Many people interested in learning to cook often times, feel more comfortable, cooking vegetarian. Meat can be tricky, especially poultry, like chicken or turkey, because there is absolutely NO ROOM from under cooking...I mean you will be ill! Plus meat can be expensive and with a short shelf life, it can be tough to use all at once. With wilted veggies, you can throw away the yucky brown pieces and cook the heck out the rest and it will taste just as delicious as if it were fresh!
So how does one get a hearty "meaty" texture, without the meat?
An popular pseudo meat, is mushrooms. Portobellos especially, have a meaty texture when cooked with the same rubs and spices as you would a burger. They retain liquids well, giving the "juicy" burger taste, and can be quite filling with the right toppings. The nutritional values in mushrooms are low though, so you'd really be depending on those fixings to be getting a fairly nutritious meal.
But believe it or not, lentils can really do the trick. While the texture of most lentils don't compare to meat, because they are small, the kidney bean is an AMAZING meat sub, for many dishes!
Red kidney beans..from a can. Can you believe it?
Here's why you should believe it! For one, red kidney beans are often used in stews because, like the mushroom, it retains liquids well and pick up flavor better with marination, Second, it picks up flavors very well. The right spices and herbs make all the difference when something like beans, on its own, do not have much flavor to start, so cooking them for a prolonged amount of time in the right seasoning usually makes for a hit. Most importantly, kidney beans are hearty in texture. I mean have you ever tried to eat a lot of kidneys? Probably not, because, well that's disgusting and also, it's pretty freakin' hard to do so! They are super creamy when cooked, making for a heavy dish! Best thing about kidney beans are that they are inexpensive and, easy to prep and do not need to be prepared fresh to still have great nutritional value,
This dish below is everything I love about Mexican food. I'd say this dish reminds me of everything I love about burritos, without eating a burrito what so ever! You won't miss the tortilla, the tiniest sprinkle of cheese is all you need (if you need your cheese quenched, like me!), but a few slices of avocado will likely do the trick here too. The kidney beans, veggies, spices and sweet potatoes make this dish a great post work out meal with enough carbs to help you keep burning calories.
Now I used a spiralizer to get my sweet potatoes in thin, spaghetti-like noodle. I am a kitchen gadget fiend, but the spiralizer is the best nuance gadget I've ever owned. At $30 a pop, clean up is quick with some hot water and soap and it's infinitely safer than a mandolin because your fingers are not even close to any blades!
Alternatively, you could cube the sweet potatoes in this recipe and it will be just as easy and turn out just as delicious!
C'mon I spiralized so I could impress y'all...
Sweet Potato and Kidney Bean Burrito Hash
Ingredients:
- 2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled (cubed or ends cut off to be spiralized!)
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 small red pepper, diced
- 2-3 zucchinis, cut into quarters
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can red kidney beans, rinsed
- 3 Tbl. olive oil
- 2 Tbl. taco seasoning (1 Tbl for sweet potatoes, the remainder for the veggies) - make your own or buy a pack, you decide!
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh or canned corn (optional)
- 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1. Preheat you oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cube your sweet potatoes (or peel and spiralize with your blade setting of choice).
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet in an even layer and sprinkle 1 tsp taco seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste; mix with 1 Tbl of olive oil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until soft.
3. In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 Tbl. of olive oil on low-medium heat. Add your garlic and cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds.
4. Add your diced onions and peppers, cook until softened about 5-6 minutes. Add in your faux meat, tofu, etc if you are doing so at this point!
5. Rinse kidney beans in a strainer and add to pan. Cook for about 3 minutes and add taco seasoning. Cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Plate your cooked sweet potatoes (cubed or spiralzed into a pasta shape!), top with kidney bean mixture, some fresh or canned corn and cheese (salsa, avocado...all great toppings as well!)
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