Picking fresh lettuce leaves from the garden is one of the best feelings that comes along in the summertime. Even if it is only four leaves.

Yep, this salad was prepared in a mason jar *lid* with some quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, s&p and about 3 drops of hemp seed oil and a splash of red wine. Mmm I dub thee the Micro-Micro-Green salad. Three and a half bites of pure summery crunch!!!!!!!!!  ;~)

I had this tiny salad alongside some delicious penne with a pinto bean-mushroom sauce. It was a quick meal that was thrown together that packed a carbo-punch for my dinner! Wish it were lunch. Punch for your lunch. Love that phrase. Don’t think I’ve ever said that phrase before, actually. Usually it’s “crunch for your lunch”. Okay. Now the recipe.

Pinto Bean & Mushroom Pasta Sauce

15 oz crushed low sodium tomatoes (for tastier results, use fresh tomatoes)

3-4 white mushrooms, sliced (baby bellas would work nicely too. whites were on sale [I’m cheap])

1 clove of garlic, chopped really tiny

1/4 red onion, diced

1 cup cooked pinto beans ((I bought these dry and (1) soaked (2) rinsed and (3) cooked them beforehand))

1/2 large red fresh tomato, diced small

a couple leaves of fresh basil, chopped

italian spices

s&p to taste

I ate this sauce raw and used my hot pasta to heat it up/cool down the pasta.

If you prefer your vegetables cooked:

Heat up a skillet, add 1 T water or oil, cook onions on a little less than medium heat til soft (3 minutes), add in mushrooms and cook until tender. Add all other ingredients and cook for a couple of minutes. Add spices to taste!

Meanwhile, boil pasta (I ate half a box ~170 grams dry) to preferred style. I prefer soft post al-dente, not too soft.

Add sauce to pasta, serve up, & bon appetit! Chop some optional raw collard greens to eat on the side for extra micro nutrient points! (If the micro-micro didn’t do it for ya)

~*~