Author: karenwpullen

Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadillas

karenwpullen Recipes, Sandwiches, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , , ,
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Black Bean Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 6 tortillas

Ingredients

  • 1 can black beans about 1 ½ cups, drained
  • 1 large sweet potato peeled
  • 1 cup plant-based queso sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tortillas whole grain

Instructions

  • Spiralize or dice the sweet potato.
  • Put the sweet potato in a sauté pan with the chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook, adding a bit of water or broth if it starts to stick, until it is soft — about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • To make one quesadilla: Place a tortilla in a 10-inch warmed pan. Drizzle queso on the tortilla. To one half of the tortilla, add 1/6 of the sweet potato and 1/6 of the black beans.
  • Fold the other half of the tortilla over. Toast one side at a time.

Notes

I recommend my cheezy queso sauce with this recipe.

Cheezy Queso Sauce

karenwpullen Recipes, Sauces and dressings, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , , ,

This is such a great sauce! It goes on anything Mexican like tacos, nachos, chips. Put some on a baked potato or other vegetables, or over pasta.

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Best “Cheezy” Queso Sauce

Course: Sauces and dressings, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Vegan
Servings: 12

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 1 large potato peeled and diced
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup cashews soaked in hot water 20 minutes, drained
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

  • Boil the potato, carrot, and onion in the vegetable broth until soft, about 8 minutes
  • Add the rest of the ingredients to a blender, along with the vegetables, and blend until smooth.

Notes

Makes about two cups; can be frozen.
This thick and creamy sauce is perfect for any Mexican-style food like tacos, quesadillas, nachos. It makes an excellent dip for chips. Add it to a baked potato or pasta dish.

Going Plant-Based for Healthy Blood Pressure

karenwpullen Blog , , , ,
Going Plant-Based for Healthy Blood Pressure

What is Blood Pressure? With each contraction of your powerful heart muscle, blood surges through your arteries, veins, and capillaries, pressing against blood vessel walls. The walls expand then relax, expand then relax, with every heartbeat.

That’s why blood pressure measurements come in two numbers: the force against the artery wall when the heart is pushing blood through it (systolic pressure), and the force between beats (diastolic pressure).

Ideally, your blood pressure should be around 110/70. There’s an exponential increase in risk of dying from a stroke or heart disease as pressures go up, starting from around 110/70. But most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if it’s reached dangerously high levels. So, it’s important to check it regularly.

Health Concerns. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is of great concern. If the blood vessels are narrowed, or stiffened with sclerosis, the heart works extra-hard and less efficiently. Over time, the force and friction of high blood pressure damages the insides of the arteries, cholesterol plaques form along those tiny tears, and arteries become narrower. Blood pressure raises even higher. It’s a vicious circle.

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