This is a fast, easy recipe that has a lot of color, flavor, and different textures to encourage birds to eat healthy.
It is also very flexible; the ratios of beans to vegetables to pasta can be changed to accommodate individual tastes. Pictured below is equal parts beans to vegetables and a third part pasta. Keep in mind, 2-3 cans of beans will make a very large batch, but is only recommended to add more variety to the mix. One can of a single type of bean is great too.
- Ingredients
•1-3 cans of various beans (red kidney, garbanzo, white cannellini, black beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas)
•1 bag frozen vegetable mix (may include corn, carrot, peas, green beans, lima beans, bell peppers, and more)
•Pasta of choice (wheat pasta or vegetable pastas are great for this recipe)
•Tomato marinara optional
- Directions
1. Begin by bringing a pot of water to a boil. (One large enough to accommodate all ingredients.)
2. Add in dry pasta, it will require the longest cooking time. Usually 9-13 minutes depending on the type.
3. Measure the frozen vegetable mix into a strainer and briefly run hot water over it before adding it into the boiling pasta to keep the cooking time minimal. The frozen vegetables usually require 6-8 minutes to be fully soft.
4. Open the beans and pour them into a strainer and thoroughly rinse them. Add them to the cooking pasta and vegetables. They will only need about 3-5 minutes of boiling, enough to heat them up as canned beans are already fully cooked.
5. Added in this order, everything should be done by the time the pasta has completely cooked. Strain the cooked mixture, let cool, and serve! Freeze leftovers for an easy, quick treat later that takes only a minute or two to re-warm.
Optional: Place the cooled serving into a sealable container. Add a 1-2 teaspoons of tomato marinara and close the lid tightly. Shake for a light, even coating of marinara over the whole mixture. Sometime this can encourage picky eaters to eat their vegetables.