Best Salad In The World...and Beans!

So how come no one told me about this before?

• Mixed baby greens
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Candied walnuts (or pee-cans)
• Basalmic vinegarette

Jiminy cricket! It's so rad! And healthful!

Part of the problem might be that I have always hated nuts in things. Don't mind them by their lonesome, but as soon as you sprinkle them on brownies, or pies, or salads...ACK! So to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, you probably just knew this about me, and didn't feel like arguing.

I found out about this salad when one night, much to my surprise, I tried a bite of B's salad that he ordered in one of his braver moments (he's like I am about unlikely food combos), and to my even bigger surprise (because I've also got an aversion to cheese that is blue/bleu- whatever), I loved it! So, that is how Ptown Peach now gets her leafy greens via this oh so frenchy frou-frou manner. Who knew?

Since I've been trying to phase meat out of my diet, I've been looking for protein replacements, and have settled on black beans and rice (brown, since white is a no-no) as something I can eat frequently. It has been so rockin my world. Here's how I prepare it:

• A few healthy scoops of dried black bean bought from the bulk section of grocery
• Soak beans overnight after picking out rocks (!) and weird shrively things
• Place in big ol' pot submerged by water (you'll want water at least 2 inches above beans)
• A few bay leaves, a teaspoon (at least) of cumin, a few tablespoons of kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and tons of red pepper flakes (if you like it spicy, yo)
• Bring to a boil, then let simmer all day, adding water as necessary to keep them submerged
  
• At end of day, when beans are still hard, call Mom in a panic and ask her what to do
• Follow her instructions regarding bringing back to a boil and cook on medium high for next 3 hours until beans are soft and edible* (yay!)
• Saute a coupla cloves of minced garlic and diced yellow onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil and dump this in right before serving
  
• Serve with Trader Joe's amazing frozen brown rice (nuked first of course)
• (don't forget the Beano)

* Mom also says next time to soak for two days...or buy beans in a can.

*****

So I ran for thirty minutes today per the almighty VFit schedule, would have been able to go longer except that I included a pretty sizable hill, which totally kicked my ass, so I stopped right at thirty minutes. Because I'm following the schedule. With no deviations.

I'm such a wimp.

*****

And lastly for your viewing pleasure, since it's been awhile...