5 ingredients is all I can handle this week
August 5th, 2009
I don’t know if it’s summer or if I’m just being lazy, but I’m not feeling inspired to dive into long, complicated recipes. Sometimes it’s fun to do that but I have enough craziness going on in the kitchen, like brewing water kefir!
Actually it has been a busy couple of weeks, truth be told. I am up at 5:30 many mornings to teach early yoga classes, then I see clients, teach more yoga and do business marketing/admin stuff well past 8:00 at night. So, yeah, no wonder I don’t feel like cooking much! By the way, I just have to say that I have NEVER worked this hard in my life. I love every minute of it and have plenty of energy for it…but, man. I didn’t know I had it in me!
Do you find that your work energizes you or drains you?
So, this week I decided to come up with some easy recipes that used no more than 5 ingredients. This is a fun experiment, actually. See if you can take some of your recipes and cut down the ingredients to just 5. Sure, it may not be Gourmet Magazine style anymore, but who cares? Better to cook something than cook nothing. Right? So if it’s between cooking and a box of processed Boca Burgers…consider these easy recipes!
Somehow I got on a Hawaiian theme. Not like I’ve ever been to Hawaii. Nor do I know anything much about Hawaii. But something about this meal felt island-ish to me. What do you think?
Banana Quesadillas
12 small whole wheat or sprouted grain tortillas
6 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
1 jalepeno, seeded and chopped small (or more if you like)
1 large or 2 small bananas, sliced into thin rounds
2 handfuls of raw chopped greens. Try arugula, spinach or sprouts.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On cookie sheets, lay out 6 tortillas. Layer all other ingredients and top with remaining tortillas. Press down firmly on each quesadilla. Cook for 15 minutes. Cut in half and serve alone or with salsa, sour cream, etc.
Black Bean Pancakes
2 15 oz. cans of black beans
1 jalepeno, seeded
2 eggs
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
(Optional ingredients: salt, pepper, 1 Tbl. honey)
In food processor, puree 1 can of beans. Reserve 2nd can of beans. Add all other ingredients to food processor and blend. Transfer to a bowl and mix with 2nd can of beans. Heat butter or coconut oil in large skillet. Scoop 1/3 cup-fulls of mixture into pan and cook like pancakes, flipping to brown both sides. Serve with regular or fruit salsa.
This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays. It probably goes without saying but I want YOU to eat real food 
