Vegetable black bean stew

I'm actually eating this stew right now as I'm writting this! It's delicious! And it has a lot less sodium than canned soup. It's loaded with essensial vitamins and ani-oxidents! It's hearty, healthy, and perfect on a cold day! It's great with a side of crusty bread for dipping too! =]

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans

1 clove of garlic

diced onions

diced carrots

diced tomatoes

salt & pepper

Water

It's best to prep all the veggies before getting started. Heat olive oil in a pot, and add the garlic, carrots and onions. Cook them for about 4 minutes, being very careful not to burn them. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and continue cooking for a couple more minutes (until tomatoes are soft). Add the black beans (but don't drain the liquid from the can!). Then add about 2 cups of water. Simmer until the liquid has thickened and it looks like a stew. Then, enjoy!!!



Sweet Potato Burrito

I can't even explain how tasty this burrito is! It's healthy and will keep you full, without leaving you with that overly-full feeling like other burritos do!

Ingredients:

Canned sweet potatoes in a light syrup

Black beans

yellow onion (sliced or diced)

100% whole wheat tortilla wrap

Salt & pepper

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the onions. Sautee for 2 minutes until soft. Add the sweet potatoes and salt & pepper to taste. Sautee until the veggies are slightly carmelized. Add the black beans until warm. Turn off the heat. Meanwhile, heat a tortilla wrap in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften. Fill the tortilla with the filling, and enjoy!!!



Pumpkin Pudding



I can't even begin to describe how yummy this dessert is! It's simple and great for parties or gatherings! It's like eating pumpkin pie with about a 1/3 of the calories!

Ingedients:

(pudding)

1 package of vanilla instant pudding

1 small can of pumpkin puree

2 cups of milk or soy milk (I LOVE it with soy milk!)

Cinnamon

Whipped cream

(Tortilla garnish)

Corn tortillas

Cooking spray

a pinch of sugar

cinnamon

(pudding)

In a large microwave safe bowl, add two cups of milk, cinnamon, and the can of pumpkin puree. Stir until smooth. Microwave for 4 minutes, or until hot. Add the pudding mix. Stir well! Let cool, then refrigerate for at least an hour.

(tortilla garnish)

If you don't have tortilla bakers to make taco shells, you can use cupcake pans. Or you could cut tortillas into strips or chips and garnish the top of the pudding. All you have to do is lightly spray the tortillas with cooking spray, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake until crisp!

Thin-Crust Personal Pizza

Ahhh, pizza! One of my favorites!!! This is a healthy recipes to satisfy that pizza craving we all get from time to time (I have this craving often!). Everyone in the family will LOVE this one! My kids ask for this at least twice per week! =]

Ingredients:

100% whole wheat tortilla wrap

Your favorite brand of marinara or tomato sauce
Mozzerella cheese

parmisean cheese

tomatoes

fresh or dried basil

Preheat the oven to 400. Lay the tortilla on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper of foil. Add the sauce and spread evenly. Evenly sprinkle on desired amount of mozzerella cheese. Add the balsamic tomatoes. Sprinkle a little bit of parmisean on top of the tomatoes. Put the pizza in the oven (the bottom rack is best because it will cook the tortilla and not burn the cheese). Bake for about 10 minutes. Make sure the tortilla is crisp enough. Sometimes the edges will look done but the middle will be too soft to hold. When the pizza is finished baking, take it out, add the basil, and let it cool for 5 minutes. Use a pizza cutter to slice, and enjoy!

Kale Crisps

Kale was practically unheard of a few years ago, but it's slowly getting its name out there! I might actually have an addiction to this leafy green! You can do so much with it, it's cheap, it's healthy, and oh so tasty! This might actually be one of the easiest snacks to make, but be careful because it's easy to over-salt them too... They almost taste like popcorn, but you will have to try it to believe it! ;-]

Ingredients:

Kale (broken into bite size pieces)

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Kale tends to carry dirt, so be sure to wash it well before eating. They must also be dryed before baking. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Line a pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray. Spread the pieces of kale across the pan and carefuly and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 5 minutes. You can tell when they are done because the edges will be slightly browned. Let coool for 5 minutes and enjoy!



Protein-Packed Parfait

This recipe is simple, versitile, and familiar. It's just a parfait... But since becoming a vegetarian, I've learned ways to add protein to everything I eat. I use non-fat greek yogurt. It has over twice as much protein as regular yogurt, and it's natural. And I've replaced the high-calorie granola with flax flake cerial. You can add any fruit that you like, I usually just use what's in season. All together, this breakfast has over 20 grams of protein, and it will keep you full for hours! This is the perfect breakfast for someone with a busy day ahead of them, and it is also a perfect breakfast for athletes!



KaLe & BrOwN RiCe SoUp

This is my all time favorite soup! It's just perfect for the colder months, which is why I'm using this recipe as my first post! It's super easy to make and very tasty, even the kids will be happy to eat their vegetables!!! You can feel free to customize this soup with the vegetables, you can dice them, julienne them, or chop them rustic style!

Ingredients:

zucchini

yellow squash

red onion

yellow bell peppers

Carrots

Kale

Vegetable stock

pre-cooked brown rice

salt & pepper

Soy sauce

Start by heating olive oil in a medium to large pot. Add the veggies (Zuccini, squash, onion, bell peppers, & carrots). Sautee for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the kale. Don't be afraid to use a lot of kale because it will wilt down like spinach. Add salt and pepper. Stir in the pre-cooked brown rice. Add the vegetable stock and bring the soup to a simmer. The secret is to add a few splashes of soy sauce just before turning off the heat. It adds amazing flavor to the dish! If you don't have soy sauce or like it with less salt, feel free to skip the soy sauce. But in my opinion, it MAKES the dish! =]