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    Secret Recipe Club: Mexican Black Bean Pizza

    May 7th, 2012
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    It was very hard not to be able to post this last week because Cinco de Mayo was this past weekend. When I pinned this recipe on Pinterest I had so many people repin it that I knew it would be a favorite already! Who cares if Cinco de Mayo is past us, you need to make this pizza ASAP.


     This month, as part of the Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned The Cookin’ Chemist blog, the blog about food, life and edible experiments. Tessa loves to cook and boy does she have a lot of recipes on her blog. She posts delicious recipes very often and she had then nicely categorized too!


    When I was trying to choose a recipe I mostly perused the Tex-Mex cuisine. I almost chose the Southwestern Quinoa Casserole but I knew I would be the only one eating leftovers. Well, guess what? I still was the only one eating this pizza because my hubby is a stickler about eating black beans. All I know is I cannot wait for my little girl to grow up because I know she will have a developed palate. 🙂


    Before I get to the recipe I want to say that I have a bit in common with Tessa other than the fact that we both love to cook. We both are in the pharmaceutical field! I also minored in chemistry and am a registered pharmacy technician. Looking forward perusing more recipes and so should you! Go check out her blog after making this yummy pizza.



    I did make some changes using my own recipe for pizza dough and I made this a lot more easier to handle.I added all the toppings to a hot pizza instead of cooking the jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro. I liked it a lot and would make it this way again.

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    You can add vegan cheese if you are vegan, or try Mozzarella cheese like the original recipe indicates. Thanks Tessa, for posting such a yummy recipe!

    Mexican Black Bean Pizza

    by Noelle Kelly
    Prep Time: 60 minutes
    Cook Time: 14 minutes
    Keywords: bake lunch entree vegetarian black beans Cinco de Mayo Mexican

    Ingredients (4 slices)

      Crust

      • 1 cup whole wheat white flour
      • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
      • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
      • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
      • 2 & ¼ teaspoon pizza yeast or instant yeast
      • 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
      • 1/3 cup very warm water
      • More flour for surface when kneading



      Pizza Toppings

      • 1/2 cup canned black beans
      • 2 cloves garlic, minced
      • 1/2 cup onions, chopped
      • 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
      • 1/4 tsp. cumin
      • 1/2 teaspoon salt
      • 2 ounces Muenster cheese, shredded
      • 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
      • 1/2 avocado, chopped
      • 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
      • 10 pickled jalapeno pepper slices
      • 1-2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
      Instructions

      For the Crust

      Spray a pizza pan with non-stick spray and sprinkle with some cornmeal (optional) and preheat oven to 500 degrees.

      In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1 cup of flour, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and yeast. Stir well. Now quickly add in 1/3 cup of very warm water along with your 3 tbsp of oil. Stir well.

      Grab the dough and place on floured surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding flour if it gets tacky. After 5 minutes the dough should be smooth and not sticky. Form into a ball and place in a large, oiled bowl.
      Cover the ball with a bit of oil so it doesn’t dry out. Now cover the bowl and let it rise for 45 minutes. You can punch out the air once half way through. Cooking time will vary but my pizza took 14-15 mins at 500F.

      For the Pizza Topping

      Meanwhile, prepare the black bean layer. In a medium skillet, saute’ onions, garlic, and black beans in 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Add the spices and cook for 5-10 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash the beans.

      Once the pizza dough has risen, roll out the dough on a floured surface and place on the pizza pan. Spread the black bean puree on the pizza crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. This will be more of a think crust pizza than a thick crust. Top with the cheese and place in the oven for 14 minutes.

      After it is cooked, remove the pan from the oven and transfer the pizza to a work surface. Add the jalapenos, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, and top with romaine lettuce.
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      Cinco de Mayo Recipe Ideas

      May 4th, 2012
      Cinco de Mayo is upon upon us and well, even though we forget what this holiday is all about, we always seem to turn to food and beverages, eh? Wait, what is Cinco de Mayo all about? The Huffington Post came out with an interesting article called “How a Mexican Battle Became An American Party.” 

      Despite that, I know everyone will be on themed parties and foods for their meals tomorrow so I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes I’ve made in the past. I made a DELICIOUS recipe last night that I cannot feature until Monday, so I will be sharing my POST-Cinco de Mayo recipe late. It just means you will have an excuse to make it even after the holiday is over.

      Since when do we stop eating Mexican after a holiday has gone by? Never!

      Enjoy this little recipe round-up!

      Do you know what you are eating this weekend?
      Spicy Black Bean Enchiladas

      Portabella-Poblano Fajitas

      Tofu Rancheros
      Watermelon Margaritas

      Bean Sopes

      Chilaquiles

      Vegetarian Tostadas

       

      Flautas with Tomatillo Salsa and Pine Nut Crema

      Fresh Prickly Pear Lemonade

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      Strawberry Vegan Overnight Oats

      May 3rd, 2012
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      As of Monday I have completed my 2 week trial going without sweets. It has been great and I plan to continue limiting desserts until the weekend. I have been excited that my energy levels have been great and I have been able to be the mother I need to be for my daughter.

      I’d prepare fruits for breakfast meals and for dessert options. One of these was this amazing recipe for overnight oats. I cannot believe I have not had this before and why I decided to make them now came on a whim. Take fruits that are in-season and mix with oats, milk, and chia seeds and you have a complete meal. I was full for most of the morning too!

      The beautiful thing about this recipe and limiting sugar intake is that I am almost 4 pounds lighter in the past 2 weeks. It is quite empowering deciding what actually can make me feel great so that I can help my little one achieve her next step: crawling!

      6 month pic

      Julianne has been having lots of fun rolling from back to tummy and vice versa since she started almost 2 weeks ago. She seems to entertain herself much better and has even been having longer naps!


      I say this now, but the last 2-3 days have been rough because I cannot tell whether she has been teething or going through a growth spurt. She has been staying awake for 4 hours instead of 2 hours and we are back to her sleeping in my lap and in my wrap. It is hard to see her tired  but so excited to continue playing and rolling around This too shall pass!

      Blanket cover-6 months


      She resorts to playing with blankets and even covering her face for fun. Luckily I am around to make sure she does not do anything silly. She simply loves the comfort of a blanket and I can somehow see a blankie being a friend in the future.


      What puts me at ease is the fact that she has more control of her hands. She stares at her fingers and watches them move. She grabs items at her side and has wonderful control. Notice her holding this marble pestle. She picked it up so quickly it was hard to imagine she has such control!

      6 months-grabbing


      We have lots of fun in the kitchen and we are soon going to start solids. Baby-led weaning here we come!


      I believe she will like these oats sometime next year or two but in the meantime, you can enjoy this simple breakfast. Feel free to substitute any fruits of your choice.


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      Strawberry Vegan Overnight Oats

      by Noelle Kelly
      Prep Time: 10 minutes
      Keywords: raw refrigerate breakfast gluten-free soy-free vegan strawberries

      Ingredients (1 serving)
      • 1/2 cup raw oats, I ground mine (use gluten-free oats)
      • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
      • 2 Tablespoons PB2 powdered peanut butter
      • 1 Tablespoons chia seeds
      • 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced
      Instructions
      Mix all together and place in desired dish. Cover and place in fridge overnight.
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      Unjunk Your Junk Food {Book Review}

      April 30th, 2012



      I realized when I said I was not going to be able to post anymore this week or weekend due to a busy schedule I knew I had to be wrong. I knew I had a certain deadline to meet with a book review and I thought I would get it in at the tail end of my dessert and sweets-free 2 weeks.


      Thanks to Naturally Savvy, I recently have become part of their blogger program or a “Naturally Savvy Approved Blogger.” The first assignment was to read UnJunk Your Junk Food,  written by the creators of this site, so I was really excited.


      I am so glad I finished my 2 weeks of going sugar-free with completing this book. I highly recommend reading it because it will change your mind about the “danger” foods you might have in your pantry. Some might say they rather NOT read it because they would not want to get rid or stop eating certain foods but isn’t health more important?


      There are 11 chapters in this attractive and colorful book. Here are the titles of each chapter:


      Chapter 1: The Key to Unjunking
      Chapter 2: Back-to-Basics Nutrition
      Chapter 3: The Worst Ingredients
      Chapter 4: Chips, Dips, & Party Foods
      Chapter 5: Ice Cream & Other Frozen Treats
      Chapter 6: Cookies
      Chapter 7: Chocolate
      Chapter 8: Cakes & Others Desserts
      Chapter 9: Granola Bars & Other On-the-Go Snacks
      Chapter 10: Candy
      Chapter 11: Soda & Other Drinks


      Are these not interesting chapters? It is wonderful that this book has been written in order to educate us on how to read labels so that the more we can help them to make better (and healthier) food choices when shopping for groceries. I certainly know I have been doing it a lot more than what I’ve been doing in the past.


      The biggest focus of this book is to inform the reader about how important it is to not consume highly processed foods and to also inform how many packaged foods have certain dangerous additives and chemicals. Some of them have names that seem safe but in reality can harm he body over time. The book focuses on Seven DAngerous Additives called the “Scary Seven”

      • High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
      • Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
      • Partially Hydrogenated Oils (trans fats)
      • Artificial Colors
      • Artificial Sweeteners (including acesulfame potassium, or Ace-K; sucralose [Splenda], and aspartame)
      • Artificial Flavors
      • Preservatives (including: sodium benzoate, sulphites (sulphur dioxide), polysorbate 60, 65 or 80, nitrites, TBHQ, and BHT/BHA

      Did you know that these were harmful? 

      I was happy that I knew a lot of these facts in the book but there was SO much more information about smaller additive and preservative names that I was not aware of. 

      My husband and I have been married almost 4 years. When we got married I had been vegetarian for 2 years before abandoning my healthy eating and started eating the way my husband had been eating. What kind of foods? These were the following foods I started consuming:
      • Diet sodas
      • Processed foods
      • Doritos
      • White flour tortillas
      • Fried foods
      How did these affect me? I have to say that I loved being married, but my dietary choices caused a lot of harm to me emotionally, physically and mentally. I started suffering from horrendous and painful migraines. I gained A LOT of weight and I was very unhappy person.

      Anyone else gone through something like this? I kept crying and moaning to my husband telling him that my choices were causing my pains. Even though my husband, at the time, did not believe me, I fooled myself and kept on eating the junk.

      After we moved to MI almost 3 years ago I decided to follow a vegan lifestyle, cold turkey. I was adamant not wanting to be sad, depressed, unhappy, in pain, and overweight so I was glad I made the change.

      It is very true that after removing the foods I had been eating stopped my migraines and I started losing weight and feeling great.

      What surprises did I STILL find in my pantry after reading this book? Well, it was not actually in my pantry but on occasion I would eat it and even ate in a few months ago at a friend’s home. It IS vegan but NOT healthy.


      Oreos

      Yes, Oreos have high-fructose corn syrup and vanillin, which is an artificial flavor.


      There are other food items in my pantry that at the time my husband is used to eating and cannot give up eating because he likes the flavor but hopefully some day he would choose other options. All I can do is choose the best foods for our family as best as I can the more I read about food labels.


      I know that the biggest thing I can take-away form reading this book is to look even more closely to packaged foods and look for specific names that could be disguised as even healthy ingredients. This means it will affect EVEN more the way I shop. 


      Why not make my life easier by eating more foods closer to their natural state, eh?


      Another plus to the book is that the authors have a HUGE list of recommendations for healthier alternatives for the more processed foods in stores. Now I know I can stick to just buying Newman’s O’s, Creme-Filled Chocolate Cookies even if they do cost a little more, it just means I will prevent from having any artificial ingredients into my life and body.


      I think that is the biggest factor for folks. The desire is present but the excuse is that organic and healthier options are way to expensive, so why CHOOSE to buy the cheaper, full-of-fake-ingredients products? Better not to purchase anything at all. Better yet, make it at home!


      New incentive for sure. I hope this has been eye-opening to anyone reading this because there is a food industry that is sure interested in SELLING unhealthy foods causing people major health issues. 


      Choose to be informed!  


      What to know more about Naturally Savvy? Like their page on Facebook  and follow them on Twitter for more interesting facts and stories.

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      Raw Chocolate-Banana Chia Pudding and Sugar-Free Week #1

      April 23rd, 2012
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       Hello beautiful Monday! This weekend went by so quickly but we enjoyed a nice stay in Holland for the weekend. Even though we had 2 sunny days, they were nippy and windy! Despite that we had this view:

      lake

      Julianne and I enjoyed a 30 minute walk with blankets because despite the winds and cool air, I thought it important to take a lovely walk. We both enjoyed it a lot!

      walk


      After I mentioned Friday that Julianne was almost on the verge of rolling, she finally rolled and now loves it! After I worked with her for 2 days, she rolled for her daddy after I walked out of the room. It was funny!


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      Something else I completed for this week was going fully sugar-free. I did not overdo it on fruit but when I wanted something sweet I would incorporate fruits and grains. It was most satisfying and it turned to be a wonderful week.

      I expected to go through worse withdrawals. I believe I had nausea the first two days and maybe a slight headache but overall I cannot believe how incredibly easy it has been. My energy level is high and I am not having feelings of sadness and apathy nor did I feel anxious.


      I also have to say that my clothing feels a little better. I do not actually know how much weight I lost but all I can say is that I have felt pretty great. Here is to week 2! Check out the  pictures of the yummy sugar-free treats I have been posting on Instagram. If you are on there follow singerinkitchen!

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      One of the recipes I want to share is what I made last night. It was super easy and even my husband asked if he could have the second serving, wha??? Hey, sure thing baby! My babe is an ice cream man, so I am amazed when he wants to taste my creations. It was SO creamy, thick and delicious that I cannot wait to make it again. Enjoy this simple recipe1

      Have you ever gone strictly sugar-free? How long?



      Raw Chocolate-Banana Chia Pudding

      by Noelle Kelly
      Prep Time: 10 minutes
      Keywords: raw breakfast dessert vegan vegetarian sugar-free low-carb wheat-free chia seeds bananas

      Ingredients (2 servings)
      • 2 ripe bananas
      • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
      • 1/4 cup soaked pearled barley
      • 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
      • 2 Tablespoons PB2 powdered peanut butter
      • 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
      Instructions
      Add all the ingredients except the chia seeds into a high powdered blender and blend until smooth.


      *How to soak barley: Cover barley in water and soak for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge. Drain water and add to recipe.

      Divide into two ramekins and stir into 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds into each ramekin. Place ramekins in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Chia seeds will expand and make this pudding-like.
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