The month or so of rotator cuff surgery preparation I’ve done is a blog in itself, but this post is strictly about preparing food to take to work for lunch, food that is easy to eat (I’ve been advised by previous shoulder surgery survivors that sandwiches are great!) and can be prepared ahead of time so at least my first week or two of recovery is lighter on duties.
My inspiration for these sandwiches was Vegan in the Freezer. The idea of mixing pintos with garbanzos seemed interesting. While Ginny likes her sandwich filling a little crunchy so doesn’t mash the beans so much, I like my crunch to come from raw veggies, not from what I consider undercooked beans. The pintos were very soft…inspiring, I think, the chickpeas to lighten up! 
I didn’t have the Knorr seasoning she mentioned, but after checking the ingredients, I figured I could make do by mincing veggies I had on hand and using herbs and spices.
BASE
- 1 25-oz can of organic pinto beans
- 1 25-oz can of organic garbanzo beans
RAW
- A one-inch slice from a LARGE sweet onion
- 2/3 of a celery rib
- 2 baby carrots
- a quarter of a green bell pepper Condiments
CONDIMENTS
1) 2-3 Tbsps of mayo–I use Kraft made with olive oil (sadly, the olive oil is not a major ingredient!)
2) salt
3) freshly ground pepper
Rinse the beans! You don’t want that canned soup/bean water flavor in your dish!
Use a mixer, handheld masher or a combination of both to chop and smooth the beans to your desired level. Whip in the mayo and raw veggies. Add some salt and pepper.
VARIETY
This was the genius of a large recipe! I divided the mixture into three lots and seasoned each separately.
1) Curry
2) Chili
3) Herb (parsley, dill, etc.)
WRAP & FREEZE
I used high-quality plastic wrap and included a scribbled slip of paper to identify my varieties. I put seven sandwiches (what this recipe made with thick, abundant filling in each) back into the bag the sandwich thins came in to add another layer of protection from the freezer.
TAKE-AWAY
The next time you mix a large batch of something—or contemplate whether to mix a large or smaller batch—consider dividing the basics and getting crazy with some of your favorite flavors!