Veggie Salad with Black Beans
Yup…those are black beans. And yup, they are COOKED (gasp). What are cooked beans doing on a raw food site? Well, as promised, I am working on some cold weather recipes! It is a perfect day for this in Minnesota. We survived a huge windstorm last night that knocked out power and ushered in cold weather and snow flakes. Which is not unusual for us at this time of year.
Cold weather in Minnesota is really cold. We can go below zero and not come out for days. Combine that with deep drifts of snow, and sometimes, cold, raw food just doesn’t cut it. I find myself migrating to my dehydrator way too much and notice that because I want food with bulk and warmth, I am eating too much dehydrated food and raw foods heavy in fat to try to get what my body craves when it is so cold.
Since I have been having a love affair with raw all summer, cooked food completely loses it’s appeal. It tastes bland, dead, not vibrant. And there is the conundrum. I want vibrant, live food but I also need warm heavier foods. Then it came to me. Why not develop a bunch of recipes that are mostly fresh, vibrant food, but also incorporates a bit of cooked food that will satisfy. Today, black beans fit the bill and I am excited about the outcome. I get the best of both worlds. The fresh vibrancy of the corn, tomatoes, onions and bok choy, mixed with the cooked beans. BTW, the winner of this week’s contest is announced at the end of the post! Also…would love to hear your thoughts on this type of recipe.
Fresh Veggies with Black Beans
SERVES 6
- 3 cups cooked black beans (hot from cooking or heating if using pre-cooked)
- 2 cups bok choy
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup fresh (not cooked) corn
- 1/2 lemon, juice from
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- pepper to taste
- Cook black beans. I use a pressure cooker. You can also use canned beans but cooking your own is so much better!
- While beans are cooking, chop bok choy and set aside.
- Chop onions, and tomatoes. Place in bowl.
- Add corn to tomatoes and onions. Add lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Stir.
- When beans are done cooking and still hot, stir in bok choy. Let sit for a couple of minutes and then stir in the tomato mixture.
The winner of the DVD, Food Matters is: KATHY! (kprzednowek) I will be sending you an email soon with instructions on how to get your DVD!
Mapuana wrote on October 28, 2010
Aloha, here in Hilo, Hawaii we’re coming into our winter. There’s no snow yet up on Mauna Kea but it’s getting cooler and rains a lot at night. This past week I kept wanting to eat black beans and did what you did. I incorporated lots of raw veggies with the beans. It was delicious and it hit the spot.
Patty wrote on October 28, 2010
I am glade to see beans being used I love my benas, especially black beans, I have recently cooked garbonza beans and was very pleased. This sounds a lot like a taco salad but with a different green, I can hardly wait to try it.
diane wrote on October 28, 2010
I have to eat some cooked foods, also. My body just does not like all raw, especially in winter. We use a lot of sprouted mung beans – they digest very well, for me, anyway, cooked with kombu and wakame, either in a pressure cooker, or just slowly simmered with some long grain wild rice. I can’t do beans the way most people cook them, but mung beans are supposed to be one of the more digestible ones, and soaking and sprouting helps a lot.
Barbcam wrote on October 28, 2010
THANK YOU for creating a ‘hybrid’ recipe!! I would love to see more of them. I can do high raw for myself but it is a great challenge to also feed a non-raw DH and children. But with more recipes like this, I can be inspired to inch my family along this path!!
Andri wrote on October 28, 2010
Morning Susan!
I am very excited about this recipe! Woo hoo!!! So, my husband’s first question was – “Can I eat this, still lose weight and not become bloated like I am while eating other cooked foods”?
I guess we have a mindset in our home that I know isn’t necessarily correct that we need to be all raw or nothing raw to lose weight and feel good. I really think though, if I could find that balance of – Ok, I can eat raw for breakfast, lunch and then for dinner have some cooked squash and a salad – we would still be ok…
DO you have thoughts you’d like to share Susan? You’re very right – it’s hard to stay raw in MN when the weather gets so nippy an cold.
Thanks!
Rick wrote on October 28, 2010
Very good call – the data most certainly supports cooked foods being needed in order to live a more disease-free, fulfilling life. I am personally raw 2 meals a day, and cooked for 1 meal a day, at least during the fall/winter, and i feel better on a day-to-day basis than I did when i went 100% raw. Jameth Sheridan of Health Force recently presented some interesting information as well about how more 100% raw vegans go back to eating animal products than “high-raw” vegans who mix in a lot of cooked foods. Seems as though anecdotal evidence plus the scientific studies should be enough, but as always, I say to listen to the body. It will tell you what it wants and how it feels in reaction to anything ingested. 🙂
Erika @ Health and Happiness in LA wrote on October 27, 2010
I definitely agree with this way of eating, and sometimes you just need something warn and filling!
Jessica wrote on October 27, 2010
Mmm, this looks so yummy AND simple to make! Even us Floridian folk can enjoy a nice warm meal now and then. Below zero is soo foreign to me. It was in the upper 80’s today. Great beach day, but I think someone has forgotten to notify FL that it is almost November, lol. I live for the two months a year of ‘cool’ weather that we get. Thank you for this great recipe. I will be trying it this week! 🙂
Deanna wrote on October 27, 2010
I’m sure I could never be 100% raw because, as a fellow midwesterner, the winter months are just too cruel and harsh. Love your idea of combining some cooked foods with lots of fresh, though.