1 cup Fresh onions, chopped
2 cloves Fresh garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Olive oil
3 cups Water
8 oz Dry lentils, rinsed well & drained
½ tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Black pepper
10 oz Fresh spinach leaves, washed well
1 tsp Fresh lemon peel, grated
2 tsp Fresh lemon juice
Place onions and garlic in medium soup pot (about 3 quarts). Cook over medium heat about 3-4 min, stirring. Add water, lentils, salt, and pepper. Heat to a boil; then reduce heat, cover pot, and cook over low heat 1 hour. Add spinach, lemon juice and peel and cook 5-8 min. longer. Serve hot.
Soup Nutrition per 1 cup serving: 171 calories; 12 gm protein; 27 gm carbohydrates; 3 gm total fat; < 1 gm saturated fat; < 1 gm cholesterol; 10 gm fiber; 234 mg sodium
Meal Suggestion: This flavorful soup needs crusty peasant bread, a tossed salad with feta cheese, and dried apricots to make it a family meal.
½ cup Brown rice
½ tsp Basil, dried
¼ tsp Oregano, dried
1/8 tsp Thyme, dried
1/8 tsp Garlic powder
1/8 tsp Black pepper
¼ tsp Salt
½ cup Grated Italian cheese, such as Parmesan or Romano
Get out a 1 ½ quart, oven proof casserole dish. Add all ingredients except cheese. Stir. Add half the cheese and stir again. Cover the casserole dish with a lid and place in the oven at 350 degrees. Bake about 1 ½ hours until lentils and rice are tender. Top with remaining cheese before serving.
Note: For a heartier stew, add sautéed zucchini chunks halfway through cooking time.
Stew Nutrition per 1 cup serving: 274 calories; 18 gm protein; 43 gm carbohydrates; 4 gm total fat; 2 gm saturated fat; 9 mg cholesterol; 10 gm fiber; 721 mg sodium
Meal Suggestion: This flavorful stew needs crusty peasant bread, a grated carrot salad, and sliced fresh pears to make it a family meal.
2 cup Chicken Breast, cooked
1 can Great Northern Beans, canned, 15-16 oz
2 cup Chicken Broth, lower sodium type
1 cup Green Chili Salsa, mild
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro
1 Fresh Tomato, large
1/3 cup Fresh Green Onion
1 Fresh Jalapeno Pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp Fresh Lemon Peel
2 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 cup Sour Cream, reduced-fat type
Cut cooked chicken into small, bite-size pieces. Drain beans of liquid in can and rinse in cool water. Wash all vegetables and chop coarsely. Wash and chop cilantro; grate lemon peel. Combine all ingredients, except chicken and reduced fat sour cream, in a cooking pot. Bring to a boil. Then, cover with a lid, reduce heat and simmer about 45 - 60 minutes. Add chicken and heat to serving temperature. Serve chili topped with a heaping teaspoon of reduced fat sour cream.
Chili Nutrition per 1 cup serving: 230 calories, 22 gm protein, 28 gm carbohydrates, 4 gm fat, 1.5 gm sat fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 8 gm fiber
Meal Suggestion: This hearty entrée needs only a fresh green salad, breadsticks, and fresh sliced kiwifruit to make it a family meal.
1 large Onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 cup Carrots (2), chopped
1 Bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, chopped
4 cups Water
2 tsp Vegetable broth granules
1/2 cup bottled Salsa
2 tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
3 cups Cooked black beans, undrained
Saute onion in oil. Add carrots, bell pepper and garlic and saute a minute or two more.
Add water, salsa, cumin, oregano, vegetable broth powder and black beans. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until veggies are tender, about 15 minutes. Puree soup in blender in batches (or use a handheld blender and puree it right in the pot). Return to pot and adjust seasonings. Serve hot.
Soup Nutrition per 1 cup serving: 175 calories; 9 gm protein; 30 gm carbohydrate; 3 gm total fat; <1 gm saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, 357 mg sodium, 10 gm fiber
Reprinted from Communicating Food for Health, reprinted with permission
Meal Suggestion: This favorite soup needs a shredded carrot salad, fresh ciabatta bread with spreadable herb cheese, and fresh pineapple chunks to make it a family meal.
¾ cup Onions, chopped
½ Tbsp Canola oil
2 cans Red kidney beans, drained, 15 oz.
1/8 tsp Cayenne (red) pepper
2 Tbsp All purpose flour
¾ cup Tomato paste
2 cups Water
½ tsp Ground cumin
2 Tbsp Chili powder
2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Salt (optional)
¼ tsp Black pepper
8 oz Vegetarian protein crumbles, frozen
Saute chopped onion in vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add all other ingredients, except protein crumbles. Bring chili to a boil. Cover with a lid, reduce heat and simmer 45-60 minutes. Add protein crumbles in last 10 minutes of cooking. Serve hot. Note: This recipe is not gluten-free.
Chili Nutrition per 3/4 cup serving: 145 cal; 12 gm protein; 24 gm carbohydrates; 1 gm total fat; <1 gm saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 9 gm fiber; 253 mg sodium
Meal Suggestion: This hearty entrée needs only fresh, sliced cucumbers, fresh baguette bread, and fresh grapes to make it a family meal.
1 medium Chopped onion
1 clove Minced garlic
1 medium Chopped zucchini
1 cup Sliced mushrooms
4 cups Chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup Small pasta, such as Ditalini
16 oz Canned tomatoes, no salt added
15 oz Canned garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
¼ tsp Basil
½ tsp Thyme
Put all ingredients except pasta in a soup pan and bring to a boil. When boiling, add the pasta and cook soup until pasta is done. Reprinted from Communicating Food for Health, reprinted with permission
Soup Nutrition per 1 cup serving: 180 calories; 10 gm protein; 31 gm carbohydrates; 0 total fat; 0 gm saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 6 gm fiber; 330 mg sodium
*Meal Suggestion: This soup needs only a fresh country bread or baguette with herb cheese spread, and a fresh orange to make it a family meal.
1 lb Fresh Tuna Fillet, raw
2 Fresh Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 can Stewed Tomatoes, Italian, canned (14.5 oz)
2 tsp Fresh Basil, chopped
1 can Small White Beans, canned, drained (15 oz)
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp Black Pepper
1. Place garlic and olive oil (1st listed) in a large skillet, then heat to medium high heat. Add tomatoes and fresh basil. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, cover and simmer about 5 min.
2. Add beans to above mixture and heat through.
3. Meanwhile, combine olive oil (2nd listed) and lemon juice. Apply this to both sides of fish after rinsing with water and patting dry with clean paper towel. Sprinkle with pepper, too.
4. Grill fish on outside grill over medium heated coals, or in oven broiler. Cook about 5 min. per 1/2 inch thickness of fish until done. Fish will flake easily with a fork when done.
5. Remove fish skin before serving. Then, spoon beans/tomatoes mixture onto plate and top with fish. Garnish with fresh basil.
Recipe Nutrition per Serving
335 calories; 35 gm protein; 35 gm carbohydrate; 6 gm total fat; 1 gm saturated fat; 53 mg cholesterol; 13 gm fiber; 387 mg sodium
1 can, 15 oz Red kidney beans, drained
3 Tbsp Pickled Jalapeno peppers, sliced
1 Tbsp Vinegar
1 tsp Chili powder
¼ tsp Ground cumin
1 Tbsp Onions, minced
1 Tbsp Parsley, minced
2 Whole wheat pita bread, 6 inches across
1 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
Blend first 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor. Scrape down the sides to be sure it is very smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in onions and parsley. Meanwhile, prepare pita chips by cutting pita bread into eighths, then separating each triangle into 2 pieces. Place triangles onto a cookie sheet, brush very lightly with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 350-375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Note: May substitute green chilies for jalapeno peppers. Serve dip hot or cold.
Note: For a gluten free recipe, substitute rice crackers for pita bread and/or eliminate pita bread and use raw vegetables of your choice to dip into the bean dip.
Dip Nutrition per Serving (with pita chips)
167 calories; 8 gm protein; 26 gm carbohydrate; 4 gm total fat; 1 gm saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 9 gm fiber; 91 mg sodium
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