Dinner

Dinner?

Tonight was one of those nights……you know – the kids were off school and playing outside most of the day; I ran around trying to squeeze 492 things on my “to-do” list into a time frame that would only allow for 24; and before I know it, Jay was walking in the door, it was after 5, Jordan was asking about having a sleepover and I was still returning emails!!  Dinner?!?!?  Had not even crossed my mind!

Luckily, Jordan headed out to a friend’s house and there were leftovers in the fridge for Jay.  Sweet –  all I had to do is feed myself and Kendall!!  I ended up throwing together a very simple and CLEAN dinner. Brown basmati rice with garlic olive oil & pink Himalayan salt (quite tasty & not stripped of all the divine trace minerals that are so good for you), spinach salad and great northern beans.  Now, I must share that if you have never eaten at a Zoe’s Kitchen, it is a great quick place for a healthy meal!  AND if you have been there and have not had their side order of white beans – you should try them!!

Back to my dinner tonight….in an attempt to try to replicate Zoe’s Kitchen white bean recipe with no recipe to follow and no fresh herbs in the house; I must say, they turned out really well 🙂  Kendall loved them too! All I did was drain (but not rinse) 1 can of organic great northern beans. Put them in a saucepan with a little drizzle of garlic olive oil, salt, pepper and dried sage. After heating them through, I took a potato masher to mash about ½ of them, giving them that creamy, but still chunky texture.  That’s it. Done. Could it be any easier?? Here are a few reasons that I chose great northern beans (or white beans):

• They are a great source of iron, magnesium  and fiber
• They contain essential omega 3 fatty acids and calcium
• They are a great source of protein (½ cup is 7g)
• They are low in fat, sodium and cholesterol
• This is a versatile bean – make dips out of them, put them in soups, chili, salads, side dishes, etc.

So yes, you can still eat clean even when you forget about dinner 🙂 Tomorrow is DAY 16 of this EAT CLEAN CHALLENGE– what’s going on in your kitchen???