Stuffed Acorn Squash

*Recipe and Photo Credit to wearenotmartha.com

Remember how much I love Bountiful Baskets? Well, I kind of got tired of them for a while. Not that I am opposed to fresh fruits and veggies at a discount, it's more like I really wanted to be able to choose my food for a while. I do love the bread though so I've been ordering a basket about once a month and add 40 loaves of bread to my freezer (I think the BB people call me the "bread lady"). Anyway, BB totally bit me in the behind last week. I had gone shopping in the week and bought acorn squash, potatoes, and spinach and then when I picked up my basket...you guessed it MORE acorn squash, MORE potatoes, and MORE spinach. It's like they are mind readers. Anywho, I needed some new ideas for how to prepare acorn squash, since I am now the proud owner of about eight of them.

I simply googled "stuffed acorn squash" and found a recipe that looked good, prepared it, and it knocked my socks off! It was a perfect meal and I felt super healthy eating it, in fact, I feel inspired to create a "healthy" category for the sidebar there, just for this post (lookin' at you Ang).

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash
• 1 T butter
• 1 C quinoa
• 2 C chicken/veggie stock or broth (reduced sodium)
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 habanero peppers, chopped finely (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1/2 C mushrooms, chopped
• 2 C spinach, uncooked
• 1/2 feta, crumbled
• 1 T parsley, chopped
• 1 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375dgs, slice acorn squash in half.

Once sliced (albeit perhaps unevenly), scoop out all the seedsSprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper and put 1/2 T butter in each squash half.

Place on a baking tray and roast at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. Make sure squash is tender to the fork upon removal (otherwise, stick it back in the oven for a few more minutes)In the meantime, start cooking your quinoa, according to directions. You can use water, but I find chicken stock/broth to be a bit more flavorful. I generally try to get low-sodium, so I can control levels of salt. And, of course, use vegetable broth if you want to keep this dish vegetarian-friendlyWhile the quinoa is cooking and the squash is roasting, pour your extra virgin olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms, onion, garlic, and habaneros until they’re slightly browned, about 7-10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and squeeze lemon juice over.Now, turn heat to low and add the cooked quinoa to the veggie mixture. Throw in 2 cups of spinach and stir to combine and wilt spinach a bit.

Add in feta cheese and parsley here, as well. Save a little of each for topping, if you want.

Your acorn squash should be looking beautiful by now.

Spoon quinoa mixture into acorn squash halves and top with a little extra feta. And parsley too, if you desire.

Absolutely delicious! And completely vegetarian! I doubled the recipe and was very glad that I did and I served it with this salad, which I dumped bacon bits on (the real kind from Costco), obliterating the vegetarianness of the meal : ) Also, I didn't have habenero peppers but I did have some jalepeno slices (the kind you put on nachos) and chopped a couple of those to put in and what I learned was you definitely want something to give the dish some heat and the jalepeno slices worked great, just work with what you've got. Also, I hope you know that whenever a recipe calls for fresh squeezed lemon juice I squeeze it fresh from the bottle. Now if it calls for zest, that's another story....

Enjoy!

Greek Seven Layer Dip

Picture and recipe from www.ourbestbites.com

Made this yummy appetizer yesterday, loved it! And the best news is that you can print a coupon out for hummus and get it free at Smith's! Woot. Hey maybe there is a market for a recipe blog that is also a deal blog...hmmm. Anyway, this is a fun twist on seven layer dip, and supposedly it is better for you than refried beans, sour cream, and cheese : )

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened ( I used low-fat)

1 tsp dill weed or Greek Seasoning (salt free) - I just used the dill

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 C hummus (really easy to make yourself if you don't want to buy it)

1 c seeded, diced cucumbers

1 c seeded, diced tomatoes

1/2 c chopped Kalamata olives

1/3 c chopped green onions

1/2 c crumbled feta cheese (oh. my. gosh. I totally forgot to put this in mine. That is so lame)

1/8 c minced fresh parsley

With an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, seasoning, garlic and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or a small, shallow baking dish. Then spread a layer of hummus. In order, create layers by sprinkling the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, Feta, and parsley. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least two hours. Serve with pita chips, fresh veggies, and/or flatbread.

I have to admit I just shed a tear typing this recipe and realizing I forgot to add feta. So lame. Everyone loved this dip! I was afraid the flavors would be too bold for some, but it got an enthusiastic thumbs up from all! Also, I bought the kalamata olives at an olive bar in the grocery store and five minutes after I put them, in their fancy container (clearly marked $8/lb) Blaine called in from the other room "hey! You weren't saving those olives for anything were you?". He was totally feeding them to our children. Apparently he thinks it is normal for me to buy fancy olives in fancy containers to feed to the riffraff who would probably prefer cheez-its. Sigh. So clearly mark your olives ladies and gents. Maybe lock them up.

And don't forget the feta. Ugh!

Happy New Years!

Healthy Eating

My husband and have I committed to 3 months of drastically healthier eating. We're doing as much un-processed organic whole food as we can. We had resigned ourselves to some pretty cruddy meals but, one week in, we've actually eaten pretty well.

We had this roasted vegetable pasta sauce on homemade pasta on Sunday. I blended it up because that was the only way I could bring myself to eat it (I am super picky about veggies). It was quite good and made a TON. I froze the leftovers in 1 1/2 cup portions. It made an appearance later in the week as pizza sauce on whole wheat pizza dough topped with fresh mozzarella, artichoke hearts and spinach. And next week I'm going to use it in this lasagna.

On Monday I sauteed some onion, garlic, chopped asparagus and spinach in little butter. I tossed it with the leftover homemade pasta from Sunday night and it was probably my favorite meal of the week. 

On Wednesday I made this gnocci (but subbed half the flour with whole wheat). It also turned out really yummy. I topped it with this pesto.

On Thursday we tried out these mashed potato and roasted vegetable enchiladas. I used real potatoes instead of instant and a red bell pepper instead of the mushrooms. I also added some onion and garlic to the veggie mix and followed the reviewers advice by seasoning it all with some cumin. I also used these tortillas and the enchilada sauce from this recipe. We were pretty worried about how these would go but they were super good. My husband in particular loooved them.

Kristi's whole wheat blender pancakes have made several appearances. My sister is visiting and she said she normally doesn't like whole wheat stuff but she loves the pancakes as much as I do. We've been topping them with frozen berries I cook down with a little bit of honey on the stove. So yummy!

Grilled Swiss with Avocado and Tomato

Since returning home from Disneyland where the Dole Whips flowed like water and the Monte Cristo Sandwiches were aplenty....we've decided to try to be healthier. So tonight I cracked open my trusty "Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites" cookbook and tried this recipe, I loved it!


2 Tbs low fat mayo
8 slices multigrain bread
4 slices low fat swiss cheese
1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
2 cups alfalfa sprouts
1 tomato cut in 8 slices

* Spread 1 1/2 t mayo on each of the four bread slices; layer with one slice of swiss cheese, on fourth of the avocado, on fourth of the carrots, one half cup of the alfalfa sprouts and two tomato slices. Cover with remaining four pieces of bread.

* Set a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray both sides of each sandwich with nonstick spray; place in the skillet. Cook, covered, turning once, until the cheese is melted and the bread well toasted, about four minutes.

* Devour

*4 WW Points

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I didn't have the alfalfa sprouts or carrots on mine--kudos to you if you keep alfalfa sprouts lying about. Also I used a prepackaged guacamole (that I scored at Costco for cheap!) instead of the avocado.

Very yummy, VERY fast and all made even better with my multigrain bountiful basket bread!

Wild Rice Soup

Okay, so I am pretty sure Ralphie meant to put this on here (*cough*) but since she didn't the least I could do is steal the picture off of her blog and post it on here for her. Please don't sue me Ralph.

The thing is, this soup should be called something besides wild rice soup--- like Almond Surprise Soup or something, because SURPRISE there are almonds in there and that alone made this one of my favorite soups ever.

This soup had a delicious flavor and yummy texture and, once I blended it up so my kids didn't know there were carrots and mushrooms in it- they gobbled it up with minimal prodding!

So make it!

Wild Rice Soup from: bandralphie.blogspot.com

5Tbs butter

1 finely chopped onion

1 C frozen or canned corn

1/2 lb fresh musrooms, sliced

2 large carrot sticks, sliced (or uh...like 20 baby carrots, sliced)

3/4 C flour

6 1/2 C chicken broth

2 C Cooked wild rice

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (optional- I didn't put it in and I am glad, this is an awesome vegetarian meal - alright, mostly just cuz I'm lazy and out of chicken)

1/2 t salt

1/2 t curry powder (or more per Ralphie's suggestion)

1/2 t mustard powder (go me for actually having this on hand!)

1/2 t dried parsley

1/2 t black pepper

1 C slivered almonds

2 C half and half (or 1 C half and half and 1 C milk)

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute 3-4 minutes more. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture into a large pot (um, I just started it with a large pot...so whatever). Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer.

Next add the rice, chicken (if using), salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through then pour in half and half. Let simmer for 1 hr (or more....or less). Do not boil or the roux will break (that super stressed me out, because break really? yikes!).

Serve with warm crusty bread.

Then give Ralphie grief for not posting on the recipe blog, because everything she makes is super yum.

Thanks Ralph : )

Asparagus Pasta w/ Spinach Noodles

I ran across this recipe for Asparagus Pasta yesterday and decided it merited a special trip to the grocery store for asparagus and a rearranging of my menu for the week so we could use up the little bit of cream left in my fridge before it went bad.

And, because I'm trying to eat healthier and squeeze more veggies in, I made spinach pasta instead of using the penne or rigatoni the recipe calls for.

It was all quite good (especially with the addition of garlic. I am physically incapable of cooking without garlic, I think). I was worried it would be TOO vegetable-y but it really wasn't. My two year old gobbled it up and there were no leftovers. Not too bad for a Monday night meal.

Roasted Tilapia and Veggies

We aren't total fish lovers, but tried this tonite and it was FABULOUS!

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: 4 servings

1/2 lb fresh asparagus spears, cut in half (I used carrots)
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges, separated
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
4 tilapia fillets (about 1 1/2 lb)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon paprika (Didn't have any, still tasted great!)



1. Heat oven to 450°F. In large bowl, mix asparagus, zucchini, bell pepper, onion and oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the steak seasoning; toss to coat. Spread vegetables in ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan. Place on lower oven rack in oven; bake 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Pat tilapia fillets dry with paper towels. Brush with butter; sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon steak seasoning and paprika. Place in baking dish.
3. Place baking dish on middle oven rack in oven. Bake fish and vegetables 17 to 18 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with fork and vegetables are tender. (I could have stood it to cook a bit longer, and cook out some of the excess water, it was kind of watery.)


*Any firm white fish fillets can be used. Baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillets.

**Nutrion Information 1 Serving: Calories 290 (Calories from Fat 110); Total Fat 12g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 100mg; Sodium 520mg; Total Carbohydrate 11g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 5g); Protein 35g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 40%; Vitamin C 45%; Calcium 6%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 2 Vegetable; 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Mini Vegetable Cakes

These are a great way to get veggies into your kids when they aren't big fans of veggies. I can guarantee you there is no way my kids would knowingly have eaten beets, but chopped up small (use a food processor!) they didn't even care! And *I* personally wouldn't have liked to eat them either (seriously, I'm worse than my kids sometimes) but these were acutally tasty! Give em a try sometime you're feeling adventurous. (Credit to parents.com for yet another recipe that I'm posting).

Combine half an 8-1/2-ounce package corn-muffin mix with 1 egg white and 3 tablespoons water. Stir in 3/4 cup shredded zucchini and 1/2 cup chopped canned beets. Drop batter by the tablespoon into 2 tablespoons hot canola oil. Cook 2 minutes; turn and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until browned.

Superfoods Vegetable Soup

I didn't expect my kids to eat this, but they did, and it is LOADED with good stuff! I'm tagging it as vegetarian, but I added some cut up chicken I had in my freezer, just to make the kids happy. I didn't list that on the recipe though.

Superfoods Vegetable Stew - Serves 8

3 Tbsp + 2 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken because that's all I had)
2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large red onion, cut into thin wedges
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander (didn't have any so I just put some extra cumin in there)
3/4 tsp Mrs Dash seasoning (didn't have so I used Lawry's seasoned salt... prob not the same but oh well)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 (15 1/2-oz) cans chickpeas, drained
2 (15 1/2-oz) cans diced tomatoes
12-oz package fresh baby spinach
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water
4 cups cooked rice or couscous (optional)


Spray Dutch oven with cooking spray; add 3 Tbsp vegetable broth to pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and onion to pan; sprinkle with garlic powder and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add bell peppers, cumin, coriander, Mrs Dash seasoning and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, spinach and remaining vegetable broth. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, 12 to 15 minutes, until heated through. Combine cornstarch and water in a small cup; mix well. Gradually add cornstarch mixture to stew; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until stew thickens, about 1 minute. Serve over cooked rice or couscous if desired. Do not freeze. Stew can be refrigerated and reheated up to 4 days.

Nutrition per serving:
Calories 194
Fat 2.5 g
Carbs 37g
Protein 9g
Fiber 9g
Sodium 880 mg
cholesterol 0 mg

Brown rice and black bean casserole - three stars!

Okay the thing is, I felt so healthy making and eating this. We loved it! I am posting the recipe as was found on allrecipes and I'll put my modifications at the bottom. Definitely worth making especially because if you chop the veggies fine enough your kids won't know they are eating mushrooms, zuccini and carrots, and neither will you!

• 1/3 cup brown rice
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 cooked skinless boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• salt to taste
• ground cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained
• 1/3 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1. Mix the rice and vegetable broth in a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes, or until rice is tender.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large casserole dish.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion until tender. Mix in the zucchini, chicken, and mushrooms. Season with cumin, salt, and ground cayenne pepper. Cook and stir until zucchini is lightly browned and chicken is heated through.
4. In large bowl, mix the cooked rice, onion, zucchini, chicken, mushrooms, beans, chiles, carrots, and 1/2 the Swiss cheese. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
5. Cover casserole loosely with foil, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover, and continue baking 10 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

-------------------
Okay, I made this vegetarian style; which means I omitted the chicken (read: I am lazy), and added lots more veggies (I did two zuccinis, probably like three cups of sliced mushrooms). I doubled the rice (and consequently the broth), and actually I think it could have easily been tripled and still been great. I used a mexican blend of cheese. I think next time I will reduce the cheese, not because the recipe had too much cheese but because I feel like you could get away with a lot less cheese and have it still be good. I would also maybe just use plain ol' cheddar. I added a lot more thinly sliced carrots.

I had two leftover wheat tortillas and though this recipe was intended to be a casserole I served it like a burrito filling with those leftover tortillas, with a little sour cream (and salsa would be great too!). Then since we only had two tortillas we ate the rest like a casserole with a little sour cream.

What a great meal! I loved it.

Another note...be sure you realize that the brown rice has to cook for forty five minutes! I started making this dinner way too late in the evening and didn't realize it would take so long. It's not hard to make at all, just takes a long time to make the rice and also to bake in the oven.

Totally easy, healthy and inexpensive to make!!

Sweet Potato Fries

Let me start this post with a sad tale: "Once there was a country girl from Idaho potato country who married a city boy from Utah who was allergic to potatoes. The End." Sad, right? But, I'm happy to announce that I was recently introduced to sweet potato fries! (Is this old news to all of you?) My husband can eat them and they are a hit with the kids, too. And so healthy! Here's what I do:

Sweet Potato Fries

2 sweet potatoes
a splash of olive oil
seasonings to taste (salt/season-all/cinnamon and paprika/whatever floats your boat)

My husband is allergic to a lot of vegetables, but if I peel the skins, he does much better. So I start by peeling the sweet potatoes, although that is totally unnecessary if you like peels on your fries. It's your choice. Then I chop them into fry shape and size, throw them on a cookie sheet and drizzle some olive oil over the top. Then I mix them around to get them all coated with oil before sprinkling seasonings on top. I usually just do salt, but I've also tried cinnamon and paprika, which were also good. Then bake them in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes or so, turning every 10 minutes or so. And, VOILA! Baked sweet potato fries. We like to use fry sauce on these (mix ketchup and mayo together to taste), but ketchup is also good. These fries can also stand alone without sauce of any kind.

Fries are back on the menu at the Jones household! Yippee!

Ratatouille's Ratatouille

So this was awhile ago, but Claire wanted us to make ratatouille just like the movie. I found this fabulous recipe. Results were excellent, even if Claire still refused in the end to eat anything involving vegetables. M and I loved it. I find myself craving this all the time, but I don't own a mandoline:

There was much cutting. Good thing I have nice sharp knives.

I had a TON of extra veggies. I just couldn't find tiny veggies like I was supposed to use I guess. So I ended up making two pans and only one is pictured here. In retrospect I probably could have put it all in one 13x9, doubling the sauce, but I didn't know ahead of time that there would be that much.

We tried to serve it kinda like the movie to humor Claire. Too bad she didn't get suckered in.
The goat cheese was a FABULOUS addition, though non-essential.

Tomato Florentine Soup - YUM

I must be low on, something, whatever it is tomatoes have in them because I normally don't like tomato soup but I have tried several recipes lately because I crave it. This one was my favorite, I really liked the flavor. I just added the pasta ( I used mini shells) to the soup about 15 minutes before serving instead of cooking separately and it turned out just fine. I maybe wouldn't add the sugar, and maybe would want to add crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder next time.

• 
  
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chopped stewed tomatoes
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup cooked macaroni

1. Combine broth, tomatoes, juice, and soup in a saucepan with a wire whisk over medium heat. Add sugar, spinach, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste, without thawing spinach. Allow to heat gently 20 minutes on medium-low until spinach is tender. Keep hot without letting it boil.
2. Add cooked pasta and cook for 10 minutes longer.

Mexican Pasta

Very easy and fast and uses mostly food storage. Can't go wrong with that. Blaine loved it, I thought it was okay, but Gwen scarfed it down. We topped with cheese and sour cream.

• 
  
• 
  
• 1/2 pound seashell pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onions, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook onions and pepper in oil until lightly browned, 10 minutes. Stir in corn and heat through. Stir in black beans, tomatoes, salsa, olives, taco seasoning and salt and pepper and cook until thoroughly heated, 5 minutes.
3. Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve.

Santa Fe Veggie Wrap

Another great one from Jessica, thank you! Seriously, we loved this. Blaine was so impressed that he could like something vegetarian so well, and for those meataholics out there, I am sure you could add some grilled chicken if you want! Four stars for sure, easy and delicious. The pepperjack is a must. I didn't have jicama, but I've had it before and it is yummy so it would be fun to add, but don't shy away just because you don't have any. Oh and I didn't have wheat tortillas, just white and they were dandy (the kind from Costco where you just buy the dough and cook them up yourself, so good!).

Santa Fe Vegetable Wrap

Santa Fe Vegetable Wrap

Serves 2
This recipe, from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook, is an explosion of traditional Southwest flavors and textures. If you want to add a little heat, try mixing a teaspoon of chipotle chili in adobo sauce to the cream cheese before spreading it on the tortilla. Serve these with a bit of tomato salsa and sour cream or plain yogurt on the side for dipping.

Ingredients

1 (12-inch) whole wheat tortilla, any flavor
1 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
3 leaves red or green leaf lettuce
4 slices pepper jack cheese
4 thin slices tomato
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
4 thin slices red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced jicama
1/4 cup fresh or frozen and thawed sweet corn
1/2 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

Method
Spread tortilla with cream cheese. Place 2 lettuce leaves over the cream cheese. Layer the pepper jack cheese on top, then layer the tomatoes, avocados, onions and jicama over the cheese. Spoon corn and black beans evenly over the top. Top with the remaining lettuce leaf and roll up tightly. Slice in half diagonally and serve.

Two Bean Tamale Pie

This is a really good recipe that can be made mostly from food storage. It's great when you haven't been to the store for a while : ) It's not like my very favorite but it is a go to often in our house and it's pretty good!

1 C chopped green pepper (easily omitted if the one you have in the fridge is rotten like mine was last night, ew).
1/2 C chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1T cooking oil
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can or 6 oz veggie juice (V8)
1 can diced green chiles
1 t chile powder
1/2 t cumin
1 pkg corn muffin mix
1/2 C cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cilantro or parsley

Grease a square baking dish and set aside. In skillet cook sweet pepper, onion and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in beans, veggie juice, chile peppers, chili powder and cumin and heat through. Spoon mixture into prepared dish.

Prepare corn muffin mix according to package directions, add cheese and cilantro, stirring until just combined. Bake uncovered in a 400 dg oven for 25 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

California Grilled Veggie Sandwhich

This was a simple, yummy dinner we made the other day. I couldn't find focaccia bread at the store, but I think it would have been awesome to have it! I got this recipe from Jessica Krohn (www.sweetbrynnmarie.blogspot.com). Thanks Jessica!

California Grilled Veggie Sandwich

For a smoky and sumputuous veggie-filled grilled sandwich, try this easy recipe. All it takes is some veggies, focaccia bread, lemon-mayonnaise dressing, and crumbled feta.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1 cup sliced red bell peppers
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread
pieces, split horizontally
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
4. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

Spinach Salad

Trey threw this together a few weeks ago and it's already shown up 3 different times as a side at dinner. It's really good. I think that the fresh figs are best if they are cold...Yum............... I'm not sure what to call it so I suppose I'll call it...

"Trey's Awesome Salad"
1 package fresh spinach salad (with carrots)
Fresh Grated Parmesan
Teresa's (Marzetti) Brand Salad Dressing - Raspberry White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Bacon Pieces {Optional}
Fresh Figs

Top each salad plate with spinach salad mixture, followed by fresh grated Parmesan shavings, a few bacon pieces, salad dressing and cut fresh figs on top.

Super easy and very tasty! Try it even if you hate spinach - our kids devoured it even though they knew it was spinach.

Asparagus Veggie Melts

Okay, so Blaine is doing weight watchers again (down five pounds in his first week-- yahoo!), so my recipes may seem a little questionable for the next lil' while, BUT, you are a skinny lot so maybe you guys eat like this all the time. I just don't want you thinking I've gone soft and started eating like a bird or whatever. Truth be told I only eat Lucky Charms, BUT this thing I made tonight I remember from when I was on weight watchers and I thought it was pretty darn good.

It comes from one of the best cook books EVER Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook. You'll see a lot of recipes from there in my upcoming posts. Everything I have made from the cookbook is excellent and everything takes less than thirty minutes to make and uses food you have actually heard of. Awesomeness.

Okay

Asparagus Veggie Melts

6oz fresh Asparagus Spears (there was no asparagus at the store so I got frozen, lame)
1/4 C water
2 Tbs fat free mayo or salad dressing
1/2 tsp dijon mustard or brown mustard
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 (16-inch) or 1 (8-inch) loaf french bread, split lengthwise
1 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 small red bell pepper, cut into rings (red peppers are $2, green are $.50, I choose green)
2 slices mozzarella cheese

Break or cut off tough ends of asparagus. In microwave safe dish arrange spears with tips in center. Add water and cover with microwave safe plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until it is crisp tender.

Meanwhile in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard and dill, mix well. S0read mixture evenly over cut side of each half of bread. Top each sandwich with mushrooms, cooked asparagus and pepper rings. Cut cheese into one inch wide strips and arrange over peppers. Place on ungreased broiler pan or cookie sheet. Broil 4-6 inches away from heat for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.


Oh yeah, one time I made this for my friend Laurie and she thought it was tasty. So HA.

mixed bean and portobello ragout

I know, gag right? But really? It's pretty good. Not like I would want it every night (especially not right now), but if you've eaten yucky fast food for three weeks this is a good meal to cleanse and make you feel all earthy and healthy again. Seriously, pretty good for being so darn good for you.


1- 10 oz package frozen baby lima beans
1 C fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces (let's be honest, frozen or canned work too, just doesn't taste as good)
1 1/2 C sliced and halved fresh portobello mushrooms or button mushrooms (we used canned one time, obviously it works but definitely not as good)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Cold water
2 tsp Corn starch
1 14oz can cajun or italian style stewed tomatoes, undrained (never have these so I usually use 1 can diced tomatoes and add several dashes of cajun seasoning, which you should get if you don't already have, it's yum)
1 Can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained

Cook lima beans and green beans in lightly salted water according to lima bean package directions; drain

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook mushrooms in hot oil over medium heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine water and cornstarch (try not to get distracted playing with this magical mixture); stir into mushrooms. Stir in undrained tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir two minutes more. Stir in cooked lima and green beans. Cook through.

Go eat ice cream, you deserve it with how healthy this meal was!

I served with cornbread!