Some Most nights, I don’t really have a well thought out plan of what to cook for dinner. Sometimes I just kind of stand there and stare into the refrigerator and the cabinet, pondering the possibilities.
For those who are trying to cook more and eat healthier I generally recommend planning weekly dinners; this way you can do a grocery trip before the week starts to ensure that you have everything you need to make a healthy dinner. But I’m finding that planning isn’t always necessary, so long as you create meals from a healthy base. Think food groups:
{Whole Grain + Lean Protein + Vegetable}
Quinoa + Baked Chicken + Salad
Whole Wheat Pasta + Tempeh + Cooked Spinach/Tomato/Mushrooms
Brown Rice + Black Beans + Cooked Onions/Peppers/Squash
Everything but the Kitchen Sink…
Wild Rice & Farro + Black and Kidney Beans + Mushrooms/Onions/Tomatoes/Kale/Cauliflower
It’s basically anything I could scrounge up and use for dinner. It’s a great way to use up foods that are on their last legs (?) and if nothing else, to inspire creativity!
2 cups cooked whole grain – 1 cup wild rice + 1 cup farro (boil grains with 2.5 cups water, salt and bay leaf until water is absorbed and grains are soft)
1 can black beans + 1/2 can kidney beans (they were leftover so I threw them in), drained and rinsed
1 head cauliflower, florets and stem chopped into bite sized pieces (the stem needs love too)
4 small tomatoes, chopped
1.5 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1-2 cups kale, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
Olive or canola oil, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, paprika, soy sauce for seasoning
- Preheat oven to 375. Toss cauliflower with 1-2 TBS oil, hearty dash of salt and pepper and some paprika. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until done (the smaller you cut your cauliflower, the quicker it will cook).
- While your grains and cauliflower are cooking, heat 1 TBS oil in a large saute pan or wide pot and add onions and mushroom. Season lightly with salt and cook until soft. Add garlic, tomatoes, cumin and cayenne (go easy on the cayenne if you’re not a fan of heat!) and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the kale, beans and a couple dashes of soy sauce and cook until kale is wilted but still bright green.
To serve: Scoop about 1/2 cup rice onto/into a plate/bowl, top with bean and vegetable mixture and lastly, some cauliflower.
What do you like to throw together in a pinch?
