A Good Hair Day

I’ve been told by more than one person today that my hair looks good. Even my sister wanted to know what I did to it. That must be saying something!

A good hair day deserves a good recipe, don’t you think?

You may recall one of my New Year’s goals was to consume beans on a more regular basis. In order to do that, I decided to start the school year off by cooking up a pot of black eyed peas so I could utilize them in some way. I also did up a pot of wheat berries, because it just seemed like a good combo- beans and grains. Fibre-licious!

Of course, eating just beans and grains might be a little…boring. So I went ahead and jazzed them up for lunch one day. One of the stars of the show – Canadian sheep’s milk feta. My favourite feta, hands down.

After a small amount of chopping, sautéing, and mixing, I had myself a delicious little lunch dish. I finished it off with a drizzle of this tahini dressing.

Voila! A veggie, grain, bean, and nut filled delight for the taste buds. Guaranteed to keep your belly content too.

Black-Eyed Pea & Wheat Berry Lunch Bowl

serves 4

• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 cups chopped mushrooms
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning, or your favourite seasoning blend (optional)
• 2 cups cooked black-eyed peas (from dried is best, but canned work as well)
• 2 cups cooked wheat berries
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 2/3 cup vegetable broth
• 4 cups packed baby spinach
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup tahini dressing (I used this recipe)
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add butter and allow to just melt.

2. Add mushrooms and sauté until they have just started to turn golden in colour.

3. Season with Italian seasoning or other seasoning blend, if using.

4. Add black-eyed peas and wheat berries to skillet. Stir to combine.

5. Add in golden raisins and vegetable broth, and allow to simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.

 

6. Add spinach, and cook until it is just wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Divide mixture between 4 bowls, drizzle with tahini dressing, and top with chopped pecans and crumbled feta. Enjoy!

Not only was this a hearty, filling dish for a cold day, but the combination of flavours and textures really worked. Sweet from the raisins, salty from the feta, crunch from the nuts, and the chew of the wheat berries made it a winner. Feel free to substitute whatever beans you have on hand, and mix up the vegetables if mushrooms and spinach aren’t your thing. It’s great warm from the pan, but travels well as a cold lunch the next day.

Give it a go and let me know how you liked it!