protein lunch could be the solution I need.

So I started looking for lunch ideas of the high-protein variety, and found this one. I love that it's so versatile. You can certainly switch up the varieties of bean you use, or skip any if you don't like them. Definitely tasty, and definitely healthy!

Five Bean Salad

2 cups of black beans
2 cups of pinto beans
2 cups of navy beans
2 cups of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
2 cups of kidney beans

1 package of frozen white corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon of minced garlic

3 Tablespoons of olive oil
3 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar (I ended up using a bit more)

salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions: Cook frozen corn, and then mix all of the beans and vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar topping, salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine. Enjoy!

(This is a great base recipe, and I've been adding lots of different things for more flavor- I've tried feta cheese, cilantro, cooked shredded chicken breast, and a can of tuna. All of those mix-ins have turned out well. I also love the extra boost of protein some meat or cheese brings in.) 

Adapted from SparkPeople, original recipe here.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

One of our favorite vegetarian meals is this grilled vegetable sandwich. It's a fairly standard sandwich, but this particular version was inspired by a dish on the menu at a little Italian restaurant where I used to work. I enjoyed working the lunch shift solely because I got to eat one of these sandwiches. So one day, I decided to try to recreate this dish at home!

These are delicious and filling and oh-so-easy-to prepare. And vegetarian to boot!

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

6 hoagie rolls
1 Tablespoon of olive oil    
1 eggplant, chopped or sliced
2 red peppers, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped or sliced
1 10 oz. bag of baby spinach
3 portobello mushroom caps, chopped or sliced
6 slices of provolone cheese
1 cup marinara sauce

Directions: Preheat oven to 400. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Sauté vegetables in skillet until mostly soft. (I usually do them one type at a time, and then set them aside- it's a lot!) Pile veggies into the rolls, and cover each with a slice of provolone cheese. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and place in the oven until lightly toasted and cheese is melted. Use the marinara sauce for dipping. Enjoy!

Note- I have made these both by slicing up the veggies and layering them on the sandwich, and by  chopping them up small, and doing it almost sloppy joe style. Both ways are delicious!

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

I think that chili in the previous post put a spell on me. 

As warm as it still is (although the humidity is starting to fade somewhat!), I'm suddenly getting into my "fall" state of mind. I was craving some serious comfort food the other night, yet I still wanted to keep it somewhat light and full of veggies. When I found these two recipes for grown-up versions of the classic tomato soup and grilled cheese, I was sold. They were exactly what I was looking for!

Chunky Tomato Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

For the soup:

1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup carrots (diced)
1 cup celery (diced)
2 cups yellow onion (diced)
8 cloves of garlic (minced or pushed through a press)

3 cups of Italian bread, torn into 1" chunks

1/2 cup dry red wine
4 cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 28 oz. cans of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes with juice

2 Tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon of black pepper

For the topping:

small handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of Italian bread, cut into 1" cubes
2 slices of prosciutto, torn into pieces (optional)
black pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: Pour olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a large stockpot. Saute over medium heat until vegetables are slightly soft- about 10 minutes. Toss in chunks of bread, stir and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes.

Pour in chicken stock, tomatoes (with juices), and red wine. Mix in the basil and black pepper, stir everything up, and bring to a light simmer. Cover partially and allow to simmer for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375. Toss fresh basil leaves with olive oil in large ziploc bag. Add cubes of bread, prosciutto, and a touch of black pepper, and shake to combine (bread won't be fully coated- that's fine). Spread out bread mixture on a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, until croutons are golden brown and crunchy.

When soup is done, top with crouton mixture and fresh Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Serves about 8-10. Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

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Spinach, Tomato, and Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 large slices of Italian bread

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced

4 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 large ripe tomato, sliced

2 Tablespoons of spreadable butter (regular butter at room temperature, or a spread)

Directions: Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan, add onion slices, and allow them to slowly caramelize- about 15 minutes. Heat up panini press, grill pan, or Foreman grill to medium-high.

Top two slices of bread with one half of the cheddar cheese. Layer spinach leaves, prosciutto, tomato slices, onions when they're done, and finally, the rest of the cheese. Top with other two slices of bread, and butter the outsides of the sandwiches. Place on the cooking surface (you'll want to weigh them down if you're using a grill pan), and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until cheese is melty and outside is crisp and golden brown.

Serves 2-4, depending on how large your bread is. Half a sandwich each was plenty for H and I with the soup. Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

These were both amazingly delicious! I definitely felt like they were perfect "transition into fall foods." Very hearty and filling, but not too heavy and rich.