Black Beans Extraordinaire

This one comes from a neighbor, and she had been telling me about her famous black beans long before I was able to try them in person.  Believe me, they were worth the wait!  Once I tried them, I had to get the recipe... I've made it twice and both times, I was asked for the recipe, too!  As usual, I changed it up a little, but the bulk to this recipe is solely to her credit.

2 cans low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch cilantro, FINELY minced
1 large tomato, chopped
3 stalks green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large avocado, diced
1 small can green chiles
1 lime
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Onion & Herb seasoning

Simmer beans, cilantro, tomato, onion, garlic and spices on the stove for 30 minutes.  Add the diced avocado, squeeze the lime into beans, and simmer until ready to serve.  Immediately before serving, stir in Greek Yogurt.  Top with mozzarella cheese and serve.

Spicy Rice Casserole

This one was a throw-together last night that turned out pretty well... I intended to make Green Chile Casserole (which I will post later) but found I was out of green chiles, so I was forced to improvise.  I also forgot to turn on the slow cooker, so I ended up throwing the whole thing in a pan, then in the oven, BUT it was meant to be crock-potted so that's how I will report it.

1 medium green pepper, diced
1/3 cup diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms (I used crimini)
1 28-oz can whole stewed tomatoes in juice
1 14-oz can corn, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen sweet peas
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup brown rice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp Tony Chachere's

Throw everything except the cheese in the slow cooker on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.  (Rice should be tender and liquid will be mostly simmered out.)  Sprinkle cheese on top.

Veggie Muffins for Kids

This one is from recipezaar and while I thought the muffins were bland, my daughter and -- surprisingly -- my husband loved them.  The only problem is that they were SO moist, they almost crossed over into soggy... my answer was to put them in a tupperware container and leave the lid off for about half a day to let them dry out a little!  This also calls for 3 cups of baby food vegetables (I used organic sweet potatoes, sweet carrots, sweet peas and mixed veggies) but perhaps the moisture levels would be cut by just pureeing your own vegetables.  I also added raisins, of course, which the recipe doesn't call for.

2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp allspice
3 cups baby food vegetables

Preheat oven to 350 and spray muffin tin with Pam.

Mix all ingredients with electric mixer until well blended.

Fill muffin tins, bake 25 minutes.

Carrot Breakfast Muffins

I found the bare bones of this one on allrecipes.com and (after some changes, of course) my daughter and niece both ate them up!  The original recipe was for cupcakes, with frosting, but I just made them as muffins... one of the many ways I sneak veggies on my girl.

1 cup raisins
2 cups warm water
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
4 eggs
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/4 cup flax seed
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups shredded carrots

Combine raisins and water in a small bowl.  Let soak for 15 minutes to soften the raisins.  Drain raisins, discard water, and set raisins aside.

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice.  In a separate bowl, combine eggs, oil, applesauce, brown sugar and flax seed; beat well or use electric mixer to blend.  Combine egg mixture and flour mixture; mix until moistened.  Fold in carrots and raisins.  Spoon into muffin tin.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Orange-Vanilla Granola with Cinnamon and Raisins

I'm not crediting anyone with this recipe because it's a compilation of about 4 different ingredient lists and then my own modifications.  My husband has a nut allergy so I used seeds instead of nuts, and I added raisins instead of the usual coconut.  I have had trouble finding pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) in the store so I ordered some online and ended up just using dried soy nuts for this batch. I also added a cup of dried mixed berries to the mixture and hated it so much, I picked all the pieces back out.  I guess I'm not a dried fruit fan, but I will leave that step in, just in case you are.

I like this recipe because it uses honey and orange juice to sweeten instead of sugar, and I've gotta be honest... the daughter and I were munching on the mix long before it ever made it to the oven.

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup flax seed
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried fruit
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup pepitas
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure orange extract

Soak raisins in water for 20 minutes.  Drain, discard water, set raisins aside.

Preheat oven to 325.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine orange juice, honey, cinnamon, vanilla and orange extract until honey is melted.

In a separate bowl, combine oats, flax seed, raisins, sunflower seeds and pepitas.  Mix well.

Pour honey mix into oat mix until well coated.

Spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven, stir, and bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, stir, and add dried fruit (if you are so inclined).  Allow to cool and store in air-tight container (or, realistically, a plastic throw-away container).

Southwest Veggie Soup

A modification from The Hungry Girl Cookbook, this soup is low calorie (168 calories per serving), almost fat-free (under 1g), and high in fiber (6.5 g).  I admit, it looks like there are quite a few ingredients but the workload mainly consists of opening cans.


1 16-oz package sweet kernel corn
2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained OR 1 can black beans, 1 can chickpeas (rinsed, drained)
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 15-oz cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 7-oz. can chopped green chiles
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 cup water
1/4 cup minced onions

Pour the tomatoes and corn into a large pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until ready to serve (at least 15 minutes. The longer it simmers, the better.)

I like to top mine with fresh chopped green onions and a bit of shredded cheddar cheese, but that does tend to boost the fat content above 1 gram!  It's also excellent eaten cold.  (In fact, sometimes, I prefer it that way, like gazpacho!)

Makes 12 servings. (Serving is described as "one generous cup".)

Mushroom Stroganoff

The original recipe came from a "Vegetarian Starter Kit" I received from PETA, which actually consisted of a small magazine with a lot of talky-talk and a few really good recipes.  Of course, PETA is advocating a vegan lifestyle so their recipes called for soy sour cream, but I used Greek yogurt, which is an EXCELLENT low-fat substitute for sour cream.  There's no difference in taste when it's mixed into a recipe like this, and one serving is abut 1/2 cup instead of 1 tablespoon.  I also want to mention that if you buy plain old mushroom gravy (canned or mix) or mushroom soup, it's made with beef stock, so you'll probably want to seek out vegan mushroom soup or gravy.  I've added and subtracted, and here's the final product, friend and husband-approved.


1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 lb quartered baby portobello mushrooms
1/2 lb quartered button mushrooms
2 tbsp flour
1 can vegan mushroom soup or gravy
1 cup vegetable broth
8 oz. low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cups cooked whole wheat pasta

Saute onion, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil.  Sprinkle in flour and cook to a paste.  Add vegetable broth and gravy and simmer for 20 minutes.

Mix together the Greek yogurt, mustard and red pepper flakes.  Pour into the mushroom mixture and heat through.  Serve over pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

Vegetarian or Vegan?

I just want to clarify for the purposes of the recipes I will post...  I am a vegetarian, not a vegan.  Therefore, I will be using milk, cheese, sour cream, and other dairy products in my cooking.  I am also fond of seafood.  If you are not a fish, shellfish, or dairy-eater, I'm sure you already know how to make the necessary substitutions, so I will not be giving substitution information with my recipes... I want to post everything exactly the way I tried it and you can modify the way you see fit!

I also want to mention that most of my recipes come from other sources and I modify the heck out of them. When the original source is available, I will credit or link to it... if no credit is given, it's a family recipe or one of my own creation!