Here are some of my favorites
Quinoa Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
1 cup quinoa, washed/drained (use brown rice if you can’t find quinoa)
1 lsweet potato, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic (I used more)
1 14 oz can of tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained
1 can green chiles
2 tbs minced cilantro
Some low fat cheese
Whole wheat, low fat tortillas
Salsa
Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water. When done, set aside.
While the quinoa is simmering, I cut up the sweet potatoes into small pieces (dice sized) and spray a cookie sheet with PAM. I bake the potatoes for around 20 minutes (shaking often) until they are soft and getting crispy. (if I don’t have time, I nuke them for 5 minutes!)
Saute onion, garlic. Stir in tomato (crushed, with juice), black beans, chiles, cilantro. Add quinoa, potatoes. Season with salt and pepper (I added some red pepper flakes, because i like spicy). Stir and heat through.
Put in tortillas, add some cheese so it sticks together, grill on both sides. Top with lots of salsa. Made enough for 4 nights! (I just grilled a new one each night). Last time I made it, I added some spinach leaves to mine, it was pretty good.
Curried Vegetables
1 sweet potato, cut into small cubes
2 tbs olive oil
Carrots - I cut baby carrots in half, use about a cup
1 onion - cut into big wedges
Garlic - I use a freakish amount, whatever works for you
2 14oz cans of tomatoes, crushed with juice
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 heaping tablespoons curry powder
1 cup veggie broth
juice of one lime
salt, pepper
Veggies of choice - I’ve used green beans, broccoli, wilted spinach, parsnips (whatever floats your boat)
Brown rice
This dish isn’t hard to make, just lots of chopping. I like to call it “every 15 minute curry” because you have to add something every 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Cut up potatoes into small, dice-sized pieces. Coat a deep metal baking pan with PAM and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the potatoes (of course, it’s better with MORE oil, so let your health choices be your conscience). Stick in the oven for 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking, cut up carrots and onion. After 15 minutes, take the potatoes out and give them a good shake. Scootch the potatoes to the edge of the pan and put the garlic, carrots, onion and chickpeas (and any veggie you are using you think will take a little longer to cook, like green beans) into the middle of the pan. Drizzle some more olive oil and stick it in the oven for 15 minutes.
Dump the tomatoes into a large bowl, crush them up and add the two heaping tablespoons of curry powder (of course, if you don’t loooove curry like I do, use a little less).
Start the rice. I usually make 1 cup rice/2 cups water for 2 people.
Take the veggie mixture out of the oven, shake things up a bit. Arrange the broccoli around the rim of the pan (and any other veggies you have left that you think will cook in 15 minutes) and dump the tomato mixture all over everything (particularly the broccoli because it really soaks it up and gets DELISH). Stick in oven for YES 15 minutes.
Make broth.
After 15 minutes remove curried vegetables from oven and transfer them to a huge serving bowl.
Put the metal baking pan on the burner, add the broth and the lime juice and salt and black pepper to taste. Reduce the broth by half, stirring vigorously.
When the broth has reduced by half, pour over veggies. Serve them over rice!
Makes plenty for 2 people for 2 nights. One of my all time favorite things to cook (so easy, just lots of chopping).
Charcooked Vegetables with Spicy Sidekick Dressing
Note: I don’t usually eat meat, but I guess this would be a great recipe to add a grilled chicken breast to
Grilled Veggies
1 red pepper
1 orange (or yellow pepper)
2 zucchini
4 corncobs
1 eggplant
olive oil
Spicy Sidekick Dressing
1 tbs olive oil
crushed garlic (I use a lot)
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 small green chile, seeded and finely chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
2 inches of cucumber, finely chopped
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs lime or lemon juice (I usually use a little more)
Dressing
To make the dressing, heat the oil in a saucepan or skillet. Add the garlic and onion and saute gently until softened, around 3 minutes. Add the celery, chile and tomatoes, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
Add the cucumber, tomato paste and lemon/lime juice and simmer for 8-10 minutes until thick and pulpy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Veggies
Cut the veggies into thick slices and brush with a little olive oil. Cook the vegetables on the grill for about 5-8 minutes, sprinkling them with salt, pepper and fresh herbs as they cook, turning once (under the broiler in the oven is okay too).
This dish is delicious served over brown rice with lime wedges to squeeze.
Spinach Chickpea Leek Soup
This is SO good and so fast and easy to make - makes plenty for several days. Great to make on a Sunday and eat all week.
1 tbs olive oil
2 leeks, sliced thinly (circles)
1 zuchini, chopped
minced garlic (I use tons)
2 14 oz cans tomatoes
small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 3/4 cup veg broth
1 14 oz can chickpeas (gabanzo beans) drained
block of frozen spinach (thawed, drained)
1 tbs oregano
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh parm cheese for topping
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add leeks and zucchini and cook briskly for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, vegetable broth, chickpeas and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
Shred the spinach finely, add to the soup and boil for 2 minutes. Season to taste. (the longer it cooks on the stove, the better it is). Remove the bay leaf, sprinkle with parmesan cheese (if desired).
Red bean and corn pitas
1 tbs olive oil
small onion, chopped
garlic, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 14 oz can tomatoes, undrained
1 cup corn
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained
salt, pepper
whole wheat pita pockets
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add the onion, garlic and pepper, saute gently for 10 minutes. Add cumin and cayenne.
Mash in the tomatoes with their juice, cover and cook for 10 minutes, then add the corn and the kidney beans. Cook gently for a few minutes until hot. Season to taste with salt/pepper.
Warm the pita pockets in oven or microwave. Cut them in half lengthwise, gently open each half and fill with the red bean mixture and serve at once.
Also good with other vegetables and 2% sharp cheddar.
Spicy tomato sauce with fresh basil and veggie crumbles
3 cans 14 oz tom
1 can 12 oz tom paste
1 onion, diced
garlic (I use TONS)
1 tbs olive oil
Sun dried tomatoes
Fresh Basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Whatever else I feel like - black olives, mushrooms, carrots, zuch
1 package MorningStar Farm Crumbles (ground turkey would be good)
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Splash of red cooking wine
whole wheat/spinach pasta
Saute onion/garlic for 5 minutes until translucent. Add veggie crumbles, dried oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes. Brown the veggie crumbles - stirring often.
While the veggie crumbles are browning, put 2 cans tomatoes (with juice), tom paste, fresh basil and half the sun dried tomatoes into a food processor - blend until smooth.
Put the tomato mixture over the crumbles and stir.
Put the last can of tomatoes into the food processorand pulse until the tomatoes are chunky. Throw these in with the rest.
Add the rest of the sun dried tomatoes and any other additional veggies. Add a splash of red cooking wine. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve over whole wheat pasta.
Tonight, I am making home made pizza. I bought a Boboli whole wheat crust and some jarred pasta sauce (picked one with a lower calorie/fat content). I’m going to add spinach leaves, fresh basil, mushrooms, onions, black olives, sun dried tomato and fat free feta for toppings. It will last two nights!
Good luck with your weight loss efforts. I know that liking to cook definitely helped me - I lost 70 lbs and have kept it off for almost 2 years.
