Healthy Kitchen R and D

Wow, it has been far too long since my last post. Things have been so busy here, so I've been relying on my old standbys for reliable meals. But this week, I needed something different for my lunch. I put my thinking cap on and came up with a delicious one-pot meal that took less than 15 minutes to make but satisfied my appetite. We'll call this one "Beans & Greens". I decided to use cannellini beans, which are medium-sized white beans, creamy and nutty in flavor and texture. Beans are a versatile food, loaded with fiber and protein, Vitamin A & iron. To add flavor and texture, I paired the legume with vidalia onion, garlic, spinach, lemon juice, and a hit of Parmesan cheese. The end result was simple yet decadent and kept me full all afternoon. Make this dish as a light lunch, or a side to go along with dinner. Bon appetit! Ingredients:   (choose organic and locally sourced when available) 1 tablespoon, Oil - Olive 1 tbsp Garlic, minced 2 table

It was Sunday afternoon. We'd had a fun, busy weekend. I had a hangry family that needed to be fed and the last thing I wanted to deal with was wash a sink full of dishes.Thankfully, this one pot recipe saved me (and my hubby!) from having to wash too many dishes and filled our stomachs just right. This recipe is loaded with lean protein, fiber, and flavor, and will keep you warm on these cold winter evenings. You COULD put this all in the crock-pot, but I didn't start dinner until 4:30pm, so onto the stove top it went and we were able to sit down before 6pm. If you choose to cook this in the crockpot, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours, and don't add the noodles & spinach until the very end. Bon Appetit! Ingredients:   (choose organic and locally sourced when available) 1 pound ground turkey 1 onion, chopped 4 celery stalks, chopped 4 carrots, peeled and chopped 1 cup butternut squash, skin removed and chopped (I used the ne

Wow! December was a busy busy month, filled with lots of friends, family, and fun. While I wasn't able to find time to post to this blog, I was plenty busy cooking. There were broccoli quinoa muffins; slow cooker tangine chicken; a mish-mosh freezer concoction that turned into seafood paella (that's the best way to describe it).  But the recipe that I've made the most over the last month are Black Bean Chocolate Muffins.  This recipe is not an original - I've seen similar recipes on several websites ( here , here , and here ...) so I'm not sure where it originated. I've played around with the measurements and I think I've got it pretty solid. I sent a batch to work with my hubby during one of his marathon meeting days - only 1 person guessed that the secret ingredient was black beans. I gave them to my daughters playmates, who were thrilled I was giving them a "sweet". Especially the one who told me she HATES all beans.... One of my