Better than plain rice....

We make chimichangas at least once a month. Typically we just have a chimi each with a glass of wine and that's our meal, but for some variety we'll have sides of green salad and rice.

I'm getting bored with plain rice so I recently started using this rice recipe that has a bit more flavour (and veggies). It's great on it's own as left overs, cold, for lunch.

Rice with Black Beans and Corn
6 cups cooked jasmine rice (use brown rice if preferred)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups of frozen corn, heated and drained
4 fresh tomatoes, diced
6 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

The recipe also calls for:
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 dashes hot sauce
Because I serve this as a side dish, I don't want it to be hot so I don't add the jalapeno or hot sauce.
Also,  I HATE cilantro so of course I don't add it, however many people love this herb so add what you want.

Preparation:
In a medium bowl, combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, lime juice, oil, salt, pepper. If you are including the extra ingredients (cilantro, jalapeno and hot sauce) add them now. Serve the hot rice with a 1/6 of the bean and corn mixture on top OR mix the rice with the bean/corn mixture before serving being careful not to make the rice too mushy during the mixing process.

Serves 6

Nutritional Breakdown Per Serving
    474 Calories
    4g Fat (7.9% calories from fat)
    13g Protein
    96g Carbohydrate
    7g Dietary Fiber
    0mg Cholesterol
    416mg Sodium

Fresh Basil Means Pesto Tonight!

There's somthing about the smell of fresh basil that always gets me thinking of pesto. Every summer I have at least three huge pots of basil growing on the balcony. During the winter months I'm reduced to purchasing "fresh" basil in the grocery store. This is a very expensive way to get basil so when I discovered that a local Asian market sold basil at "a dollar a bag" I now make bi-weekly purchases.

The best pesto is home-made pesto. I've tried (several times) the pre-made stuff from the grocery store and I've never liked it—I find that there's a "chemical" taste to it; something not natural.

Here's a simple recipe that I use. I always try to have some in my fridge. It's great for adding to sauces, sandwiches (with goat cheese and roasted peppers) or to have straight on pasta.

Pesto Sauce
2 cups fresh basil (packed)
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese (vegetarian variety)
1 cup of virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic (slightly chopped)
3 tbsp pine nuts

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until well mixed.
Store in the fridge, covered.

Edamame—Great for Snacking

A co-worker turned me on to Edamame. If you've never heard of it you are not alone.


Boiled Edamame




















Edamame is the japanese term for immature "soybeans" that are still in the pod. You purchase the pods (fresh or frozen) and boil them in slightly salted water. Drain, and let cool. Pop the pods open and enjoy the beans inside.

454 gram bag of frozen edamame


The only place I've been able to find edamame is frozen, in an Asian shop. I usually boil up half the bag and place the pods in a bowl for snacking. They are a great source of protein!

Nutritional Information for 1 cup of pods (155g)
  189 Calories
  8g Fat
  17g Protein
  16g Carbohydrate
  8g Dietary Fiber
  0mg Cholesterol
  9mg Sodium
Edamame is also a good source of Calcium (10%), Vitamin C (16%) and Iron (20%)