Perfect Vegetable Soup

Are you hoping to get a little healthier in 2015? I have a great tip…when you're hungry between meals, eat homemade vegetable soup!  

I got this tip from a friend a few months ago and it's saved me over and over again. I try to make it every weekend and snack on it throughout the week when I just can't seem to feel satisfied. It's great for a meal, but it's an even better NO GUILT snack between meals.

This is a very loose recipe, and all quantities can be adjusted up or down, depending on your preference. DO NOT be intimidated by the long list of ingredient…this is super easy!

Perfect Vegetable Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil (or avocado oil)

1 onion, diced

5-6 stalked celery, diced

6 oz. can tomato paste

1 bag baby carrots, cut in half or quartered

1 can diced tomatoes, with juice (15 oz)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth*

2 cups water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf (if you have one)

3-4 zucchinis or yellow squash (or combo), cut into coins and again in 1/2

16 oz bag frozen green beans (large handful)

** leftover meat or veggies

Add the oil, onion and celery to a large pot and cook until the vegetables are translucent. (about 5-7 minutes) 

Stir in the tomato paste (will be very thick), then add carrots, diced tomatoes, broth, garlic, oregano and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. 

Add zucchini, squash, and green beans. Simmer another 30 minutes, then taste the broth to see if it needs salt. If so, add 1-2 tsp salt to taste. (salt content will depend on the broth you use) Remove the bay leaf, when you find it!

* If there's not enough broth, add more. If there's too much, add more vegetables.

** You can change the flavor of this soup, week after week, by throwing in last night's leftover meat, diced, or any vegetables you have in your fridge. 

#100 - Prepare 30 new recipes

My kids helped A LOT with these recipes, since my wrist has been broken for 6 weeks. This is the result of Jason "helping" stir the dry ingredients before I added moisture to the KitchenAide mixer. The mess covered every surface within 3 feet of the island. Chia seeds, cocoa powder, dried fruit bits...everywhere. It was so fun to clean up with one hand!

This item on my 101 in 1001 list was fun to complete, especially because I've been trying to find some gluten-free, even dairy-free and Paleo, recipes to make more regularly. I put an * next to the recipes that we've made (or will make) again. About 1/2 of the recipes were a huge hit, the other 1/2 were a hit with some of my family, but not everyone. ALL are worth a try!!!


Breakfast

* Paleo Blueberry Pecan Breakfast Cookies - I've made these again and again. A+!

* Paleo Pancakes - These have become the only pancakes I make for Jason. 2 eggs + 1 banana = gluten free, dairy free, grain free and perfect for his diet. I love them, but they were slow to grow on the rest of my family. Now, if we don't have cottage cheese for the Biggest Loser Pancake recipe (below), everyone eats these.

* The Biggest Loser Pancakes - OHMYGOSH these things are so good. And filling!!! I make them every weekend. Actually, I also throw in 2 bananas and 4 eggs to add some healthy fillers and the consistency stays perfect.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes - Thumbs up from everyone - I used gluten-free all-purpose flour. The only reason I probably won't make these again is because I avoid using GF flour or flour substitutes.

* Primal Banana Bread - A perfect pre-workout snack or breakfast on the go.

* Grain Free Muffins - These will be a new staple in our freezer! Yum. For real.

Main Dishes

* Grain Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust - I was shocked how good this was. Shocked. Not crispy like a traditional crust, and not sturdy enough to pick up, but my whole family gave it a thumbs up. The chicken pesto version went over better than the sausage and mushroom with marinara, I think because the pesto was so flavorful that it overpowered the taste of the cauliflower.

Creamy Ham and Sweet Potato Soup - This was doomed from the beginning, as my family doesn't love sweet potatoes. At all. But personally, the taste grew on me. Regardless, I won't make it again.

Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls - Tasted like a quinoa version of Chipotle bowls.

Greek Pizza on Pitas - My family choked this down, I loved it. 

Paleo Tropical Turkey Meatballs - My family hated these at first, until I gave them some Tastefully Simple Honey Teriyaki Sauce to dip, then everyone, especially the kids, were begging for more. Good thing, because I doubled the recipe and froze the extras!

Crispy Quinoa Bake - This was very similar to my Southwest Quinoa Casserole that I make, but more steps and more dishes. We'll stick with my go-to recipe instead.

* Homemade Taco Seasoning - Kinda spicy, but very good! I'll use less red pepper flakes next time.

* Pioneer Woman's Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks - I substituted the pasta for brown rice pasta and the heavy cream for evaporated milk and it was DELICIOUS. As in, Ryan and Kaylin ate 3 and 4 bowlfuls, respectively, and asked me to make this for dinner every single night. A+...and why have I never cooked with leeks before this???

Desserts

* Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Dough Balls - I made these before I started keeping notes of my recipe reviews, but I do remember that they were delicious. I used mini chips instead of regular to cut down on the chunkiness of chocolate in every bite.

Clean Frozen Banana Cream Pie - I'd give this a B-.

Clean Pumpkin Pie - My kids actually loved it...Mike didn't. 

* Avocado Chocolate Mousse - Very rich, so I actually use only 1 T. honey, but Mike thinks he can taste the avocado. I can't. It's the perfect chocolate fix for this sweets-deprived girl!

* Healthy Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip - YUM!  We've made this again and again. The link is broken, but it's basically 1/4 c plain Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp peanut/almond butter, 1 tsp honey and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Trail Mix Balls - Not a huge hit, but my family ate them.

Gluten Free Fruit and Nut Energy Bars - These were okay, not awesome, but edible. The ingredients were pretty pricey, so I made sure none of them went to waste.

GF Fruit Tart with Honey Vanilla Custard - This was delicious, but a huge pain because of the constant "stir or it will burn" pressure. Won't make it again.

* Raw Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars - I will be making these all the time once I have two free hands! Stirring this thick mixture one-handed with a broken wrist was a joke!

No Bake Paleo Cookies - We added 1/2 oats to these, so they were gluten free, but no longer Paleo. Everyone loved them, but they melted if not eaten quickly.

* "Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Bars" - Yum, will make these again and again.

Brownies (yes, it's own catagory)

Clean Eating Brownies - These separated into two weird layers. I don't think Ryan whisked the ingredients enough. I would try making them again - they were soufflé-like.

Sweet Potato Paleo Brownies - Made with melted chocolate (chips), cooked sweet potatoes, honey, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and just 1 T each coconut oil and coconut flour. I left out the cocoa powder (we ran out) but adding a little extra coconut flour (unsweetened, shredded coconut in a coffee bean grinder) and some chocolate chips on top.

Zucchini Paleo Brownies - Made with almond butter, grated zucchini, honey, egg, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chips.

* "Best Gluten Free Brownies Ever" - Made with almond butter, eggs, agave nectar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips.

Chickpea Brownies - Made with Starbucks Via, garbanzo beans, eggs, baking powder, salt, chocolate chips, sugar (we used agave nectar) and canola oil (could use coconut, but we followed the recipe for this ingredient).

GF Fruit Tart with Honey Vanilla Custard for July 4th

Grain Free Muffins

Grain Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust
(with 1/2 soy cheese for Jason and 1/2 regular mozzarella with mushrooms for Mike)

Ryan making No Bake Paleo Cookies

{Cheap and Easy} Korean Beef

My family loves this recipe so much that I just have to repost it. (I think I got it from my bloggy friend Emily's  blog: Practical Paleo. She has great recipe ideas!) It's traditionally made with flank steak but this is made with lean ground beef. Everyone in my family gives this two thumbs up and continually moans, "This is SO good" throughout dinner every time I make it. It's delish.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 tsp fresh or ground ginger
1 bunch green onions, diced (optional, but highly recommended)

for serving:
4 c. brown rice, cooked
2 c. broccoli, chopped and steamed

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown hamburger with garlic and sesame oil. Drain most of the fat, then add the brown sugar, soy sauce and ginger. Simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavors. Serve in a bowl layering the brown rice on the bottom, then broccoli, the beef and top with green onions.

Yields: 4 servings

I don't have a picture because my family inhaled the whole thing as I decided to post this recipe. 

 

Crock Pot Beef Carnitas Tacos

One of the best things about meal planning is that I'm finally putting my Pinterest boards to use! I have to repost this recipe for fear that the link might break someday. These soft tacos were SO delicious, I can't risk losing track of the details.

2 lbs flank steak
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

for spice rub...
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt

for serving...
corn tortillas
avocado slices
lettuce, chopped
shredded cheese
cilantro
your favorite salsa
limes

Place steak at the bottom of a slow cooker. Sprinkle with each of the seasonings for the rub.  Cover steak with the chopped onions, bell pepper and jalapeno pepper.  Turn heat on LOW and cook for 8 hours.

After 8 hours, shred the meat with a fork. You can either stick the shredded meat back in the pot for another hour to marinate or serve as is.

To serve, heat corn tortillas in a skillet on the stove. Spoon some carnitas on a tortilla, then top with salsa, avocado, cheese, lettuce, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Enjoy with a margarita for best results. 

  ‎

Black Bean Salad with Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

I have been dying to try this recipe for Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette for weeks. And since I'm sick of linking back up to my favorite recipes and finding them GONE from cyberspace, I'm reposting it here.

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can corn
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoons finely minced red onion
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 1 avocado, chopped

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a more chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Skinny Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

We tried this recipe before diving into our Gluten Free meal plan experiment and it was beyond delicious! It was hard to believe there was no butter or heavy cream. I might re-add it to a future meal plan and use GF pasta as a substitute. It's a must-try.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups, if using leftovers)
2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
8 ounces fettuccine (I used thin spaghetti)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. I add in the broccoli to eliminate an extra dish to clean and cook it all at once, but that's just me. If you combine them in the same pot, fish out the broccoli when it's tender and place it into a bowl, then drain the pasta and set them both aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, Greek yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce mixture, followed by the cooked chicken and broccoli. Toss to combine and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

{Practically Chipotle} Chicken Burrito Bowl

This recipe is so easy and so versital.  You can switch out all sorts of ingredients to suit your style. We tried this last week and when  Mike took his first bite, he said, "This tastes exactly like Chipotle!" Let me just tell you that this recipe will have a regular rotation in our meal plan - everyone loved it!

◦ 4 cups cooked brown rice (cooked with 1 tsp. salt, then stirred in 1/4 cup cilantro and the juice from a small lime)

◦ 2 cooked chicken breasts or other meat, cubed or shredded and heated (leftover grilled chicken worked great)

◦ 1 can sweet corn, drained

◦ 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

◦ 1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

◦ 1 cup salsa or Pico de Gallo

◦ 1/3 cup shredded lettuce

◦ 1/2 cup sour cream

Heat the corn, black beans and chicken before serving. Layer each of the ingredients above starting with rice and then adding meat, corn, cheese, salsa, lettuce and sour cream. Serve warm.

(You can, of course, pile all of this into a warmed tortilla to create a burrito, but we prefer the bowls in our family.)

Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Sometimes, you just don't mess with a good thing!  This recipe was delicious. My mom helped Ryan make it himself and we've re-named it, "Ryan's Famous Mac 'n' Cheese."  He doesn't care who Alton Brown is...! This is his masterpiece, as far as he's concerned. And it. was. delicious.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni (Ryan used shells)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon powdered mustard
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 large egg
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper

Topping:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Veggie-Packed Lasagna

I simplified this recipe a little to come up with the easier version below.  I know everyone has a favorite go-to lasagna recipe, but this one is very good and packed with healthy vegetables!

Homemade Pasta Sauce: (or use your favorite store brand)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Cup finely diced white onion
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
28 oz can Muir Glen Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes, put in food processor and pulsed until nearly smooth
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
6 oz can tomato paste
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion for 5 minutes, stirring often then stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, tomato paste and basil leaves. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to use.

Vegetable Filling: (a combination of all or any of the following veggies)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
2 Cups broccoli florets
2 Cups diced eggplant
4 Cups fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Pinches of salt

1. Heat oil into a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Saute all ingredients for 10-12 minutes, season with a couple pinches of salt, stirring often or until softened to your liking. Cook longer for softer texture. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to use.

Cheese Filling:
16 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese (about 1 ½ big containers)
1 Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
16 oz. low fat cottage cheese
2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
Place all ingredients into a large bowl; stir until well combined.

Additional ingredients:
9 oz oven ready lasagna noodles, try the whole wheat, it was great
2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese

To Assemble:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat bottom of a large 9×13 inch baking dish with a couple ladles of homemade sauce. Next, layer with lasagna noodles. Spoon 1/3 of the cheese mixture over noodles, spreading slightly. Top evenly with 1/3 vegetables. Repeat this process 2 more times or until all ingredients are used up. The top layer should be lasagna noodles. Pour remaining sauce over noodles then sprinkle with 2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake covered for 45-50 minutes, then remove foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

2. Let sit in pan for 15 minutes before cutting into it. Serve and enjoy!

8 servings

{Vegetarian} Southwestern Quinoa Casserole

We used this "casserole" as more of a chip dip, but it definitely fed my family as a meal.  Due to the fact that I was suddenly out of shredded cheese in the fridge, I messed with the original recipe a bit and added cream cheese instead. I was skeptical that it would turn out, but it was much more delicious than I expected! 

FYI: Quinoa (pronounced "KEEN-wah") is a gluten-free food that is full of fiber and protein.  It hardly has any taste and is slightly crunchy, but was hidden very well in this dish.  I buy mine at Trader Joe's and I've heard that they sell it at Costco in bulk.  Give it a try!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp of coriander
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 oz cream cheese (low fat works fine)
• 4-8 oz. shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer.
3. Except the cream cheese and shredded cheese, mix all ingredients in a 2 quart casserole dish.
4. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
5. Remove foil and stir.
6. Bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
7. Stir in cream cheese and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
8. Continue cooking until the cheese melts, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Creamy {Crock Pot} Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup

I modified a soup recipe tonight that was a huge, HUGE hit with my family.  Mike raved with every bite, the kids asked for more, I was even pretty impressed with myself.  And now I'll to write down what I did before I forget!

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts* (I use frozen chicken)
2 cups chicken broth*
1 cup onion, finely chopped**
1 cup celery, finely chopped**
1 cup carrot, finely chopped**
1 cup pre-sliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (skim is fine)
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4-6 oz. angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti, broken into 2-3 inch pieces

Directions:

- IN THE MORNING - place chicken breasts and chicken broth in the crock pot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken shreds easily with two forks.  Shred the chicken in the crock pot and leave it on low while you do the following...

- 2-3 hours before you want to eat, coat a pan with cooking spray and put on medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery, carrot, mushroom and garlic to the pan.  Saute 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. 

- Reduce heat to medium and add the butter to the pan, stirring until the butter melts. 

- Sprinkle vegetable mixture with flour and cook 2 minutes. 

- Gradually add the milk and cook 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly, stirring consistently.

- To the crock pot, add the broccoli, half and half, salt, pepper and the vegetable mixture.  Cook on low for 2 hours, until the broccoli is tender.

- 15 minutes before you're ready to serve the soup, add the pasta to the crock pot and cook on high until it's softened, about 12-15 minutes.

- Top each serving with shredded cheddar cheese.

* for a vegetarian soup, eliminate the chicken and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth
** "finely chopped" is about 1/4 inch pieces

(Next time, I'm going to try dumping everything in the crock pot in the morning, shredding the chicken at the end.  I would need to figure out how to incorporate the flour without resulting in clumps, and I'd need to add the broccoli later in the day, but if anyone tries this method, let me know how it turns out!)

Making Dried Beans in the Crock Pot

After posting my recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew the other day, Kendra said, "This looks wonderful. I love using my crock pot, especially in the summer. If you don't use the canned ingredients, what do you use? I'm assuming dried beans, but what is the conversion for that? Also, using dried beans kind of intimidates me, with the whole soaking thing. Any tips? :-)"

Yes - I do use dried beans. And YES - I have easy tips!

Dried beans are significantly cheaper and easier to store. I buy them in bulk and keep them in glass jars in my pantry along with other bulk items like lentils, raisins, cranberries, oats and wheat germ.

I started buying dry beans when Mike was out of work a while back, but hated soaking and cooking them, so we rarely ate them. Then I learned how to make them in the crock pot. They're so easy, Kendra, you're going to want to fly out here and hug me after you try it.

Are you ready for how easy this is going to be? This tip is for soaking any kind of dried beans, though I'd recommend doing one at a time because they cook at different rates. There might be some exact science to how long they need to cook, but I'll tell you the method that I use and I've never been disappointed.

Step 1: Before going to bed at night, put dried beans in your crock pot (if you're not measuring, 1/4-1/3 full is fine).
Step 2: Fill your crock pot with water (about 1 inch less than full to the top).
Step 3: Set crock pot to low.

That's it. Go to bed and you'll wake up to soaked, cooked beans. I usually turn off the crock pot when I wake up and remove the lid while I get through breakfast, then drain the water in a strainer and let them cool a bit before handling them.

Tip: I always make a bunch of one kind at a time, measure them out in 1- or 2-cup portions and stick them in the freezer. Then you can toss them into a recipe the same as a can of beans. (I pull them out and thaw them in the fridge overnight or on the counter when I know a recipe calls for beans the next day.)

I make my own kidney beans for my favorite Chili, black beans for Mexican dishes and white northern/cannellioni beans for soups and White Chicken Chili.

If you want to make exactly what you need, here are the conversions:
1/2 cup dry beans = 1.5 cups soaked beans
2/3 cup dry beans = 1 (15 oz) can of beans

I hope that's helpful, Kendra!

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew

I make this enough that I've decided to add it to my blog. This was tweaked from a Spark People recipe. I don't use canned ingredients, but these are the measurements for simplicity. (Update: I posted some tips on making dried beans.)

Chicken Taco Stew in the Crock Pot

1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 16-oz can corn (drained)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
1 1.25-oz packet taco seasoning
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Mix everything together in a slow cooker except chicken. Lay chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.

Sprinkle with cheese, add a dollup of sour cream, or eat with tortilla chips.

{Healthy} Quesadilla Pie

This is adapted from this recipe and is a great vegetarian meal. If your family can't go meatless, it would also be great with chopped, grilled chicken added in.

1 pkg of frozen spinach, defrosted
2 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup shredded cheese
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup corn kernels
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp green onion, chopped
4-6 large tortillas
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese
(either Cheddar, Mexican blend or Monterey Jack are my suggestions)

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a blender, process the spinach, cottage cheese, egg, first 1/4 cup of cheese, and garlic.

Stir in the beans, salsa, corn and the cilantro. (I added this all into the blender to save myself an extra bowl to clean)

Place one tortilla into a pie dish. Scoop about 1/2 cup mixture on top and spread it evenly. Cover with another tortilla and another 1/2 cup mixture. Continue until you have used all tortillas and all of the filling (ending with a tortilla on top). Arrange the tomato on top, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Crock Pot Bean Soup with Tortilla Chips

This is a great meatless recipe that I will make often. Yum! Substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian soup.

1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 t. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. salt
4 cups cooked kidney beans (or 2 - 16oz. cans)
1 - 10 oz. can of Ro*tel tomatoes with green chiles
1 - 12oz. package of frozen corn
---------------------
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, Mexican blend)
4 cups tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients in a large crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Serve topped with cheese and tortilla chips. My family uses tortilla chips instead of a spoon and scoops the soup into their mouths.

Serves 6-8.

Southwestern Chicken and Bean Pasta

I've made this recipe enough that I decided to post it with a few variations. I think it tastes like a pasta version of Chipotle's rice bowl, so I made it with rice, but it wasn't as good. Stick with the pasta...yum!

2 chicken breasts cooked and cut into small cubes
12oz pkg penne pasta, cooked per package directions
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch green onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 cup corn (if canned, drained)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup sour cream
3 tbs milk
2 tbs olive oil
1 packet taco seasoning

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, all produce (fresh and canned) with pasta, toss until mixed. Mix sour cream, milk, oil and taco seasoning and add to pasta mixture, stirring over medium heat until warmed through.

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

If you've never been to PF Chang's restaurant and tasted their lettuce wraps, you're missing out. And you might be a little confused by this concept! You place the filling inside of an individual lettuce leaf, top it with sauce, wrap it up and enjoy. It's intended to be an appetizer, but can be eaten as a meal.
.
I modified this recipe based off of a friend's suggestion and it turned out really good...easy ingredients with a little less sugar. I'm thinking bibb lettuce might work better than iceberg next time. The kids had a huge problem keeping their wraps wrapped!
.
Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons oil (canola or vegetable work best)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup water chestnuts (one small can)
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 6-8 whole leaves iceberg or bibb lettuce

Special Sauce

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil (or canola if you don't hae sesame)
• 1 tablespoon hot mustard
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions

You can make the following sauces ahead to save time. Should last at least 1-2 days:

1. Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

To make the actual lettuce wraps:

1. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
2. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
3. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
4. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
5. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
6. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
7. When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
8. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
9. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
10. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce leaves and wrap up into individual cups.
11. Top with "special sauce".

Next time I serve this to my kids, I may just chop up the lettuce, top it with the "filling" and drizzle the "special sauce" on like salad dressing. We practically had to feed the wraps to both of our kids, which was a pain, but they LOVED them.

Vegetable Penne with Pesto

16 oz. penne pasta
1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-2 inch chunks.
1 small zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
1/4 pound haricots verts* or regular green beans, stem ends trimmed
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on each dish)
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For pesto:
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup basil (20 leaves)
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon, zested
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper
1/3-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (depending on the consistency you like, runny vs. thick)
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Cook pasta per package instructions, salting the water before adding the pasta to the pot. After the pasta has been cooking 5 minutes, add the asparagus, green beans, zucchini and red bell peper.
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While the pasta and veggies cook, prepare the pesto. Toast pine nuts in a small frying pan until golden brown, then cool. Place nuts, basil, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, Parmesan and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms.
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Drain pasta and vegetables, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Combine reserved pasta water with pesto and toss with pasta and vegetables. Serve immediately.
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This dish is delicious as-is or you can add diced grilled chicken to incorporate some protein. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

*Haricots Verts are thin green beans and I've never used them for this recipe. They just sound less ghetto than green beans. :)

Manicotti with Homemade Noodles

*I actually divided this recipe into 2 smaller pans and froze one baking dish for later, since we have a small family. This was an easy recipe for my kids to help with - they loved mixing the batter, scooping the filling and rolling up the noodles. I adjusted the recipe on my meal plan from Heathahlee last week and this is what I came up with.

Crepe Noodles:
1.5 cups all purpose flour
2.5 cups milk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:
1 (15 oz) package ricotta cheese (part skim is fine)
1 (16 oz) package cottage cheese (part skim is fine)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
1 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped

Topping:
1 (28 oz) jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite brand)
1 (8 oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese (2% is fine)

Whisk together milk, eggs and salt and gradually add to flour until the batter runnier than pancake batter. Do not overmix; some lumps are fine.

Pour 1/4 cup batter onto a pre-heated, greased 8-inch skillet and allow it to form a circle. Cook until edges are set, then flip to continue cooking for 1 more minute. Continue this process until all crepes are cooked.

While remaining crepes are cooking, combine filling cheeses, egg, spinach and parsley. Scoop a few spoonfuls down the center of each crepe, folding the sides over the filling. Place crepes, seam side down, into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Continue filling crepes until the pan is full. Pour sauce over the top of the manicotti and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and browned, about 20 more minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, serve with a salad and top with additional Parmesan cheese if you'd like - enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Pizza

I'm going to try this No-Rise Pizza Crust recipe this week to make my quick and easy Chicken Pesto Pizza. I've included my shortcuts below.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

1 package prepared pizza dough (or your favorite recipe)*
3/4 cup prepared pesto**
1 cup chopped, cooked chicken***
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Roll pizza dough onto a pizza pan or baking stone. Evenly spread pesto across the dough, leaving 1/2 inch at the edge for the crust. Sprinkle chopped chicken and top with cheeses. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese is brown and crust is crispy.

SHORTCUTS:
* When I'm short on time, I love Trader Joe's "Almost Whole Wheat" pizza dough - it's inexpensive and freezes well. Just stick it in the fridge a couple hours before dinnertime.
**Either use the recipe below or use your favorite prepared pesto...Costco has a great, large size of pesto at a decent price. I use it in pastas, on Panini and this pizza. I love pesto!
***I always have Mike throw extra chicken breasts on the grill when he cooks. I chop them up, freeze them in baggies and always have them ready to go. You can even put the cooked chicken on this pizza when it's still frozen - it heats up in the oven.

My favorite Pesto Recipe

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup basil (or 20-25 leaves)
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon, zested
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper
1/3-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (depending on the consistency you like, runny vs. thick)

Toast pine nuts in a small frying pan until golden brown, then cool. Place nuts, basil, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, Parmesan and a little salt and pepper in a food processor. Turn the processor on and stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until thick sauce forms.