bean and veggie wraps

Bean and Veggie Wraps Black beans, mushrooms, spinach leaves and reduced-fat Cheddar cheese are tasty and nutrient-rich partners in this quick-to-make wrap sandwich. From eatbetteramerica.
Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:15 min
makes:4 servings
4
fat-free flour tortillas (6 to 8 inch)
2
cups sliced fresh mushrooms (5 oz)
1
medium onion, cut lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into thin slices
1
can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed
4
cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2
cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1.
Heat tortillas as directed on package.
2.
Meanwhile, spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Cook mushrooms and onion in skillet about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in beans; heat through. Stir in spinach; remove from heat.
3.
Divide bean mixture among tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold one end of each tortilla up about 1 inch over filling; fold right and left sides over folded end, overlapping. Fold remaining end down.
Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 270 (Calories from Fat 30); Total Fat 3 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 280mg; Total Carbohydrate 43g (Dietary Fiber 8g, Sugars 5g); Protein 16g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 60%; Vitamin C 10%; Calcium 25%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 2 Vegetable; 1 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 3 MyPyramid Servings: 1/2 c Dairy, 1 oz-equivalents Grains, 2 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 1 3/4 c Vegetables

Grain and Veggie casserole

Grain and Vegetable Casserole Barley, bulgur and veggies make a tantalizing veggie-lovers casserole. From eatbetteramerica.
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:1 hr 30 min
makes:4 servings (1 1/2 cups each)
2
medium carrots, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1
can (14.5 oz) Muir Glen® organic diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained
1
cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1
can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed
1
cup Cascadian Farm® frozen whole kernel corn (from 10-oz bag)
1/2
cup vegetable broth
1/2
cup uncooked pearl barley
1/2
cup finely chopped onion
1/3
cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4
cup uncooked bulgur
1
clove garlic, finely chopped
1
teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4
teaspoon salt
1/4
teaspoon pepper
Shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired
Sliced green onions, if desired
1.
Heat oven to 350ºF. In ungreased 2-quart casserole or 13x9-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish, mix all ingredients except cheese and green onions.
2.
Cover with foil; bake 30 minutes. Stir. Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes longer or until barley and bulgur are tender and liquid is absorbed.
3.
To serve, sprinkle with cheese and green onions.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.
Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 360 (Calories from Fat 15); Total Fat 1 1/2g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 600mg; Total Carbohydrate 71g (Dietary Fiber 18g, Sugars 10g); Protein 14g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 120%; Vitamin C 20%; Calcium 15%; Iron 25% Exchanges: 3 1/2 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable Carbohydrate Choices: 5 MyPyramid Servings: 1 oz-equivalents Grains, 2 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 2 c Vegetables

Veg. shepards pie

Fill Up on Fiber
Peas, corn and beans are loaded with plenty of dietary fiber—the soluble kind. Try to eat at least 25 grams of fiber daily.
14 ratings : 5 reviews
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Mashed potatoes lovers, unite! The instant mashed potatoes let you make this yummy comfort food fast. From eat betteramerica.
Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:35 min
makes:6 servings
2
cans (15 oz each) Progresso® kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1
jar (16 oz) Muir Glen® organic salsa (any variety)
1
cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ Niblets® frozen corn
1
medium carrot, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 1/4
cups water
1/4
cup fat-free (skim) milk
2
tablespoons no-trans-fat margarine or butter
1/4
teaspoon salt
1 1/4
cups plain mashed potato mix (dry)
2
tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh chives or parsley, if desired
1.
In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat beans, salsa, corn and carrot to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until carrot is tender.
2.
In 2-quart saucepan, heat water, milk, margarine and salt to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in mashed potato mix just until moistened. Let stand about 30 seconds or until liquid is absorbed. Whip mashed potatoes with fork until fluffy.
3.
Spoon mashed potatoes onto bean mixture around edge of skillet. Cover; simmer 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and chives before serving.
Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 290 (Calories from Fat 45); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 520mg; Total Carbohydrate 46g (Dietary Fiber 10g, Sugars 6g); Protein 14g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 45%; Vitamin C 10%; Calcium 10%; Iron 20% Exchanges: 3 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 3 MyPyramid Servings: 1 tsp Fats & Oils, 3 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 1 c Vegetables

dry beans

Mendy and I talked about this a few weeks ago.
I thought since we are talking about legumes this week I would post how to cook beans from dry. at least the way I do it.

I soak the beans over night in water. add water before bed because the grow.

then I keep them soaking until I am ready to cook them. I then boil them for a bout 10-20 min. depending how soft I want the bean. Sometimes I use chicken stock (low sodium or homemade)
I often add green peppers and onion.
Then I turn them into whatever recipe I am making.
I have never tried it but I also think you could just soak them, cook them and then freeze them and pull them out when you wanted.

Here is another one......

This is a recipe using legumes that is really tasty that could be modified in a lot of ways.

Taco Salad
4 flour tortillas (8inch)
3/4lb ground beef or turkey
1tbsp chili powder
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup kidney beans--drained and rinsed
4 cups mixed or spring salad greens--good with spinach as well
1/2cup reduced fat chedder cheese
1 tomato chopped
2 tbsp light ranch dressing

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Crumble 4 large sheets of foil to form 3-inch balls; arrange on baking sheet.
3. Arrange 1 tortilla over each ball; spray with cooking spray(tortillas will drape over balls as they bake).
4. Bake 6-8 minutes or until tortillas are golden brown.
5. Cook meat with chili powder until browned.
6. Add salsa and beans; cook until heated through.
7. Fill tortillas with salad greens, meat mixture, cheese, tomato and dressing.

Calories--420

Love those Legumes:)

Here are a few more recipes to incorporate our wonderful world of legumes:) I love hummus, so I am looking forward to trying to make my own. I usually have the store bought kind as a snack with Nut Thin crackers (Hy-Vee carries these in the health food secion).

Easy Hummus

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2/3 cup water
3 Tablespoons tahini
1 large clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
Place all ingredient in blender. Blend until creamy and serve. Keep refrigerated.


Lentil Soup for Crockpot (great for us busy mamas)
My mom makes something very similar to this. She does not use bacon bits, but rather some ham cut up, which I think is probably a little better in terms of nutrition. Anyway, I thought this may be good on one of these cold days!

Ingredients:
2 cups dried lentils
8 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp. crumbled bacon or bacon bits
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped carrot
3 tbsp. snipped parsley
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes
2 tbsp. wine vinegar
Preparation:Rinse lentils; place in cooker. Add 8 cups water and remaining ingredients except tomatoes and vinegar. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours. Add tomatoes and vinegar. Turn to HIGH and cook 15 minutes longer, until hot.

Easy Bean Salad
* If you are not a tofu fan, I think that this could go sans the tofu, but maybe add another can of beans or blackeyed peas.
Ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
2 cans kidney or garbanzo beans
1 small can sliced olives
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice or cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Chill for a few hours and serve.

Kidney Beans and Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions
1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Tabasco sauce and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add pepper and onion and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes.
Add the dried spices and beans and cook, stirring, until beans are heated through.
When the beans are heated thoroughly, and the Tabasco sauce. Serve over rice!

Christine's Legume Recipes

These are two favorites that definitely utilize legumes.

#1 Christine's Hummus

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed--keep the liquid
couple cloves of garlic (more if you like a lot of garlic)
couple good squeezes of lemon juice
couple little drizzles good extra virgin olive oil (maybe 1 tsp each to start)
pinch kosher salt sesame seeds (I throw about 1/4 --1/3 cup into a hot pan to toast, then mortar and pestal it and throw it in)

Put everything into a food processor or blender (blender if you like it really smooth). You may have to add some of the liquid to get it moving, a little at a time.
Top it with 1 more tsp. of olive oil and if you like paprika--it's great either way!

Great with fresh veggies of your choice (we love cucs and carrots), or toasted pitas.

Toasted Pitas:
Take the whole wheat pocket pitas and cut each 1/2 into three slices (like a pizza), then pull them apart and place them on a cookie sheet. Spray very lightly with nonstick spray-like two or three sprays and shake a little Salt Free Montreal Chicken on them. Bake at 380 for about 7 minutes. They are done when they crisp up a bit.



#2 Christine's EASY Chili

1 can kidney beans-drained
1 can red beans-drained
2 cans chili beans
1 package original Williams chili seasoning
1 lb 93% lean beef or ground turkey breast-browned with 1/3 cup onion of your choice
3 cans tomatoes (whole, you break them up, or chopped)
1 can mild Rotel

(you can sub. black beans, garbanzos for any other beans above)

the longer you cook it the better it is...slow cooker is great--low all day or as long as you can on the stove on low.

Good luck!

As part of our homework this week, Mendy asked that we share a recipe using legumes. Here is one that I made this week and it was very good. I got this recipe out of a Cooking Light cookbook.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
3cups water
1cup dried red kidney beans
1cup chopped onion
1cup chopped green pepper
3/4cup chopped celery
1teaspoon dried thyme
1teaspoon paprika
3/4teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2teaspoon black pepper
1/2(140z) package turkey, pork, and beef smoked sausage, sliced
1bay leaf
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2teaspoon salt
3cups hot cooked long grain rice
1/4cup chopped green onions

Directions:
1. Place first 12 ingredients in a 2 quart slow cooker. Cover with lid and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. I cooked it for about 10 hours and it was fine.

2. Discard bay leaf, stir in salt. Serve over rice; sprinkle with green onions. Serves 4
(Serving size: 1cup bean mixture, 3/4cup rice, and 1tablespoon green onions)

Calories--413

Today

please fogive me, but I am drawing the line today. I know we are only doing 7 miles, but it is 8 degrees and the colder it is the more my ankle bothers me. Plus I will be doing Pilates all day Saturday and Sunday. Sorry for not coming to day. See you next week. Mendy

Protein Shake recipes

Strawberry Protein Shake
1 1/2 cups of frozen strawberries
1 cup light vanilla soy milk
1/2 cup o.j.
1 scoop whey protein powder

275 calories

Mix together in blender or hand held blender. If too thick you can add a 1/4 cup of water.

push ups on the ball

Make sure to keep your naval pulled into your spine, your head level with your body, and do not let your hips fall -keep your body on the same plane.

Red and black bean stuffed pepper

Mendy asked me to post this recipe. That is more difficult than it sound because there is no recipe. This is one of those things that I just make and really don't think about it. so here goes


Ingredients:

Beans: I used red and black combined. but you could pick whatever kind you want
Rice I also have used the Kashi 7 grain pilaf and that's good too.
peppers any color. and amount based on the number you want to make
tomato sauce
onion,
carrots
zucchini
yellow sqaush
seasons to taste. I like Italian spices I use lots of oregano and basil and Mrs dash
if there in seasons fresh tomatoes are nice
2% milk cheese I like the Mexican mix cheese

cook rice or pilaf
prep beans. I always use dry and soak them and cook them. but if you used canned us ope them
chop all veggies except peppers
cut peppers in half deseed and steam lightly
after rice is done. mix all chopped veggies, seasons and beans mix together in bowl
after peppers are done. spray glass dish with Pam. place peppers on their backs in the dish.
fill with rice, bean veggie mix. I always fill all the empty spaces with extra goo
sprinkle with cheese. slice tomato and put on top

bake at 350 for 20-30 min till cheese is melted and everything is hot.

I have done this same basic thing with ground turkey or sirloin.
I have also froze the "goo" and made the peeper part later. My husband has also suggested chopping the peppers up in it instead of having the "pepper boats"
This is a very fluid recipe I do the whole thing to taste.
enjoy