🌮 Pollo Ranchero Skillet with Guacamole, Beans & Quinoa
Chicken FajitasRefried Black BeansBlack Beans & QuinoaGuacamole
Ingredients (2 servings)
8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (sliced into strips)
½ medium onion, sliced
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes (low sodium) with green chiles, drained
1 medium bell pepper (red, orange or yellow), sliced
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1–2 tsp olive oil
¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt & black pepper, to taste
½ cup Salsa Ranchera (Herdez)
For serving:
½ cup guacamole (homemade)
1 cup refried beans (black or pinto) or 1 cup black beans & quinoa
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
Prep: Slice chicken, onion, and bell pepper into strips. Chop cilantro.
Sauté: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken strips and cook until lightly browned, ~4–5 minutes.
Add Veggies & Spices: Stir in onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until vegetables soften, ~4 minutes. Sprinkle in cayenne, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper.
Stir in the drained tomatoes with green chiles and cook 2–3 min to concentrate.
Sauce: Pour in salsa ranchera, stir to coat, and simmer 2–3 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and sauce slightly thickens.
Finish: Remove from heat and stir in half the chopped cilantro for freshness.
Serve: Plate chicken & peppers with guacamole and beans/quinoa. Garnish with the remaining cilantro.
🍴 Notes & Variations
Add a squeeze of lime juice with the cilantro for brightness.
Swap black beans & quinoa for pinto beans, if preferred.
For more heat, layer cayenne with fresh jalapeño slices.
Quinoa, often called a “super grain,” is technically a seed but cooks like a grain.
Originating in the Andes, quinoa is naturally gluten‑free, rich in fiber, and one of the few plant foods that
provides all nine essential amino acids. It comes in several varieties—white, red, and black—each with slightly
different textures and flavors.
White Quinoa
Red Quinoa
Quinoa Salad
Perfect portions: ½ cup cooked
Health Bonus
Quinoa provides complete protein, making it an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans.
It is high in magnesium, iron, and antioxidants, and has a low glycemic load.
Its combination of fiber and protein promotes satiety and steady energy.
Cooks Tips
Simmer quinoa in broth instead of water for added flavor. Let it rest after cooking to absorb moisture fully.
Use different colors of quinoa together for variety and visual appeal.
Menu Magic
Toss into salads with beans, vegetables, and vinaigrette.
Use instead of rice as a side dish or stir‑fry base.
Make quinoa porridge for breakfast with fruit and nuts.
Form into patties with beans or vegetables for veggie burgers.
Serving Size: ~¾ cup grits + ½ cup Creole (per serving, 2 servings total)
Ingredients
For the Grits:
1 lb cauliflower, trimmed and grated (about 4 cups)
1 tsp olive oil
½ clove garlic, minced
¼ can low-sodium white beans, drained and rinsed (about ⅓ cup)
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup water
½ tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese(optional)
¼ tsp onion powder
Black pepper, to taste
For the Shrimp & Okra Creole:
½ lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1½ tsp olive oil, divided
1 stalk celery, diced
½ small yellow onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
1–2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt-free Creole seasoning
7 oz canned diced tomatoes (½ of a 14-oz can)
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup sliced okra (fresh or frozen)
½ green onion, sliced (for garnish)
Hot sauce, optional (for garnish)
Directions
Make the Grits
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
Add cauliflower and cook ~8 minutes, until softened and lightly browned.
Add garlic; cook 30 seconds.
Stir in beans, broth, and water. Cook 3–4 minutes, then remove from heat.
Stir in Parmesan and onion powder. Mash or blend until creamy but still slightly textured.
Season with black pepper, cover, and keep warm.
Cook the Shrimp & Okra Creole
Pat shrimp dry. Heat ¾ tsp oil in a skillet over medium-high.
Sear shrimp in a single layer until just opaque and lightly browned; remove to a plate.
Add remaining oil, celery, onion, and bell pepper to skillet. Cook ~5 minutes until tender.
Add garlic and Creole seasoning; cook 30 seconds.
Stir in tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, Worcestershire, and okra. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer ~8 minutes, stirring often, until slightly thickened.
Return shrimp to the pan and cook 1–2 minutes until heated through.
Assemble
Spoon grits into bowls, top with shrimp & okra Creole, and garnish with sliced green onion and a dash of hot sauce if desired.
low sodium chicken broth (no-salt-added, fat-free) 1/4 cup
ground ginger 1/8 tsp
large carrots (finely diced) 2
cauliflower florets 3 cup
black pepper (ground ) 1/8 tsp
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Cut the cauliflower into small chunks and process in a food processor until rice consistency, or grate the head of cauliflower with a grater; set aside.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add carrots and scallions and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add remaining 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil and sesame oil to pan. Add cauliflower “rice” and remaining ingredients and lower heat to medium-low. Cook cauliflower mixture for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Cauliflower should be tender, but not mushy.
I think this is so amazing that the AI can view the handwritten text of a recipe and interpret it correctly into digitized text. *Also further below, see how AI took a table of foods that provide Beta Carotene, and easily sorted it for me.
GEMINI says:
This image is a scanned page from a book, likely a cookbook, featuring a recipe for “Shrimp Bisque.” The page number “30” is at the top left.
The ingredients listed are:
1 qt. milk
1 pt. cream (an extra 1/2 pt. whipped and added with a sprig of parsley to each bowl when served)
1/4 lb. butter
4 slightly rounded tbsp White Lily flour
1 can Campbell’s Tomato Soup – 1 1/2 lbs. cooked shrimp or 3 lbs. raw shrimp (the raw shrimp preferred where cooked 20 min. in highly seasoned water)
2 cups La Rosa sherry wine
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and Tabasco to taste
The instructions are: “Melt butter and add flour – cook 5 minutes. When smooth – add milk. Then tomato soup, then cream. Add shrimp. Ten minutes before serving, add sherry, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. After shrimp has been added – do not cook – just keep hot. Serves 10.”
The recipe is attributed to “Mrs. Temple Seibels.”
How AI:ChatGPT took a table of foods that provide Beta Carotene, and easily sorted it for me from the one providing the most mg to the least mg. *I bought this book, “Eat Well, Stay Well,” at “the Friends of the Cumberland County Library” Book Sale last week, so it might have cost $1.
I looked at the following table and was pleasantly surprised that both Dried Apricots and Raw Sweet Potato had high mg values for providing Beta Carotene, but I then thought, “This table would be much more useful if the largest providers were listed at the top, and the least at the bottom, so I took a picture of the table, and uploaded to both Gemini and ChatGPT, but ChatGPT was the sharper tool. See it’s response below:
BETA CAROTENE
Beta carotene is a red-orange pigment found in many plants and fruits, particularly carrots. The human body converts beta carotene into vitamin A (retinol), an essential nutrient for vision, immune function, and skin health. It is also an antioxidant, which helps protect cells from damage.
Foods sorted by their Beta Carotene content, from highest to lowest.
Food
Beta Carotene (mg)
% of Daily Requirement
Sweet Potato, raw (1 medium)
11.6
120.83%
Apricots, dried (½ cup)
11.2
116.67%
Carrots, raw (2 medium)
6.4
66.67%
Apricots, fresh (3 medium)
3.7
38.54%
Pumpkin, fresh, raw (1 cup diced)
3.6
37.5%
Watercress, raw (2 cups chopped)
2.8
29.17%
Winter Squash, raw (1 cup cubes)
2.8
29.17%
Spinach, raw (1 cup chopped)
2.6
27.08%
Swiss Chard, raw (1 cup chopped)
2.6
27.08%
Kale, raw (1 cup chopped)
2.2
22.92%
Collard Greens, raw (1 cup chopped)
1.8
18.75%
Cantaloupe (1 cup diced)
1.3
13.54%
Mango (1 cup sliced)
1.2
12.5%
Broccoli, raw (1 cup florets)
0.7
7.29%
Would you like me to also calculate what percentage of the daily recommended Vitamin A these amounts provide?
I first tried to copy an HTML Table that the AI had created for me into this page, but it didn’t work well, so I asked for an image of the above table and imported that into the page.
The AI pointed out that both sweet potatoes and dried apricots both provided more than the recommended daily allowance.
***The original table image was sideways, and the AI read it with no problem, but I then reversed the text and it was still able to read the reversed text. It even made the comparison like reading text in a mirror. Wow, that’s a powerful tool. And at the top, it can read handwritten text.
DIETARY FIBER
Dietary fiber, or roughage, is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. It passes through the digestive system relatively intact. There are two main types: soluble fiber, which dissolves in water and can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol, and insoluble fiber, which adds bulk to stool and promotes regular bowel movements. Fiber is found in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts.
Based on an average recommended daily fiber intake of 28 grams for adults, I have added a new column showing the percentage of that daily value provided by each food item.
Food
Amount
Dietary Fiber (g)
Percentage of Daily Value (%)
Lentils, cooked
1 cup
16
57.1
Figs, dried
½ cup
12
42.9
Kidney beans, cooked
1 cup
11
39.3
Barley, pearled, cooked
1 cup
7
25.0
Blackberries, fresh
1 cup
7
25.0
Potato, baked, with skin
1 medium
7
25.0
Apple, with skin
1 large
6
21.4
Artichoke
1 medium
6
21.4
Prunes
½ cup
6
21.4
Split peas, cooked
½ cup
6
21.4
Wheat bran
¼ cup
6
21.4
Winter squash, baked
1 cup cubes
6
21.4
Brown rice, cooked
1 cup
4
14.3
Oatmeal, cooked
1 cup
4
14.3
Pear, with skin
1 medium
4
14.3
Wheat germ
¼ cup
4
14.3
FOLATE
Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. It is essential for a variety of bodily functions, including cell growth and division, DNA synthesis and repair, and the formation of red blood cells. A deficiency in folate can lead to anemia.
Good Sources of Folate
Food
Amount
Folate (mcg)
% Daily Requirement
Lentils, cooked
1 cup
358
89.5%
Pinto Beans, cooked
1 cup
294
73.5%
Chick-peas, cooked
1 cup
282
70.5%
Romaine Lettuce
2 cups shredded
152
38.0%
Spinach, cooked
1/2 cup
131.5
32.9%
Artichoke, cooked
1 medium
131
32.8%
Spinach, raw
2 cups
117
29.3%
Green peas, fresh, cooked
1 cup
101
25.3%
Brussels sprouts, cooked
1 cup
94
23.5%
Wheat germ
1/4 cup
81
20.3%
Broccoli, sprouted
3/4 cup
78
19.5%
Broccoli, cooked
1 cup chopped
78
19.5%
Orange juice, fresh
1 cup
75
18.8%
Peanuts, raw
1 ounce
68
17.0%
Asparagus, cooked
1 cup pieces
61
15.3%
Avocado
1/2 medium
57
14.3%
Blackberries, fresh
1 cup
49
12.3%
Wild rice, cooked
1 cup
43
10.8%
09/09/25: I was coming back today from Goldsboro, North Carolina and at some point I asked the AI (Gemini) on my phone how far away I was from Newton Grove. It told me 20 miles. I thought this was further than I had expected, but didn’t question the AI. But a short time later (maybe only 3 miles) I came upon a highway sign that said Newton Grove was 10 miles away. I knew I hadn’t gone 10 miles in that short of a time, but maybe 3 miles. So I asked Gemini again, how far I was from Newton Grove. It answered again, “20 miles.” I now had enough doubt in the AI’s correctness that I explored further. Eventually, it suggested a community that I was in and at some point it suggested that the community I was in was in MA (Massachussets). I told it, that there was no way that any location in MA was only 20 miles away from Newton Grove, North Carolina.
Eventually I made it to the city limits of Newton Grove and I just had to check one more time. The AI now told be it couldn’t determine how far I was from Newton Grove. Sometimes an AI, especially Gemini can be as thick as a brick. The problem though is that an AI will state something that is completely wrong and if you are unaware, you may act on this erroneous information. Sometimes the AI can’t even add simple numbers. I’ve had it fail several times regarding where I was located. And recall I actually had Gemini argue that Joe Biden was the current President of the United States, and this was well past January 20th of 2025. One it bases it’s truths on faulty info, you just can’t get it to the correct solution.
Planning for and tracking my meals and food intake is made much easier using the online MyFitnessPal Food Diary. You can add individual items by meal: breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks. You can search for the items, many are already in the database, or you can add an item or create a recipe, by adding individual ingredients and then saving as a Recipe or Meal. Depending upon how you set these up, you can also remove an item or ingredient.
So I’ve just added a specific breakfast meal and labeled it as “BK – Egg Salad / Bacon / Avocado / Bread.” Now the bread might be toasted, and depending upon whether I’m using the Ezekiel 4.9, Aldi’s ‘Knock Your Sprouts Off’ or the Publix Sourdough bread, there may be slight variations in calorie count. My current favorite of these three is “Knock Your Sprouts Off” sprouted bread from Aldi’s.
The “BK – Egg Salad / Bacon / Avocado / Bread” breakfast, after removing the half avocado and adding hot tea.
I can add the above breakfast meal, and then take off the bacon or the avocado if I choose not to have that on the specific meal. I’ve also just added “BK – Coffee,” and “BK – Hot Tea” items with their additions: half-n-half and/or Agave Nectar, Coconut Palm Sugar. I normally also add Splenda and Stevia. Maybe it’s sweetness overkill, but no individual artificial sweetener seems to provide the deep sweet flavor profile of sugar. *I’ve just renamed (had to copy first, and then save under new name, and then delete old meal) the breakfast meals starting with “BK – “. This causes all the breakfast meals & items to group together.
I do like bacon with the egg salad, but I’ve also come to like just mashing up half an avocado and not having any bacon. I now have an easy way to toast my bread and most of the egg salad fits on the two half slices of bread. I might also add a few halved grape tomatoes (yellow or red).
I make my egg salad from two hard boiled eggs (9 minutes), and mash them up with a little Dukes Mayo and Kerry Gold Grass Fed Butter, celery seeds, garlic powder, Dulse, cayenne powder, salt & some ground Long Pepper. *I had this breakfast this morning, but switched out the grape tomatoes for bacon.
I’ve really enjoyed using the Recipe creator in MyFitnessPal because I can enter a list of ingredients and then change the amount of each ingredients used in the recipe. It will also allow you to determine serving size.
The Ezekiel 4:9 bread comes frozen and that may be one reason why I like it a little less. I actually think the Knock Your Sprouts Off bread has a better flavor. But, the fresh baked sourdough bread from Publix has it’s merits also.
Recall that I love bread, but I also have to limit the type and amount of bread that I eat because of my Type 2 diabetes. Sourdough and sprouted breads are supposed to be more “diabetic friendly.”
A few days ago, I took out half the frozen loaf of Ezekiel 4:9 bread and let it thaw. I then put it in the refrigerator. I’ve enjoyed eating it as toast with egg salad, with peanut butter & a little Agave Nectar, and even as a simple sandwich with Neuske’s Smoked Liver Pate.
[06/24/25];
I will now freeze some of my bread, and refrigerate some. This was something I didn’t like to do, but now am okay with it. I’m eating more bread lately after many months of eating only about 1 slice of sprouted grain bread (“Knock Your Sprouts Off” Aldi’s).
Before the sprouted grain bread, I was eating mostly Sourdough Bread from the Publix bakery. I haven’t bought the Publix bread in a while opting to buy the Aldi’s “Knock Your Sprouts Off.” But now I have about 2/3rds of a loaf of seeded rye bread that I bought so that I could have a couple of slices for my homemade Pastrami Reubens. And just recently I saw a loaf of Sourdough bread at Aldi’s which I bought and have eaten about half of it so far, instead of the sprouted grain bread. And surprisingly for me, my blood sugar hasn’t been affected negatively by switching to the Sourdough.
Bacon grease (use sparingly, or not at all – high fat)
Cumin powder
Fenugreek
Diced Green Peppers
S&P
I think I either added ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes also. *This dish needs a “little” heat, but don’t add too much jalapeno or other hot peppers.
I was in the mood for something like this so I stopped by IGA and bought a package of Jamestown Hot Pork Sausage. I knew I probably would use Cannellini beans, and then I also thought to add some shrimp (peeled, deveined, heads & tails off). This soup came together very well. I would hope to repeat this finished product because it was just very good soup. Relatively simple to make. Very simple to enjoy eating with some tortilla or wonton chips.
Estimated: Serves 2–3 people (~448 kcal per serving)
Ingredients
1 tbsp bacon grease
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 jalapeño, diced
1/2 cup diced green peppers
1/4 lb hot pork sausage (high fat content)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp fenugreek
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 to 1/3 lb shrimp (about 6–8 medium-sized), peeled and deveined
Salt & pepper to taste
Estimated Yield
About 4–5 cups of soup total
Serves 2 hearty bowls or 3 moderate bowls
Serving Suggestions:
Toasted Cornbread Wedges
Slightly sweet cornbread helps balance the heat. Toast slices in a skillet with a bit of bacon grease or butter for a crispy edge.
Grilled or Pan-Seared Polenta Rounds
Crisp outside, creamy inside—mild flavor that soaks up the broth well.
Simple Cucumber Salad
Thin-sliced cucumbers tossed with a splash of vinegar, olive oil, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Super refreshing next to the heat of the soup.
[04/23/25]: Making it again, and it’s good again. One of those things that comes together really well, and you just know it’s a keeper from the get go. It reminds me of how I have never made corn chowder that was this good, and I like a flavorful corn chowder. I could put this soup with my long time favorites of “Curried Apple” and “Tarragon Pea” soup. I haven’t made either of those in a long time, but I have made them many times in the past and know I really do like their flavors. Both of those soups are good either hot or cold. But this one is a warm soup, with earthy flavors. *Glad I looked at the images. I forgot to list “diced jalapenos” in this and they are that little extra kick. [end]
[Note]: Damn, I didn’t realize how high the calorie count, per serving was for this. It is delicious, but I can’t afford to eat this unless I use a lot less pork sausage, and no bacon grease. [end Note]
[ADDENDUM]: Here is a variation of the above soup and almost as good.
Hot Pork Sausage (probably not even a quarter of the whole package)
Olive Oil
Shrimp
Onion (chopped fine)
Black & Pinto Beans
Okra
Diced Orange Sweet Bell Pepper
Diced Green Chilis
Cumin Ground
Fenugreek Powder
Chicken Broth
S&P
NOTE: I added one small Campari tomato, sliced, to a version and it did not take away from the overall flavor of this soup. I did add some diced okra, sweet bell pepper & cannellini beans. [end NOTE]
I used far less pork sausage than the recipe above because of it’s high fat content. I used no bacon grease, and very little olive oil. I used no Cannellini beans, and combined the Black & Pinto beans because I had used them in another dish, a multi-bean salad (with a vinegar base). I came upon the raw okra, and have in the past found that adding these to various soups provide an earthy and unique flavor.
I have crumbled up blue corn tortilla chips into the soup, or added the wonton chips. Either provide a dry crunch to the soup.
I’m going through my “Fenugreek” phase, and don’t find the powder bitter although that is the recurring mention by various other cooks. Years ago I went through a “ginger” phase, and then added “marjoram” to most dishes. I still love ginger candy, and even grate fresh ginger into a stir fry.
I like the flavors of Salsa Ranchera and Patak’s Curry Paste added to the same chicken dish. One takes the flavors in a Hispanic direction and the other in an India Indian direction. You can dice the chicken, onion, carrots and bell pepper exactly the same for each dish, and just choose which flavor you want to go in. Oh, and I may squeeze some lime juice in either. I like Spicy Chili Crisp on many things: steamed cabbage or cauliflower, mashed cucumber, or in a stir fry with a little sweetness. I also may add Toasted Sesame Oil to any of the above. And I have a minor “Diced Green Chilis” hunger that works in various soups.
[end]
Another thought came to me, that I could use Bay Scallops or perhaps Cod Fish instead of shrimp. I’ve enjoyed the fibrous nature of the Cod fish in my seafood chowder. I also need to see if I can get a better deal on frozen, peeled, heads & tails off, shrimp. I’ve bought them at Publix for several years, but I can never count on the local Publix to have them when I go looking. I checked yesterday and they had all the other types but none with all the above options. I even went to Cary or Mooresville once and found them there with no problem. It’s like Harris Teeter consistently not having the Greek Gods Plain Yogurt. *HT seems to have a better price for the shrimp, but their package is 12 oz. instead of 16 oz. **I bought a 12 oz. bag of the HT brand frozen shrimp, and will try it in the above recipe shortly. ***I didn’t like the flavor with the Bay Scallops (Faroe Island).
[06/02/25]: Am almost through making this soup again, and it is consistently a very good soup. I bought a bag of peeled, heads & tails off shrimp at HT and have been just as happy with them as with the Publix brand. I can make enough soup for two generous portions, and I use about a third of the Jamestown Hot Sausage. I’ve frozen two sandwich bags of the sausage for making this soup at other times. I made something similar using a hot Italian sausage, but it’s not as good as the ground sausage. And yes, the heat makes this soup delicious. [end]
There are two items on this wall of kitchen tools, that was in a Dollar Tree ($T)near me, that I found useful in my Bean Sprouting Project. First was the “splash guard” and the second, that I really didn’t think I needed, became absolutely necessary, the red pair of kitchen shears (scissors).
$1.25 @ $T$1.25 @ $T$.99 @ Sun Asian Market
I had looked online and found that all the sprouting jar lids (to be used on Ball or Mason Jars) were only for the “wide-mouth” jars. *Oh, you can buy glass jars, either the pint or quart size (not Ball/Mason) for $1.25 at $T. I wanted to use a regular mouth jar for my sprouting, and those wide-mouth specialty lids all cost about $4 or higher. As I was walking in “Ollie’s” I happened to see a grease splash guard but it cost about $4, but the thought came to me that I should be able to get one for $1.25 at Dollar Tree, and I did. I might be able to easily make 5 jar lid meshes out of one splash guard, but so far I’ve only made one and am reusing it for my second bean sprouting project. **I managed to cut out about 8 mesh strainers from the one splash guard, so that’s about 35 cents each, and I got the regular sized canning jars size instead of the wide-mouthed size.
There must have been some subconscious motivation for me to buy a pair of kitchen shears. I know I have one, somewhere, and I have several sewing scissors that I rarely use. One pair of these are a blackish metal with a sharp point. Mom used these for sewing her Butterick dresses. But buying these was prophetic.
I got the metal splash guard home and traced a black circle around a Mason jar cap with a permanent marker. How hard was that? But then the unexpected problem presented itself. I didn’t have any scissors or tin snips that would cut the metal of the splash guard. After being stymied, I thought I might have to buy some kind of screen door material that was made of a fine mesh plastic. But, before I went out looking for that, I happened to look down at the bag of things I had bought at Dollar Tree and realized I had a new pair of kitchen shears. I took them out. I think they were slightly serrated along the blades. And, to my surprise they worked. I now had a round metal mesh that fit perfectly in a regular Mason Jar lid. And although I didn’t glue this mesh into the jar lid, it remained stuck there for the entire remaining process. *I’ve cut my second mesh from the splash guard and trimming this one was much easier. It fits snuggly in the jar lid, and I’ve added a “second round” of mung beans. I also have some black eyed peas that haven’t sprouted yet. I’ve read that they have a unique flavor. And I have my sprouted lentils in the refrigerator.
I had seen dry mung beans in a bin at Sprouts (not prophetic) where I normally buy prunes, dry cranberries, and assorted nuts, but when I go looking for mung beans, they don’t have any. I next went to the Apple Crate Naturals (health foods store) and they didn’t have any mung beans either, but the clerk there suggested I go to Sun Asian Market. I already knew of Sun, and have shopped there several times for assorted items. I asked the clerk at Sun if they had mung beans and I was taken down several aisles and they had two different vendors selling packaged dry mung beans. I bought the one you see above for 99 cents.
You add the unsprouted beans (mung, lentils) in the jar and fill with a generous amount of water. Let this sit for 12 hours, or overnight, then drain. I don’t recall how many times you do this, and then drain, but eventually you just rinse the sprouting beans about twice a day and don’t let them sit in the water. I used one of my black soup bowls to put the jar in and lean it to it’s side slightly. It fit perfectly in the bowl for this purpose.
The AI suggested that I use a black sock, cutting the foot out and putting it over the jar. That worked perfectly. I probably should wash this sock after each use because it does get wet and remains wet for the duration of the process. But, the beans sprout, and then grow longer until they are ready to be used. Crunchy.
I used my Mung Bean sprouts both in a stir fry and in my Wakame Seaweed Salad and they worked fine. I think I only used 1/8 of a cup of beans, at least that is the amount of lentils I have started for my second bean sprouting project. I’m surprised at how quickly that I used the Mung Bean sprouts, and they did pretty much filled the jar. *If you have them, you will find a way to use them… I’ve put the sprouted Mung beans in my red cabbage slaw, in my homemade guacamole, in my wakame seaweed salad and I just thought, I might even try them mixed with my steamed cauliflower and Spicy Chili Crisp… that would be quite a juxtaposition of both flavors & textures.
I just refreshed my memory of the process. Cover the beans with a generous amount of water for 12 hours. Pour out and rinse, but pour out the water and invert the jar. Then add water and rinse twice a day. After several days the bean sprouts will grow. Eventually you take them out of the jar, dry them off and put them in a container and into the refrigerator.
I was very happy with my first bean sprouting project and hopefully will keep doing it. Better than buying a container at Whole Foods and then using it only once before they go bad.
SPROUTING BEAN SOURCES
Sun Asian Market [Fayetteville, NC]
I bought a bag of Mung beans for about a dollar. They had two companies. *When I returned to buy another bag, they had doubled in price to $2, but I still think of that as a good deal.
I think I tried to sprout broccoli seeds at home and wasn’t quite happy with the outcome, so I’ve been buying already sprouted broccoli seeds at the store. I’ve tried two different brands and am happy with the “Sunny Creek Farm” brand that I’ve bought at The Fresh Market. *There was a time when I would buy a package of sprouts, eat one helping and then let the rest rot in the fridge, but I’ve been good lately about buying, and using them all, mainly because I am adding some to my almost daily salads (IGA or HT), and I’ve also added them to a simple salad with sliced red radishes, and some ground mustard seeds. The mustard seed enzymes interact with the broccoli sprouts to enhance the sulforaphane production.
Mung Beans
35 cents for one regular Mason jar mesh strainer.The high sided bowl is just the right height to lean the glass jar perfectly.
I am completely happy with the Mung bean sprouts and have some well on their way again.
Lentils
The lentils sprouted but I the flavor wasn’t as good as the Mung beans in my seaweed salad. And, I tried at a later time to sprout some of the red lentils I had and they just didn’t sprout, so I threw them out.
Black Eyed Peas
Just a note here. I tried sprouting these and they did begin to sprout, but only a few days into the process I noted a slight sour smell. I tried several peas and they were easily chewable, but I decided to pour them out.
Amaranth
A very tiny seed, that apparently makes a very tiny sprout. It will be interesting if it has a unique flavor. *For my first try at sprouting Amaranth, I used 1/8 of a cup of the small seeds. They may not sprout well in a jar, as do Mung beans.
TYPE OF SEEDS TO SPROUT:
Moong dal seeds
Radish seeds
Broccoli seeds
Crimson clover
Mustard seeds
Mung bean sprouts are a powerhouse of nutrition—low in calories but rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Here’s a breakdown of their main benefits:
🥦 Nutritional Highlights (per 1 cup, ~104g, raw):
Calories: ~31
Protein: 3g
Carbohydrates: 6g
Fiber: 2g
Fat: 0.2g
🌱 Key Nutritional Benefits
1. High in Antioxidants
Contain compounds like vitamin C, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, which help fight oxidative stress and reduce inflammation.
2. Good Source of Plant-Based Protein
Offers a small but quality dose of protein, especially useful in vegetarian or plant-forward diets.
3. Digestive Health
The fiber in sprouts aids in digestion and helps maintain healthy bowel movements.
The hulls are a good source of insoluble fiber, which aids in digestion, promotes gut health, and can help regulate blood sugar levels.
Also easier to digest than unsprouted mung beans due to reduced anti-nutrients like phytic acid.
4. Supports Heart Health
Low in fat and cholesterol.
Contains potassium and magnesium, which support healthy blood pressure levels.
5. Rich in Folate (Vitamin B9)
Essential for DNA synthesis and particularly important during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects.
6. Boosts Immunity
Good amount of vitamin C, which enhances immune function and aids in collagen production.
7. Helps with Blood Sugar Control
The low glycemic index and fiber can help moderate blood sugar spikes.
8. Hydrating and Low-Calorie
High water content helps with hydration and can be a filling, low-calorie food for weight management.
🍽️ How to Use Them
Raw in salads or wraps
Stir-fried briefly with garlic and sesame oil
Added to soups, spring rolls, or Asian-style noodle dishes & my Wakame Seaweed Salad.
I like them in a red cabbage slaw, with Dukes Mayo, half-n-half and some sweet onion. They provide a pleasant crunch.
I’m going to list some ingredients for my guacamole and I know that they may not all be technically what goes into a guacamole recipe. This also gets blended and makes the guacamole very smooth. The yogurt and sour cream and even the tomatillo makes it so.
Avocado
Avocado oil
Tomatillo (I used a small one.)
Green Chilis (I forgot these, but it was still delicious.)
Sweet Onion
Cilantro
Mung beans (sprouted – optional, but delicious crunchy texture)
Sour Cream
Greek Yogurt plain
Lime juice (optional, but goes great with the cilantro.)
Cumin (ground)
Garlic (powder)
Salt
I am now creating this not as a stand-alone item to use with tortilla chips, but as part of a meal. The base being “Black Beans & Quinoa” which has some onion & corn also. This is a flavorful base for the meal. I didn’t intend it to be “vegetarian” but it is close. The guacamole is the cooling compliment to the salsa with a little heat. I also want to add cilantro, onion, & jalapeno (roasted) to the salsa.
Later in the summer, there is a vendor at the State Farmers’ Market in Raleigh that offers a great number of varied peppers, both mild and hot. I do not like the very hot peppers. I do like the peppers that have distinctive flavor. A jalapeno or poblano, both roasted, have just enough heat. I have mentioned elsewhere three other distinctive peppers but I can’t always get them. Actually, I tried all three a couple years ago, and was only able to get one of the three last year. I asked all season long, and they were never available for sale. Biquhino, Trinidad Perfume and Brazillian Starfish. I found another pepper, Ajicitos Dulces Peppers, at Compare, and have frozen some of them. I can take one out, cut it, and add it to whatever I’m cooking. I’m not sure it is that distinctive in flavor, and it doesn’t have any heat.
[04/12/25]: Well, I hope I remember what I was going to write about here. [end]
Creamy Small-Batch Guac with Lime, Tomatillo & Greek Yogurt
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and chunked
1 tsp lime juice
¼ red bell pepper, finely diced
¼ small sweet white onion, minced
1 small tomatillo, husked, rinsed, and finely chopped (raw or roasted)
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (for creaminess)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Total for the Whole Recipe:
Calories: 281 kcal
Carbohydrates: 19.7 g
Protein: 4.9 g
Fat: 22.7 g
This small-batch guacamole yields about 1 cup total (maybe a little more, depending on how chunky it is). That’s perfect for:
Day before yesterday I was suffering from mild diarrhea so I decided not to try and go to Wegman’s in Raleigh. Yesterday, I was feeling much better and headed up to Raleigh again. Not sure why, but this time I didn’t take my shortcut, bypassing Bunnlevel, but went through the small town. Not actually sure I would call it a town. It does have a Post Office, Fire Department, a Dollar General and a church, but not much else. 45 miles per hour, and zip you’re through it.
My crass joke is based upon the simple observation of “Why won’t they ever build a high school in Bunnlevel?” And the reply is, “Because they would have to call it Ass Hole High.” If you’re from Bunnlevel, I’m pretty sure that’s an offensive joke, but as far as humor goes, it’s “spot on.”
I got to Lillington and decided to drive by the junk store. It was open and I went to a small parking lot nearby and walked back to it. I like many of the things they have. Unlike some junk stores, I find interesting things there, and I’ve bought items in the past. I bought a set of Lennox glasses once and there must have been at least 10 in the set because I think I kept four of them and gave six away. I ended up buying an “Azalea Coast” cook book for $4 plus tax. This cookbook didn’t fit my standard. No colorful pictures, but there were recipes from Wilmington, North Carolina and the nearby region of Pender, Hanover, and Brunswick Counties.
After Lillington I headed up and dropped off a couple of books at a Little Lending Library that I’ve visited before. This is the one where I once left a book that had some personal items in it. The book had an old driver’s license, a photo of a relative’s child, and maybe a Christmas card. The owner of the LLL returned these items to me via the U.S. Postal Service. But what do you expect from someone that leaves those types of personal items in a book? I didn’t open the letter that the person sent immediately. In fact, I think it may have been about 3 months before I opened it and read the note. And even worse, I didn’t send a thank you note anytime soon.
But yesterday I was in Fuquay Varina and stopped at their Walmart for the second time, maybe ever. A few weeks ago I had actually stopped there and bought a small hand vacuum cleaner. That broke the ice, and yesterday I stopped in and bought two things: a box of boxed matches and finally I bought a Walmart Gift Card. The store clerk was very helpful and even pointed me to the matches on H11.
I walked out to my car and as I was starting it up, I looked and saw the tire warning light on my dash. I checked and it said that my rear driver’s side tire only had 28 pounds of pressure. The rest of the tires had around 36/37 pounds. I had to decide what to do. I even asked Gemini what I should do. A tire store, or service station were a few of the suggestions. I asked if there was a Black’s Tire Service in the area. There was one in Apex, about 10 miles away. I thought through the process and decided I didn’t want to continue on to Wegman’s in Raleigh, buy some White American Cheese & the Bigelow Raspberry Royale tea (before Trump Tariffs stop things from being imported, or drive up prices so high). Yeah, I didn’t want to be sitting in my car in the Wegman’s parking lot, with cheese that needs refrigeration.
So, I started back home, and kept watch on the tire pressure. I might have gone twenty mile before the tire pressure dropped from 28 to 27. Once it did that, I knew I had made the right decision. And now the process began to gel in my mind. I had a box of trash in the trunk, but I wanted to get the tire from my apartment before I went to Black’s Tires. I think the rear tire pressure did drop to 26 as I neared home. I decided to put the trash in my back seat, and got the old tire and put it in the trunk. This was just the tire and not on a rim.
I made it to Black’s Tire Service on Ramsey Street, next to Methodist University without further problems. I told the young woman clerk that I had a tire leak and that I had a spare that could be put on a rim if necessary. Sure enough this was about the third tire, with a nail or wire, in a location that meant it couldn’t be repaired. And the clerk forgot about the spare that I had brought and quoted me a price of about $242 for the one new tire. I walked and sat back down in the waiting area, but my mind was processing the situation. Had she said that my tire couldn’t be repaired? I got back up and asked her. Sure enough she said it couldn’t be repaired and I asked why they couldn’t put the spare I had brought. She rushed out to tell the tech to put my spare on, which he did and my total bill ended up being only about $42. So having kept that old tire, even if it didn’t have a lot of tire tread, did finally pay off.
I now had good tires all around, but I wasn’t going to go back to Raleigh, but I now wanted to go to the La-Z-Boy in Fayetteville to give a saleswoman a copy of “Becoming” a bio by Michelle Obama. I had stopped in the store on Sunday looking to see what easy chairs they had. I think the first one I sat in was about $3K, and the rest appeared to be in that price range. So needless to say, I wouldn’t be buying from La-Z-Boy again.
Like, but not.
I had bought a sofa & love seat and my bent wood “Easy” chair there back in 2011 when I first moved to Long Hill Apartments. Eventually I gave the sofa & love seat to Jeff and Robin, and I’m guessing they have just moved that furniture with them to their new home. I haven’t gone to their new home yet, but have a bunch of “art” books for Ashlyn when I do.
I didn’t recall the name of the La-Z-Boy saleswoman, but we had a long conversation and I recalled that we had talked about her using an AI to organize a book she was writing. She was working and once I got close enough, I asked, “Did we have a conversation about how you were using AI to organize a book you were writing,” to which she replied, “Yes.” I told her I had a book for her. She thanked me and hugged me. I left. I hope she enjoys the book. It was a very enjoyable book and inspiring.
Oddly enough, I bought the book in Dunn at “Cat’s Corner.” I paid a little more than I had wanted, but I did want to give this book as a gift. But the “oddly” was that after I bought the book I saw Michelle Obama on TV talking about “doing stuff for herself.” I don’t think she actually said she wasn’t planning to not divorce Barak Obama, and he seemed to be apologetic in having “run up a tab” with his wife that he was trying to pay. I like them both, even if they do divorce. She hasn’t attended at least two events that you would normally think she would have. The funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, and the Inauguration of Donald Trump.
I definitely could see not attending anything for Trump. That was something that Hillary and Bill Clinton should have skipped. As I’ve said elsewhere, “If someone had called my wife ‘That lying Hillary’ over and over again during the Campaign, I sure wouldn’t have attended any event for them. And Trump actually thanked them both for their long civic service and had everyone stand and clap. How two-faced can you get? I think I know.
So, with her showing up on TV after a long time of not being on TV seemed almost prophetic. I figure the book will be enjoyed. I hope.
I’m now living under a Hex to not be able to get to Wegman’s and get the Raspberry Royale.
I’m supposed to get my new waffle iron today. A Cuisinart WMR-CAP2 Round Classic Waffle Maker, Brushed Stainless,Silver from Amazon. *Messaged that it was delivered, to a parcel locker, but no key in the mailbox. I left a note the next morning, and when I got back home the key was in the box. I got the new waffle iron. Hope it’s in working condition. Unboxed, looks a little flimsy.
Purchase Date: 04/08/2025 Date of Delivery: 04/12/2025 Purchased From: AMAZON.COM Price: $24.95
I plan to give my old one to the Northwoods Thrift Store. It’s been a long while since I had a waffle for breakfast. But, I haven’t had liver mush (liver pudding) either, nor polenta. **Gave the old one to the thrift store yesterday. ***Key not left in box the first day, but I left a note to the Postman next morning, and when I got back and checked the key was in the mailbox.
I coated the waffle iron surface with olive oil, top & bottom. Turned it on, and shortly the green light came on to add the batter. I had added some Greek Yogurt and sour cream to the Bisquick recipe for more moisture, and the waffle came out perfectly, and very quickly also. Added a little grass fed butter, some Agave Nectar and Cary’s Sugar Free Syrup. **Another reminder, but I’ve put this maple flavored no-sugar syrup on carrots with a little butter, on the stove top and the syrup gets thinner and not thicker as sugar might. You end up with a maple flavored glazed carrot.
*Oh, and I had a large glass jar which held the whole box of Bisquick. Some time ago, I had mealy bugs get in my opened box of Bisquick and ruin it, and some dry beans also. So, I bought a large glass jar (gallon or half-gallon) with a tight fitting lid for the Bisquick. No bugs this morning and it’s been well more than a month since. I’ve also put all my dry beans in small glass or plastic containers. Most containers are Ball/Mason/Dukes Mayo jars, some with canning jar lids and some with the yellow plastic Dukes Mayo lids.
I do want to mention how I am using AI to enhance my food experience. I can take a photo of a recipe in a cookbook and then have the AI interpret it.
.
.
This was Gemini’s response:
The attached file contains a recipe for “SMOKED OYSTER DIP”. The recipe lists the following ingredients:
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
1 (3½-ounce) can smoked oysters, drained and chopped
½ cup ripe olives, minced
1 teaspoon onion, grated
The instructions are to thoroughly blend the cream cheese, sour cream, oysters, olives, and onion. The recipe suggests serving the dip with chips or crackers and states that it makes 1 cup. The recipe is attributed to Mrs. Landon B. Anderson (Connie).
I am impressed by how well the AI reads the text from a photo. And, if I wanted to add that recipe to a web page, or a Word document, the AI has done all the hard work for me. *It’s not always perfect, but when it is, it saves a lot of time. And then I can start exploring the recipe even further. Asking the calorie count, the suggested serving size and even reducing the ingredient amounts.
Gemini providing further exploration of the above recipe:
Okay, let’s calculate the approximate calories per serving based on our estimated serving size of 2 tablespoons (1/8 of the total recipe).
Here are the approximate total calories for the entire recipe:
Cream cheese: ~300 calories
Sour cream: ~180 calories (using an average)
Smoked oysters: ~160 calories
Ripe olives: ~110 calories (using an average)
Onion: ~1 calorie
Total estimated calories for the entire recipe: 300 + 180 + 160 + 110 + 1 = 751 calories
Now, to find the calories per serving (assuming 8 servings of 2 tablespoons each):
Calories per serving ≈ Total calories / Number of servingsCalories per serving ≈ 751 calories / 8 servingsCalories per serving ≈ 93.88 calories
Therefore, each serving of approximately 2 tablespoons of this Smoked Oyster Dip would contain roughly 94 calories.
Important Note: This is an estimated calorie count. The actual calories per serving can vary depending on the specific brands and types of ingredients used. For more precise nutritional information, it’s always best to check the nutrition labels of your ingredients.
And I can also ask the AI to make a recipe “more diabetic friendly,” and it will make suggestions like, “substitute Greek Yogurt for sour cream.”
I’m also using an online tool, “My Fitness Pal” to keep track of the foods I eat, or plan to eat. I also track my weight and resting blood glucose level.
I can add recipes to this, so I can take a picture of a recipe from some source, an old cookbook for instance, and have the AI generate the text from the photo. I then paste the recipe ingredients text into the recipe creation tool at My Fitness Pal. It then searches for these ingredients and pretty soon, I have a new recipe, with the almost exact calorie counts. I did this for the “Black Beans and Quinoa” recipe that I had found online. I didn’t have to rely on someone else having already posted this recipe to the site. I did it.
And while I’m still think of it, I am going to try to use those empty glass vials that I bought to use as chess pieces for my new pill organizer. I hope I kept some and didn’t donate them all to the thrift store. I looked at the pill organizers that $T has, and none worked. Too small, odd shaped, all one unit and not daily.
I found a few of the tall glass vials and tried my morning tablets in it. They fit easily and the smaller, half sized glass vial might fit all the morning, or all the evening tablets also. I’m pretty sure I donated them, but if not I will have enough for my tablets and they will also be easily fillable for both morning & evening. True that the mouth of the vials is small, but they came in a box where the vials can line up nicely side by side. But, the small mouth means I can just turn the vial up and swallow.
I found the box of glass vials (3 different sizes) that I used to make a chess set. I don’t have enough of the 2/3rd size to have matching vials for 7 days, but I do have enough of the tall vials for 7 days, two vials per day. *While in Target today I happened to see a black silicone ice tray. It had 7 slots on each side (7 days, morning & evening). I thought the slots were about the right size, but once I got home, they were a little short, and the diameter of each vial was a little large for the slot, but the slots a flexible and that creates a snug fit for each vial. I think this might work.
**This worked fine. I’ve used two sizes of glass vials. The shorter vials are for my nighttime pills, and the taller for the morning pills. I’ve attached color coded labels and a 3 letter day code: SUN, MON, TUE, WED, THU, FRI, SAT for each day. I fill up each vial (did this morning for the first time) and screw the aluminum cap on each. They fit snuggly into the ice tray. After I use a vial, I leave the cap off but stuff the cap into the empty tray and turn the empty glass vial upside down and stuff it in the other section of that tray section. That way, moisture doesn’t get into the empty vial. I now keep the whole week’s worth of vials and the rubber tray on the shelf next to the bathroom sink.
And before I forget it, I saw a package of shower curtain hooks (the old style that act like carabiners) and I realized that they could be used to hook my large (non-electric) wok to my mobile kitchen stand. The little S hook that I had wouldn’t fit on one side of the cart, but did on the side… that I didn’t need it on. *I did buy some of these and have put about 5 or 6 pots & pans on the end of the mobile kitchen cart, that used to sit on the stove top.
**This works great. I’ve added about 5 pots & pans from my smallest Revere Ware pot, to the largest (non-electric wok). I can walk in and out of my kitchen and don’t brush against these dangling beside the mobile cart.
Bill Gibson, II 