Three Bean Pasta Salad

Looking for a recipe that's healthy, light, AND yummy?! Well look no farther! This dish is FULL of protein, anti-oxidents, fiber, taste, etc! And it super easy to make! Great for a potluck, picnic, lunch, or whatever! You've gotta try it!!!

Ingredients:

Romain lettuce
Rotini pasta
Canned kidney beans (drained)
Canned green beans (drained)
Canned garbanzo beans (drained)
Peppperoncinis
Olive oil
White wine vinigar
Salt & pepper

Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside to cool while you prep your other ingredients. Tear the lettuce and put into your serving bowl. Add desired amount of each kind of bean and pepperoncinis. Once the pasta is cool, add it into the bowl. Top off with desired amount of vinigar, oil, salt and pepper. Toss it all together well. Enjoy!!!



Baked Chips with Spicy Salsa

Authentic Mexican salsa is easier to make at home than you might think! I love fresh and spicy salsa! I've been pretty close with Mexican families over the years, and I've learned how to make a lot of delicious Mexican food and techniques. And I like my chips baked rather than fried, cause then i'm allowed to eat more of them and not feel as guilty! =]

Ingredients (chips):
Corn tortillas (cut into triangles)
Cooking spray
Sea salt

Ingredients (salsa):
Ripe tomatoes - 4
Red Jalapenos - 2-4 (depending on how spicy you like it)
Yellow onion - one quarter of an onion
water
Sea salt

Salsa:
I start by washing the peppers and tomatoes and charring them on a hot griddle or kumal to give it that roasted flavor. Cut up all the ingredients into chunks and add to a blender. Salt as desired. Add about a quarter of a cup of water to the blender so that there's enough liquid to blend. Blend until all the ingredients are well combined. Add the salsa to a pot and cook on medium heat until most of the water is evaporated. Let cool before serving.

Chips:
Preheat oven to 350. Place tortilla triangles on a baking sheet coated in cooking spray. Spread them evenly, you don't want them overlapping. Add some more cooking spray on top and sprinkle on the sea salt. Put them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, watching them closely so that they do not burn.



Mock Sushi Rolls with chili sauce



If you are a vegetarian, then you probably know what it's like to feel left out when you're dining with your meat-eating friends. Sushi is deffinately one of those times when I feel left out! But then, I had an idea... Why not invite your friends over to have vegetable sushi with you?! It's better than it sounds, trust me! And there are many different variations you can make! You also can use egg omlet, sweet potato, avocado, cucumber, carrots, brocoli, etc. And you can feel free to mix and match any of those fillings!

Ingredients (for the sushi):

Sushi rice or sticky rice

Nori/ roasted seaweed sheets

Avocado

Carrots

Cucumber

sesame seeds

Water

Ingredients (for the sauce):

Soy sauce

Chili paste

Sesame seeds

You can make your own sushi rice if you'd like, but I prefer the microwavable sticky rice! Whichever meathod you prefer, have your rice ready and a sheet of seaweed on your bamboo mat. To one half of the seaweed, evernly spread out the sticky rice. Toward the top, add your desired amount of veggie filling. Turn the top toward you. With your fingers, add a small amount of water at the dry end of the seaweed to help it stick at the end. Start rolling the bamboo mat and tucking in the edge of the seaweed as needed. Roll until the whole sushi roll is wrapped up tight. Then you can cut up your rolls into sushi pieces, however big or small you like! In a seperate dish, combine desired amount of soy sauce, sesame seeds, and chili paste. Mix, and enjoy!

Heart-Healthy Beet Salad

Okay, this is my new obsession! I never knew I loved beets so much until I found this salad! It's so yummy! And very good for you, and your figure! Instead of eating a big dinner late at night, I've been trying to eat a salad at night instead. So this is deffinately a salad I make a lot!

Ingredients:

Red beets

Golden Beets

Jicima

Green apples

Watercress

Champagne vinigar

Olive oil

All you do is cut up all the fruits and add the champagne vinigar and olive oil for the dressing at the end and toss it all together! Easy!!!

Chili with Tortilla Chips



Man, it has been so cold lately! In fact... It's been... CHILI! Okay, that was CORNy... Sorry... Anyway, it's the season for hearty soups and stews, and in my opinion, chili is king of stews! And my version is super good for you! And much lower in sodium than buying canned chili from the grocery store! Although it takes a while to make, it couldn't get much easier to prepare. Your family willl love it, I know mine do!

Ingredients (chili):

Canned black beans (drained)

Canned pinto beans (drained)

Canned kidney beans (drained)

Crushed roasted tomatoes (1 can)
Tomato paste (2 Tablesoons)

olive oil

Garlic (crushed)

Onion (diced)

Corn (frozen)

Jalapeno

Ingredients (chips):

Corn tortillas

Cooking spray

Sea salt

Start by heating the pot you are going to cook the chili in on medium low. Pour a teaspoon of olive oil in and sutee the onion and garlic together. Add the crushed tomatoes and beans. Take a jalapeno and polke holes into it with a knife and drop in with the chili. This is the best way of getting the flavor and spiciness of the jalapeno into the chili! Turn on low and cover. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occationally. Add the corn, stir, and cover for another 20 minutes. The corn will actually thicken up the chili. After adding the corn would be a good time to start the chips. Preheat over to 350. Cut corn tortillas into strips and place on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Arrange the chips so that they are not overlapping. Spray another quick coat of cooking spray on top of the chips and sprinkle on salt. Bake for 6-10 minutes until the tortillas become nice and crisy. Remove and let cool until the chili is ready!

Rainbow Tacos

Mexican food is one of my FAVORITES! Although i'm pretty sure Mexican vegetarians are extremely rare, there are still ways to make delicious Mexican meals without the meat! I call these "rainbow" tacos because they are filled with lots of anti-oxident rich ingrediets of all colors!

Ingredients:
Corn tortillas
Sweet potato puree
Canned black beans (drained)
Diced tomatoes (I use half red and half yellow)
Diced yellow onion
Diced avocado
Queso Fresco (Mexican cheese)
Jalapeno or serrano peppers (optional)
Cilantro (optional)

Get your comal (or large pan if you don't have a comal) nice a hot. Cook the tortillas on each side until bubbles start to form on the top. After removing the tortillas from the heat, put them inside a towel or in a tortilla warmer until ready to use. To make the filling for the tacos, just dice up the desired amount of tomatoes, onion, peppers, and avocado and mix with beans. Toss together well. Put some of the sweet potato puree on the tortilla first. Then scoop some of the filling on top of that. Lastly, add desired amount of cheese and cilantro. Enjoy!



The Greatest Green Juice

Remember when you were a kid and you watched Popeye eating his spinach and instantly becoming a "super" human? Well, that's exactly what this drink is all about! I got this recipe from Dr. Oz on the Oprah show a couple years ago. And I was hooked ever since! Don't be scared off the green color of this juice. It's actually sprisingly sweet and refreshing! It has more than your daily reccomendation of fruits and veggies. This drink is prooven to help aid weight loss, give you energy, raise your antioxident levels, and prevent illness. Note: You must have a juicer to make this. If you don't have one, ask around, I'm sure someone you know has one you might be able to borrow! =]

Ingredients (for 2 glasses):

1 Cucumber

2 heaping handfulls of spinach

4 apples

4 stalks of celery

1 inch piece of fresh ginger

A sprig of fresh parsley

Fresh lime juice

Use the juicer to juice all the ingredients (except the lime). Mix together well. Add the fresh lime juice at the end just before drinking.



Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Everyone knows how to make a grilled cheese! This is my favorite way to make it! A little spicy, super yummy, and added veggies for energy and health! Yum!

Ingredients:
100% whole wheat bread
Cooking spray
Pepper jack cheese
Avocado (sliced)
Tomato (sliced)
Canned sliced jalapenos (optional)

To make sure the cheese gets nice and melted, I put it in the microwave on top of the bread first for about 30 seconds. Don't sandwich the cheese/bread together yet, heat up the pan and cook the 2 slices of bread seperately. At the last minute, add the all vegies to one side of the bread. Put the other piece of bread on top, and enjoy! Cut in half if desired.