Lent Me A Hand: Friday 2

Good Day!

Well, how are you doing with you Lenten or 40-Day promises? We’re adding to your savory selections to get through another Friday without meat.

Here in NY it’s a GORGEOUS day… the kind of day that inspires a lot of movement and fresh air-breathing. But not “comfort food”. It’s just too nice out to be weighed down in the belly.

I’m going to give you a Bean-a-rrific Spicy Nacho (Salad) Platter. It’s something you can customize as you desire. Here’s how:

Ingredients: 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 can (15.5 oz.) each black beans, red kidney beans, and white cannellini beans, 1 package chili seasoning mix (we’ll make our own another day), 2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce, 1/2 white onion chopped fine. We’ll list the condiment additions below.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onions. Add in beans, chili seasoning, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil then stir, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Making your own platter is entirely up to you. We like to do it buffet style – we put out a little dish each of sliced jalapeno peppers, guacamole (or fresh avocado sliced or cubed), sour cream (or non-fat greek yogurt), shredded cheese (I like the Mexican mix of Monterey Jack, Mild Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla and Asadero cheeses), diced tomatoes, salsa, chopped red onions. We put out a large bowl of tortilla chips and one of chopped iceberg lettuce. I like to grab my large dish and make a bed of lettuce followed by the bean chili, cheese, and then all the rest, taking the chips and crumbling them over the whole thing! Yum! You can choose to skip the lettuce and make a bed of chips! A large iced tea or, if you’re in a cocktail mood, a frosty margarita is the only thing missing!

It’s a fun and festive meal that will get you through the second meatless Friday without even noticing. Olé!