Cinnamon Berry Blast Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 small banana (or 1/2 large) frozen
3/4 cup frozen or fresh pitted cherries
1/2 tsp coconut butter
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup almond milk
3 -4 ice cubes

Optional add-ins: Hemp, rice or pea protein powder, cocoa powder, spirulina, fresh greens.

Blend all ingredients together on high until thick and creamy. Serve with fresh or frozen cherries on top. Recipe makes enough for 1 tall 12-14oz glass/serving.

My Notes:
I omit the coconut butter. I don't want the extra fat and I don't feel it takes away from the flavor.
Otherwise, I have been making this recipe straight up with out any add-ins. It is delicious!

Blueberry Oat Bars (vegan)

For the Bar:
2 cups oat flour (can be made by putting 2cups oats in a food processor)
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp agave nectar
1 large, ripe banana
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp vanilla

For the Topping:
1/3 cup blueberry preserves (I use Polaner All Fruit)
2 tbsp vegan shortening
3 tbsp rolled oats
3 tbsp natural sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the oat flour, rolled oats, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a food processor (or a bowl with a hand mixer), mix the banana, oil, agave, almond milk and vanilla. Add to wet ingredients to dry and mix well.

3. Spread mixture into a baking pan (8x8 or 9x9 work best) and top with preserves. In food processor, pulse the shortening, oats and sugar into a topping and dot the preserves with it.

4. Bake for 30 - 35 mins - or until top is golden . Let hot preserves cool well before cutting.

My notes:
I spray the pan with a little bit of cooking spray. Bars come out easier.

This is a rather dense bar. I also fold in about 3/4 cup of fresh blueberries into the mixture before spreading in the pan. Gives a little extra moisture and blueberry flavor.

To cut back on the extra fat & sugar (as well as being easier to make), I omit the topping. I spread the blueberry preserves on top of the mixture and sprinkle with a few rolled oats before baking. Still tasted great in my opinion. The photo shows the bars fresh from the oven sans topping - still delicious!

Spaghetti Squash with Moroccan Spices

1 medium spaghetti squash (4 lbs)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place squash cut side down on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high, uncovered, for 15-18 minutes or until tender.
In a small skillet, saute garlic in butter for 1 minute. Stir in cumin, salt, cinnamon and pepper sauce. When squash in cool enough to handle, use fork to scoop out and separate strands. Toss with butter mixture and cilantro.

Very easy to make. The spaghetti squash cooks nicely in the microwave with no mess.

Nutrition per Serving:
1 serving = 2/3 cup
104 calories
5g fat (3g saturated)
10mg cholesterol
360mg sodium
15g carbs
3g fiber
2g protein

Black Bean/Blueberry Brownies (Gluten-Free)

1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed
3 eggs
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup agave nectar
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
2 Tbsp fat-free (or light) sour cream
2 Tbsp melted buter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of the above in a blender. Pour mixture in to a small 8x8 pan coated with no-stick spray. Cook at 350degrees for 30-35 mins. Fork or toothpick should come out clean. Let cool before eating and refrigerate leftovers.

Makes a very dense, dark chocolate brownie. Has the same density and texture similar to that of a flourless chocolate cake.

Black Bean Oatmeal Burgers

1 - 15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
1 - 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 green onions chopped (I used 1/4cup chopped vidalia onion)
2/3cup chopped carrots (I grated the carrot)
1 3/4 cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & brush or spray lightly with oil.

Process the first 8 ingredients until well blended. (I used my hand mixer instead of the blender. It took a little longer & splashed a bit, but worked just fine)
Transfer to a bowl and mix in oats.

Form into 8 patties. Place on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Carefully flip patties with a wide spatula. Place under broiler for another 1-2 minutes each side until browned.
(Be careful not to burn parchment paper under the broiler)

Makes 8 patties. These were easy to mix together and very tasty. They would be good to make ahead and store in the freezer for quick & easy meals for lunches or busy week nights.

Pulled Pork wih Sauerkraut

2 pounds pork tenderloin
(I'm finding that I should pre cut into 3-5" pieces easier to manage once cooked)

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage
(don't have thyme or sage? check the ingredients of a poultry seasoning you might have. It works in a pinch)

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1 (14.5-ounce) can sauerkraut (the whole thing) - We use bagged sauerkraut

1 teaspoon caraway seeds- we omit these

8 rolls for serving (optional)

Use a 6-quart slow cooker.
In a mixing bowl or in the crockpot, combine the dried spices: mustard, thyme, sage, paprika, salt, pepper, mix well. Roll the tenderloin in the spices getting as much coverage as possible. Put the seasoned tenderloin into the crockpot.

Put the shredded carrot, sauerkraut, and caraway seeds into the empty bowl, and stir to combine. Then pour all contents on top of the spiced roast.

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with two forks.

(We've been cooking for about 4 hours on high. I just make sure the pork is fully cooked)

Shred the meat completely, and stir well.
Serve as is in a bowl, or serve on toasted rolls.

Matt found this recipe from this site. He made it for our New Year's Day dinner with my family. It has a great flavor and is super moist (my biggest negative about pork roast). We have made it several times in the past 2 months. Mainly because it's easy prep, tastes great and is relatively low in calories so you can eat a BIG bowlful and not feel guilty! Enjoy!

Quinoa Pizza

2 1/2-3cups cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1/2tsp dried basil
1/2tsp dried oregano
1 large clove garlic- crushed
1 - 1 1/2cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Oil baking sheet. Mix above ingredients together in a large bowl saving out 1 cups mozzarella. Press crust mixture down and spread evenly in a 10x15 baking sheet. Bake 20mins. Add sauce, saved mozzarella cheese and toppings of your choice. Bake another 15 - 20mins.

I found this recipe on a blog that I read regularly. We have come to really like this as an alternative to a traditional pizza crust.

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans- drained
1cup onion- chopped
1 cup red pepper- chopped
1/2cup english cucumber, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can shoe peg corn or white corn- drained
1/4 fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice

Mix first 7 ingredients in a large glass bowl. In a seperate bowl, mix the last 4 ingredients together. Add to veggies/black beans. Mix well. This is a great salsa for summer parties. I generally serve it with tortilla chips as a salsa/dip, but it is also great as a side with grilled chicken or added to a tossed salad.

Spinach Pie

16oz frozen spinach- thaw & squeeze out excess water
5 eggs
2lb part-skim ricotta
salt and pepper to taste
4oz feta cheese, crumbled
grape tomatoes, cut in half

In a large bowl mix spinach, eggs, ricotta and salt &pepper. Spread into a 13x9 pan (glass or metal). (I spray the pan with Pam before adding the ricotta/spinach mixture). Evenly spread feta over the top of the ricotta/spinach mixture. Evenly place grape tomato halves across the top of the feta. Bake at 325degrees for 1 hr to 1hr 15mins. The pie should be firm in the center and slightly beginning to brown around the edges.

This a great recipe to prepare ahead to use for lunches for the week. It pairs well with grilled chicken and a tossed green salad -or is great all by itself. It is light but filling. Also, I generally use more feta than the recipe calls for- sometimes almost double. Cuz everything's beta with feta!

Bean & Bulgur Chili

1.5-2 large onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 large green, red or yellow pepper, choppped
4 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, shredded
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2tsp cumin
1/2tsp ground pepper
1/8tsp cinnamon
1/8tsp allspice
2 cans (14.5oz)(no salt-added) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5oz)can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16oz) can kidney beans
1 (15oz)can pinto beans
1 (15oz)can black beans
1 (14oz)can vetegable broth
1/3cup tomato paste
1 cup uncooked bulgar

1. In a dutch oven cook onions, celery and green pepper in oil until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute. Stir in carrots and seasonings, cook another minute longer.

2. Stir in tomatoes, beans, broth and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 30mins.

3. Meanwhile, cook bulgar according to package directions. stir into chili and heat through.
Garnish with a dollup of sour cream if desired.

Yields: approx 10people
Nutrition Facts: serving size=1 1/3cups, 240calories, 3g fat, 587g sodium, 45g carb, 12g fiber, 11g protein

Split Pea Soup

This was from a co-worker who got it from my chiropractor in NYC.
I use a really big pot and double the recipe for this one. I love having the leftovers in the fridge/freezer.
I find that I like a little more pepper than it asks for.
I cook it down so the only thing that is left chunky, is some of the thicker slices of potato and carrots.

Split Pea Soup

3 cups dry split peas
7 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard

2 cups diced onion
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 potato, thinly sliced
ground pepper to taste
4 tbsp red wine vinegar to taste

place split peas, water, bay leaf, salt and dry mustard in kettle. Bring to boil, lower heat, simmer, partly covered, 20 minutes
Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots and potato, simmer partly covered 40 minutes. stir occasionally.
add black pepper and vinegar to taste
serves 6
per serving: calories 370, total fat 3g, saturated fat 0g, fiber 23g, sodium 420 mg, cholesterol 0 mg, carbohydrate 67g

Black Bean / Sweet Potato Skillet

This is one we just started making recently. We found it here. I'm finding that it tastes better the next day. The cinnamon seems to be more pronounced. I also don't think the couscous is necessary.

Black Bean / Sweet Potato Skillet

1 Medium Onion Chopped

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Cans (15oz) Black beans, rinsed and drained

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes Peeled and finely chopped (I try to have a bit more than a 2/1 ratio to the onion) (yes this used to read 3/1 but once I weighed it it was 2.25 x1)

1 can (14.5 oz) Vegetable Broth

1 tsp minced chipolte pepper (I used the Tobasco Brand Chipolte Pepper sauce)

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp ground cinnamon (I doubled this the 2^nd time I made it)

1 ¼ cup uncooked couscous

1) In a skillet large enough to hold all of the above ingredients. Saute the onion in the oil until tender.

2) Then add the Beans, Potatoes, Broth, Chipolte Pepper, and Cinnamon.

3) Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

4) Uncover and simmer (stirring occasionally) 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are very tender and the mixture has thickened.

5) Prepare Couscous as per package instructions. Serve with the Mixture.

Yield: 5 Servings

1 Cup mixture + ½ cup Couscous is roughly

294 Calories, 3g Fat, 727mg sodium, 54g carb, 10g fiber, 12g protein.