Happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend.  Ours was spent at a quaint little ski resort in northern Michigan for some much needed family time away from the monotony of everyday life.  Don’t get me wrong, structure and routines can be a wonderful thing, but sometimes you just need to mix things up a little bit and have some fun!

I had every intention of posting about all of the healthy meals and snacks that I packed for the trip and to take pictures of how we incorporated some meals made in the condo and some meals out.  But in the end, real life won out over blogging life

Instead, I enjoyed taking pictures of the breathtaking scenery and of my kids as they both took on new challenges.  Jake took his first ski lesson and can ski down the hill on his own now.  And Hailey tackled some pretty tough hills with her instructor and uses ski poles now.  It was so much fun watching them and their new accomplishments!

On our drive home, I passed the time by searching the internet for some new recipe inspiration.  I came across some tutorials for cooking beans in the slow cooker, which I was excited to try out for our Meatless Monday meal this week!

Beans are a healthy, inexpensive, low-fat source of protein, and a great base for a meatless meal.  I have always relied on canned beans because I was overwhelmed by the amount of time involved with cooking them from scratch.  But I was determined to learn how to make them myself because it accomplishes two of my biggest recipe goals – healthier food at a lower cost!   By cooking them yourself, you don’t have to worry about unnecessary ingredients like natural flavors, preservatives or “firming agents” and you can control the amount of sodium.  I did the math and it brings the cost down to around $0.40/can!!  Plus it was SO easy!

As I poured the beans out, I pulled out any little debris or beans that were broken.

I gave them a quick rinse and added them to the slow cooker with about 6 cups of water, 1/2 cup of chopped onion, and 2 whole cloves of garlic.  I would have also added a bay leaf but I was out.

I cooked them on low for about 6 hours.  I added 1 T. of salt and turned the slow cooker to warm for another hour.

And then 1 pound of dried beans turned into 6 cups of delicious, perfectly cooked black beans!

I combined them with some roasted sweet potatoes, a tangy purple cabbage slaw, and some fresh guacamole.

We tried this combination as tacos but I was disappointed in the taste and texture of the corn tortillas.  For the kids, I made a quesadilla out of a whole wheat tortilla, the black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, and just enough monterey jack cheese to hold it all together.  I actually preferred it made as a quesadilla and topped with the purple cabbage slaw and guacamole.

Slow Cooker Black Beans

Ingredients

1 lb dried black beans, sorted for debris and rinsed

1/2 cup chopped onion (white, red, or combination)

2 cloves of garlic

1 – 2 dried bay leaves

Directions

After sorting and rinsing black beans, add to a slow cooker along with chopped onion, garlic, bay leaves and 6 cups of water.  Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.  During last 30 minutes of cooking, add in 1 T. of salt (or less depending on taste preferences).  You may need to experiment with the length of cooking time in order to get the desired texture.  Cool completely and use immediately or freeze in 1 1/2 cup increments in Ziploc freezer bags.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas with Tangy Purple Cabbage Slaw

Inspired by Watercourse Foods in Denver, CO and recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients

For Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes

2 T. fresh lime juice

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and red pepper flakes, to taste

For Black Beans:

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 T. fresh lime juice

For Cabbage Slaw:

1/2 head purple cabbage, finely chopped into cole slaw “shreds”

3 T. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp honey

2 T. chopped cilantro

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Chop sweet potatoes.

While the oven is heating, make the cabbage slaw mix so that it has time to soften.  Mix 3 T. lime juice, 2 tsp EVOO, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp honey together in a medium-sized bowl.  Add cabbage and cilantro and toss to combine.

Toss sweet potato cubes with 2 T. lime juice, 1 T. EVOO, kosher salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, turning half-way to ensure even browning.

My beans were still warm from the slow cooker so I mixed 1 1/2 cups beans with 1 tsp. ground cumin and 1 T. fresh lime juice.  If you are using canned beans, rinse and drain well, and then heat them in a sauce pan with the cumin and lime over low heat.  Add salt if necessary.

Layer seasoned black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, and shredded monterrey jack cheese between two whole wheat tortillas.  Brush 1 tsp. grapeseed or olive oil in a large skillet and brown quesadilla on both sides.  Cut into wedges and serve with tangy puple slaw and “quick” guacamole (1 mashed avocado seasoned with a generous squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of kosher salt).