Seriously fast white bean soup

Found this on epicurious and adapted it. It makes enough to feed about three people, so double for leftovers.

* 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 TBS olive oil (it called for 5 times as much but who needs that much oil?)
* 1 (14- to 15-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
* 1 3/4 cups veggie broth
* 2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups) any white bean will do
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 10+ cups fresh spinach, kale or other leafy green. About 5-7 oz. (if kale, coarsely chop it and remove stems)

Cook garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes. Add everything but the greens and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add greens and cook a few more minutes. The kale will stay just a bit crunchy.

Serve!

-Anne

Smokey Corn and Black Bean Pizza

(Nina B.)

This is great whether you grill it or just in the oven (350 for 30 minutes) We added chicken and we thought it was so tasty (and healthy!)

1 plum tomato, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears) or frozen
2 Tablespoons cornmeal
1 pound Prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, preferably smoked

1. Preheat grill to medium.

2. Combine tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a large baking sheet. Stretch the dough into about a 12-inch circle and lay it on top of the cornmeal, coating the entire underside of the dough.

3. Transfer the crust from the baking sheet to the grill. Close the lid and cook until the crust is puffed and lightly browned on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes.

4. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread barbecue sauce on it and quickly sprinkle with the tomato mixture and cheese. Close the lid; grill until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

Potato Hash

(Joel & Emily L.)

Prep time: 20 min

3-4 medium-large potatoes
olive oil (or another kind if preferred)
1 large onion, diced
green pepper, diced
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons green chili
taco or cajun seasoning
salt/pepper to taste

Wash and chop potatoes. Heat skillet over medium heat, put in a little oil. Saute onion for about 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and spices to skillet and cook until tender.

Season with taco or cajun seasoning or just salt and pepper. Eat plain or with salsa, sour cream, cheese, add to scrambled eggs, with beans, or in a tortilla, etc.

Lemon-Butter Salmon & Broccoli Penne

(from Jessica's blog)

An easy and quick meal! Tastes very fresh and light - even if you don't have fresh or frozen veggies on hand, the salmon & noodles make a great dish on their own.

2-3 Salmon Fillets (salt and peppered)
3 cups of dry whole-wheat pasta or multi-grain (I like angel hair pasta)
2-3 cups of cup up Broccoli
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup low-sodium Vegie broth
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 Tablespoons corn starch, mixed with 1/4 cup of the Vegie Broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Broil or Grill Salmon for about 8 minutes or until done.

Cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is almost done add broccoli and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Whisk together melted butter, broth, lemon zest and juice, and garlic in a saucepan. When slightly boiling add the cornstarch mixture. Cook until thick. If it gets too thick, just add more broth (or milk) until desired consistency.

Toss the sauce with the drained pasta and broccoli. Serve pasta and add salmon to the side or on top. I also like to add some Parmesan Cheese on top of all.

Pico de Gallo

(from the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog)

5 plum/roma tomatoes (firm, not soft)
1 small onion, or half of 1 large (I use a sweet yellow)
3 jalapeno peppers
1/2 - 1 bunch cilantro
1 fresh lime
salt
tortilla chips

Cut the ends off the jalapenos and chop them into a small dice. To reduce the spiciness discard seeds from the peppers. Place peppers in a large bowl. Do not remove seeds with your fingers, the heat of the pepper seeds can burn your skin if rubbed in, use a small spoon or wear gloves! (can you tell that comes from my personal experience)?

Dice the tomatoes and onion and add to bowl with jalapenos. Chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. You can cut off the long stems before you start, but there's no need to peel the leaves from the stems. Chop cilantro until it's relatively fine, but not minced. Add cilantro to bowl and stir.

Cut lime in half and squeeze one half or the whole lime over the mixture in the bowl. Add salt to taste, remember the tortilla chips or other accompaniment will likely be salty. Stir all and serve with tortilla chips. Store in container in refrigerator (I like to chill mine at least 1 hour before serving, but you don't need to).

If you don't finish eating it as a dip, it makes a great quesadilla filling too!

Pico de Gallo Quesadillas!
whole wheat flour tortillas
pico de gallo
cheese, optional (sharp cheddar or personal preference)

Place one tortilla in frying pan over medium heat. Add cheese and pico and then place one more tortilla over top and heat until cheese melts and it's as crispy or soft as you like your quesadilla to be. Yum!

Simple Seasoned Black Beans and Rice

(From cookbook Vegetariana by Nava Atlas)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups cooked or canned black beans (2 cans of black beans)
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or about 1/8 cup dried)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
brown rice or quinoa*

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and sauté over moderate heat until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until the onion is golden. Add the beans along with the liquid from the can or 1/2 of the liquid if you cooked the beans. Bring to a simmer. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, then serve over rice or quinoa.


*Quinoa is a whole grain that is high in fiber and protein and low in fat. Just 1/4 cup of Quinoa has 5 g of protein and 3 g of dietary fiber!

Anne's Sinless Hotcakes

(from the beanland blog)

I use all whole wheat if I have no buckwheat and lemon rind if I have no oranges.

3/4 cup buckwheat flour (use whole wheat if no buckwheat)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Flaxseed meal (flax seeds ground)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon orange zest (or lemon)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 cups water

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium bowl until evenly blended. Add liquids and mix as little as possible to make batter. Small lumps are okay, they’ll disappear in cooking. Over-mixing will make pancakes flat and heavy. Spoon the batter onto a hot, nonstick griddle. Yields about 12 medium pancakes.

The secrets to a fluffy pancake:
1) Combine your wet ingredients together first (almond extract, applesauce and water).
2) When you add wet to dry, just barely stir at all. Enough to get the dry stuff wet, and the floury stuff off the sides of the bowl. That’s it.
3) Make sure the griddle is hot enough. It should sizzle when you add the batter.
4) When you cook them, flip them when you see that the bubbles are staying open and not filling back in with batter. Don’t wait any longer, otherwise they’ll be too set up to “spring” when the other side cooks.

Anne’s favorite syrup:
Dump frozen strawberries in a bowl, cover with a plate and microwave for 2 minutes. Stop and smoosh the strawberries with a fork. Then microwave several more minutes until it’s a bit runny and steaming hot. Pour generously over pancakes. We have also been known to LOVE real maple syrup on pancakes, as well as unsweetened applesauce.

Firehouse Turkey Chili

This Chili is very Delicious! A good meal for a cold February night.
This Chili calls for Ground Turkey, but you could always make it without the meat. One thing I love about this Chili is that it has a lot of other Vegies in it, so it is still good without the meat.
Enjoy!!



Firehouse Turkey Chili
Adapted From Shape Magazine

Ingredients:

-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 large clove garlic, smashed (I used 2 large cloves of garlic)
-1/2 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
-1/2 pound ground turkey (I used 1 pound of ground Turkey)
-2 tablespoons chili powder(I used only 1 Tablespoon and it was just perfect for our families taste)
-1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
-(I also added one small can of V-8 juice for extra liquid)
-1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used Organic canned Kidney Beans)
-1 medium red bell pepper, diced
-1 cup carrot, diced
-1/2 teaspoon brown sugar ( I put in 1/4 cup to make the chili not so hot)
-salt to taste

Directions:

*In a large saucepan heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Toss in garlic and all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.

*Add turkey and continue to cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cook for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, bell pepper, carrot, brown sugar, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat.

*Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of scallions. Top with nonfat sour cream if desired. (I also served the Chili with Organic Corn Tortilla Chips, Kirkland brand from Costco)

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 23 minutes

Nutrition Score per serving: 1 cup: 268 calories, 9 g fat (27% calories), 2 g saturated fat, 40 g carbs, 17 g protein, 11 g fiber, 106 mg calcium, 6 mg iron, 789 mg sodium

Spinach Pomegranate Salad

For a lighter dish choose a fat free or light feta cheese, plain nuts (no need to toast with sugar), and a light dressing - even try just plain balsamic vinegar!

1 bag baby spinach
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts (optional)
1 pomegranate, peeled & seeds separated
Balsamic Vinegarette

Mix it up and serve.

recipe found here

Citrus Baked Halibut

(Better Homes and Gardens)

1 pound fresh or frozen halibut steaks, ¾ inch thick
1 Tablespoon butter or olive oil (try cutting the butter/oil down to 1 tsp)
⅓ cup finely chopped onion (1 small)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peal
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 4 serving-size pieces, if necessary. Arrange in a 2-quart square baking dish.

In a small saucepan melt butter or heat oil; add onion and garlic. Cook till tender; remove from heat. Stir in parsley, orange peel, salt and pepper; spoon over fish. Sprinkle orange and lemon juices over fish. Bake covered, in a 400˚ oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Spoon pan juices over fish. Makes 4 servings.

Calabactas

(Heather C.)

4-6 zucchini, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup corn
Monterrey Jack cheese
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
Salt
Pepper

Sauté onion and zucchini until onion is clear. Drain. Lower heat and add corn and tomato. Sprinkle with pepper and salt. Add cheese to taste and allow to melt. Add mixture to a warmed tortilla. Also great as a dip with tortilla chips.

Gourmet Tuna Salad

(AnnDee N.)

3 cans of tuna fish
2 celery stalks
Handful of dill pickles, chopped
1 (19 ounce) can cannelinni beans (white kidney)
Fresh tomatoes (or sun dried tomatoes)
Mayonnaise (or a healthier veganaise spread)
handful of broccoli
2 carrots
1 red pepper
mustard (optional)
whole wheat bread or tortillas

Mix tuna and a little mayonnaise together. Add all of the chopped vegetables and beans. May add more mayonnaise for a creamier salad. Serve on whole wheat bread or tortillas. May broil in the oven or eat cold. Spread mustard on for more spice.

Zippy Black Bean Burritos

(Denise G.)

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 can diced tomatoes (15 ounces), drained
1 can green chilies, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
Shredded cheddar cheese
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add bell pepper, cumin, oregano, and garlic; cook 3 minutes stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. Stir in beans; cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Warm tortillas, and spoon ½ cup bean mixture and some cheese in center of each.

Black Bean Soup

(Heather C.)

Delicious, healthy, and done in 10 minutes! Serve as a soup or a dip with tortilla chips.

2 cans black beans (15 ounces), drained and rinsed
1½ cups broth (chicken or veggie)
1 cup chunky salsa
1 teaspoon cumin
Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
green onions (optional)

In a food processor or blender, combine beans, broth, salsa, and cumin.

Blend until fairly smooth. Pour into medium saucepan and heat thoroughly. Serve with sour cream, cheese, and green onions, if desired.

Black Beans & Brown Rice

A great recipe as is or to add to - fresh garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes . . .

Brown Rice
1 can black beans
1 jar salsa
red wine vinegar

Serve beans and salsa over cooked brown rice. Sprinkle some red wine vinegar over and enjoy!