Black bean and Sweet Corn Quinoa

I really, really love this dish.  It is really easy to make and it has a lot of flavor and is so filling and satisfying!

Mel's Kitchen Café

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup frozen sweet white corn

1(15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime

Saute onions and olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute. 

Add the quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed).

Stir in the frozen corn and black beans. Cover and let the pot sit off the heat until the corn and beans are heated through, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and juice of 1 lime. Serve warm or cold

Whole wheat veggie wrap

I love this for lunch, it is so light and tasty and so good for you! 

1 whole wheat tortilla
baby spinach
tomato slices or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
cucumber slices
avacado
salt
balsamic vinegar

You can mix up your veggies, the sky is the limit, sprouts, peppers, cilantro, shredded carrots, green onion you could also add a little hot sauce if you need spice or hummus for flavor and extra protein or even some black beans or feta cheese.

Spaghetti Squash w/ Marinara

I have been wanting to try this for years now, after seeing it all over the internet.  I am on a veggie kick and have been loving vegetarian dishes lately.  I can't believe I haven't tried this before because it is so delicious and filling and so much healthier and lighter. 

1 spaghetti squash
Marinara sauce (perferably homemade)
parmesan cheese

Split squash in half lengthwise and place on cookie sheet upside down and bake in oven at 375 for 45 minutes or until done.  Or you can split it and boil in a large pot of water 30 min. or until done.  Once tender, scrape out meat of sqash with a fork and serve with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese. 

Black Bean Pineapple Enchiladas

Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/3 cup pineapple juice, reserved
1 (15 ounce) can progresso black beans, drained, rinsed
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can old el paso chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese (12 oz)
1 (10 ounce) can Old El Paso mild enchilada sauce
8 whole wheat flour tortillas (8 or 9 inch)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
8 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
1-Heat oven to 350°F Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chiles and salt. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and 2 cups of the cheese.
2-Spoon and spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce onto each tortilla. Spoon about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture over sauce on each. Roll up tortillas; place seam side down in baking dish.
3-In small bowl, mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas in dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over baking dish and seal tightly.
4-Bake 35 to 40 minutes, removing foil during last 5 to 10 minutes of baking, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each baked enchilada with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 teaspoon cilantro.
5-High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 40-45 minutes, removing foil during last 5 - 10 minutes of baking.

These are different and DELICIOUS!!

Martha Stewart's Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients
olive oil, for baking sheets
2 large eggs
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, for topping
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
coarse salt
pepper
2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds (2 1/2 pounds total)
6 cups store-bought chunky tomato sauce or homemade chunky tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 375°. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
2 Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400°.
3 Spread 2 cups sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 2 cups sauce, then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

From Recipezaar.com

Super good and easy.

Three Bean Salad

This is very easy and quite tasty, especially if you like beans.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
One 15-ounce can green beans, drained, rinsed, and drained again
One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained, rinsed, and drained again
One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed, and drained again

Preparations Whisk the mustard, vinegar, and oil together in a small bowl until smooth to make a vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside. Place all of the beans in a serving bowl. Drizzle the vinaigrette (you may not need it all) over the beans, and toss gently to combine. You can add the dressing up to 2 hours ahead of time; serve the salad either cold or at room temperature. (Makes 6 servings)

Avocado Milkshake

If you like avocados, you will love this. It is super good, though it may not seem like it!
1 cup milk
1 avocado
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

ice

Directions
*Mix everything in a blender until smooooooth.
*If you want it thicker, add more ice, if you really like vanilla, add more!
*this is a very flexible recipe and really satisfying!

Tortilla Black Bean Casserole

I am trying to cook meals without meat sometimes, so the following two recipes are ones I found recently that are good.

2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet pepper
1 14.5 ounce can tomatoes, undrained and cut up
3/4 cup picante sauce or green salsa
2 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15 ounce cans black and/or kidney beans rinsed and drained
12 6-inch corn tortillas
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (optional)
2 cups shredded lettuce (optional)
sliced green onions (optional)
sliced pitted olives (optional)
sour cream (optional)

1. In a large skillet, combine onion, sweet pepper, undrained tomatoes, picante sauce, cumin, and garlic. Bring to boil, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in beans.
2. Spread 1/3 of the bean mixture over the bottom of a 3 quart baking dish. Top with 6 of the tortillas, overlapping as necessary and 1 cup of cheese. Add another 1/3 of the bean mixture, top with remaining 6 tortillas and remaining bean mixture.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350* oven 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If desired, top with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, olives, and sour cream.

From the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Baked Pasta With Asparagus

Ingredients
14 ounces penne pasta
2 lbs asparagus
4 ounces butter
chicken stock
salt and pepper
10 ounces ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces freshly-grated parmesan cheese
3 eggs

Directions
1 Wash Asparagus.
2 Remove any tough stalks and cut into short lengths.
3 You may want to split the length in half.
4 Melt about 3 tbs of butter in pan and cook the asparagus over a low heat for about 20 min.
5 Every so often, add a little chicken stock to keep it moist.
6 When the asparagus is done, season to taste.
7 While the asparagus is cooking, process the ricotta cheese with the oil.
8 Cook the pasta for half the time stated on the package.
9 Drain and immediately toss in the remaining butter and half the Parmesan.
10 Butter a deep oven dish.
11 Make a thin layer of pasta, then one of asparagus, then one of pasta again and then one of ricotta.
12 Repeat, finishing with the layer of pasta.
13 Beat together the eggs and the remaining cheese and pour over the top.
14 Sprinkle with black pepper.
15 Bake in a medium oven, 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

From Recipezaar.com