AGABAAG (pronounced “ag-uh-bag”) is simply an acronym that I came up with for “a green a bean and a green.”  It became my go-to lunch item last month when I started my “December detox and diet”.  In December, I lost 11 of my 22 pound weight loss goal and having a super-filling, healthy, protein and fiber loaded lunch item like this played a critical role in achieving that success.

The idea of eating a grain, a bean and a green is certainly not new nor is it my original idea. I first came across this when eating at Real Food Daily in Los Angeles, California. Real Food Daily has a section on its menu called “basics” wherein you can decide to combine two, three, four or more of the items under these different food groupings.

When dieting, I tend to default to the old weight watchers points program because it’s easy for me. I know most food values or can quickly calculate them in my head based on that program’s formula.  I still feel that the old weight watchers is the most sustainable weight-loss plan commercially available to date.  The portions that I use in my AGABAAG recipe are based on what a typical meal for someone my age (42), height (5’11”) and desired weight (175 lbs) should be eating.  Clearly, if you are significantly taller, shorter, younger or older than I, or if you are female (because women are allotted less points overall than men due to metabolic rate differences), your ideal portion and associated point value will be different than mine.  Don’t worry; the ratios in this recipe work perfectly, even if you up or down adjust them.

This AGABAAG bowl is filled with chickpeas, brown rice and collards seasoned with curry, lime juice and topped with unsweetened reduced-fat shredded coconut.

I use the weekend as a time to cook in bulk the basic stock items for different AGABAAG recipes for the week. I make a big batch of quinoa and a batch of brown rice for the coming week and refrigerate them in a plastic airtight resealable containers.  If I don’t purchase shredded, pre-washed kale, collards or spinach, then the weekend is the perfect time to prep that as well to have my greens at the ready.  I also prep my beans over the weekend if I’m not using canned beans.   Having all of the ingredients set and ready to go makes cooking them on a daily basis (usually at night before going to work the next day) a much easier, quicker and less daunting task.

Below is the general template for the AGABAAG recipe. The great thing about this recipe is that you get to make it your own and you can make it different every single time.  So get creative with your spices and seasonings and have at it!

Prep time: about 1 hour on a weekend
Cooking time: less than 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

1/2-1 cup of beans, washed well and drained. (I vary the amount based on the bean used, due to the points value.)
1 cup of grain
1-2 large handfuls of green
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable broth
Assorted dry spices and seasonings (this is where you really make it your own)
Braggs liquid aminos, to taste
Hot sauce (Sriracha, Frank’s or any other you might like)

Directions:

1. Spray to coat a nonstick metal wok with nonstick nonfat aerosol cooking spray (like Pam) and heat on the highest setting.

2. Toss in the beans and gently sauté, moving them around so they do not stick to the wok. Do this for about 30 seconds.

3.  Throw in your cup of grain. Again, keep sautéing this for another 30 seconds while moving it around so the grain gets evenly mixed with the beans and everything gets heated up. Scrape down the wok and slightly lower the heat if it starts to stick.

4.  You need to work quickly on this next step: shake in your dried spices. You can use as much of each spice as you’d like. My general rule is to shake a light coating layer to cover the top surface of all the contents in the wok.  Then, mix everything up. Do not be alarmed if some of the beans or grain stick to the wok at this point.

5.  Add in a little of the veggie broth. Essentially, you want to add enough just to wet the bottom of the mixture so that you can scrape off anything that has stuck to the wok. Mix everything up very well.

6.  Shake in any liquid seasonings like Braggs liquid aminos and/or a hot sauce of your choosing. Mix well.

7.  Toss your greens on top of the mixture and then carefully start folding them into the mixture.  As they heat, they will start to wilt. Attention: if your mixture is getting too thick or is sticking too much to the wok, add a bit more veggie broth to help “steam” the greens.

8.  Once your greens are evenly wilted, turn off the heat and you’re done. If you plan to eat it now, transfer to a nice big bowl and enjoy. If you are preparing this for lunch the next day, transfer to a travel safe lunch container, and allow it to cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating.

Note: I will often heat this up in the microwave for lunch the next day however, you can enjoy this cold as well.

Canellini beans, quinoa, collards, spinach and kale in a spicy mix of Sriracha, garlic, onion and paprika.