What I had:

Leftover black beans, about 2/3 a can
2 scallions
the remains of a bunch of cilantro
1/2 breast of chicken

I made some white rice ( kids request ) and added some roasted garlic, also leftover from an eariler meal.

After the rice was cooked I threw in the chopped cilantro, garlic and black beans.

My daughter warmed the chicken then we plated everything and garnished with salsa, sour cream and scallions.

This couldn’t have been easier.

No waste! Perfect, because…

I am going grocery shopping tommorrow!

As Spring approaches and Summer not far behind, my thoughts go to entertaining and celebrating the flavors of the season.

I’m thinking Mai Tais and Margaritas, grilled vegetables and garden fresh herbs.

This veggie burrito and cilantro and lime rice make for great al fresco dinning and go perfectly well with summer cocktails!

I love my grill and I love cooking and eating outside.

Being a vegetarian doesn’t have to mean that you don’t get play with fire anymore!

I throw everything on the grill and embrace the smokey flavors of the season on all my favorite veggie dishes.

Keeping black beans and rice, ready to go in the fridge, makes Summer dinning and entertaining easy.

Just add your main dish and and you have a gourmet meal in no time.

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
Coarse salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove

Cook rice and set aside.

Combine cilantro, crushed garlic, lime juice, salt and olive oil them mix into the cooked rice.

Ingredients

Whole wheat wrap
1-2 carrots
1 white onion
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1/2 green pepper
2-3 cloves garlic
1 Tbspn olive oil
1/4 cup manchego cheese
sweet chipotle barbeque sauce

Chop and saute ingredients in olive oil.

Add cheese and fill, generously, half of the wrap.

Fold and brush with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

This can also be done on the stove top in a frying pan, I’ve even tried it on the grill.

Top with sweet chipotle BBQ sauce and serve with cilantro rice and black beans.

This meal is more than just rice and beans.

For my daughters I will turn these into big fat burritos with cheese and serve the salsa on the side with chips.

I enjoyed the vegan version of just rice and beans with a dollop of the salsa on top.

What I like the most was the cold crunchy salsa on top of the creamy hot beans and rice.

The girls are going to love this tonight. It’s nutritious and festive.

Rice and Beans

I boiled 1 cup of brown jasmine rice in 2 cups of water

I used 2 cans of pinto beans and cooked them in a frying pan with 4 big cloves of garlic

That’s it for that part.

Salsa

This also works as a salad;

2 avocados

3 medium sized tomatoes

The juice of 2 limes

A nice handful of fresh cilantro

½ of a medium sized onion

½ a cup of yellow corn

I wished that I had some olives on hand but I didn’t. I thought that would really make this pop.

For the burritos I use whole wheat flour tortilla and shredded Monterey Jack, or Manchego cheese.

I roll the beans, rice and cheese together and bake in the oven for a bit then garnish with the salsa.

Of course, salt to taste

Enjoy!

A little bit about Carmen…

Carmen Garcia is an internationally recognized fitness celebrity, proactive in all levels of nutrition, health, wellness, and yoga principles.

An all around athlete with a competitive nature and a zest for healthy living, Carmen’s philosophy: spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental well being are the inseparable ingredients to a healthy life.

Carmen has worked hard to become one of America’s most popular fitness models, appearing in numerous publications, commercials, seminars and workshops. As a world class chef and entrepreneur, Ms. Garcia continues to re-invent herself via new challenges and accomplishments.

Carmen is a proud member and spokesperson for PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), a fitness instructor and nutritional consultant certified by the Professional Personal Trainer’s Association (USPTA); and a member of IDEAfit, having studied with the International Sports and Science Association.

Leaving the old paradigms behind of stressing the body with strenuous workouts and hardcore weight training trends, moderation is the key for this femme-fit guru. Not only does she speak four languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and English), her company, Fitbody Star offers live and online education to an ever-growing international audience.

A world traveler and true “foodie” at heart, Carmen’s mantra is to achieve balance through proper nutrition from plant (protein) sources, supplementation, and variations on classic exercise techniques, to achieve homeostasis and improve overall quality of life through a sound mind, body, and spirit.

Promoting her unique style of vegan cooking as the “Turista Chef”, she writes with signature joie de vivre about a hidden world of exotic destinations and cultures through the lens of the traditional and not so traditional regional cuisine.

Fitbody Star offers instruction in: nutrition, indoor/outdoor activity, yoga movement and stretching, dance form, body and weight strengthening, interval training, outdoor circuit training, boot camp, kickboxing techniques, plyometrics, meditation, core training and overall functional training for better sports & daily task performance.

Learn more about Carmen Garcia, and visit her at:
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Color vibrancy, rich and nutritious flavors is what makes this dish so deLIGHTfully tasty. Inspired by roots of Jamaica, I’ve prepared this easy vegan dish with an array of spices that burst into tropical flavors.

Recipe courtesy of Carmen Garcia

Jamaican Jerk Portabello

Serves 2
1 cup brown basmati rice, steamed
2 large portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 small banana squash, steamed/seeded and chopped into medium size cubes.
1 small red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 small green bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 cups of organic black beans, drained (canned for quick and easy)

Jerk Pineapple Marinade

1 small red onion, chopped
1 small serrano green chili, minced (seeds removed)
1 cup pineapple, cubed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small lime juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp Pompeian olive/canola oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp sea salt or substitute salt

Steam rice in a slow cooker or rice cooker before you begin to prep and cook the Portabello mushrooms and marinade.

Mix all marinade ingredients and set aside in a plastic or glass bowl. Slice Portabello mushrooms and mix into marinade bowl.

Store in fridge over night or for a minimum of 1-2 hours before cooking. When ready to cook, pre-heat large wok on high/med by lubricating the wok with the canola/olive oil.

Stir in all of the ingredients of the marinade and mushrooms only.

Lower heat and cover allowing steam to soften the mushrooms for about 5-8 minutes depending on how tender you wish as they tend to shrink with prolonged heat.

In a separate medium sized pan, steam banana squash for 12 minutes or until tender. Toss in the bell peppers during the last 4- 5 minutes.

If they lose their color vibrancy, you have over cooked them. In another small sauce pan heat black beans on low.

Find a beautiful plate and pack the rice into a small bowl and onto the center of the plate.

Carefully arrange and assort all of the ingredients as you wish and top with sprinkled coconut shreds and slivered raw almonds.

Almonds, beans and Portabello mushrooms are loaded with protein, fiber and nutrients. The steamy fragrant rice and fibrous vegetables are delicious as a low GI (glycemic index) food topped with an unforgettable pineapple chutney sauce and a spicy jerk marinade. This dish is low in fat and moderate in carbohydrates. High in protein, fiber and nutrients.

Every year around this time I like to eat light and healthy in anticipation of holiday feasting.

But at the same time I do enjoy those rich crock pot style meals that are easy and full of comfort foods and herbs which are reminiscent fall cooking.

My healthy, happy medium is this dish which I throw in the oven while cleaning the house or writing or even running a few quick errands.

I have adapted it from my mother’s recipe which used meat and white rice.
You can get fancy with it and use your favorite herbs and spices. Experiment. Have fun!

My dish is vegan and uses brown rice. I don’t know how much more healthy, nutritious, easy and comforting, a meal could possibly be!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups brown Jasmine rice
2 cans stewed tomatoes ( look for something all natural; no high fructose corn syrup)
3 cups of water
1 yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic
5 medium carrots
5 stalks of celery
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Chop veggies and place everything in your favorite clay pot or ceramic pot with lid and place in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-21/2 hours. That’s it.

You’ve got a quick nutritious and filling meal in the fridge. Get creative. Eat it in a wrap with refried beans; on a bed of fresh greens or warmed up on the stove with fresh parsley garnish.