Healthy Eating :)

The end of January I went to a "Maximized Living" meeting that a friend invited me to attend.  It was very interesting and challenging in the area of what I eat.  I started to change the way I eat: no sugar or processed food, no bread, few grains, good healthy fats, and meats/dairy from grass fed animals.  I feel so much better and have lost about 15 or so pounds.  My mom sent me a link to a web site with recipes that  fit well with this eating plan.  I decided to try several, and the first one I tried was wonderful.  Before I forget, here is the actual blog I got the recipe.  She has a lot of recipes using real food and the Maximized Living way of eating.  I had planned to have it for lunch; but then, due to poor time management, ended up having it for dinner.  I was/am grateful that my Honey is easy to please and is happy just to have dinner on the table...plus, he really liked it as I did.  :)  Here is the recipe and a few notes on how I tweaked it just a little bit.

Black Bean Confetti Salad

Makes 4 Servings

2 15-ounce cans organic black beans, drained and rinsed

4 organic bell peppers, a mix of colors, diced

1 organic cucumber, diced

1 organic jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)

1 white onion, diced

Juice of one large lime

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

A few spoonfuls of organic Greek yogurt (optional)

Mix beans, bell peppers, cucumber, jalapeno, and onion in a large bowl.  In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, sea salt, cayenne and cilantro into a vinaigrette.  Pour vinaigrette over the bean mixture, toss well to coat, and adjust seasonings to taste.  Spoon into bowl and top with spoonful of Greek yogurt.

Notes: I did not use jalapeno.  I'm sensitive to hot/spicy foods so I just used a dash of cayenne (Yes, I did use cayenne, for those of you who will be shocked). I only used 3 bell peppers because I got tired of chopping them up.  Lastly, I didn't do the greek yogurt.  I did serve it with baked pita chips for my Honey.  I was really happy there are enough leftovers for me to have lunch a couple times.