Black Bean Soup

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
3 cups water
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add beans, water, salsa and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice.

Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree (use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Stir the puree back into the saucepan. Serve garnished with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

*Recipe borrowed from Eating Well, serves 4 of 1 1/4 cups each

Green Bean Casserole

32 oz. canned green beans, cooked and drained
3/4 cup fat free milk
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/3 c. French fried onions, divided

Preheat oven to 350 F. In medium bowl, combine beans, milk, soup, pepper and 2/3 cup French fried onions. Pour into 1 1/2qt casserole. Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions; bake, uncovered for 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown.

*Original recipe from Old-Fashioned Favorites

Spelt Salad with White Beans and Artichokes

1 1/4 cups uncooked spelt (farro), rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Preparation
Combine spelt and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until tender and liquid is absorbed.

Combine cooked spelt, mint, and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

*Recipe borrowed from Charity Ferriera, Cooking Light

4 Cheese Pesto Lasagna

Meat Portion:
1-2 lbs. Italian Sausage
16 oz. mushrooms
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes
Salt & pepper
2 jars of spaghetti sauce plus 1 tsp. sugar

1 stick of butter
Saute oregano, garlic, salt and pepper
Add meat
Cook then add mushrooms
Add spaghetti sauce and allow to simmer

Cook noodles until done (2-3 boxes)

Cheese:
1-two lb. bag of mozzarella cheese
1-two lb. bag of cheddar cheese
2 pints of large curd cottage cheese

Mix together:
1 pint Riccota cheese
1 pint of Pesto

Take a large baking dish and layer: Begin with meat sauce on bottom.... meat sauce --> noodles --> cheese --> noodles --> meat sauce --> noodles --> cheese --> noodles --> meat sauce --> a little bit of cottage cheese for garnish.

Bake at 350 F for one hour. Uncover for the last 15 minutes of baking. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

*Recipe borrowed from Sarah Gilbert Herrera

Turkey Picadillo

4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, diced
1-2 serrano peppers, cut in half
6-8 small tomatoes or 3-4 large tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 lb. lean ground turkey
olive oil
2 large potatoes

Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add onions and simmer for 10 minutes. Add meat and brown slightly. Mix in tomatoes & serrano peppers and simmer for 20 minutes, covered until potatoes are cooked. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with corn tortillas or just in a bowl.

Weight Watcher's Pizza

1 Boboli Crust
10 oz fresh spinach
2 c. chopped chicken, cooked
16 oz marinara sauce
1 c. grated mozzarella cheese

Spread spinach and chicken on the crust. cover with sauce. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake at 400 F for 12-15 minutes or until bubbling and brown.

*Recipe borrowed from Ellen Campbell

Wild Rice with Pecans

6 T. butter
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. finely chopped bell pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. wild rice, rinsed and drained
3 c. chicken broth
sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter in a saucepan. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Season with SS&P. Place in a well-buttered 2 qt. covered casserole. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour. (Freezes well)

*Recipe borrowed from Betsy Brown

Mashed Potatoes with Mushrooms

4 large baking potatoes
10oz sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stick + 2 T. butter
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
Sea salt & pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion tops

Saute mushrooms with chopped garlic in 2 T. butter until cooked and set aside.

Cook sliced potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain well and place in mixer bowl. Add 1 stick of butter cut into 4 pieces. Add 3/4 can of soup. Mix well until creamy. Fold in chopped green onions. Salt and pepper to taste.

*Recipe borrowed from Mary Gilbert

Harris's Graham Muffins

1 Cup Graham (Whole Wheat) flour
1 cup white flour sifted with:
1 tsp. soda
1 rounded tsp. baking powder
1 level tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 T. Shortening
1 Egg
Milk enough to make batter (consistency of cake batter)

Bake in oven at 400 F.

*recipe borrowed from Brown Family Cookbook

Guatemalan Chirmol

12 Roma tomatoes of 6 large tomatoes
small bunch of cilantro
Juice of 3 limes
1/2 large yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper

Wrap tomatoes in foil and grill 15-20 minutes or until soft and skin blisters. Remove skins. Process garlic, onion, and cilantro in food processor until well minced. Add tomatoes and barely pulse until chunky.

This is DELICIOUS served on top of steak, chicken and/or rice!

*Recipe borrowed from Ana Herrera Escobar

Faye's Pasta

1 bag of Farfalle pasta
1 bag of fresh spinach
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
Handful of Parmesan cheese
Shrimp
Olive oil
minced garlic

Boil pasta according to the directions on the package.

Saute garlic in a couple of T. of olive oil. Add shrimp. Saute until pink. Add tomatoes and spinach. Stir until spinach wilts. Stir into drained pasta. Add Parmesan and serve!

*Recipe borrowed from Faye Elizabeth Brown

Chicken Spaghetti

Stew 1 chicken
Cool in stock and cut into bite size pieces
Cook 1 package of spaghetti in stock, but to not blanch
Cut up 1 medium onion in fine pieces and saute in butter
Add 2 medium cans of tomatoes to onion
Let it come to a roiling boil
Add 1 lb of sliced mushrooms, 1 T. Worchestershire sauce, and a dash of cayenne pepper
Add spaghetti and chicken
Put in a baking dish and sprinkle with grated cheese
Bake about 30 minutes at 350 F

*Recipe borrowed from the sweet Ann Brown

Turkey Spaghetti

1 lb. ground turkey, 93% fat free
1 can Hunt's chunky spaghetti sauce
1 white onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
Oregano
Fresh Basil
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced thinly
1 package of Spaghetti

In large skillet, brown turkey and drain well. Add onions and peppers; cook until peppers and onions are tender. Add spaghetti sauce and seasonings. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and rinse well. Combine all ingredients and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

*original recipe from cooks.com

Chicken & Broccoli

1 whole stewed chicken, boned and cut into pieces
2 packages of chopped broccoli, cooked and drained

Mix together:
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. lemon juice

Place drained broccoli in a greased 9"x13" pyrex dish. Top with chicken. Pour cream mixture over the chicken. Top with parmesan cheese and bake at 350 F until bubbly.

*Recipe borrowed from the Sweet Ann Brown

Baked Tomatoes - Genoa Style

4 firm tomatoes
olive oil
fresh garlic, finely chopped
chopped parsley
sea salt & pepper
grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Cut tomatoes in half. Shake out seeds. Place in an oiled baking dish. Pour 2 teaspoons of olive oil into each half. Sprinkle each half with garlic, parley, S&P. Top with a good coating of Parm cheese and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes or until slightly browned and moderately soft.

*Recipe borrowed from Nancy Clinton Harrison

All Bran Rolls

2 yeast cakes in 1 c. lukewarm water
1 c. shortening
1 c. All Bran
1 c. boiling water
2 eggs, beaten well
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Put yeast cakes in a cup with lukewarm water. Place shortening, sugar, salt in bowl. Pour boiling water over all bran, then pour over shortening mixture and dissolve. Cool and add to yeast mixture. Add eggs and flour. Knead dough to pick up all flour and place portion on dough board and roll out rolls.

As rolls are shaped, they may be dipped in melted butter. Let rise in a warm place 2-3 hours before baking. Unused portion may be kept in refrigerator in plastic container for 2-3 days.

*Recipe borrowed from Betty Gibson

A Good Pasta Salad

1 lb. of small pasta (e.g. pasta shells)
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup salad oil
4 dashes of Worchestershire sauce
4 dashes Tabasco
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 pkg of Good Season's Italian dressing mix (dry)
1 1/4 cup 50% fat free mayonnaise
2 T. Picante Sauce

Combine all ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes. Add 3 T. chopped green chiles, 10 green onions chopped, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped green pepper, 1 can of corn (drained), 2 cans black-eyed-peas (drained), 4 oz stuffed green olives (drained and sliced), 16 oz ripe olives (drained and sliced), and 2 jars marinated artichokes (drained and sliced). Mix thoroughly and chill well.

*Recipe borrowed from Nancy Harrison

Spetawhite Scramble

3 egg whites
1 cup of fresh, organic spinach
1 Marzano tomato, diced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Seat salt & pepper to taste

Start cooking onion with olive oil spray in an omelet pan until translucent. Add egg whites and scramble half-way. Add tomato and spinach and cook until eggs are scrambled to desired consistency. Place delicious scramble on a plate, add half of the feta cheese to omelet pan and cover until melted. Scrape feta onto scramble then add the rest of the cheese to the masterpiece. Add salt & pepper to taste.

*original recipe from hopeigetit2, sparkrecipes.com

Bruschetta

2 Marzano tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
8 fresh basil leaves, minced
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
12 slices (1/2 inch) of a long loaf of Italian bread

Mix all topping ingredients together. Spread evenly over each slice of bread. Toast until crisp at 375 F.

*original recipe from Ladysith13, Healthyrecipes.com

No Fuss Zucchini

2 lbs. zucchini
olive oil spray
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Slice zucchini relatively thinly and grill on stove flipping occassionally for 2-3 minutes each side. Sprinkle fresh sea salt & pepper to taste AND SERVE! (yep, that's it!)

Bob Loves Lemon Pepper (not that nutrish but def delish)

1 T. olive oil
3 split chicken breasts (w/rib)
lemon pepper

Sprinkle lemon pepper on both sides of chicken breast. On the bottom of a glass, bake-safe dish, drizzle a thin layer of olive oil and sprinkle a bit of lemon pepper. Place the chicken breasts side by side, skin side down and drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the chicken. Broil on high for 40 minutes.

*Serves 6 ish

Speta Turkey Burger (my all time favorite)

1 lb. of ground turkey (as lean as you can get it)
1 handful of fresh organic spinach
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup red onion, diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3.5 oz crumbled feta cheese (reduced fat, when possible)
1 T. Lawry's Seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Rounds

Cook garlic and onion in olive oil until translucent but not burned. In a great big bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Form 6 patties (if they are falling apart you can add an egg to the entire mixture) and grill outside or on stove, if the weather does not permit. Serve with spicy brown mustard on toasty sandwich rounds.

Sweet Potato Strips

2 large sweet potatoes, sliced into thin strips
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 T. Tony Cacciatore
1 T. Sea Salt
1 T. Garlic Powder
Olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet so that they are not on top of each other. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with dry mixture. Bake for 25 ish minutes, depending on how crispy you want your yummy strips (but make sure not to burn them - I have... many... many times).

* Serves 3 ish

Easy Peasy Asparageezy

1 bunch of asparagus (with white or purple parts cut off... "that's what she said")
1 juicy lime
1 T. Tony Cacciatore
1/2 cup water

Cook asparagus on medium-high for 2-3 minutes until bright green. Without burning your fingers, place asparagus on a serving plate and squeeze lime juice over. Then sprinkle with Senor Tony and serve!

Broccoli Asado

4 cups Broccoli, fresh
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 T. Chili powder
4 T. Garlic powder
1 T. Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 425 F. Mix together all ingredients sans broccoli. Wash and cut broccoli into bite size pieces then dip in mixture. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes until browned and a teeny bit crispy.

Everyone's Favorite Chicken Tacos with Sunken Garlic Sauce

Sunken Garlic Sauce (Make and set aside)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup minced garlic
Sea salt & pepper to taste

2 large avocados, sliced thin
2 bushels of watercress (can substitute baby spinach)
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
2 cups white rice vinegar
4 lean chicken breasts, cut into edible pieces
olive oil
1 package of wheat or flour tortillas (no corn)
fajita seasoning

Put red onion in a freezable dish and drown in vinegar. Chill in freezer for 1 hour or refrigerator for 3 hours. Sprinkle chicken with fajita seasoning and cook in olive oil over medium-low heat, covered in a frying pan until light golden brown. Warm tortillas on stove.

Serve by putting tortillas on plate, then chicken, then 5-6 onion slices, 2-3 avocado slices, 6-8 leafs of watercress/spinach, then 3-4 T. of lemon/garlic sauce. Make sure to scoop from the bottom of the jar to get sunken minced garlic. Serve and watch your guests smile :)

*Sunken Garlic Sauce can also serve as a delicious and nutritious salad dressing

Arroz Con Pollo

1.4 cup olive oil
3.5-4.5 lb chicken, cut into cubes
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 medium onions, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, chopped
6 tomatoes, chopped
1 Serrano, cut in half
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. powdered saffron
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups rice


Heat the oil in a skillet. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper; then saute in the hot oil until golden. Remove to a flameproof casserole with a lid. In the same oil, saute the onions and garlic, and add to the chicken with the tomatoes, chile, cumin, saffron, and stock. Cover, and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

In the oil remaining in the skillet, saute the rice until it has absorbed all the oil, taking care not to let it burn (add more oil if necessary). Add the rice to the chicken; cover, and continue cooking until the chicken is tender and the rice is cooked and quite dry - about 30 minutes.

Baked Zucchini Bites

2 medium zucchini, cut into 0.25 inch slices
1/2 cup homemade bread crumbs (1/4 loaf french bread)
olive oil spray
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
Tony Cacciatore seasoning

Preheat oven to 475-500 F
Cut french bread into 1/4 inch cubes. Spray lightly with olive oil spray and sprinkle with Tony Cacciatore. Bake for 5 minutes until crispy. Smash cubes of bread in a bowl and set aside.

Stir together the bread crumbs, pepper, parm cheese. Put egg whites in a separate bowl. Dip the zucchini slices into the egg whites, then coat in the breadcrumbs. Placed on a greased baking sheet (olive oil spray).
Bake for 5 minutes on one side then turn over and bake for another 5-10 minutes until browned and crispy.

*Original recipe from Sparkperson Pescetarian

Mother's Chili (Revised for Blog)

1 medium chipped onion
1 lb. ground turkey
2 cloves chopped garlic

Add 2-8oz. cans of tomato sauce plus one 8oz can of water.

2 tsp. chili powder
1-1.5 cans black beans
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

(Extra water may be added to suit different tastes)

Cook on low heat, simmering for 30-40 minutes.

*Original Recipe by Ann Brown, serves 4