Chicks Please Sandwich

The Hubs was in the mood for a tuna sandwich for lunch.  I'm all about honoring your cravings so you won't feel deprived and believe in enjoying all things in life in moderation.  But tuna is not the healthiest choice as it comes with a hefty dose of mercury. We think he can do better on a weekend lunch.  

So I was on a mission to come up with something that was equally satisfying but had a higher nutritional value and no mercury....Enter in the Chicks Please Sandwich. 

“if you can satisfy your craving with a healthier option, choose that option 100%”

To test out if it would work in curbing his appetite, I made BOTH a tuna sandwich and the Chicks Please Sandwich. You know, to level the playing field.  He eats what he wants, and we see what he decides to eat.  Needless to say, because I wouldn't have posted this recipe if the results didn't come out in its favor, the ChicksPlease won out! Picky hubs even asked for more. 

Bottom line here is even though we should never deprive ourselves, if you can satisfy your craving with a healthier option, choose that option 100%. The recipe happens to be ridiculously easy.  We are adding it our household rotation and think you should too. 

*Please note: if you think this is going to taste exactly like a tuna sandwich, you got the wrong recipe. This is simply a replacement, but some believe it to be far tastier ....:)

The Low Down

We all know chickpeas to be an excellent source of protein and fiber.  

But did you know that a 1-cup serving of chickpeas provides you with 94% of your daily recommended amount of manganese and 71% of your daily recommended amount of folate?

Manganese is so important for bone development and wound healing.  It also supports your metabolism.  I'm all in favor of anything that boosts metabolism.  That's definitely a winner in my book.  

Folate is like the queen bee of minerals. Folate is responsible for new cell growth and brain cell development.  It protects against genetic mutations, aka it prevents cancer.

Since most woman are lacking in this essential mineral, manufacturers created folic acid which you may see listed on your vitamins.  Folate is the real deal and naturally occurring in chickpeas.  With 71% of what you need in a cup of chickpeas, warding away cancer seems easy peasy. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 can organic, bpa-free chickpeas
• 2 slices bread of choice (I always prefer Food For Life Baking brand's Ezekial sliced bread)
• 1 tsp liquid smoke (you can omit this if you don't have it)
• 2 tsp bbq sauce 
• 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp flax seed oil (optional)
• Himalayan salt or sea salt to taste
• a couple shakes of garlic powder or to taste
• Handful of organic tomatoes (I used organic grape tomatoes).

Method

1. Drain the chickpeas and place them in a bowl.  Using the back of a fork mash them.  (You can also use a food processor for this, but I find that a fork is easy enough and involves less clean up after!)
2. Add the liquid smoke, bbq sauce, salt, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and flax seed oil (if you're using it)  to the bowl. 
3. Chop the tomatoes & toast the bread.
4. Assemble your sandwich with a layer of the chickpea mixture and a layer of tomatoes.  You can add any other garnish you prefer. 
5. Eat!

Thanks for making this! I would love it see how it turns out. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram so I can see! Any questions on it? Message me on Snapchat.  

Xx, SS

Cardamon Curry in a Hurry

The other day, I found the most divine recipe that was absolutely perfect for a dinner party I was having.  It was a gorgeous cardamom curried eggplant stew that even got the attention of my husband. I studied the recipe, then looked at all 1,432 steps involved in making it. 

Kudos to those people who can labor for hours to produce a meal.  I am not one of them.  I prefer to prepare my food fast, tasty and healthy.  So needless to say, this 2 hour labor intense stew was just not going to happen.  (Sorry hubs.) 

I took out my secret weapon, the electric pressure cooker (If you don't have one, seriously consider saving your life with one) and created a very FastBeets Approved version.  It took all of ten minutes to prep and another 10 minutes to cook. Leaving me with ample time to do the much harder work, like set a gorgeous table.  

The best part is that if you didn't know any better you would have seriously thought I was in the kitchen forever. 

Ingredients:

• 1 -2 teaspoons cardamom powder 
• 2 teaspoons curry powder of choice
• 1 onion 
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon liquid aminos (can substitute salt to taste)
• 1-2 eggplants chopped into squares
• 1/5 a butternut squash chopped into squares
• Any other veggie of choice (optional)
• 2 15oz cans of organic, bpa-free chickpeas
• 1 can of organic, bpa-free, coconut milk
• 1 can of organic, bpa-free of diced tomatoes

Method

1. Set a pressure cooker to the sear/sautè setting.  Add coconut oil and spices, toast for 10 second. Then drop in diced onions and liquid aminos. Sautè until onions are done.
2. Add chopped eggplant and mix with seasonings for 2-3 minutes.  
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and close pressure cooker. 
4. Cook on pressure cooker setting for 10 minutes. 
5. Open, taste, add any additional salt or seasoning if necessary. 
6. Serve with quinoa, brown rice, or as is. 

Thanks for making this! I would love it see how it turns out. Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @fastbeets so I can see! Any questions on it? Message me on Snapchat.  

Xx, SS

FastBeets FastChicks

Lately, I've been obsessing over coconut oil + turmeric.  The combination is so delicious! Plus, the fat in coconut oil helps your body absorb the curcumin (read: active ingredient in turmeric) because turmeric is fat soluble.  So grab your best turmeric powder or grind up your own some fresh turmeric root and let's do a fast and healthy sauté. 

This dish is ridiculously easy to make.  You can whip it up in five minutes in the morning while your oatbran is cooking and take it with you to lunch.  

Ingredients

• 1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil 
• 1-2 tablespoons organic turmeric (FastTip: Get a good quality turmeric powder for optimal taste)
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 Tablespoon garlic granules (garlic powder is ok too, but I find the granules are tastier)
• 1 can of organic, bpa-free, no salt added, chickpeas
• 1 can of organic, bpa-free, low sodium, diced tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Nutritional yeast 
• Dash of Himalayan Salt

Method

Heat the spices with the coconut oil on medium heat for about 30 seconds.  Add the contents of both cans and sauté until fully mixed and chickpeas are as soft as you like 'em (5-10minutes).  

If you like your chickpeas more tender, sauté them for a few minutes before you add the can of tomatoes. 

Once plated, add a handful of any fresh greens for color and added nutrition.  The crunch of the fresh greens go well with the soft and moist chickpeas. Enjoy!

XX, SS

Warming Winter Stew

This quick and easy stew takes minimal little prep time but brings loads of goodness. Since it gets the #fastbeetsapproved seal, you know its loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. 

Its perfect for those days you can't make it to the grocery store or those long home-bound snow days.  Because most of the ingredients can be bought ahead of time and stored in your pantry and freezer, you can make this anytime.  So if you're enjoying the great Snowmageddon 2016, grab a pot and get cooking. 

It holds well with a side of brown rice or quinoa and yet so good just on its own.

Ingredients

• 2 cans of organic, bpa-free chickpeas, drained
• 3 cans of organic, bpa-free diced tomatoes
• 1 can of organic, bpa-free tomato paste
• 4-5 organic carrots with the greens attached (optional if you're snowed in and can't get to a grocery store, but highly recommended)
• 2 bags of frozen organic mixed mushrooms
• 1 bag of frozen organic cauliflower (optional)
• 1-2 cups of butternut squash (optional)
• 2 heaping tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 onion, chopped 

Spices:

• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon organic turmeric (if you're not using top quality or fresh turmeric, you may not want to use as much as it might be too bitter)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon himalayan salt, adjust to taste

Garnish

• Handful of chopped cilantro
• Chopped Carrot greens
• Chopped fresh tomatoes (optional)
• Juice of one lemon (optional)

Method

1. Add coconut oil to a pot on medium heat.
2. Toast all the spices in the coconut oil for roughly 30 seconds.
3. Sauté the onion in the seasoned oil until almost tender.
4. Add the chickpeas and sauté for 3 minutes.
5. While the chickpeas are sautéing, peel and chop the carrots. 
6. Add the remainder of the ingredients and let boil. 
7. Bring to simmer and let simmer until all the veggies are soft and fully cooked. 
8. Keep simmer until reaches your desired stew like consistency. Aim to keep in on the stove for a minumum of 30 minutes but you can leave it on for up to 2 hours while you attend to other business, like snowball fights. 
9. Taste your creating and adjust the seasonings. It might need more salt, cumin, or tahini. 
10. Wash and chop a few strands of the carrot greens and cilantro.
11. Plate your dish and top with any or all of the garnishes.