Lentil & Black Bean Chili

This is a Weight Watchers recipe, and my whole family actually really loved it. I cut back on the spices a little because of my kids. We topped it with a little cheese and sour cream.

Lentil & Black Bean Chili

1-1/2 cups dry lentils (preferably French variety, but regular green lentils will work too)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1-1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
29 oz. can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted with chiles)
2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

Cook lentils by placing in a pot and cover with water (a couple of inches above the level of the lentils). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat at simmer until lentils are tender, but not too soft (about 12 minutes).

While lentils are cooking, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Cook the onions, bell pepper, and garlic in the oil until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and cover the skillet. Let simmer 5-10 minutes, and then add the lentils. Stir and divide into 6 portions to serve.

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Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ever since I discovered how easy it is to make my own taco seasoning, I no long buy stuff in packets. I've tried several different recipes for it, and it's all very similar; but my favorite is from Emily Bites' Spicy Taco Gnocchi Skillet recipe. I just use the seasonings from that recipe to make my own taco seasoning for other uses as well (with a couple of modifications to my family's taste). I've posted the seasoning recipe here for convenience.

Taco Seasoning

1 Tbsp. chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients together in a little bowl or a ziplock baggie. One recipe is the perfect amount for one pound of meat.

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Spicy Peanut Noodle Bowls

When I went to Portland last March, Thomas took me to a place that served these amazing noodle bowls. I don't remember any specifics of them (I was way too excited to be in Portland that I don't even remember much! haha) except that they were spicy and had a creamy peanut sauce. I liked the texture of the pasta, too, because it was very al dente. Anyway, I have been thinking of them ever since! I perused Pinterest trying to find a recipe that sounded like it may be similar. I found this one, and then modified a few things to my liking. It was DELICIOUS! Sweet, sour, creamy, crunchy... I will be making this often. I wish the serving size was bigger, but then again, I could eat a pound of pasta all by my lonesome ;)

Spicy Peanut Noodle Bowls

8 oz. dry brown rice spaghetti (I used this instead of wheat pasta because the firmer texture is perfect)
2 Tbsp. canola oil
3/4 tsp. sesame oil
2-1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 to 1 tsp. of sriracha (I used about 3/4 of a teaspoon)
2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter (I love Smucker's Natural Creamy)
1 Tbsp. honey
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced very thin
dash (about 1/8 tsp) red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1/4 of a green pepper, sliced very thin
6 baby carrots (or 1/2 medium carrot), julienned
1/4 cup peanuts, roughly chopped

Cook the brown rice pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, combine oils, soy sauce, vinegar, sriracha, peanut butter, honey, garlic, green onions, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds in a bowl, and stir until uniform. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and return it to the pot. Add the sauce, green peppers, carrots, and peanuts, and stir to combine. Portion into four bowls (a scant cup each).

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Whole Wheat Tortillas

I went through a short phase of trying to eat only whole foods for a month, which led me to a website called "100 Days of Real Food". I found this super simple recipe for whole wheat tortillas on there, and I decided to give them a try. They were AMAZING. I was really shocked at how much better they were than store bought tortillas.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

2-1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of oil
1 tsp. salt
1 cup warm water

Combine all ingredients into a dough until it is smooth. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll them into balls, and then flatten them on a cookie sheet until they resemble tortillas. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and spray with cooking spray. Cook the tortillas one at a time, about 30-45 seconds per side, and transfer to a plate. Keep refrigerated if you don't eat them right away.

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Quinoa Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

A reader sent me a link to this recipe, thinking I might like it. I'm glad she did, because it was great! The original recipe can be found here. I made a few modifications, so I'll post those below. It sounds like a strange combination of ingredients, but it worked really well together.

Not the prettiest dish, but it tastes good!

Quinoa Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
(modified to make 1 serving)

1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coleslaw mix (just plain shredded green cabbage and carrots)
3-4 slices of cucumber, julienned

For the sauce:
1.5 Tbsp. smooth natural peanut butter
1.5 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Bring the water to a boil in a small sauce pan, and add the quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer until water is absorbed (about 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl until smooth. Add the coleslaw mix and cucumber, and toss to coat. When the quinoa is done cooking, add it to the bowl and toss again until everything is coated.  Makes 1 serving

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Indian Lentil Soup

Dede, a reader of Runs for Cookies, e-mailed this recipe to me when she learned I like lentils. She said she got it from the newspaper years ago and made a couple of changes. And then, because I can never leave a recipe alone, I made a change or two myself. ;)  I've been eating it every day for lunch, because it is delicious! Here is the recipe, with my changes:

Indian Lentil Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of red lentils
4 cups of broth (I used chicken broth)
1 (15 oz) can of crushed tomatoes
1 medium potato (about 6 oz), peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. turmeric
dash (1/8 tsp) of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a soup pot over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Cook the onion for a few minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the broth, lentils, tomatoes, and spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially-cover it with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the carrots and potato, and simmer, covered, until veggies are just tender, about 20 minutes.  Makes 4 servings, about 1-2/3 cups each.

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Chick Pea Curry

This is a recipe I found on Sparkpeople. I only made a couple of changes to it. The original recipe can be found on Sparkpeople here.

Chick Pea Curry
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cumin
5 cloves of garlic, minced
5 tsp. of curry powder
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. oregano
salt & pepper to taste
2/3 cup of water

In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook onion until soft. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder, and stir for a minute. Add water, tomatoes, chick peas, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover pan and simmer 5-10 minutes. If you want it thicker, then remove the lid while simmering. Serve over rice or quinoa.

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Green Monster (original)

I got this recipe from Angela at Green Monster Movement. There are many, many variations, but my heart lies with the original. Sometimes I add blueberries, too.  Trust me when I say that this tastes NOTHING like the way it looks! I was completely skeptical, but pleasantly surprised when I first tried it.

Green Monster

1 Tbsp. flax seed meal
1 cup (packed) spinach
1 cup almond milk
1 banana, peeled (duh)
6 ice cubes

Put the ingredients (except for the ice) into a blender in the following order: flax seed, spinach, banana, almond milk. Let it rip on high until it's blended well, then add the ice and blend until smooth. I promise you that this tastes just like a banana shake, without a trace of spinach!  Serves 1.

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2-Ingredient Guacamole

This is SO simple and SO easy--and it tastes SO good! Serve with tortilla chips.

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado
1 cup Garden Fresh salsa (found in refrigerator section)

Mash the avocado until smooth, and stir in the salsa. It doesn't look very pretty, but it tastes fantastic. Serve right away, because the avocado will start to brown.

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Coconut Butter (a pictorial)

I adore coconut butter! I've never seen it in the store before, so I've always just made my own. It's very simple to make. All you need is a food processor.

2 bags of UNSWEETENED coconut (to fill a 12-oz jar of coconut butter)

Put it into the food processor

Let it rip on high for a few minutes, then scrape down the sides

This is after about 10 minutes

15-20 minutes and it's done!

At this point, I jarred some as-is, and then added cocoa powder to the rest

Ta-da! Coconut butter and chocolate coconut butter!

The nutritional info on this is the same as the package of coconut you use. Since there are no added ingredients, just use the info from the package. Keep in mind that the measurement may change (one tablespoon of shredded coconut does not equal one tablespoon of coconut butter); but the GRAMS will stay the same (15 grams of shredded coconut=15 grams of coconut butter).

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Sweet Potato Wheels

I had a sweet potato sitting on my counter for a while, so I decided to turn that into my lunch yesterday. It was SO GOOD that I just have to share--it's not much of a "recipe", more of a "method". But either way, you've got to try it!

Sweet Potato Wheels (because "Wheels" sound so much more fun than "fries" or "rounds")

1 large sweet potato (mine was 12 oz)
cooking spray
salt & pepper to taste

Set the oven to 'broil' (mine has high and low, so I chose high). Peel the sweet potato and slice into thin slices (about 1/4 inch). Spray a baking sheet with the cooking spray, and then lay all the sweet potato pieces out on the sheet.

Lie the wheels on a sprayed baking sheet

Spray the tops with a little cooking spray and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Put the sheet under the broiler until the tops are starting to burn darken in spots, like this:

When they look like this, flip them over

I think it took about 10 minutes for mine. Flip each piece over, and put the sheet back under the broiler. When you can smell the sweet potato goodness, and they look like this, they're done:

Pile them all on a plate and devour them. Share them with someone, because this is probably at least two servings. I ate the whole batch for about 280 calories, which was totally worth it. These taste just like sweet potato fries, but they are so much easier to make--they cook more evenly, they don't stick to the baking sheet, and they take less time overall.

A very well-spent 280 calories!

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Fajita Seasoning Mix

There is no reason to buy fajita seasoning mix in a packet when you can make some of your own in your kitchen. It tastes delicious!

After adding seasoning, piled on top of quinoa... yummy!

Fajita Seasoning Mix  

3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. chili powder 
1 Tbsp. salt 
1 Tbsp. paprika 
1 Tbsp. sugar 
2 1/2 tsp. crushed chicken bouillon 
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder 
1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 
1/2 tsp. cumin 

Mix it all up in a baggie. To season meat and/or veggies, add 2/3 of a cup of water + 3 Tbsp. of seasoning mix (per pound of meat).  This makes 10 tablespoons of seasoning, and each serving is 3/4 Tbsp. 

The peppers and onions were so colorful while they were cooking, and smelled delicious! And after adding the seasoning, I could have eaten them plain, they were so good.

4 peppers, one each of red, yellow, orange, and green; plus 2 onions

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Cookie Dough Hummus

I made this awesome recipe on Sunday, and again today. I'm SHOCKED at how good it is!!  It's hummus that really does taste (and look) like cookie dough. I ate it with pretzels, which was awesome, and then for dessert today I had it with a chocolate Vitatop. Heavenly!

I made it as follows:
1 can of chick peas, drained AND peeled (takes a little time, but worth it!)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
6 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Blend all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor until very smooth. Then fold in the chocolate chips.  (Makes 8 servings. Per serving:  139 calories, 5 grams fat, 3 grams fiber, 20 grams carbs, 4 grams protein)

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Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I never thought I would like whole wheat pizza crust, but when I ran the Ragnar Relay, I ate pizza on a whole wheat crust and it was amazing! So now this is the only pizza crust that I make.

Breakfast Pizza on whole wheat crust

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup hot water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. yeast (one packet)

Combine in a bowl until a ball forms and cover with plastic wrap. (Or you could use a bread machine, which is what I usually do). Let rise for 15-20 minutes. Spread out dough on a pizza pan and bake at 475 for about 5-8 minutes. Then top with your toppings, and bake again until cheese is bubbly and toppings are done.

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Lentil Chili

My family and I like to eat meatless a few times a week, to save money (and because we enjoy it). I've developed a love for lentils because of this, and this lentil recipe is a GREAT way to convert meat lovers to eating meatless for at least one meal :)  The way I make this, it technically isn't vegetarian--because I use beef broth--but you could easily make this vegan by using vegetable broth.

Lentil Chili

1 lb. brown lentils
6 cups beef broth (or veg broth)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Combine everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to med-low (simmer) and cook until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. If it gets too thick, you can add some water to it while it's cooking. Serve with cheese, onions, and sour cream. Yum!  Yields 9 cups.

Per cup:

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Katie's Hummus

Everybody seems to have their own hummus recipe. This is MY version. I *LOVE* garlic--so this is very garlicky. If you're not a huge fan of the garlic, just use 1 small clove. I like to use 3-4 big cloves.

Katie's Hummus

1-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
2 Tbsp. water
1 lemon (juice and zest)
2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 Tbsp. olive oil  (seems like a lot, but it makes the hummus REALLY smooth and rich)
salt to taste

In a food processor, put in the cloves of garlic and process until they are finely chopped. Add the drained chick peas, water, lemon juice and zest, and tahini. Process on high until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the processor once or twice. While the processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil. Run the processor for another minute or two, until everything is combined and smooth.

Makes 8 (1/4 cup) servings. Per serving:  110 calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams fiber, 8 grams carbs, 3 grams protein.

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Homemade Granola

This makes a HUGE batch, so don't be scared by the amount of sugar in it. My favorite way to eat it is to core an apple and cut into quarters, then spread with peanut butter, and then press the peanut butter side into the granola (see picture). It's an awesome breakfast or snack, and very healthy :)  You could also put it in yogurt, or cereal, etc.

Homemade Granola

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 275. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine sugar and water. Microwave on high for a couple of minutes to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Add the oats and almonds and stir until they are coated with the sugar mixture. Spread thinly onto the baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes. It'll feel pliable when you take it out of the oven, but it'll be crunchy when it cools. Each serving is 1/4 cup.

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Super Hearty Beans & Rice

This is one of my very favorite dishes when I just want to EAT and feel full. It's meatless, it takes less than 25 minutes to make, and it's really healthy. It's very filling.

1 cup long-grain white rice (you could definitely use brown rice)
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (15 oz) red beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans (do not drain these)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic and onion
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced)
1 cup frozen yellow corn (no need to thaw)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Shredded cheddar cheese, for topping (not included in nutrition info; omit to keep it vegan)

Cook the rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over med-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft, but not brown. Add the red beans, drained and rinsed, to the skillet. Then add the black beans WITH the liquid to the skillet. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the garlic powder, corn, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to blend well. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer about 2 minutes. When the rice is done cooking, stir the rice into the bean mixture. Top with cheddar cheese.  Makes 6 servings.

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Lemon Lentil Soup

For lunch, I decided to make Lemon Lentil Soup. I haven't made it in a long time, and I forgot just how good it is! My recipe is just 4 simple ingredients, and it is as easy as opening a can of soup, but SO MUCH TASTIER! Not to mention HEALTHIER.

Lemon Lentil Soup

1 cup of red lentils (sort & rinse)
1 quart of vegetable broth (I've tried this with chicken broth, and it wasn't very good--it had a metallic taste)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (this amount gives a small kick--if you like it spicy, use 1/2 tsp.)
juice of one lemon (plus the zest, if you like!)

Combine the lentils, broth, and pepper flakes in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until lentils are soft and the soup has thickened. Add the lemon juice (and zest, if you're using it), stir, and heat through. Makes 4 small servings (about 1 cup) or 2 main-dish servings. For 1 small serving: 162 calories, 0 grams fat, 7 grams fiber, 30 grams carbs, 11 grams protein.

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Mexican Lentils & Rice

This is my new favorite way to get in some serious fiber. I ate it as-is (no cheese or anything) and it was awesome! You can use this as a taco filling, or eat it with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc. It basically tastes just like taco meat.

3/4 cup dry lentils
3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
4 cups beef broth (or vegetable broth to make this vegan)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Combine all in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer (about med to med-low) and cook until all the water is absorbed (it took mine about 45-50 minutes). I usually cover the pot for most of the cooking time and remove it when the rice is almost done. Makes 4 servings.

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