Crostini, sometimes called crostino, which means “little toast” in Italian, is a small slice of grilled or toasted bread capped with a flavorful topping (source).

This recipe, featuring beans and fresh sage, provides a variety of nutrients. 1 cup canned white beans provides 50% DV Dietary Fiber, 19% Calcium, 44% Iron, and 19g Protein (source). An excellent source of Manganese, white beans assist with healthy bones, metabolism, sex hormones and thyroid gland function, regulation of blood sugar, prevention of epileptic seizures, as well as assisting with calcium absorption (source).

These refreshing White Bean and Sage Crostini are excellent hors d’oeuvres or can be used as a fancy potluck contribution.

White Bean and Sage Crostini

Crostini:
1 (8-ounce) baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
olive oil
salt
fresh cracked pepper

Topping:
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or great northern beans
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons…

In the new year, I have been trying to increase the amount of whole foods that we consume.  To me, this means coming up with creative ways to eat less processed food and re-think traditional meals.  I have already experimented with (and found that I love) cauliflower rice, so I decided to try spaghetti squash pasta next.

I followed these instructions from Colorful Eats for preparing the squash.  First you bake it a bit, then you cut it open and clean it out a lot like preparing a pumpkin on Halloween.  Then you use a fork to scrape out little shavings from the inside of the squash.  This took a whole lot of wrist strength, to the point where I felt that I maybe undercooked the squash.

Once I was done preparing the spaghetti squash shavings, I mixed them with everything I would put in a typical Italian pasta…