Garden Rotini and Chickpea Salad

Yesterday, I actually sat down and planned out a week of menu ideas. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to hit the grocery store until today. Still, here is my first vegan dish. I thought it was very tasty! Jeff enjoyed it, too, but I didn't realize that he doesn't care much for pasta salads. Oh well, more for me! :-)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz rotini
• 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1/2 roma tomato, diced
• 2 radishes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• Annie's Natural Goddess dressing

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook rotini according to package. Drain well and rinse with cool water. Transfer to a large bowl.

2.  While pasta is cooking, prep vegetables. Add all the vegetables to the cooked pasta. Drizzle with 1/3 to 1/2 bottle of dressing  and toss gently to combine.

*Recipe adapted from Garden Rotini and Chickpea Salad with Inner Goddess Dressing. Vegan on the Cheap. pg. 85.

Super Easy Beans and Rice

This has quickly become one of the easiest stand-by dinners. It's quick and painless for those nights when I just do not feel like cooking or making dinner. Plus, it's beans and rice. It's got to be better for us than frozen pizza, right?

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• 1 can Bush's Grillin' Beans Black Bean Fiesta
• 1/2 c Rice - I've used both white and brown rice.



Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Warm beans up in a saucepan.

3. Add cooked rice to beans and stir until well mixed.

Sometimes I might add a little salt, pepper, and/or a dash or two of tabasco, to liven it up a little more, but it's great all on its own, too.

This would probably be great served with a salad and/or tortillas to round out the meal a little more. We usually just have this and then something for dessert.