Hi friends! I’m happy to be waking up at home this morning and getting snuggles from my kiddos, but my heart is aching a little not to be in D.C. Today’s the Women’s March on Washington and some of my Northwestern friends made the trip for it. We’d all done a similar march together when we were in school - drove about 15 hours from Chicago to D.C. in a van, playing music and being silly the whole way. It was a fabulous weekend, so inspiring and so meaningful. I wanted to be there today. I also really wanted to take my 5-year-old daughter and let her witness it. But I worried it might not be safe, so I’m home. But my heart is with the more than 200,000 men and women expected to turn out. Anyway, I’m popping in with a budget-friendly, healthy, January perfect meal. I’ve been making this quinoa cannellini beans skillet dinner on repeat as a meatless Monday vegetarian option.
It relies on a few pantry staples and gets the flavor kicked up with some fresh veggies and a finish of fresh herbs. It’s a quick and easy one-pan meal that’s gluten-free and vegan (if you leave off the Parmesan cheese or substitute nutritional yeast). It’s light but hearty with the protein from the quinoa and the creamy, richness of the cannellini beans and lots of Italian flavor throughout. The can of diced tomatoes that cook with this add a lot of depth and richness, as does the Parmesan cheese I serve it with. And the fresh basil at the end brightens up the whole dish and gives it a shot of freshness. Simple ingredients but big impact.
As for substitutions - cause you know I like to give you options! - you can substitute fresh parsley for the basil if you prefer. And you can add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to make it a bit spicy. You could also use white Northern beans but I really prefer the creamy cannellini beans here. And you can certainly add some rotisserie chicken if you don’t want it as a vegetarian meal. I’ve certainly done that before when we had some on hand.
Healthy can be affordable too. I hope you have a great weekend! Enjoy! XO, Kathryn
You can substitute fresh parsley for the basil if you prefer. You can add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to make it a bit spicy. And you can certainly add some rotisserie chicken if you don’t want this as a vegetarian meal.
