Cuban Black Beans and Brown Rice with Roasted Squash

This recipe is straight out of Kathy Freston's book "Quantum Wellness Cleanse"  It was so yummy, no substitutions necessary!  I also think this is how I will make ALL my brown rice from now on.

 Rice

Ingredients:

•  2 cups brown rice
• 4 cups filtered water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Toast the dry uncooked rice in a large flat bottom pan for about 6-7 minutes, or until it pops.
2. Place rice and other ingredients in a pot and bring to a simmer and cook covered for 45 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is softened.  NOT mushy...softened.
3. Fluff with a fork and reserve.

Beans

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomato
• 3 1/2 cups cooked, drained black beans
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add carrots, onion, pepper and cook for about 11 minutes, or until softened.
2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
3. Add dry spices and cook for another minute
4. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 3 minutes
5. Add remaining ingredients and heat through

Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini
• 2 yellow squash
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice the zucchini and squash into rounds about 1/2inch thick.  The main thing is try to keep them all the same thickness so they cook evenly.
2. Put them in a bowl and drizzle some olive oil on them.  Toss to cover all the pieces.
3. Arrange on a baking sheet and sprinkle with set salt and pepper.
4. Put in the oven and roast at 375F for about 12-14 minutes depending on the thickness.

 

Now...put some rice on a plate and put some bean mixture on top.  Then pile the veggies high.  The roasted veggies were my favorite part.  :)

 

Enjoy!

 

Recipe from Kathy Freston's Quantum Wellness Cleanse

Blueberry Coconut Breakfast Bar

So these bars are my adaptation from the Quantum Wellness Cleanse.  The original called for dried cherries...which I did not have.  I actually had some.  I bought some EXCLUSIVELY for this recipe.  AND I bought dried blueberries to add as well.  RIGHT as I was getting ready to add them, as in I already measured them and put them in a bowl, I noticed they were sweetened.  DANG IT.  Oh well.

It was too yummy looking and smelling.  I had to snag a piece.

 Ingredents:

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 2 1/4 cups steel-cut oats (uncooked)
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh
• 1 banana, smashed well against the side of a bowl
• Egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs (Try Ener-G brand), prepare according to the directions on the box

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Put the butter and agave in a small pan over medium heat and stir until melted
3. Mix oats, coconut, baking powder, and sesame seeds in a large bowl.
4. To the oat mixture, add the prunes, apricots, and blueberries.  Mix well.
5. GENTLY fold in the egg replacer.
6. Add the agave/butter mixture and banana to the oat mixture. Mix well.
7. Pour into a square baking pan.  Mine was 8x8
8. Bake for about 25 minutes.  Let cool and cut into 9 bars.

The "bars" were very soft.  The recipe said to remove them from the pan and then cut into bars.  This was not possible for me.  I cut them, but kept them in the pan and keep the pan in the fridge.  Messy to eat, but yummy.  I am thinking the fresh blueberries added more moisture and that is why they are soft.  Oh well.  Still yummy!

Enjoy!