Simple Salad

 

This is my go to salad when I want a quick, delicious, filling lunch. It's easy, nutritious, and most importantly makes me want to eat some more. The veggies are super healthy and you get a nice protein boost from the garbanzo beans and egg.

Simple Salad

Ingredients:

Lettuce (romaine, spinach, spring mix, whatever you like)  

1 hard boiled egg (you can just use the whites if you want)

black olives

red onions

garbanzo beans

craisins

For the dressing:

EVOO

balsamic vinegar

white wine vinegar

kosher salt

black pepper

Directions:

Throw all the salad ingredients into a bowl. Drizzle with a little EVOO (a little goes a long way. I actually spray mine with an olive oil sprayer), then with balsamic, white whine vinegar, and season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Mix it up and enjoy! 

 

Black Bean Yam Soup

This. Soup. Is. Amazing. The first time I tried it, my mom had received a jar of it homemade from a friend. It was love at first bite. I begged her to get the recipe, and when she did, we made it right away. Its thick, warming, and has an incredible taste. Served with a piece of fresh, crust multi-grain bread, it's pure perfection.

Black Bean Yam Soup
Ingredients:
1 tsp Extra Virgin Oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 red/ green pepper, chopped
1 dry chipotle pepper, coarsely chopped  (use red pepper flakes if you don't have this)
2 cups Vegetable Stock or broth
3 cans (15.5 oz each) Black Beans, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic & Onion
2 medium yams or sweet potatoes, peeled, diced 1/2-inch
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 clove (or more) garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Hot Cocoa Mix
2 Tbsp Honey
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
 Heat oil in medium stockpot on medium-high. Add peppers & onions and chipolte pepper. Cook, stirring, 3-4 min until soft, but not browned. Add stock, beans and liquid, tomatoes, yam, vinegar, garlic, cocoa powder, honey, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low, uncovered, 25-30 min or until beans are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a crusty piece of bread. Yum.


 

Split Pea Dal

Mmmmm....I love Indian food. I would eat it everyday if I could. It's so full of complex and interesting flavors. I ate this particular dal everyday for lunch until it was gone. And then I wished for more.

Split Pea Dal

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water, divided 

1 cup dried yellow split peas

1 bay leaf

2 cups chopped cauliflower

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

3-4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon cumin seeds or powdered cumin 

1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cube chicken bullion (DO NOT simply omit this to make it vegetarian. Replace with some other similar seasoning)

4 cups torn spinach 

Combine 2 1/2 cups water, peas, and bay leaf in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 50 minutes or until tender. Add 1 cup water, cauliflower, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat . Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add cumin and next 5 ingredients (cumin through cloves); cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion mixture to pea mixture. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until thick. Stir in spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts.

I ate this with a whole wheat pita  sprayed with olive oil and crisped up in a pan. You can eat this with naan (my favorite), roti, or simply a pita. I highly recommend crisping it up in a pan. The outside gets nice and crunchy and the inside stays soft. 

Mexican Eggs

My mom lived in Mexico for a summer and brought back all kinds of good recipes. This one has become a family favorite. There are not many things that all three men in the house beg for, and these eggs are one of them. We make a ridiculously large amount of these, leave them on the counter, and they don't last an hour. Expecting a "thanks!", my mom and I usually just get a "is that it?" These eggs are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or even a quick dinner. We even served them at a football party and they were a hit.

Mexican Eggs

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 oz can rotelle tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chili), drained

1   14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

10 slices canned or fresh jalapeños, minced

Lowry’s seasoning salt to taste

Pepper to taste

12 eggs, beaten

Corn tortillas

Hot sauce

 Directions

Sauté onions in olive oil until transparent.  Add garlic. Continue to cook until garlic is soft. Add both cans of tomatoes and cook thoroughly. Add salt and pepper. Add eggs and cook just like you would make scrambled eggs. 

Warm tortillas on a skillet or over gas burner, turning frequently.  They should be crispy and begin to bubble.

Serve eggs with tortillas and hot sauce (I use Frank's red hot. Even if your not a fan of hot sauce, try it!). Tear the tortillas into quarters and pick up egg with tortilla sections or you can make mini burritos like my dad.

Roasted Veggies

Roasted vegetables are one of my all-time favorite snacks. They are delicious, amazingly good for you, and you can eat a boat load of them and not feel guilty:) Making them is as easy as it gets and they are done in about a half an hour. The pictures show one of my favorites; brussel sprouts. Above, you can see the raw, seasoned veggies and below after they've been roasted (they must have literally just been taken out of the oven considering they're still there). 

You can roast any kind of vegetable you want. Play with the seasoning to find your favorite. I promise they won't last long, as you can see below. 

Roasted Veggies

Ingredients:

Vegetables (brussel sprouts, red peppers, carrots, broccoli, califlower, turnips, beets, green beans ect.)

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

any extra seasonings you like*

Directions:

Preheat you oven to 400 degrees. Cut your vegetables into a reasonable size. I like my brussel sprouts in half, or if they are very large in fourths. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet. Lightly drizzle olive oil and mix, making it so there is just enough olive oil to allow seasonings to stick (too much wont hurt). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (or another seasoning combo). Mix to combine. Roast vegetables for about a half an hour, checking every ten minutes untill your desired doneness. 

Some great combos-

carrots-add fresh chopped rosemary (delicious!)

            -leave out the garlic and pepper and glaze with honey 

Broccoli-when almost done, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

              -add balsamic when seasoning

Portobello Red Pepper Panini

Every summer, when red peppers are in season, my mom and I buy large amounts (I'm talking five to ten bushels), spend way too long cleaning them, and freeze them for later months. When everyone else is paying ridiculous prices for peppers at the store, we simply grab a bag out of the freezer and roast them (heh heh). If any make it past the first five minutes they are out of the oven, they get added various recipes, such as this panini. It's one of my favorites, being quick, healthy, and incredibly tasty. 

Portobello Red Pepper Panini

Ingredients: 

2 slices of bread (I use Arnold Select Sandwich Thins)                                                      

Pesto

Roasted Red Peppers*

Light Swiss Cheese

Onions (I like to sauté mine first)

Portobello Mushroom

Directions:

To make roasted red peppers and mushrooom, slice peppers and coat lightly with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic to taste. Season the portobello in the same way and roast both in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until beginning to blacken. 

Heat a mini grill or panini press while assembling the sandwich. Spray the outside of the bread with cooking spray or lightly brush with olive oil. To assemble sandwich, spread a layer of pesto and cover with sautéed onions. Place the portobello mushroom on top, followed by a generous helping of roasted red peppers. Top with a slice of light swiss cheese(or your favorite kind) and add the other slice of bread. Cook until the outside is golden brown and crispy.

*if you do not have red peppers, substitute tomatoes 

Also, if you don't have a portobello, you can use turkey or chicken (like in the photo:p)