If you’ve read this blog for a while you’ve probably figured out that I like black beans. My husband does too and my kids will eat them (usually stuffed in a burrito or quesidilla).

I’ve been trying to make soup each week this winter (it’s been about every other week). Last week I combined this recipe from Weelicious with this one from All Recipes and came out with a really wonderful soup. I used dried beans and after 8 hours in my slow cooker they were perfect — firm but not too firm. Your slow cooker might require a longer cook time — up to 10 hours. Bottom line: take your slow cooker’s tendency to cook fast or slow into account. It’s almost impossible to overcook soup which is nice!

Do you have a different twist on black bean soup you want to share?

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
-1 Tbsp Olive Oil
-1 Onion, diced
-3-4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
-2 Cups Dried Black Beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
-1 32 oz Chicken Broth or Vegetable Stock (low sodium optional)
-1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
-2 Bay Leaves
-2 tsp Chili Powder
-1 tsp Cumin
-1 tsp Garlic Powder
-1 Tsp Kosher Salt

Toppings: cheedar cheese, yogurt and/or sliced avacado

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté onions for 4 minutes and then and sauté for another minute.
3. Pour the onion/garlic micture into the crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
5. (optional — I did not do this) Puree the ingredients to your desired texture with blender (or partially blend).
6. Top with suggesting toppings or anything you like!

I thought it would be appropriate for my first post of the New Year to be a vegetable dish.  I’ve been wanting to try this one for awhile now after seeing it on one of my favorite food blogs — Weekly Bite. Estela is so creative with food ideas for kids.

This turned out great!  I offered it as a pre-dinner appetizer and Little D ate one and Big A nibbled (that is good for her!).  I doubled the recipe because I have found that half bags of anything in my freezer tend not to get used or thrown out. 

This makes a great finger food or as a snack or a side with dinner.  Anyone else making something like this?

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-16 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies (carrots, peas, corn, green beans, & lima beans)
-2 eggs
-1 cup panko bread crumbs
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-Juice of 1 small lemon
-2.5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook veggies according to package directions and let cook. Place veggies in a food processor and pulse a few times with over-processing.

In a large bowl, combine veggies, bread crumbs, egg, salt, garlic powder, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well using the back of your spoon to continue to mash the veggies.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and use a small scooper to make a small ball and then use your hands to form mixture into nugget size (I think mine were too big).  Line onto baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degree for 40 minutes – flip nuggets halfway through cooking (after 20 minutes).

I admit to getting into lunch ruts with my kids as planning dinners seems to take the focus. So I looked around for lunch ideas and found this simple one from Weelicious — hummus pinwheels. So I brought the whole wheat lavish bread the recipe called for and what started as one new lunch idea, turned into three!

So here are three quick and healthy lunches you make with this bread, in 5 minutes or less.

1. Hummus Pinwheels: Take store bought or homemade hummus and simply lay a thin layer on the bread and roll up tightly. Cut into small pieces (wheels). This is great for school lunch or as a snack

2. Crispy pizzas: This bread is awesome for quick little pizzas because it turns out crispy after just a few minutes in the toaster oven. I first brush them with olive oil mixed with garlic powder, top with favorite pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. Good for snack time too.

3. Turkey Pin Wheels: Big A had a fun time making these. She usually doesn’t eat turkey sandwiches “whole” but instead likes to eat the bread, cheese and turkey separately. But after helping me make these — and cutting them into pinwheels — she ate every bite (or at least it seemed that way as her lunch came back empty).

We made our Turkey Pin Wheels super simple but you might prefer to dress yours up. This recipe calls for garden-style cream cheese, turkey, lettuce and shredded carrots. Put in whatever your child likes — roll them up and cut into little wheels.

Well that’s it. Just some super simple lunch ideas that may not have occurred to you. Anyone use the lavish bread from TJ’s?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

When I got Real Simple’s A Month of Easy Dinners in the mail, I knew I had to try the Shrimp Tacos on the cover. While their picture was way better than mine, it didn’t show up in the taste which was excellent (hopefully Santa is getting me a new camera this year).

This is a great way to present shrimp to kids who are relactant to eat it. Little D ate some but Big A stuck with her tortilla, guacamole and beans.  They say it takes 15 exposures so I only have 14 more to go!  I will definitely include shrimp tacos in my Mexican Monday rotations.

If you try it let me know how it turns out!

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
-1/4-1/2 cup olive oil plus 1 Tbsp (I used less than the 1/2 cup called for)
-4 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
-2 15 ounce ans black beans, rinsed
-1 pound peeled and deveined small shrimp
-1 large egg white beaten
-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup cornmeal (I skipped this ingredient as I didn’t have on hand)
-8, 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed
-toppings of choice (avocado, salsa, sour cream)

Directions: Heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and cook, stirring for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beans, 1/4 cup water, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Cooked until warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the scallion greens.

In a shallow bowl, toss the srhimp with the egg white. In a second shallow bowl, combine with the flour, cornmeal, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and toss.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the shrimp until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve in the tortillas with the toppings along with the beans.

I was about to make baked macaroni and cheese when a friend told me to try it in the rice cooker. She got the recipe of Weelicious and it sounded so easy. So I tried it.

I put the ingredients in the rice cooker, gave the kids a bath, and then added the last ingredients and it was done in the next 10-15 minutes. I served it with garlicky green beans and some fruit.

It was really good! Big A doesn’t really eat mac and cheese but Little D loved it. This is great for a weekend when you want something a little indulgent or perfect when babysitters are feeding the kids.

Here’s the recipe adapted from Weelicious.

Ingredients:
-2 cups macaroni (or any pasta)
-1.5 cups chicken broth (used reduced sodium)
-1 tsp. salt
-1 cup milk
-1.5 cup cheese of choice (used grated cheddar)
-1 cup of frozen peas or chopped broccoli (optional)

Turn the rice cooker on. Add the macaroni, chicken broth and salt and close the lid. After 15 minutes open the lid and add the rest of the ingredients (stir it up) and cook for another 10-20 minutes (check on it because rice cookers vary– do more time if you want a crust on the bottom).

Of course you can get creative with this and add different ingredients to suit your taste. I’m just excited have another use for the rice cooker.

I’m bone tired.  We just came back from our annual Disney vacation on Friday, and the American Dietetic Association Conference began Saturday which is right in my home town.  It’s been great to meet many of the dietitians I’ve become friends with online since starting this blog.  But I’m exhausted!

So it’s all about easy and familiar meals this week.  I’ve been on the lookout for a chicken teriyaki recipe.  I tried this slow cooker one from Meal Makeover Moms which turned out great — but even that’s too complicated for this crazy week.  So I winged and made this easy and yummy meal in minutes.

And here’s what I did.

I steamed the vegetables ahead of time — I put the carrots in first since they take longer and then added the broccoli until it turned bright green.  I stored these in the fridge until it was time to cook.

I defrosted frozen cooked chicken I had in the freezer and cut them into small pieces — tofu or shrimp would work too.  I put everything in large pan (or wok) with a little oil and 2-4 Tbsp. of this teriyaki sauce from Trader Joe’s (Island Soyaki).  I mixed it around until everything heated up, about 5 minutes.

I used frozen brown rice (also from Trader Joe’s) which only takes 3 minutes in the microwave.  I served the chicken and veggies over the rice. 

Big A is not a stir fry fan so I served the meal with some fruit.  I also cut up the chicken and veggies a bit more for the kids. Little D loves stir fries, it’s so cute.

So that’s my easy meal for the week.  Anyone making something like this?

I finally found it. The perfect bean burrito recipe I can make and freeze for quickie meals.

I’m not going to lie. It was a tough road. I tried many different combinations. But after making this recipe from
Rockin Robin Mexican Recipes, a site with authentic Mexican cuisine, I’m happy to say I found “the one.”

This does take some time to make. My husband commented that this doesn’t fit my quick meal criteria (but I think he was only complaining because he had to wash the pan).

But it isn’t hard or complicated which is key. It’s just the kind of thing you’ll want to make on a weekend or even at night and you have frozen homemade burritos whenever you want them.

Step 1: Cook the beans:

Ingredients:
-2 cups dry pinto beans
-1 bay leaf
-2/3 cup vegetable oil
-1 bulb of roasted garlic, approximately 6 or 7 cloves (or 2 Tbsp. jarred roasted garlic)
-2 – 3 tsp sea salt, depending on how much salt you like
-1 finely chopped tomato (I added 2)
-4 quart pot

Measure out 2 cups of dry pinto beans, discarding any bad ones, and rinse in a colander. Put the beans in a big pot with 8 cups of water and a bay leaf.

Cook on high and cover the pot partially with a lid. As soon as the beans start to boil, lower the heat a little but continue to boil. Cook for 2 hours and keep adding water as it gets absorbed. Try to keep the water 2 inches above the beans. Stir occasionally.

After about two hours of cooking, add the oil, salt, tomato, and roasted garlic. I bought roasted garlic from the store and added 2 Tbsp. Remember not to add the salt before the two hours of cooking or your beans will not soften.

After adding the salt etc. bring the beans to a boil again and lower the heat to low. You want to cook them on a slow boil for an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours (when they start sticking to the pot that’s a sign that they are done.)

You will need to stir them occasionally to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

When they are done, get a potato masher and mash to desired consistency. For a video on how to make them go here.

Step 2: Make the rice

Ingredients:
-12 inch frying pan, with tight fitting lid
-2 cups long grain uncooked white rice
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-1/2 yellow onion cut into 1 inch chunks
-1/2 bell pepper any color, cut into 1 inch pieces
-3 cloves of garlic, minced or 3 heaping tsp garlic powder
-3/4 cup tomato puree
-2 tsp. sea salt (can reduce based on preferences)
-2 tsp. granulated chicken base (I used half a bouillon cube — can skip if you want lower sodium)
-2 3/4 cups of chicken broth (reduced sodium optional)

Add the oil to the pan add rice and put heat on to medium high. Saute until golden brown approximately 10 – 15 minutes and then add onion and bell pepper. Saute another 5 – 10 minutes.

Added the minced garlic and continue to saute for an additional 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, chicken broth and salt. Stir and turn heat up to high. Bring to a full boil while stirring and boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes (do not stir!!). Let it stand for 5 minutes.

For a video on how to make the rice go here.

3. Put the Burrito Together

Rockin Robin suggests using homemade tortillas if possible. I used trader Joes whole grain homemade tortillas. If you are having this for dinner you can put out all the ingredients with toppings like guacamole, grated cheese, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream.

To freeze I add one part beans, one part rice and one part cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend) and fold into a burrito and put in freezer bags. This makes about 12 frozen burritos but could more or less depending on the size you prefer. I didn’t add much rice so I only used half of what I cooked and froze the rest for next time.

To heat, just pop in the microwave for 1 minute per side for a total of two minutes. Add some salsa and guacamole on top and you have a nutritious and satisfying quick lunch.

The kids reaction? Little D loved the burrito while Big A is still warming up, which means she only ate the tortilla part.

Give them a try and let me know how they turn out!

Every Sunday we gather for dinner at my mother-in-law’s. I make a point to read People magazine to catch up on my celebrity gossip. When I ran across the recipe for Caulifower “Mac ‘N’ Cheese” I knew I had to try it. It comes from MasterChef (reality show) winner Whitney Miller.

It turned out great. Little D and I really enjoyed it while my husband and Big A didn’t really partake (my husband is a mac and cheese purist). The recipe calls for heavy cream, which is an ingredient I never use — it’s the dietitian in me. But I worked up some courage and tried the recipe “as is.” Maybe I’ll get help from the Meal Makeover Moms to lighten it up a bit.

This inspired me to search for other cauliflower mac and cheese recipes that actually have macaroni in them. Here are a couple that look good: Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower from Real Simple and Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese from Shape Magazine.

Anyone else making something like this at home?

Ingredients:
-8 cups cauliflower florets (1 head)
-2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 tsp Kosher salt
-1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
-2 Tbsp butter
-2 Tbsp flour
-1.5 cups fat-free milk
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-1/4 tsp table salt
-1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (reduced fat optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Toss florets in oil (and garlic if using) on a baking sheet (I prefer to mix in a sealed bag first). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until fork-tender and lightly browned, 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven and reduce to 350.

2. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk in cream and cook 5 minutes.

3. Remove pan from heat and stir in 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and all but 2 Tbsp cheese. Stir over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Place cauliflower in an 8X8-in glass baking dish. Pour cheese sauce on top and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

We made these one night my husband was gone — and the recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks SOS! The Six O’clock Scramble to the Rescue. I usually top homemade pizza with veggies but Big A is always asking for pepperoni. I like to show her that her food preferences matter to me (without catering of course). And it helped that the recipe called for pepperoni. Instead of taco size tortillas we used large whole grain ones and only made two.

Big A helped me prepare these. The recipe suggests serving it with fruit smoothies. Our blender broke so I served it with fresh fruit and carrot sticks. A big hit and super easy. So the next time you want homemade pizza and don’t have time to make dough, consider making tortilla pizzas!

Serves: 8

Ingredients:
-2 TBS olive oil
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-8 small to medium (soft-taco-size) whole wheat or four tortillas
-1/2 cup tomato-basil flavored pasta sauce
-1.5 cups reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste
-4 ounces sliced pepperoni (traditional, turkey, or veggie), or toppings of your choice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the oil and garlic powder. Using a pastry brush, coat each tortilla with a thin layer of garlic oil. Spread a thin layer about (1 TBS) of sauce on each tortilla, and sprinkle them with cheese. Top them with pepperoni (or a very thin layer of toppings of your choice).

For a crispy crust, carefully transfer the tortilla pizzas directly to the oven rack and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes. For a softer crust, cook them on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray for 4 to 6 minutes (Meanwhile make the smoothies.) Remove the pizzas from the oven when the tortillas start to brown on the edges — watch them carefully so they don’t burn!

Side dish suggestion: To make Strawberry-banana smoothie, in a blender puree 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries, 2 ripe bananas, 1 cup orange juice and 1 cup nonfat vanilla or plain yogurt.

One of my readers recommended this Betty Crocker recipe for Salmon patties (thanks Goodfountain!). I finally made them last Friday and they turned out great. My husband  gave the meal a thumbs up, which he doesn’t always do with new fish dishes.

I served it with guacamole, hamburger buns, fruit and salad. Little D dipped his salmon cake pieces in the guacamole and Big A ate the guacamole, fruit and bread (shocker!).  Although she continues to say salmon is one of her favorite foods.

Overall, a nice change for fish night. I think next time I’ll double the recipe and freeze some. These patties would be perfect topped on a salad for a quick and easy lunch or as a snack. 

Serves: 4 Patties

Ingredients:
-1 cup bread crumbs
-1/2 cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-8 medium green onions, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
-2 eggs, slightly beaten
-1 can (14 3/4 oz) red salmon (I used 2 smaller cans), skin and bone removed, drained and flaked
-2 tablespoons butter
-4 whole wheat burger buns
- Lettuce leaves
-4 tablespoons dill dip, ranch dip or guacamole

Directions:
1. In a bowl mix all ingredients except the butter, buns, lettuce and dip. Shape mixture into 4 patties (about 1/2 cupfuls per patty).

2. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat and add the patties cooking for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until brown and cooked through (mine almost burned so watch out).

3. Make into sandwiches with dip and lettuce or eat by itself. Enjoy!