BAKED MEXICAN SQUASH STEW. AN UNEXPECTED FIESTA.

I'm buying up spaghetti squash like there is no tomorrow.  I've found the best ones are always the really big ones.  Total coincidence, I swear.  Once roasted, and removed from the skin with a fork (see how in this post), I'm left with an enormous bowl of spaghetti like strings of squash.  So I keep coming up with different ways to eat it.

This recipe is my new favourite.  It's quick to throw together, and it's two main ingredients are squash and beans so I feel great about eating it.  It has a strong mexican flavour to it, and although it may not look super appetizing, it is actually really really good.  I couldn't stop eating it.  I was trying to photograph it, and I would pick up a stew laden chip to move it over to another spot, only to find that it had landed in my mouth and I was chewing and swallowing.  Seriously.  That has to be good right?

I do love mexican food.  It always has so much flavour and punch, and makes you feel like you are getting the best meal of your life.  Mexican cuisine is great at using fresh ingredients like ripe red tomatoes and serving it up in a way that is anything but boring.  I love the use of herbs and chili's in mexi dishes, it's nice to have flavour and heat without needing to dunk your whole head in a bucket of water.  Besides, it's often naturally gluten free, since traditional mexican cooking relies on more corn than it does wheat.

Despite my passion for mexican, I found that I don't really incorporate it much into my home cooked meals.  Now this is something that needs to be remedied.  Hence, this mexican inspired squash dish.  I wanted the squash to act as the "pasta" if you will, and the beans to become the main protein.  The enchilada sauce, cilantro, and jalapeno give it that mexican flair, and the grated cheese brings it all together in the oven.  While it's cooking, this dish really comes together.  The beans become so soft and tender, that when you take a bite you get that baked or refried bean flavour which mixes perfectly with the green enchilada sauce which is made of chilies, tomatoes, peppers and spices.

I served this up with a plate of organic corn chips, which was a really good idea if I do say so myself.  The chips are a great carrier, and give a bit of crunch to each bite.  However, you can totally just eat this by itself too.  It's pretty delicious either way.

Baked Mexican Squash Stew (Family Size)
6 cups roasted and shredded spaghetti squash
2 19oz cans of mixed beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, plus extra to top
1 cup enchilada sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, then pour into a casserole dish.  Top with extra grated cheese, and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for about one hour.  Remove the foil and broil for 10 minutes to brown the top.  Serve with tortilla chips or crusty bread.

BLACK RICE & BEAN SALAD WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER AND CILANTRO YOGURT SAUCE.

I'm always on the lookout for a good hearty salad.  The kind of salad that is a full blown meal.  First of all, you know it's going to be good for you.  Second, it's super easy to pack and go for work, school, or whatever floats your boat on a day to day basis.

This salad is definitely hearty, with fibre and protein packed black beans and antioxidant filled black rice.  It's pretty obvious by now that in the food category brown is usually better than white, but black is even better than brown, at least when we're talking rice.  On top of all the benefits of brown rice, black rice contains antioxidants that are missing in the brown stuff.  It's the same antioxidants that you'll find in dark blue berries.  Black rice also has a bit of a deeper, richer, sweeter flavour.

With all these good reasons to eat black rice, you'd think using it in this salad would be a no brainer, right?  In truth, the real reason I used black rice today was for looks.  That's right, it was for completely superficial reasons.  The rice isn't complaining.

The other component in this salad that's really working hard is the corn.  The corn is quickly roasted before being tossed into the salad, and that adds a ton of flavour.  Corn is naturally sweet, and roasting it is a great option to deepen that sweetness and add a smoky side to it as well.

Finally, we've got to pay our dues to the dressing as well.  It's only three ingredients, but it is strong and sweet and spicy.  It brings the salad together and gets it ready for your tastebuds.  Don't go easy on the dressing for this meal.

If you are going to pack this salad for lunch, just layer it up in a mason jar with the dressing on the bottom and the mixture piled on top.  Then when you're ready to eat, just empty it all into a bowl and mix it up.  That way the dressing won't make everything soggy, and you don't have to worry about packing a separate container.

Black Rice & Bean Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Cilantro Yogurt Dressing
2 cups cooked black rice
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup black beans
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup 0% greek yogurt
1/2 chopped jarred roasted red peppers
1/4 chopped fresh cilantro
Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place the frozen corn in a colander and run under cold water, to get rid of the worst of the freeze on the kernels, and pat dry.  Don't worry about defrosting them completely.  Spread the corn in a single layer on a baking pan.  Spray lightly with oil, tossing to coat.  Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, toss the kernels, then roast again for 5 more minutes.  Remove and let cool.

Mix together all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl combine the yogurt, roasted red peppers, cilantro and a pinch of salt.  Use a hand blender to puree together until smooth.

Toss the dressing with the rice salad immediately before serving and eat up.

WHY DRIED BEANS SHOULD BE A STAPLE IN YOUR CUPBOARD.

They may not look very exciting, but beans or legumes really are a magical food.  Well, for your body at least.  Low in calories and high in fibre, these complex carbohydrates will fill you up faster, help lower cholesterol and can also aid in weight loss, when included regularly in your diet.  

When it comes to buying them, it's easy to gravitate towards the canned beans as they are quick to open and easy to use.  However, for just a little extra effort, dried beans can offer you more savings in your wallet, as well as better nutritional value.

Dried beans can be bought off the shelf at the grocery store, in bulk bins, and often at your local market.  Not only is a bag of dried beans much lighter than cans in your grocery bag, but it will also last you a lot longer.  A can will yield about 1 or 2 cups of beans, and then it's on your grocery list again for the next week.  For close to the same price, a bag of dried beans will hold about 4 or 5 cups of beans, which when cooked will double in size giving you about 10 cups of good eating.

The ingredients list on dried beans is also fantastic - it's just beans!  Unfortunately in canned varieties, you'll always find a lot of added salt, even in the reduced salt brands.  Occasionally, there will even be additional ingredients added, such as sugar.  Plus, since the dried beans don't go through a canning process, they are usually higher in nutritional value.  All in all, your body will definitely like the dried stuff better.

Dried beans do require a bit more planning, but it's not hard as long as you are prepared.  Most varieties require overnight soaking, so I simply use the same large pot that I plan to cook them in, fill it up with a cup of beans, fill with cold water and leave it sitting on the stove.  Then the next day, I drain and rinse the beans.  Sometimes I leave them sitting like that for the whole day, until I get a chance to cook them.  After soaking, most beans will cook in about 1-1.5 hours.  Most types need to be brought to a boil first, then reduced to a simmer for the hour.  Just follow the directions on the bag.

Then your beans are ready to be eaten!  Throw some chickpeas in a salad, add black beans and kidney beans to a pot of chili or stew, or chop up some veggies and mix with dressing for a quick and fresh bean salad.  If you like making your own soups, you can actually include the bean cooking time into your soup recipe, and the dried beans will soak up all the flavour of your broth while they are cooking.  Or use them to make your own yummy dips.

With hundreds of varieties of beans, the possibilities are endless, and each bean can give you a new variation on your favorite recipes.  Plus, you'll fill up your belly while giving it lots of good nutrients.  Sometimes, a little extra effort can go a long way.