Recipe of The Week: Chipotle Bean Tostadas

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Last week I mentioned that I was making Chipotle Tostadas from Raw & Beyond for dinner one night.  Well I did make Chipotle Tostadas but mine were a little different from the recipe.  I didn’t have any dried beans, tomato powder and decided to use large brown rice tortillas instead of sprouted grain. Below is my take on this recipe from Raw & Beyond.

Chipotle Bean Tostadas

Inspired by Raw & Beyond

Serves 4

  • 2-15 oz cans Eden Organic Kidney Beans* with bean liquid reserved
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 4 brown rice tortillas, or any tortilla you like
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • Salsa
  • 1 romaine heart, thinly sliced

Cover the bottom of a small sauce pan with some of the reserved bean liquid. Heat over medium-high for a minute and then add the onion; cook for 5-6 minutes until soft.  Stir in the garlic, salt, cayenne, cumin, and chipotle chiles; cook for 30 seconds.  Add the beans, remaining liquid and tomato paste.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.  Place 2/3 of the bean mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pan and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.

Heat the tortillas in the oven at 250F until crispy, about 15 minutes. Top each tortilla with 1/4 of the bean mixture, 1/4 of the avocado, 1/4 of the romaine and a big dollop of salsa.

Other great additions are cilantro, vegan sour cream and/or hot sauce.

*I use Eden Organic Kidney Beans because they are preserved in water with kombu.  If you are not planning to use Eden Organic beans make sure to rinse and drain your beans.  You will also have to use water in replace of the bean liquid.

The Last Getaway: Part One

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This past weekend Neil and I headed out for our last getaway before the baby arrives. For the past 3 years we have gone to Portland Maine for our anniversary but since this year Neil is running the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon and I’ll be 34 weeks pregnant we decided to make our trip a month early. Initially we had planned to stay Saturday night but then decided to head to Maine after work on Friday night, but then we woke up Friday morning and decided to take a spontaneous vacation day from work and we headed out early- best decision ever.

We got on the road and made it to Concord New Hampshire just around lunch time so we decided to stop into Cafe Indigo a vegan bakery and cafe. Neil and I decided to share two different items and a cookie- it is a bakery after all. We shared the Veggie Cakes Cafe Indigo‘s version of crab cakes with tartar sauce, cornbread and slaw (my choice) and a Falafel Burger on a whole wheat bun with a lemon tahini sauce, slaw and blue corn chips (Neil’s choice). I thought the Veggie Cakes were really tasty and the tartar sauce was delicious, I have to say though the tempeh crab cakes from Vegan Brunch are closer to what I imagine Crab Cakes to taste like. Neil really liked the falafel burger but I wasn’t a huge fan of it, I thought it would have been better in a wrap than on a roll and it was a little dry. We both enjoyed the cornbread and the slaw but we didn’t really touch the blue corn chips. The best part of the meal was the ginger cookie- AMAZING.

Next stop on our journey was to Whole Foods to pick up an iced coffee for Neil and an Arnold Palmer for me before  making it to the 3pm brewery tour at Allagash.  There is really nothing more depressing than watching a group of people sample a (four) wonderful brews and having to stand there and watch it all happen.  Neil enjoyed the samples and then we took a walking tour of the brewery.  Since I couldn’t partake we picked up a bottle of Allagash Old HLT, a sour cherry beer, to share later this summer. Although I couldn’t enjoy the samples it was one of the best tours that we have been on and would recommend it to everyone. Tip: you can call ahead to be put on the list for the tour as I imagine they fill up fast!

After the tour we checked into our hotel and then I decided that it was time to take a nap before dinner. We walked downtown from our hotel (rather up a giant hill) to Green Elephant, a wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Portland. I have been a number of times and Neil has been once before and we have always enjoyed it. We lucked out and arrived just moments before the dinner rush, although it is worth the wait.

We started off with the Fresh Rolls-Lettuce, carrots, avocado, rice vermicelli, and mint wrapped in rice paper, served with peanut sauce, they were wonderful.  For our entrees Neil ordered the Crispy Breaded Soy Filet stir-fried Chinese broccoli, Chinese broccoli carrots and thai bird chili in a brown sauce.  I stole a few bites (of course) and I have to say that this is now one of my favorite dishes I have had at Green Elephant.

For my entree I couldn’t decided on what I wanted (too many choices) so I decided to get a soup and an appetizer.  I ordered the Fragrant Coconut Soup with tofu & baby bella Mushroom, cherry tomatoes, onion, scallion, and cilantro and Roti Canai an Indian style pancake. with vegetable curry dip.  This was my first time having the soup and it was so tasty, I didn’t love the tomatoes in it but otherwise it was great.  The roti is an old favorite of mine and it was just as food as I remembered.

After dinner we decided to stop into Local 188 for an after dinner mock-cocktail and brew. Neil ordered a local microbrew (I can’t remember the name) and I had a virgin Basil Lemonade, which was amazing and I have to replicate it at home!

After drinks we headed back to the hotel to rest up for a busy Saturday. Stay tuned!

Monday Meal Plan: 4/23/12

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This week is kind of a mess.  I honestly don’t have much to plan for as we are going to be eating out of the house many nights this week but I’ll take a shot at it.

Monday: Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry with Brown Rice

Tuesday: Very Veggie Taco Salad*

Wednesday: Midwife Appointment = dinner at American Flatbread- TRADITION!

Thursday: Restaurant Week Dinner at Pauline’s Cafe*

Friday: Dinner with friends (I know we’ll be bringing something I am just not sure what yet)

Saturday: Veggie Sausages with roasted potatoes and veggies

Sunday: TBD

Since we will be out to eat a bunch this week I need to pick up sandwich fixings for lunches.

Also hopefully on the menu this week will be cinnamon buns made by the husband!

*I wrote this before we went away for the weekend and the ingredients I came home with don’t really fit what I had initially intended so Tuesday and Thursday are up in the air and possibly Saturday as well.

Fitness Friday: Welcome Back

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I just realized it’s been 3 weeks since my last Fitness Friday posts, whoops! I have been so busy on Friday’s lately that by the time I can sit down to blog I’ve been ready for bed instead, but don’t worry I’m working on changing that!

Lets take a look at my workouts for the last 19 days shall we:

Four 1-mile walks and 60 minutes of prenatal yoga

35 minutes of prenatal dvd and 10 miles of walking

so far this week 3 miles of walking and 60 minutes of prenatal yoga; we are headed to Maine for the weekend and I anticipate lots of walking while we are there.

As you can see I may have been slacking on my posts but I have been doing a a great job at getting in at least 5 workouts per week even if they are just short ones.  Longer walks (3+ miles) are getting to be more of a exhausting but it feels good to go out and get them done when I have time. I plan on keeping up with my workouts until the very end of my pregnancy doing a minimum of 5 miles of walking per week and either one prenatal class or my prenatal dvd.

{Pregnancy Update} 28 Weeks! Third Trimester Here I Come!

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How far along are you: 28 Weeks

How big is the baby: TBy this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She’s also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. (source)

Baby’s Gender: I’m back on the I think it’s a boy train.

Baby’s Name: We have our boy and we pretty much have our girl.

Weight Gained: 17.5 lbs

Clothes:  Time to get some new ones this weekend! I have non-maternity that still fit, some early maternity that also fit but it is time to get a few last items for the remainder of the pregnancy.

How are you feeling: I am feeling pretty good but I am definitely feeling tired out.

What do you miss: Running. Sprouts.

Symptoms: Aches and pains.

Cravings: Curry. Grinders. Lemonade.

How are you sleeping: Hips are sore when I sleep, waking up all the time to pee and so thirsty.

Workouts: This week I did lots of walking and went to yoga.

Things I’m looking forward to: Getting away with Neil this weekend! We are headed to Maine for our last pre-baby getaway and I can’t wait! My baby shower in June. Starting birthing classes in two weeks.

Things I’m not looking forward to: My glucose test next Wednesday.

What I’ve Been Wearing:

Maternity Fashion: First and Second Trimester
1. Cropped Denim Jacket |2. Jeggings | 3. Faux Wrap Dress | 4. Toms | 5. Scarf | 6. Wrap Jacket

Sacred Pregnancy by Anni Daulter

Last Week–>Week 27: Air Energy: This week was intended to focus on breath meditation something I made time for every day this week.  It also was a time to reflect on my thoughts and fears about giving birth and becoming a mother. What are the thoughts that have you up at night in regard to becoming a mother and giving birth? My fears include not making it to the birthing center (it’s 60 minutes away), having a giant baby and being in active labor for many hours.  Currently one of my fears that isn’t about becoming a mother or giving birth is not passing my glucose test which is next week-eek!

This Week–> Sacred Pregnancy Week 28: Fire Energy

This Week’s focus: Are you confident that you know what you want for this pregnancy and birth? If you are not, take the time to get clear and journal  about your confusion. When you are ready to really direct your will and intention, the universe will be ready to hear it!