It doesn't have to be a salad every night for vegans who are also gluten-free. A warm bowl of this savory lentil stew makes for a comforting meal. This creamy dish is full of protein, fiber, and flavor.
For under 400 calories each yummy bowl offers a whopping 18.7 grams of protein and 19.5 grams of fiber. Read on for the simple recipe.
Unless they're very young (in which case they can be eaten whole), fava beans must be peeled twice: the outer shell and outer skin of each bean must be removed to enjoy the tender, buttery fava beans. It's a little bit of a fussy technique; however, blanching and shocking the beans in their shell makes it easier to shuck them. Fava beans are in season from April to July, so take a look at these step-by-step photos for easy prep all Spring and Summer long.
I'm an unabashed fan of the humble chickpea, whether it's crisp and generously spiced, blitzed into creamy hummus, or pureed in a spicy soup, but perhaps most of all when it's marinated with bold, bright flavors. Satiating, satisfying — the textural contrast of the combined elements is key — this salad is just the ticket if you, like me, are plagued with a touch of brown-bag-lunch ennui. The melange of zesty flavors meld further with an extra day or two in the fridge, making this an option you'll look forward to till you scrape the last bowlful into a to-go container.
In an ideal world we'd cook with dried beans exclusively: they are generally a more economical option, have a better texture, and allow for infusing flavor as they cook. But let's face it: they take far longer to prepare than cracking open a can. The question is, when is simmering up a pot of dried beans worth the effort, and when can you bust out the can opener guilt-free?
Use dried beans when beans are the star ingredient, texture is of the utmost importance, or a recipe calls for an obscure variety, as many more options are sold dried than canned. (We're partial to Rancho Gordo's high-quality selection.) If you have the extra time, dried beans are almost always the superior option — and preparing them is largely a hands-off task.
Turn to the can when the beans will be pureed or otherwise altered in texture, time is of the essence (canned beans are a weeknight dinner staple for a reason), or the beans will be playing a supporting role. Feel no shame in cooking with canned beans, just know that they won't be quite as delectable.
When do you reach for dried beans? Or do you always use the canned variety? Share your thoughts with us below.
Salads and brown-rice pasta aren't the only ways to enjoy a quick dinner when you're eating a vegan and gluten-free diet. If you need a tasty new idea, give this spin on the basic burrito a whirl. Instead of wrapping beans and veggies in a flour tortilla, use polenta (look for it in firm tubes at health-food stores and most supermarkets). Since it's made with cornmeal and water, it's completely gluten-free.
This filling and flavorful meal is under 300 calories and takes less than 30 minutes to make; it also stores well in the fridge, so what you don't finish will make the perfect lunch for the next day.
Keep reading to see this simple low-cal recipe.
For a quick meal this Meatless Monday, try this simple and delicious bean burger — no grill required. Grab a handful of ingredients that are probably already hiding in your pantry, turn on your stove top, and you're done in less than 10 minutes. This satisfying protein-packed bean burger would hit the spot after a tough gym session.
Learn how to make this recipe after the break!
Beans can be used in almost any recipe, for any occasion. From appetizer dips to soups and salads, this is a pantry staple to always have on hand. The reasons are almost endless; read on to learn how beans benefit everything from your pockets to your zipper.
Cost: Beans are an inexpensive ingredient that is available both canned and dried. Since they don't perish, you can stock up on them when there's a sale at the store, meaning you always have the makings of a protein-rich meal. Add veggies or broth to the mix, and you won't even hover above the $5 mark.
Benefits: Legumes are an excellent source of protein, having similar amounts to meat, but with the added fiber bonus (as well as less fat). One cup of cooked beans contains nearly half a women's daily recommended fiber dosage, where meat contains none. In addition to trumping meat on the fiber scale, there's no need to worry about hormones or antibiotics with beans. With the exception of added sodium to canned beans, what you see is what you get with this naturally colorful assortment. The tops picks for antioxidants are small red beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans.
Versatility: Garbanzo, soy, pinto, black, kidney — the list of beans goes on. The recipes for these hearty ingredients are also endless. Beans can be added to soups, salads, and rice. Mashed up, they make a great dip recipe. Beans even work well in desserts.
The beauty of the burrito is that it's customizable. You are allowed to stuff it with whatever you could possibly imagine (well, with whatever you have left in your fridge). This burrito recipe is intended to help you learn the basic construction, so you can go off and make use of all the random ingredients you have lurking in your kitchen.
Here's the only rule: when using a standard 8-inch tortilla, fill it with about 3/4 cup of ingredients. Otherwise, if you overload the tortilla, you'll end up with a floppy soft taco, rather than a cylindrical burrito. If you're hungry, then plan to make more than one burrito!
Despite it being homemade, a burrito, to me, doesn't feel like a burrito unless it's tightly wrapped in foil. Here are the benefits: the burrito retains heat for longer, the tortilla stays soft, and the whole thing stays intact. Eating is a breeze as you peel the foil down with each bite. Here's another tip: use a heat diffuser to reheat the burrito once it's constructed and wrapped in foil, since you can't microwave the foil, and warming in the oven takes too long. The stovetop is the quickest way to zap some heat into your burrito before you dig in.
If you're looking for the easiest burrito recipe, then keep reading.
Many recipes will call for a 15-ounce can of cooked beans, but dried beans are not only lower in sodium, but they're also more economical. If you have dried beans on hand, try this simple ratio for an easy kitchen hack.
Since a 15-ounce can typically yields about 1-1/2 cups of cooked and drained beans, soak 3/4 cup of dried beans in water for eight hours or overnight, then boil the beans in a pot of fresh water until the beans are tender (25-45 minutes, depending on the bean). This should yield about the same amount of beans as the can.
The best healthy foods are the ones that taste anything but good for you. Take these recipes for instance. We've got cookies, burgers, smoothies, and more — and all are made by sneakily adding in protein-packed beans!
Blueberry Banana Smoothie
What's great about smoothies is that you can hide just about any healthy ingredient in your glass, and the sweetness of the fruit disguises the flavor. Try this protein-packed recipe (the beans add five grams of fiber and six grams of protein):
1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup cannellini beans
6 oz. vanilla yogurt
Spicy Black Bean Hummus
While it's not a huge departure from the original recipe, there's no reason that chickpeas should be the only legumes invited to the hummus party. Get creative by substituting chickpeas with white or black beans, like in this recipe for a spicy black bean hummus. Compared to chickpeas, black beans offer more iron, potassium, magnesium, fiber, and vitamin B1.
Learn how to make a burger and cookie recipe after the break!
