Granola

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ or oat bran (or whole oats that have been blended)
1 cup slivered almonds (I never add these)
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup brown sugar
2T maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
one shake of salt

Preheat oven to 250.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Combine all wet ingredients in a small bowl.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stir well.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Spread granola evenly on the cooking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour.  Cool and store in a tight container.

Cilantro Lime Rice in a rice cooker

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rice, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken broth
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)
3 Tbsp mild diced green chiles (canned)
1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder

Once rice cooker is done add:
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro

Directions:
Add rice, chicken broth, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 seeded chopped jalapeno, black beans, 3 Tbsp mild diced green chiles.  Set rice cooker to white or brown rice cook setting on rice cooker.  Once rice is cooked, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in 2 Tbsp of lime juice and 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped.

Sweet Potato Burritos

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Ingredients
•1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•1 onion, chopped
•4 cloves garlic, minced
•6 cups canned kidney beans, drained
•2 cups water
•2.5(ish) tablespoons chili powder
•2 teaspoons ground cumin
•4 teaspoons prepared mustard
•1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
•3 tablespoons soy sauce
•4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
•12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
•8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in beans, and mash. Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm (it's going to seem really watery). Remove from heat, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper and soy sauce. Mix in mashed sweet potatoes.
3.Divide bean and sweet potato mixture evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet.
4.Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

Vegetable Potstickers

Ingredients:
1 red onion sliced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup white cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup chopped garlic chives or chives
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 package round dumpling skins, also called gyoza (preferably twin dragon brand) Salt to taste
Canola oil

Directions
In a wok or large saute pan, add a little oil and saute onions and ginger. Add the mushrooms and stir. Add the cabbage, carrots and chives. Season. When mixture is soft, place in colander to drain. Add the sesame oil and cilantro when mixture is cooled. Check for seasoning. Using the gyoza skins, make half moon dumplings keeping the bottom flat. In a hot non-stick pan, coat with oil and place dumplings. When bottom gets brown, add 1/4 cup of water and immediately cover. This will steam the dumplings. Carefully watch the dumplings and completely evaporate the water so that the bottom gets crispy again and sticks to the pot. Serve with dipping sauce. SPICY SOY DIPPING SAUCE:
1/3 cup thin soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup sliced scallions
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Combine all.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 cup salsa
2 cans black beans
1 can black refried beans (optional)
1 can vegetable broth
2 tsp lime juice
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
sour cream--as topping
Optional:
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
1/2 jalapeno, chopped

Directions:
Saute onion and garlic. Add in salsa, beans, broth, lime juice, cilantro, onion, garlic, and cumin. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve in bowls and top with sour cream, cheese, and/or green onions.

Veggie Melt

I found this on Annie's Eats and immediately thought of what a perfect sandwich this would be for my vegetarian daughter. It was so delicious and I loved it as much, if not more, than she did.
I love that this sandwich can be so versatile using whatever vegetables, cheese, or bread you have on hand.

Ingredients:
1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
1 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced ½-inch thick
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced ½-inch thick
¼ cup light mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
4 thick slices country bread (I used Sour Dough)
2-4 oz. provolone cheese, thinly sliced

Directions:
Preheat a broiler with a rack placed 4 inches from the heat source. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the broccoli on the baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Broil until the broccoli begins to brown, tossing once or twice, about 4-6 minutes.

Add the sliced mushrooms and peppers to the pan with the broccoli and toss to combine. Broil, tossing once or twice, until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes more. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place the slices of bread on a work surface. Spread each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of the garlic-mayo mixture. Top with the cooked vegetables, then the cheese. Line the baking sheet with a new piece of foil. Transfer the assembled sandwiches to the baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2-4 minutes.

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti
1 lb lean ground beef (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 bag fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 26 oz jar pasta sauce
3/4 cup sour cream ( or substitute cottage cheese)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 pkg cream cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (or cheddar)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, drain and crumble. Add in the next ingredients or if you make it vegetarian start with these ingredients: In a small amount of olive oil saute green bell pepper, garlic, and spinach, chopped onion.Add in the spaghetti sauce. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until ready to use.
In a small bowl combine sour cream (or cottage cheese) green onions and cream cheese; set aside. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and add the cooked spaghetti. Spread the cream cheese mixture over it and add the spaghetti sauce on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Eggplant Au Gratin

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Ingredients:
1/2 lb of eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
olive oil cooking spray
3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
spray both sides of eggplant with olive oil cooking spray. Fry each slice in a skillett until lightly browned and crispy. Place a layer of eggplant in a small casserole dish. Top with spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Vegetable Pie with Zucchini Crust

I found this great recipe on For the Love of Cooking blog. It was really tasty and a fantastic way to use that zucchini I have so much of thanks to my brother, Glenn’s amazing gardening skills.

Ingredients:
4 zucchini, shredded and patted dry with paper towels
2 eggs 2 1/2 cups of mozzarella, divided
2 tomatoes, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4 oz of mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 basil leaves, chopped
dried oregano, to taste
I added 2 yellow summer squash diced, again from Glenn’s garden

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a casserole dish with cooking spray. After you grate the zucchini, pat it dry with a few paper towels, removing as much moisture as possible. Combine zucchini with the eggs and 2 cups of mozzarella. Push the zucchini into the casserole dish, forming a crust. Season with sea salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

After the zucchini is baked, layer the casserole with green pepper, mushrooms, green onions, tomatoes, fresh basil, yellow summer squash and finally top it with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with the dried oregano to taste. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

This was so fresh and light. It was a great way to use all the small tomatoes from my garden. I found this recipe on Annies Eats.

Ingredients:
4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 medium shallot, minced (I just used an onion)
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
black pepper
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1/2 inch chunks
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1-2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Directions:
Combine the tomatoes, salt and sugar in a medium bowl; toss to combine. Let stand for 30 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a salad spinner and spin until the seeds and excess liquid have been removed, about 1 minute. Return the tomatoes to the bowl and set aside. Strain the tomato liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
Combine 1/2 cup of the tomato liquid with the garlic, oregano, shallot, and vinegar in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Simmer until the mixture is reduced, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in the oil, and season with pepper to taste.
Add the cucumber, feta, dressing and parsley to the bowl with the tomatoes. Toss gently and serve.

Avocado Salsa

I found this recipe from Favorite Family Recipes It made the perfect topping for the bean quesadillas. It's really so delicious.

Ingredients:
1 6 oz can sliced black olives, drained
3 firm ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
black pepper

Directions:
Chop all the vegetables, stir together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1 can refried beans

Tortillas--2 for each quesadilla

shredded cheese

Directions:

Spread refried beans on a tortilla, add cheese on top then add another tortillas on top. Spray skillet with cooking spray and place tortilla to cook. When the tortilla is slightly browned flip over to cook the other side and to finish melting the cheese. You are done!

Salmon Patties

 

Ingredients:
1 (14oz) can Salmon
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup dry potato flakes
1 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp celery salt
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil

Mix salmon, eggs, bread crumbs, potato flakes, onion, garlic, dill weed, celery salt, salt, and pepper. Form into 2 inch balls and flatten to patties 1/2 inch thick. Heat olive oil in skillett on medium heat. Cook patties for 5 minutes on each side.

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

These eggrolls were soo delicious! Absolutely loved them and I loved that they were baked. You can even feel Good about eating them because they are good for you too. I got this recipe from Annie's Eats blog.

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cups shredded mexican cheese blend
1 (4oz) can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package egg roll wrappers (abt 24 total)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers. Mix well to blend. Lay an egg roll wrapper out on a work surface so that one of the corners is pointing toward you and place 1/4 cup of the filling in the center. Fold the tip closest to you up over the filling, roll a bit, then take the points pointing outward and fold them in toward the center. Continue rolling into an egg roll shape until a small part of the remaining point is still free. Dip a finger in water and lightly brush on the edges of the free corner. Finish rolling and press to seal closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly oil a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the sealed egg rolls on the baking sheet seam side down and spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through baking. Serve warm with salsa.

Super Bean Burritos

These were very good! Especially when served with sour cream, guacamole and salsa. I got this recipe from the blog Real Mom Kitchen. I'm sure it will become a regular on our menu.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice) I used brown rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can green chiles
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cans (15oz each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed (I used one pinto, one black bean)
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10oz) package frozen corn
6 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
16 10 inch flour tortillas (I like mission brand carb balance plus)
2 cups shredded cheese (Monterrey jack or cheddar)

Directions:
Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over med. heat. Add onion, garlic, chiles, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan. Add the second can of beans and water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to med. and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.
Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through. Fill each with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from the filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. --I like to then grill it on a skillet to make the outside crispy.

Cheesy Black Bean Burritos

These are just super simple, dinner in a hurry, and everyone in my family will eat them. I think they taste really good and they are healthy too. I think I heard somewhere that a bean served with corn makes a complete protein. If that is the case this is a perfect meal for a vegetarian.

Ingredients:
15 oz can black beans, drained
10 oz bag frozen corn
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
2/3 cup salsa
8-10 flour tortillas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix black beans, corn, cheese, sour cream, and salsa. Spread mixture on tortillas, roll and place in pan seam side down. Bake for 20 minutes.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
32 oz chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Vegetarian Chili

My 15 yr old daughter is a vegetarian. I'm pretty sure she does this to spite her parents but occasionally I'll cater to her diet. Vegetarian chili would not be my first choice but this was pretty good and it was super easy to make. I really like crock pot meals because dinner time is so busy around our house either driving kids to and from places or doing homework etc. So I know I'll go back to this recipe. Plus this is just the type of thing I like to eat on a cold winter day. I found this on my favorite website for recipes allrecipes.com According to that each serving only has 218 calories, 1.6 grams of fat, 10.7g protein, and 11.7 g of fiber--so it's healthy too, can't beat that!

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can black beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can refried beans
1 16 oz can chili beans
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can whole kernal corn, drained
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 4 oz can chilies, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 c water
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 pkg hidden valley ranch dry mix
opt. 1 lb lean ground beef

Directions:
In a slow cooker, combine black bean soup, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, baked beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper and celery. Season with garlic, chili powder, parsley, oregano and basil. Cook for at least two hours on high.