As you may already know, I live in Texas. Houston has been my home for my entire life. (Actually now I live in Pearland, but if I just drive for 5 minutes I’m back in the Houston areas.) Therefore, it should be no surprise that my favorite dishes are “Tex-Mex” combinations which include lots of beans, rice, salsa, guacamole, corn, grilled onions, etc. Yeah, I know, you might be thinking…”What about the cheese?” Well I don’t eat cheese anymore, (gasp), and I don’t miss it one bit.
This is my chance to add a little nutrition/health info…so I’m going to do just that.
I grew up eating cheese and many dairy products (ever heard of Borden milk and Blue Bell ice cream?) I never imagined my life without cheese/dairy. But about a decade ago, when my allergies had become unbearable…I decided to test the theory that perhaps the milk and cheeses were causing most of my issues…and that was exactly the case.
But, since that’s the only change that I made during that time and the fact that I haven’t been bothered by seasonal allergies since then….well one thing is for sure – the milk and the cheeses didn’t agree with my body. I had these issues since a small child and they disappeared┬á when I took milk and cheeses out of my diet. The relief that I now experience makes up for any losses I initially felt when I gave up dairy.
For you – Do you battle seasonal allergies? If so,┬á I suggest that you try changing your diet by removing dairy from your diet. You will know in a matter of weeks whether it’s had a positive affect.
I won’t try to explain the science behind it all. Just some basic principles. I talk about this more in the online courses and in some of the nutrition blog posts too. Here is the recipe:
Notes
* Home-cooked beans are preferred, but organic canned is a quick and handy option
** Fresh corn is preferred, but organic frozen corn works well too
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are some that you can keep on hand in your fridge/freezer ready to grab. This makes preparing meals so easy.
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- Fresh slices of colored bell peppers, chopped
- Onions (of choice)
- Prepared beans of your choice*
- Leafy greens, chopped (collards, kale or chard)
- Diced tomatoes (fresh)
- Sweet Corn** (fresh or frozen organic is a quick and handy option)
- Pico de gallo (topping)
- Guacamole (topping)
- Cooked Brown rice or quinoa
Instructions
- Grill the onions and bell peppers together on the stove-top, adding garlic last so it doesn't burn
- Add beans, tomatoes, corn until heated thoroughly
- Toss in chopped leafy greens
- Serve in a bowl on top of a bed of rice/quinoa. Add toppings such as guacamole and/or pico.
