dinner with friends- Erin's guest post

Here are some great recipes from a good friend Erin. She has two Littles almost the same ages as our Littles and she shares a love for putting thoughtful nutritious meals in their bellies. Because B is gone She kindly invited us over to share the table and some post dinner chaos (my Littles where a bit wired). We swim with a group of friends on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The Littles are on their last fumes after a swim night and sometimes I am too. It was nice to have a gracious kitchen break. Thanks Erin! Here is her post.

One of my family’s favorite things to eat is beans. I am often looking for delicious and nutritious ways to flavor them. Having said that, I almost never follow a recipe; I only use them as guides. I use what I have in the refrigerator and pantry and adapt accordingly. On the menu for our dinner with Nikki and the kiddos was Black Bean soup deliciously flavored with ground buffalo and spices and Quinoa with spinach not to forget mixed green salad.

Bean Soup:

6 cups black beans cooked
1-2 large carrots-diced
1 1/2 chopped onion
1 small red bell pepper-diced
3 cloves garlic- diced
1tsp ground garlic
1tsp chili powder
2tsp cumin
2tsp oregano
1tsp thyme
1tsp paprika
Pinch of cayenne
14 oz of diced tomatoes
½ pound ground buffalo
salt to taste

Quinoa:

1 cup organic quinoa rinsed well
1 cup salsa
1 cup water
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped