Vegetarian Chili

At the beginning of the year, our church spends three weeks fasting. My husband and I usually do a Daniel fast, taken from the book of Daniel in the Bible. It consists of eating only fruits, veggies and whole grains. Thus, I'm often on the hunt for vegetarian/meatless recipes. The beauty of this dish is it is extremely kid-friendly. I topped our kids' bowls with a generous amount of sour cream, cheddar and organic blue corn chips and they went to town :). I think we'll be eating it year-round!

1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups white onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 poblano chilies, seeded and diced
2 heaping tsp chili powder
1 heaping tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups water
1 can chili ready tomatoes or diced tomatoes
2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can hominy rinsed and drained
Cooked brown rice

Toppings:
crushed tortilla chips
sour cream
shredded cheddar
sliced green onions
cilantro
Chalula sauce

Saute the onion and poblano peppers in olive oil for about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the garlic, spices, salt and pepper and saute another 2-3 minutes. Place 1/2 cup of the great northern beans in a bowl and mash. Add the rest of the soup ingredients, including mashed beans, to the pot. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Ladle over a spoonful of brown rice and top with desired toppings.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This is another go-to dish for our family. We love to eat sweet potatoes year-round, but especially in the fall. I prepare them with fat free milk and a touch of butter, so they are light and not extremely rich. The walnuts add such a nice bite to the dish. The crunch is a nice contrast to the soft potatoes.

Serves about 6

3 medium to large sweet potatoes, rinsed and pierced with a fork
1/4 cup milk (I use fat free and sometime add a splash of half and half)
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp real maple syrup
Nut topping:
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp half and half
dash of salt
cooking spray

Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for approximately 40 min, or until you can easily poke them with a fork. Remove the skins from the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, through maple syrup. Beat with a hand mixer or a fork until smooth. For the nut topping, combine ingredients and mix until the nuts are well coated in the sugar/half and half coating. Pour onto a cookie sheet coated in cooking spray (you can cover the sheet in foil first and grease the foil). Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes, until the nuts are toasted and the topping is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool. I make them in my toaster oven and just toast them once on medium-dark. Sprinkle nuts over the bowl of potatoes.

Creamy Vegetable Lasagna

This recipe was based on a recipe I saw for lasagna with sausage and mushrooms. I decided to leave out the sausage and substitute roasted red bell pepper and roasted zucchini. It was delicious! Eli literally ate his entire bowl (this rarely happens). The secret to building a lot of flavor into this lasagna is to brown the mushrooms and onions in the butter (don't rush this step) and to broil the zucchini until the edges are golden brown. You could add italian sausage or left over cooked chicken if you'd like. I served it with a large helping of sauteed broccoli with olive oil and garlic and a piece of my french bread toasted with olive oil, garlic and parmesan.

6 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into four strips each
2 red bell peppers, cut in half stem and seeds removed or 1 jar roasted red bell peppers in water (NOT vinegar!)
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
pepper
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
1 package white mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1/2 tsp salt (taste sauce for seasoning once it's finished. If your chicken broth is low sodium, you'll probably want to add more)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
12 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions (or use the regular oven-ready lasagna)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven on broil. Place the bell peppers and sliced zucchini on a baking sheet. Brush both sides of zucchini with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Broil 5-10 minutes, until the skin of the bell peppers turns black and the zucchini are golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven. Cover bell peppers in foil to allow time to steam, in order to remove the skin (approx. 5 minutes). Chop the zucchini into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Remove skin from bell peppers and dice. Mix with the zucchini.

In a large saucepan, on medium-high heat, melt 2 tbsp butter with 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the mushrooms. Sautee 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the onions and garlic. Season with pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. Sautee until the onions are tender and light brown. Add the 4 tbsp flour, stirring to coat all of the mushrooms. Add the broth and milk, stirring well. Simmer about 5 more minutes on medium-high heat, until thickened.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To assemble lasagna, spoon 2/3 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Layer three noodles. Top with 1/3 of the zucchini/bell pepper mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers two more times, ending with a final layer of noodles. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and the 1/4 parmesan. Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes, or until very bubbly and cheese begins to brown. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

My Minestrone

I've been trying really hard to stick to my grocery budget. One of my secrets is to plan 2 meatless meals a week. I usually make soup and salad or soup and panini sandwiches for one of those meals. Today, it was minestrone soup with my homemade french bread topped with oilve oil, mozzarella, tomato and basil and broiled until bubbly. I had the hardest time finding just the right minestrone soup recipe, so I decided to combine a few of them to make my own. It came out so good! I think my secret is the can of beef broth. It gave the soup a rich flavor that probably would be missing if only chicken broth or vegetable broth was used. I used orzo pasta that I had on hand, but you can really use any type of pasta that you have left over in your pantry. Spaghetti can be broken into little pieces and works great in a soup like this. This is a healthy, satisfying fall or winter soup that your family will love (even my 1 1/2 year old loved it!)

2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. carrots, diced
1 c. celery, diced (2 stalks)
2 zucchini, diced
3 small yellow squash, diced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp salt (use less if your broth isn't reduced sodium)
dash of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 c. kale, pulled off the stem and chopped
1 can great northern beans rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 28 oz can whole tomatos, crushed between your fingers when adding to the pot
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 14 oz can beef broth
1 box reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 c. uncooked orzo, ditalini tube pasta, elbow macaron, vermicelli or spaghetti broken spaghetti (whatever you have on hand!)
Parmesan cheese for topping

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sautee until just beginning to brown. Add the celery, carrots and garlic. Sautee until celery is tender. Add the squash and zucchini and the herbs, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sautee about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the pasta. Simmer 20 minutes. Add the pasta and simmer about 10 more minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Serve with parmesan cheese and my multi-grain french bread. Yummy!!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

I LOVE eggplant parmesan, but the traditional method involves browning the eggplant in oil, so it's very fattening and time consuming. In this recipe I created, the eggplant is breaded in whole wheat bread crumbs and baked on a cooling rack to make it extra crunchy. You can use the same recipe for chicken to make chicken parmesan. I've also used it for sliced zucchini. They are like little zucchini chips that you can dip in marinara sauce or ketchup. Even my one-year-old baby, Eli, LOVES these!

3 slices of whole wheat bread (the end pieces work great!)
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
freshly ground pepper
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 egg white, beaten with 1/4 cup fat free milk
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
Additional kosher salt and pepper
Shredded mozzarella
Cooked whole wheat spaghetti
1 jar marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the bread into a food processor. Pulse until small crumbs form. Pour crumbs onto a baking sheet. Drizzle one tbsp of olive oil over the bread crumbs. Toss to coat. Spread into an even layer. Bake for about 6-8 minutes, until bread crumbs are nicely toasted. They will smell fragrant. Watch them closely-they burn easily!! Pour toasted crumbs into a bowl. Turn the heat up to 450 degrees. Add the Parmesan, chopped parsley, 1/4 tsp kosher salt and sprinkle with fresh black pepper. Toss together. Combine the flour, 1/4 tsp kosher salt and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper. Place a cooling rack (used to cool off cookies after they bake) inside a baking sheet. Spray it with cooking spray. Season the eggplant pieces with the additional salt and pepper. Place in the flour, tossing them around to coat. Shake off excess flour. Place in the egg and milk mixture, then directly into the bread crumb mixture. Press the crumbs onto the eggplant pieces, making sure they stick well. Place eggplant on the cooling rack, inside the baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, until they are nice and crispy and tender when poked with a fork. Sprinkle mozzarella over the cooked eggplant. Return to the oven for 1-2 minutes, until cheese melts and is lightly browned. Serve with whole wheat spaghetti and bottled marinara sauce.

Whole Wheat Penne with Roasted Spring Veggies

I based this dish on a recipe I found online. Mundo loved it! It's a great way to take advantage of the veggies that are available this spring. The pasta is simple, yet it tastes like it took a long time to make. I made it in under 30 minutes from start to finish.

1 large red bell pepper, halved and pressed down with your hand to flatten it
1 zucchini, sliced length wise into 1/4 inch strips
2 portobello mushroom caps
1/2 a bunch of asparagus, ends snapped off
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp ground pepper
8 oz whole wheat penne, cooked according to package directions- reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (pre-shredded is available with the rest of the shredded cheese)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay prepped veggies on a cooking sheet (bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagas). Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Toss to coat and then lay them flat on the cookie sheet. Place the mushrooms gill side up and drizzle the inside of each with 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove the asparagus. Flip over the rest of the veggies and cook about 4 minutes longer, until the zucchini begins to caramelize on the second side. Slice the bell peppers into strips about one inch wide. Cut into squares. Slice the zucchini strips into one inch pieces. Cut the mushrooms into 1/4 inch slices and then cut down the middle, halving the slices. Cut each piece of asparagus into three pieces. Place all of the veggies in a large bowl. Add the freshly cooked pasta with the reserved cooking liquid. Heat the garlic in a small frying pan in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour over the pasta. Add the lemon zest, basil, 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper and 1/4 teaspon kosher salt (more if needed) and the parmesan cheese. Toss together and serve. Serves 6.

My New Favorite Snack- Flatbread Crackers with Dill/Chive Cream Cheese and Cucumbers

I got this idea from a vegetarian cooking show I saw on PBS. Although, she didn't season her cream cheese and she used soy cream cheese (I'm not that daring). So, I decided to make up my own version. There are so many different varieties of flatbread crackers in your cracker section in the grocery store. I've also seen them sold at Cosco and Sams. I bought Chicago Flatbreads everything on it crackers with sesame seeds, salt, caraway seeds and poppy seeds. They are awesome! You could also use Wasa brand whole wheat crisp breads. The show I watched actually suggested eating these for breakfast. It's a good way to get your veggies!

For one serving:
1 oz low fat or fat free cream cheese
1 tsp minced green onions
1/8 tsp dried dill
3 flat bread crackers (or more depending on how thick you spread your cream cheese!)
9 thin slices of cucumber (3/cracker) or thin slices of radishes
salt and pepper

Combine the cream cheese, onions, and dill. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread on the crackers. Top with thin slices of cucumber. Sprinkle cucumbers with a touch of salt and pepper.

Another version:
Instead of dill, add 1 tsp minced fresh basil. Spread cream cheese on crackers. Top with sliced of bottled roasted red bell peppers or sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil.

Weeknight Fajita Veggie Quesadillas

I make these often, since they are so easy and quick to make. They are also really good for you! I serve them with a fresh salad.

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp fajita seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
pepper
Whole Wheat tortillas (or regular if you're not up to the wheat :) )
1 package lowfat shredded cheddar cheese
Cooking spray
Avocado, sliced and drizzled with lime juice and salt
lowfat sour cream
bottled salsa

Sautee the onions and peppers in olive oil over medium-high heat until tender and caramelized. Stir in the black beans. Season with the fajita seasoning, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Set aside. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle half of a tortilla with a small amount of cheese. Spread with a spoonful of filling (don't overfill or it will all fall out!). Sprinkle another small handful of cheese over the filling. Fold over the other half of the tortilla. Place in pan and cook until light brown on both sides and cheese melts. Serve with avocado, sour cream and salsa.

Creamy Tomato Soup with a Mushroom-Provolone Panini

It has been really cold in Memphis, so I've been in soup mode lately. I was really in the mood for a thick, yet light tomato soup and I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com. I decided to make it with vegetable broth and to leave out the prosciutto. I made up the panini recipe on my own. I love this panini they make at Panera Bread with mushrooms and mozzarella. This recipe is very similar. For a different twist, you could also add caramelized onions and/or roasted red bellpeppers.

Creamy Tomato Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 large clove minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 28oz can pureed tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup light cream or half and half

Sautee onion, celery, carrot, bay leave and garlic in butter until tender and beginning to caramelize. Add the tomato paste and sautee about 2 minutes. Add the flour and sautee two more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the half and half/cream. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the half and half. Puree with an immersian blender or a regular blender, or serve as is.

Mushroom-Provolone Panini

3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8c marsala cooking wine or vegetable broth
1/8 c vegetable broth
Sliced provolone
Sour dough bread
butter

Melt butter with olive oil in a sautee pan. Add the mushrooms. Season with thyme and pepper. Sautee about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and tender. Add the wine and broth. Cook until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat. Preheat a George Foreman indoor grill (this is what I used to make mine), panini press, or pan. Butter two slices of sour dough bread. Lay three slices of cheese on the unbuttered side of one of the pieces of bread. Spoon some of the mushrooms evenly on top. Top with the second piece of bread. Grill sandwich until crispy and light brown on both sides and cheese is nicely melted. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, Asparagus, and Peas

This is a great fake-out! You think you're eating alfredo sauce, but it's actually very light. Broccoli also works great in this dish in place of or in addition to the asparagus. The addition of roasted red bell peppers is also fantastic. You can prepare it with whole wheat or regular linguine. This is a recipe from Cooking Light magazine. The only change I made was I used a little more cornstarch than it called for, because it just wasn't thick enough, and I used light cream instead of full-fat cream.

8 oz. whole wheat or regular linguine
1 3/4 cups sliced asparagus (one bunch)- make sure you break the ends off and throw them away-they are as tough as tree trunks!
1 c. frozen green peas, thawed
1 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, minced (fresh tastes much better in this recipe)
1 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp cornstarch
1/3 c. light cream or heavy cream
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
dash of ground red pepper
grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Place peas in a colander. Drain the pasta mixture over the peas; set aside.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; saute 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch. ADd to pan and bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cream, juice, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat. Garnish with freshly grated black pepper and Parmesan.

Hummus with Homemade Pita Chips

Mundo and I love this recipe. Tahini only comes in a huge jar, so I keep mine frozen and defrost it in the microwave when I want to use it. It will go bad if it's kept in the fridge for too long. You can use store bought pita chips, but it's a lot cheaper to make your own and these sure do taste good! You can make them with wheat pita as well as white. Hummus is usually a great crowd pleaser and would make an excellent dip to serve at a party.

For the Pita Chips:
1 package pita bread
canola oil for drizzling
table salt or sea salt

Cut each pita bread round into four slices across. Then, cut each slice in half (one pita bread round should yield 8 slices). Place in a large bowl. Drizzle with canola oil and toss to coat. Lay in one flat layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes on each side, or until nice and light brown and crispy.

Hummus
1 can garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) rinsed and drained
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste-usually in the peanut butter section)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
salt to taste
olive oil for drizzling
paprika for garnish

Place all ingredients except olive oil and paprika in a food processor. Process for about 30 until ingredients combine. Pour in about 1/4 cup water until a smooth paste forms. It may be slightly chunky. Spoon into a serving dish. Sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil. Refrigerate before serving. Serve cold with pita chips.

Creamy Potato Soup and Green Salad with Sweet Balsalmic Glazed Red Onions

It's been a while since I've posted, as we've been hosting our friends who evacuated due to Gustav. They have 6 beautiful children, who were amazingly well behaved despite cramped quarters and the craziness of last-minute evacuations. I decided I needed to keep it simple the day after they left, as I was a little tired and not really in the mood to cook for any length of time. This soup recipe, served with a nice green salad and toasty bread, was perfect. It's actually lowfat and only takes about 30 minutes to make, including prep time and cooking time.

2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced (or about 10 baby carrots)
2 tbsp. butter
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 c. chicken broth
3/4 tsp Tony Chacheries cajun seasoning or seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups milk (I used skim and it tasted great)
3/4 cup low fat sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Optional Toppings:
cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
shredded cheddar
finely sliced green onion
sour cream

Sautee onion, celery and carrots in the butter along with the dried thyme, Tony's, garlic powder, pepper and salt. When you begin to see light brown on the bottom of the pan, add the potatoes and chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are nice and soft and can easily be mashed with a fork.

Mash vegetables with a potato masher. Add the milk, sour cream, and cheese. Cook, stirring constantly, until sour cream is incorporated and it comes together into a nice, creamy soup.




Sweet Balsalmic Glazed Red Onions

1 large red onion, sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices.
Salt and pepper
olive oil
balsalmic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the onion slices on a cookie sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and balsalmic vinegar. Toss with your hands to make sure they are nicely coated. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving. These taste SO sweet and yummy on a salad. I made a dressing using a store-bought italian dressing packet and added about 1/4 cup extra vinegar, instead of the large amount of oil. (I filled my dressing carafe to the vinegar line with red wine vinegar. Then, I added 1/4 c. balsalmic vinegar, 3 tbsp water, the seasoning packet and oil to the oil line).

Chicken (or Not) Poblano Casserole

I got this recipe from my Cooking Light magazine collection- I love this magazine! They always have great recipe ideas that are healthy and yummy. I made a few changes to the recipe. I didn't add any cilantro (because it can be so strong and tends to overpower the casserole. However, I've included it before and it tastes great either way.) I substituted cottage cheese for the ricotta, because I've never been a huge fan of the ricotta and the cottage cheese gives the casserole a creamy consistency. It is delicious with fresh corn. You could easily leave out the chicken and make it vegetarian. Here's the original recipe: Chicken Poblano Casserole


3 poblano chiles (about 12 ounces)
1 large red bell pepper (about 8 ounces)
3 ears shucked corn
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
3 cups (12 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) carton lowfat cottage cheese
Cooking spray
18 (6-inch) white corn tortillas
3 3/4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (optional)
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
Preheat broiler.

Cut poblanos and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place poblanos and bell pepper, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Place corn on baking sheet. Broil 10 minutes or until poblanos and bell pepper are blackened and corn is lightly browned. Place poblanos and bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop; set poblanos and bell pepper aside separately. Remove corn kernels from cobs.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until slightly thick (about 12 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Combine 1 cup milk mixture and poblanos in a blender; process until smooth. Stir pureed poblano mixture into remaining milk mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine bell pepper, corn, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup Mexican cheese, red onion, eggs, and cottage cheese.

Coat bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in bottom of dish. Arrange 6 tortillas over sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread half of cottage cheese mixture over tortillas; top with half of chicken. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup green onions and 2/3 cup cheddar cheese. Pour about 1 cup sauce over cheese. Repeat layers with 6 tortillas, remaining cottage cheese mixture, remaining chicken, 1/3 cup green onions, 2/3 cup cheddar cheese, 1 cup sauce, and 6 tortillas. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas. Coat 1 side of foil with cooking spray. Place foil, coated side down, over casserole. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and 1/3 cup green onions. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 15 minutes.

Yield

12 servings

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 369(29% from fat); FAT 11.9g (sat 6.1g,mono 2.9g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 98mg; CALCIUM 536mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.8g; SODIUM 594mg; PROTEIN 33.1g; FIBER 3.6g

Simple, Healthy Sides- Okra and Tomatoes and Green Beans with Turkey Bacon

I made these two side dishes this week after a trip to our local Agricenter produce market. They had really fresh okra, heirloom tomatoes and green beans, so I was inspired to make these recipes. The okra and tomatoes I served alongside grilled chicken breast, sauteed corn that I cut off the cob and seasoned with salt, pepper and butter and brown rice pilaf seasoned with sauteed onions, garlic, parsley and chicken broth. I served the green beans with mashed potatoes (I also bought my potatoes at the produce market and they were AWESOME) and steaks that I seasoned with salt pepper and grill seasoning and grilled outside. Yummy dinners!

Southern Okra and Tomatoes
3 cups sliced okra
1 tbsp salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 small bell pepper diced
1 large tomato or 2 medium tomatoes diced
1 garlic clove minced
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Boil the sliced okra in salted water for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Sautee the onion and bell pepper in oil until tender. Add the garlic. Sautee for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the okra and season with salt, pepper, flour, butter and sugar (you could also season with cajun seasoning for a little kick). Simmer for 10 minutes and serve.

My Green Beans with Bacon
3 cups fresh green beans, stems removed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 slices turkey bacon (or you can use regular bacon if you wish)
1 tbsp water (or more if needed, to deglaze the pan)
salt and pepper to taste

Steam green beans in a steamer basket or in a saucepan with a small amount of water at the bottom (you have to use a lid). Drain and set aside. Sautee the onion in the butter and olive oil until tender and just beginning to brown. Add the bacon. Sautee until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook about a minute longer. Stir in the green beans and the water, scrapping off the the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

My Abuelita's Black Beans and Rice

When I make these in my pressure cooker I don't soak the beans. However, they can be made on the stove the regular way by soaking the beans over night or quick soaking them in hot water for an hour or so before cooking. These are a family favorite that we serve every Christmas Eve as a Cuban tradition. I served them over brown rice (now that's some serious fiber, baby!) with sauteed plantains (maduros- the sweet version, when the skin is nice and yellow with brown spots) and a nice salad. It was a great vegetarian meal!

One 1 lb bag of black beans, rinsed (soaked if cooking the regular way on the stove)
8 cups of water
1 1/2 green bell peppers cut into large pieces
1 large onion cut into large pieces
4 cloves minced garlic
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1 small can tomato sauce

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot or pressure cooker. If cooking in a large pot, simmer for about 3-4 hours, until the beans are nice and tender, stirring periodically. If cooking in a pressure cooker, bring up to high pressure and cook 45 minutes.

Once beans are cooked, add:
2 tsp vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
2 tbsp sherry or cooking wine
2 tbsp olive oil

Remove the pieces of bellpepper and onion with about 1/2 cup of the beans and place in a blender. Puree. Pour back into the beans. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Serve over rice or with flour tortillas and sour cream.

Light and Easy Vegetarian Tomato Basil Pasta

This was dinner tonight. It only took me about 20 minutes to make it from start to finish. It was so fresh tasting. The agricenter produce market has beautiful tomatoes that would work great in this dish. Unfortunately, I was only able to make it to Kroger today, so we had to live with slightly ripe roma tomatoes. I served it with an italian salad made of: romaine lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers dressed with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano (dash) and parmesan. It was yummy!

4 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tbsp dried basil
dash of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
8 roma tomatoes, diced
4 tbsp water
1/2 box whole wheat angel hair pasta
Grated parmesan and mozzerella to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion until tender. Add the garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes and saute until the garlic becomes fragrant and tender (about 2 minutes). Add the tomatoes and the water and season generously with salt and pepper. Allow to simmer about 10 minutes until the tomatoes release their juices and a nice sauce develops. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Stir into the sauce. Top with grated parmesan and mozzarella, if desired.

*You could also add diced zucchini or eggplant when you add the tomatoes. Italian chicken sausage would be a nice addition if you didn't want it to be vegetarian.