Enjoy!

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (Sprouts has these on sale all the time for really cheap, and they have way more flavor than breast)
a splash of chicken broth, though you may not need depending on how juicy the mangoes and lemons are
3 over ripe mangoes (you could probably use frozen too)
2 lemons, juiced
1 onion
7 small cloves of garlic
3 tsp dried mint
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (I always have the nuts that I just use a microplane to grate)

Corn tortillas
2 ripe avocados sliced or diced
1 tomato chopped
Monterrey Jack cheese (Sprouts always has blocks of cheese on sale, it is MUCH better to grate it yourself)
Annie’s chunky salsa (refrigerator section at HEB, best salsa EVER!!)

I warm up the tortillas on a comal, grill, or microwave.  Add cheese, mango chicken filling, avocado, tomato, and salsa!  Yummo!!

No, really.  I hate them.  My husband would have you believe otherwise, but it’s really true.  Unfortunately, and much to my husband’s delight, I’m sure, as it helps to prove his case, there is no better name for the dish that I’m about to share with you other than,

PASTA FAUX-LOGNESE!

(I’ll give you a moment.)

This is a recipe for a marinara sauce that would traditionally be made with ground beef, therefore, making it a “Bolognese“.  However, because I have been, for several reasons, sticking to purchasing very little meat for our family, I had to improvise.  Thus was born a tasty treat made with beans instead of meat!

I’ve made this dish a few times, and each time, the types of beans used were a little different depending on what I had on hand.  The following recipe is my favorite version thus-far:

The BEANS:

• Start by soaking 1 cup of dried beans overnight.  I prefer a combination of red beans and garbanzo beans at a ratio of about 4:1 respectively.
• After the beans have soaked, put them in a pot of cold water, and bring it to a boil.  The beans should be boiled, uncovered, until they are thoroughly soft (not “al dente“). This can take some time, depending on the beans used and the amount.
• You may want to note that boiling raw beans that have been dried usually requires skimming the foam and film that is produced early in the boiling process.  Also, DO NOT add salt at this point– that will dry out the beans and make them crumble.
  
• Once the beans are thoroughly cooked, take them off the heat and set them aside, keeping them in the hot water in which they were boiled.

The SAUCE – this taken, mostly, from an America’s Test Kitchen recipe

• In a large saucepan or pot, melt two tablespoons of unsalted butter on medium heat.
• Once the butter is melted, but before it starts to bubble, at 1/3 cup of grated white onion. (The larger-sized grate is fine for this)
• As the onion cooks, add dried oregano to taste (I also use marjoram).
• Sometimes, I chop some fresh parsley and add it at this point– whatever you like.
• Once the onion is cooked-through and soft, add minced garlic.  (You can use a couple of cloves, but since I love garlic, I would probably use 4 or 5!)
• To this, now you can add a pinch of salt (I love cooking with kosher salt).
• You don’t need to cook the garlic much at all.  In fact, I would go ahead and have the other ingredients ready to throw in within a minute or so of adding the garlic to the onions.
• After just a minute or so, ladle the cooked beans into the sauce pan using a slotted spoon so as to keep from adding too much of the water (though you might need it later if your sauce gets too thick for your liking).
• Stir together, and add pepper to taste.  I like a bit of cracked black pepper and also a couple of teaspoons of red pepper flakes.
• After the beans have been incorporated, let it all cook together uncovered for about 3-5 minutes.
• If at any time during this process you find that the vegetables and/or beans are sticking to the pan, you can add a little more butter or a touch of canola oil– you’ll want to wait to use olive oil!
• Next, add 1 can of crushed tomatoes. (I like Muir Glenn Fire Roasted crushed tomatoes!)
• Stir together, then let the sauce simmer on low for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to your liking.
• After the sauce has simmered, add salt to taste, but be sure to taste the sauce before salting. (Remember, other ingredients in the sauce have already been salted, and using canned tomatoes, while tasty and convenient, often have some salt in them already.)
• Take the sauce off the heat, and stir in about 1/2 cup of freshly chopped basil.
• Add about 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and stir in to incorporate. (Adding the olive oil at the end will keep your sauce from having a bitterness that can come from over-worked olive oil.)

The PLATE

• In a wide bowl, start with a handful of fresh baby spinach leaves.
• On top the bed of spinach, add a hot serving of your favorite pasta (this works well with spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni– just to name a few).
• To your bed of pasta and greens, ladle on a helping of the hot fauxlognese sauce.
• Top with grated Parmesan and/or Pecorino and a sprig of parsley for color.

Et Voila!

Spinach is simply one of the tastiest and more versatile greens there are.  Few greens can be served raw or cooked and be enjoyable both ways.  While there are a few recipes for cooked/grilled lettuce, they’re just not that prevalent (for a reason, I say).  Other greens: mustard, collard, etc. can just be down-right bitter, and you wouldn’t dare serve them raw.  Not so with spinach.

First, it’s an instant salad.  Grab a handful and toss with your favorite dressing.  Or, you can get creative.  Add bacon, walnuts, goat cheese, and toss with a warm cherry vinaigrette that just barely wilts the leaves, and you’ve got a tasty treat.

Second, it’s an instant veggie to go into practically any soup or sauce you make.  I put it into my black-eyed peas with rice to add some color, flavor and vitamin D.  You can throw it into your favorite marinara sauce before you ladle it onto your pasta.  (For that matter, you can try ladling your favorite sauce over a bowl of hot pasta and fresh spinach– or JUST a bed of spinach if you’re watching carbs.  Really.)  You can throw it into a batch of navratan korma or even pad thai.  The possibilities are endless!

Third, it really can be wonderful cooked and served beside a steak, a fish filet, a piece of grilled tempeh or tofu.  But, you have to learn how to cook it.  It doesn’t take much heat at all.  Try this:

• Start with a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a pan (remember to start with a cold pan.  throwing olive oil into a hot pan can easily burn it.  if you burn the oil, best to throw it out, wipe down the pan and start fresh.)
• Throw in a bit of chopped, minced or sliced garlic– whatever your preference.
• Once the oil is hot and the garlic has just begun to sizzle, throw in a pinch of salt (I prefer Kosher salt), stir a few times, and then turn off the heat.
• If you didn’t hear me before– turn off the heat
• Throw some freshly washed and dried spinach into the pan, and using either tongs or two forks, simply turn the mound of spinach over and over, coating the leaves in the hot oil.  The residual heat from the pan and the heat of the oil is enough to cook the leaves.
• Serve soon.  Don’t let the leaves stay in the pan– they will turn to mush.  If you’re not ready to eat them right away, at least put them on a plate away from the heat until you’re ready to serve.
• Crack some black pepper and maybe a squirt of lemon juice, and you’re ready to munch on some tasty goodness.

You gotta eat your spinach
baby,
that’s the only thing to do.
It’ll keep you kinda healthy too,
and what it did for popeye,
it’ll do for you,
you gotta eat your spinach,
baby,
it’ll keep you nice and strong,
and the stronger you are,
the longer you’ll live,
and the longer I’ll have to love you.

– From the song sung by Shirley Temple

It is my hope that i can dispel the thought that vegetarian cooking is boring.   Considering that the vast majority of the world’s cuisines in their indigenous forms are mainly vegetarian, I wonder why one might ever fear bland vegetarian cuisine.  Think about it… Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Greek, Japanese, Mexican, Korean… just to name a few.

With that being said, and before we dive into any actual recipes, I want to quell the fears of my omnivorous friends who think that a vegetarian diet is dangerous.  Fear not!  Here’s some good food for your brain:

— thanks to  betterhealth.govfor the following information –

If you choose to be vegetarian you need to plan your diet to make sure it includes all the essential nutrients. The wider the variety of foods you eat, the easier it will be to meet your nutritional requirements. Some essential dietary requirements, which could be missing from a vegetarian diet if it isn’t carefully planned, include:

• Protein
• Minerals (including iron, calcium and zinc)
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D.

Protein
Protein is essential for many bodily processes, including tissue building and repair. Protein is made up of smaller components called amino acids. A complete protein has all the amino acids necessary to make up protein. Most individual plant foods are not complete proteins – they only have some of the amino acids. Soy is one of the only complete vegetable proteins.

It was once thought that vegetarians needed to combine plant foods at each meal to ensure they consumed complete proteins. Recent research has found that this is not the case. Consuming various sources of amino acids throughout the day should provide the complete complement of protein. Generally, lacto-ovo vegetarians and lacto-vegetarian diets meet or exceed their protein requirements but some vegan diets may be low.

Some good plant sources of protein include:

• Legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils
• Nuts and seeds
• Soy products including soy beverages, tempeh and tofu
• Whole (cereal) grains.

It is recommended that vegetarians eat legumes and nuts daily, along with wholegrain cereals, to ensure adequate nutrient intakes.

Minerals
If you’re vegetarian you need to make sure you get the right amount of essential dietary minerals. Some of these minerals, and suggested food sources, include:

• Iron – vegetarian diets are generally high in iron from plant foods, however this iron is not absorbed as well as the iron in meat. Good food sources of iron include green leafy vegetables, peas and wholegrains, enriched cereals and legumes. Combining these foods with foods high in vitamin C and food acids, such as fruit and vegetables, will help your body absorb the iron.
• Zinc – performs essential functions in the body, including the development of immune system cells. Good food sources of zinc include nuts, tofu, miso, legumes, wheat germ and wholegrain foods.
• Calcium – is needed for strong bones and teeth. Good food sources of calcium include dairy products, fortified cereals and fruits juices, fortified soymilk, tahini and some brands of tofu. Leafy dark green vegetables (especially Asian greens), legumes, almonds and Brazil nuts also contain calcium.
• Iodine – our bodies need iodine for the thyroid gland and other associated hormones to function normally. Iodised salt is the most common source of iodine in the Western diet. Iodine is found in seafood, which is a rich source of this element. Sea vegetables (seaweed) also contain iodine, but are also high in salt.

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is important for the production of red blood cells – it helps to maintain healthy nerves and a healthy brain. Vegans are at risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency because it is not found in plant products.

Anaemia is a common result of B12 deficiency. If a breastfeeding mother is following a vegan diet, the lack of vitamin B12 in her milk can interfere with normal brain development of her baby.

Vitamin B12 can be found in dairy products and eggs. There are fortified vegan foods such as some soy beverages and some vegetarian sausages and burgers. If vegans don’t obtain their B12 requirement from these foods, they are advised to take B12 supplements. Vitamin B12 absorption becomes less efficient as we age, so supplements may also be needed by older vegetarians.

Mushrooms, tempeh, miso, and sea vegetables are often claimed to be a source of B12. However, this is not accurate. They contain a compound with a similar structure to B12 but it doesn’t work like B12 in the body. They may contain some B12 on their surface, from soil (bacteria) or fertiliser contamination.

Vitamin D
The main source of vitamin D for most Australians is sunlight. There are few foods that contain significant amounts of vitamin D. There is very little vitamin D in most people’s diets unless they eat fatty fish, eggs, liver or vitamin D fortified foods (such as margarine). Fortified low fat and skim milk is another source of vitamin D, but the levels are low.

Vitamin D deficiency in vegans can be avoided by consuming fortified soymilk and cereals. As the sun is also a major source of vitamin D, dietary intake is only important when exposure to UV light from the sun is inadequate – for example, in people who are housebound or whose clothing covers almost all of their skin.

Vegetarian diets and children
Well-planned vegan and vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of a person’s life. However, special care needs to be taken with young children.

Infants consuming breast milk or commercial infant formula usually have their nutritional needs met. Upon weaning, it is important to include protein and energy rich foods for growth, such as mashed tofu or cottage cheese. Later, cheese, cow’s milk, full-fat soymilk, and legumes can be added. One way to ensure that vegetarian children meet their energy needs is to give them frequent meals and snacks.

A global view
Some people choose to become vegetarian as a healthy lifestyle choice or for ethical reasons. There are also sound social reasons to be a vegetarian. Vegetables are a more efficient source of protein – 40 per cent of today’s world grain production is used to feed meat-producing livestock. Converting these cereals and grains to animal products involves significant loss of energy. It takes 5kg of grain to produce 1kg of beef. If meat consumption were lowered, more cereal grains and other food components might be used to improve the world’s nutrition.