Recipes
2 (15 oz.) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed. (No salt added)
3 green onions
1 chopped tomato
2 cups cooked brown rice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
4 tbsp grated cheese (low-fat)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp canola oil
¼ tsp hot sauce (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large tortillas (whole wheat option available)
1 ripe avocado
Mix together beans, tomato, green onions, cilantro, cooked rice and cheese. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine garlic and lime juice. Whisk in oil, in a slow and steady stream, until dressing has thickened slightly. Add salt to taste. Stir lime dressing into bean mixture and season with hot sauce to taste.
Spread ¼ of the avocado along the center of each tortilla. Top with bean mixture. Fold the edges up and roll into burritos. Heat on a baking sheet at 350 degrees F until cheese has melted and burritos are heated through, about 15 minutes.
Serves 4
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small, fresh hot chile, seeded and minced (optional)
1 ½ cups cooked or one 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups really good salsa
8 large tortillas (whole wheat option available)
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast until tender, turning once, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile (optional) and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, tomatoes, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the sweet potatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Spread a thin layer of salsa over the bottom of a lightly oiled 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.
Place a tortilla on a flat work surface. Spoon a portion of the sweet potato mixture down the center of the tortilla and roll it up. Place the filled tortilla in the baking dish, seam side down, and repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling mixture. Spoon any remaining filling mixture on top of the enchiladas, top with the remaining salsa and sprinkle with onion. Cover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Serves 6-8
Chipotle Chile with Black Beans and Corn
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 large onions, chopped
2 zucchini, diced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tsp salt
6 cups vegetable broth
1 (14 ½ oz.) can diced tomatoes in liquid
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
2 cups raw corn kernels
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, zucchini, cumin, chile powder, chipotle puree, salt and broth. Stir well. Cook until mixture is softened, stirring often, about 7 minutes.
Puree tomatoes and their liquid with tomato paste and add to pot, along with corn and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches a chili consistency. This will take about 1 hour. Taste and adjust chipotle.
Marinade:
1 orange, juiced
2 limes, juiced
1 ½ tbsp canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
2 ¼ lbs. skirt or flank steak, trimmed of all fat or grilled chicken breast
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
12 flour tortillas, warm
Salsa to taste
In a small bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. Place meat in a shallow container and pour marinade over it. Refrigerate covered, 8 hours or overnight to tenderize the meat.
Drain the marinade from the meat. Grill the meat in a grill pan for 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let stand.
In the same pan with the steak juices, add the bell pepper and onions. Sauté the mixture for 3 minutes until the vegetables are limp.
Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.
Spread salsa on the inside of each tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers and onions. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.
May also serve with low fat sour cream and low fat shredded cheese.
Serves 8
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
4 skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 eggs, beaten
Canola oil wiped onto baking dish.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Place soy sauce in a shallow dish and add chicken turning to coat. Discard soy sauce. Combine sesame seeds, flour, salt and pepper in a large heavy duty zip lock bag. Add chicken and seal bag and shake to coat chicken with mixture.
Place chicken in a large baking dish coated with oil. Brush top of chicken with egg. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center of the chicken is no longer pink.
Serves 4
1 cup oatmeal or oat bran
1 cup nonfat milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 pounds lean ground meat (red meat or turkey as long as it is lean)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Mix the first 8 ingredients together. Add meat and mix well. Shape into 1 ½ inch balls. Arrange on baking sheets with canola oil wiped onto sheet. Bake 12 minutes or until done.
Serves 6-8
Rosemary Chicken Breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
Small rosemary sprig, chopped or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Mix the oil, vinegar, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper and brush the marinade on the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Preheat the grill.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard any remaining marinade. Grill the breasts for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Let the chicken rest on a plate for 1 or 2 minutes before serving.
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp dried basil
½ tsp garlic powder
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup tomato sauce
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (part skim)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a shallow bowl. Dip each chicken breast into beaten egg, then roll in bread crumb mixture to evenly coat. Place the chicken on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 10-12 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Spoon tomato sauce over chicken. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serves 4
Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pasta
¾ cup reduced sodium non-fat chicken broth
1/3 cup apricot preserves
2 tbsp black bean sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp canola oil
1 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into strips
2 bags frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 ½ cups of whole wheat pasta, cooked
Prepare pasta as directed on the package.
In a small bowl whisk together chicken broth, apricot preserves, black bean sauce and cornstarch. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add chicken, stir fry 3 minutes, until golden brown. Add vegetables, stir fry 1 minute. Add chicken broth mixture and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens. Add to pasta and mix.
Serves 4
1.5 lbs. chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
4-5 potatoes, quartered
2-3 turnips, quartered
4 carrots, cut into chunks
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
4 cans low sodium chicken stock
1 tbsp cornstarch
Salt to taste
Cut chicken into chunks and sauté in 2 tbsp of olive oil. Once the chicken is cooked, set aside.
In a large pot, add some more olive oil and throw in all the vegetables. Stir until they get a little soft and until the onion is cooked (10 minutes or so). Pour in chicken broth, then put chicken back in. Let it all cook until the vegetables get soft. Add rosemary. Add cornstarch to ½ cup of cooled chicken broth, stir it into stew until it thickens. You may need to use a bit more cornstarch. Add salt to taste.
Lauren’s Famous Turkey Burgers
2 lbs. lean ground turkey meat
6 tbsp barbecue sauce
3 tbsp minced onion flakes (or ½ cup chopped fresh onion)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
Preheat the broiler.
Combine all the ingredients. Divide into 8 patties and place on a broiler pan. Broil for approximately 20 minutes or until the insides are no longer pink.
1 (15 oz.) can chunky garlic and tomato sauce (such as Hunts Ready)
1 lb. lean ground turkey
¼ lb ground round
2/3 cup toasted wheat germ
½ cup minced fresh onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Wipe loaf pan with canola oil. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, until fully incorporated. Transfer mixture into the loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour or until the inside is no longer pink.
Let cool for about 15 minutes before slicing.
Serves 4
Garlic Shrimp with Brown Rice and Spinach
6 medium sized shrimp per person (about 6-8 oz. for 2 people)
8 oz. fresh baby spinach
2 cups cooked brown rice
Smoked Spanish paprika, or regular paprika
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
Peel and devein shrimp. Butterfly them and sauté in chopped garlic and 1/2 the olive oil. Add paprika and toss. Remove from pan, place on cooked rice add rest of oil to sauté pan and sauté spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, place around edges of plate with shrimp and rice.
Serves 2-3
1 lb. red lentils
2 leeks (make sure they are cleaned of all dirt)
1 zucchini
1 can tomatoes
Boullion (chicken or beef)
1 red pepper
1 onion
Dice zucchini, pepper and onion and sauté in a little water and olive oil. Add lentils and 2-3 cups of water, tomatoes and boullion. Simmer until most water is absorbed.
Slice leeks lengthwise and separate the leaves. Steam leaves in sauce pan until tender and use as the lasagna layers. Put one layer of leeks in bottom of pan, then half of lentil mixture, leeks, half mixture and leeks on top.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cut into squares.
Zucchini and Ground Turkey Lasagna
2 large zucchini sliced length-wise
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 28 oz. can tomatoes
6 mushrooms, sliced
Olive oil
4 cloves garlic
Bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
(a little white wine can be added to tomato mixture)
Bake zucchini slices in oven on lightly oiled cookie sheet at 375 degrees F until just tender. Remove zucchini from oven.
Brown turkey in pan until cooked, drain fat and add sliced mushrooms, olive oil, garlic and tomatoes. Sauté 15 minutes, season with salt and pepper, oregano, parsley, basil and whatever seasonings you like.
Place slices of zucchini in lasagna dish to cover bottom, spread half of turkey mixture and parmesan cheese, then do another layer of same. End with zucchini slices and top with bread crumbs,
Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Serves 4
Low-Fat Lasagna
1 lb. ground lean turkey or lean beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes, cut up or diced
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
8 oz. lasagna noodles (you could also use whole wheat lasagna noodles)
1 egg, beaten
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
8 oz. part skim Mozzarella cheese
In a large skillet cook meat, onion and garlic until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in the next 7 ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring mixture often.
Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. Stir together egg, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper.
In a 9x13x2 inch baking dish, layer half of the noodles, half of the cottage cheese mixture, half of the Mozzarella, and half of the meat sauce. Repeat layers; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Serves 10
Chick Pea Ragout with Glazed Vegetables
3 cups cooked chick peas or one 32 oz. can, drained
1 ½ cups peeled and diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp canola oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp grated or crushed fresh ginger
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp ground coriander seeds
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1 inch pieces
Yogurt topping (optional)
½ cup plain low fat yogurt
½ cup chopped cucumber
½ cup chopped scallion
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped hot green chile
In a large bowl combine chick peas, tomatoes and tomato paste. Set aside. In a large pan heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, cumin and coriander. Cook, stirring often, until the onions turn light brown, about 8 minutes. Add zucchini, bell peppers and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes.
Add chick pea-tomato mixture to the onion mixture. Add water and bring contents to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until the flavors are blended and the sauce is very thick. Serve ragout topped with yogurt.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, halved and sliced
3 sliced celery, sliced
8 cups chicken broth
½ cup pearl barley
2 zucchini, sliced
1 cup firmly packed fresh spinach
½ cup rolled oats
salt, pepper
Heat olive oil and add onion, carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, barley and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally until barley is tender, about 1 hour.
Add zucchini, spinach and oats and simmer 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot.
Swiss Chard with Garbanzo beans
Garbanzo Beans:
2 15.5 oz. cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained (about 3 cups)
10 garlic cloves, peeled
2 large shallots
3 small bay leaves, preferably fresh
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Swiss Chard:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 small bay leaves, preferably fresh
2 shallots, sliced
2 bunches Swiss Chard, center stems cut out, leaves coarsely torn
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine garbanzo beans, garlic, shallots, bay leaves and fennel seeds in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour oil over mixture, cover dish with foil. Roast until garlic is tender, about 45 minutes. Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, bay leaves, and shallots. Cover and cook until shallots are tender, about 2 minutes. Uncover, add half of chard. Toss until chard wilts and volume is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add remaining chard. Toss until chard wilts, about 2 minutes. Add broth. Cover and cook until chard is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season chard with salt and pepper. Transfer chard mixture to large sieve set over bowl and drain.
Drain garbanzos and reserve oil; discard bay leaves. Combine garbanzos and chard in large skillet. Add 2 tablespoons oil reserved from garbanzos. Toss over medium heat until warmed through, moistening with more oil by tablespoonfuls if needed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Vegetable Stock:
1 gallon of water
4 stalks celery
1 large yellow onion
5 carrots
4 parsnips
Bunch of dill and parsley, tied up.
For Soup:
½ cup Lentils
½ cup Pearl barley
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp soy sauce
Bring water to a boil with 2 stalks celery (cut in half), 1 onion, 2 carrots (cut in half), and 2 parsnip (cut in half). Once water reaches a boil, turn down heat and simmer for two hours. Remove vegetables. Use this as base for soup. If you don’t want to make soup stock, you can buy cans of vegetable stock instead, low sodium if possible.
Add pearl barley, lentils, ½ gallon water, 3 sliced carrots, 2 sliced celery, 2 sliced parsnip. Add dill and parsley, Cook until vegetables are soft. After it’s cooked, remove dill and parsley. Puree ½ the mixture and add it back to the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
1 onion (chopped)
4 leeks (cleaned and sliced)
1.5 lbs. potatoes (10 small potatoes) – cut into quarters
2 tsp salt
3 tsp soy sauce
8 cups liquid (5 cups vegetable broth, 3 cups water)
1/3 cup butter
Pepper, to taste
Sauté onion, leeks and potato in butter. Add liquid and cook until soft. Add everything else. At the end, mash mixture a bit with a potato masher (still want to see pieces of potato in the soup). Add salt and pepper to taste.
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5-6 cups vegetable or beef broth
2 cups red or green lentils, sorted & rinsed
1 16 oz. can tomatoes, including juice, finely chopped
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper
Cook onion and garlic until tender, not browned. Add the broth, lentils, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, & lemon juice. Bring to boil, then simmer. Cover for 40 minutes or until lentils are tender and soup is thick. If too thick, add a bit more broth.
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
6 cans low fat chicken broth
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
4 large potatoes, like Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled
salt and pepper
Heat olive or canola oil in a large pot, sauté chopped onion. Once the onion is translucent, add the broccoli and potatoes. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. In batches, puree the mixture in a blender until smooth. To reduce the risk of being burned, be careful not to put too much in the blender at a single time. Pour blended soup back into the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Note: You can do the same thing with cauliflower and asparagus.
10 cups low sodium vegetable broth or vegetable stock
4 red potatoes cubed
4 cups onion
1 cup carrots, sliced
3 cups celery, sliced
2 cups zucchini, sliced
8 oz. tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/4 bunch fresh parsley
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro
salt, pepper
Combine potatoes, onion, carrots and celery in a pot. Add vegetable broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potato is soft.
Add zucchini, tomato sauce and spices, reduce heat to medium low and cook 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 10
1 15.5 oz. can chick peas (garbanzo beans)
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
¼ cup olive oil
4 oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
¼ tsp salt
parsley (optional)
cilantro (optional)
Place garlic, salt, tahini and lemon juice into a blender. Process until smooth. Pour in the chick peas and olive oil, process until smooth again, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Once smooth, add the sun-dried tomatoes and blend until they have been chopped to very small pieces and incorporated into the hummus. Finally, add the parsley and cilantro (optional) and process until mixed in. Place in a serving bowl and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.
Serve with baked pita chips or crackers, with chopped vegetables or on whole wheat pita bread.
1 head of green cabbage, sliced thinly
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup jicama
1 red onion
1 bulb of fennel
1 granny smith apple
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp agave nectar or honey
salt, pepper
1/3 cup low fat mayo
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
cilantro
parsley
Combine all veggies, sliced very thinly, in a bowl and mix. Combine remaining ingredients to make dressing, pour over veggies and toss. Cover and chill.
You can serve this with any meat, fish or turkey burger or in a wrap with meat or fish or in a tortilla for fish tacos -- omit mayo and add lime and cumin.
Serves 12
5 tbsp low fat buttermilk
3 tbsp nonfat yogurt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp dill
1 tsp chives
Salt and pepper
Whisk all together, refrigerate and use within 5 days.
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp minced garlic (optional)
Salt and pepper
In a bowl, mix the vinegar, minced garlic and Dijon mustard. Then very slowly, add the olive oil in a steady stream while you whisk it all together quickly. It’s very important to add the olive oil very slowly while you’re whisking so it will all emulsify and turn into dressing. Once you have finished, season with salt and pepper.