The Smokey BEGG {Recipe Redux}

smokey beans greens quinoa

A transformation is going on in the THIH household.

Will Maddie will stop eviscerating obnoxiously large dog toys all over the furniture? Please.

Will celery made a regular appearance on the dinner table? Dear reader, I weep.

Will Jessie see the sun on a winter’s day in Oregon? About as likely as Jessie referring to herself in the third person seven times in one post.

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No, this transformation is more subtle than any and all of the above. Instead of a drastic change, I aim to remember the old Jessie. The Jessie who eagerly planned a week’s worth of menus and challenged herself to flexibly follow it. The Jessie who grew giant sunflowers. Just because. Finally, the Jessie who created PowerPoint cartoons poking fun at her exploits.

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Like a pendulum at the highest point in its swing, my potential energy is at its max. I’ve always had exceptional focus (and humbleness, apparently); yet this focus leads to life imbalance. Life isn’t just school and work. It’s okay to mix things up with a hodgepodge of fun, flowers, and food.

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(This is Orchy Goodwin III. You can probably guess why he’s the third of his name.)

This month’s Recipe Redux theme inspired me to mix things up, both inside and outside of the kitchen.

The New Year is heating up with smoke and spiciness. From boldly flavored smoked salts to actual smoking techniques, subtly smoked food is on-trend. The same can be said for spice as we savor heat from harissa, sriracha and smoked paprika. Show us the healthy dish you’re heating up with smoke and/or spiciness.

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We’ve smoked many foods, of course. Smoked foods are an occupational hazard of being married to this gentleman and his BGE. This time, however, I wanted to keep things KISM. Instead of smoking foods, I used smoked paprika and smoked cheddar cheese to put a new twist on an old favorite: the BEGG. Not the most attractive of dishes, the BEGG (Beans, Egg, Grains, and Greens) is nevertheless a balanced mix of healthy foods for your body. The smoked flavor is the secret extra something that knocks this dish into the next county and beyond.

Speaking of unattractive.
Speaking of unattractive.

The secret secret of this dish is a colorful coleslaw with light Greek yogurt dressing spiced with smoked paprika. In this recipe I used a creamy nonfat Chobani yogurt – talk about next level awesome. Make the beans, quinoa, and coleslaw ahead of time, and you can whip up lunch or dinner in a few minutes. Can’t get much easier than that.

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Gettin' my Chob on.
Gettin’ my Chob on.

My challenge for you? Try BEGG at your next meal and enjoy an easy, healthy, and delicious dish.

My challenge for me? Reclaim the old Jessie and live it up in the kitchen.

smokey begg

The Smokey BEGG

  Prep Time: 15 minutes

  Cook Time: 15 to 45 minutes (depending on grain) + bean time

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage, broccoli, and/or carrots
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup cooked beans
  • 1 cup cooked grains (e.g. brown rice, quinoa, farro, amaranth)
  • 2 tablespoons smoked cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

Combine yogurt, vinegar, and smoked paprika. Toss with shredded vegetables, cover, and refrigerate. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and cook eggs as desired.

While eggs cook, arrange grains and beans in two layers on two plates. Top each stack with half of the coleslaw. Add cooked egg and sprinkle with shredded smoked cheddar cheese and additional smoked paprika, if desired. Serve immediately.

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P.S. This post was supposed to go up last week on my regular Recipe Redux day. Sadly, we received some bad news that day, pushing everything else to the side. Thank you, dear reader, for your patience.

P.P.S. Time for Jessie to pull out the old menu board!

P.P.P.S.

beautiful oregon fog

10 Comments

  1. I want this for my breakfast!!! Sorry about the bad news, hope things are ok.

    1. Thanks, Dixya – we’re good here now 🙂

  2. Yay, here’s to a lovely post! And to living it up in the kitchen and hopefully seeing some beautiful sunshine soon. It’s cloudy and rainy here too, but that makes cooking super cozy. Hope everything is going well for you, Jessie 🙂

    1. Thanks, Lucy! I hope things are going well for you, too 🙂

  3. Like your style! Fun, flowers and food is always better than work and school! This looks mighty tasty too. Glad it made it up. (:

  4. Good luck with your transformation, Jessie. I hope that you enjoy more cooking, knitting, reading… all those good activities! My newest knitting mission is to learn to make a hat that ties under the chin, since I imagine toddlers like to pull their hats off. I also hope you get some sunshine and good news. 🙂

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