QUICK CORN AND BLACK BEAN SOUP

I love the flavors of lime and salsa in this soup.  This is one of my personal favorites and budget-friendly, too!

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons canola or olive oil

2 15.5 ounce cans, drained and rinsed, or 3 1/2 cups black beans

1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth

1 cup salsa or picante sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Saute onion in oil in a medium saucepan until tender.  Mash one cup of the beans in a small bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer gently for a few minutes to blend flavors.  Makes 4 generous servings.
 

PEAR MUFFINS

I do love muffins.  They are quick to make and guilt-free treats, if made with the healthiest ingredients.  This is another recipe I came up with to use the abundant pears from our tree, but pears are relatively inexpensive to buy when they are in season.  I don't peel the pears, but you can if you wish.

 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup wheat germ or wheat bran

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnnamon

1/8 teaspoon each ground allspice, nutmeg, and cloves

2 egg whites or one whole egg

1 cup fat free milk, soy, or almond milk

1/4 cup honey or agave

1/4 cup unsweetened apple or pear sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla or pure orange extract (opt.)

2 medium pears, cored and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.  In another bowl, whisk together remaining (wet) ingredients, except pears.  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Fold in pears.  Bake in oiled muffin tins 20 minutes, or until muffins test done.  Makes about 15 standard sized muffins.

HERBED LENTILS

Lentils cook quickly so they are handy to use when you are needing a quick meal.  Worcestershire sauce is lower in sodium than soy sauce and adds a lot of flavor.  It was my husband's idea to put it in because it makes the lentils taste more "meaty."  If you prefer, you can always substitute chicken or beef broth for vegetable broth.

1 cup each:  Chopped sweet red or green peppers,  

sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped celery, and chopped onion

 1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons minced fresh sage, or 1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage

2 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram, or 2 teaspoons dried leaf marjoram

2 1/4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup uncooked lentils

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

In a large skillet, saute peppers, mushrooms, celery, and onion until almost tender.  Add garlic, sage, and marjoram and saute one more minute.  Stir in broth, lentils, and Worcestershire.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.  Stir in diced tomatoes and parsley.  Heat through.  Serve with cornbread or over cooked brown rice.  Makes 6 servings.

SIMPLE SOUTHWEST SPINACH AND PINTO SALAD

As part of our new eating plan, we try to eat at least 1 cup of cooked dried beans per day.  I came up with this recipe as a way to add beans to a salad that can be served as a main course or side.  Budget-friendly tip:  If grape or cherry tomatoes are too pricy, of course it's always okay to substitute chopped fresh tomatoes.

5-6 cups fresh spinach leaves

1 cup cooked pinto beans

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes

1/2 large green pepper, diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

DRESSING:

2 tablespoons light natural Ranch dressing

3 tablespoons salsa

1 tablespoon light natural mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce

      

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir together dressing ingredients.  Pour over veggie/bean mixture and toss to coat.  Divide evenly between salad plates or bowls.  Makes 4 side dish or 2 main dish servings.

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Oatmeal raisin cookies are one of my favorites, so I experimented to come up with a healthy version, and we happened to like the first try!  If you don't like raisins, use other dried fruit.  I've found that if we store them in the freezer, we aren't tempted to eat them as frequently.  We try to limit ourselves to a couple each day.  This is a budget-friendly recipe.

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (opt.)

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

2 egg whites or 1 whole egg

1/4 cup agave or honey

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons canola or other oil

1 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (opt.)

In a mixing bowl, stir together oats, flour, baking powder, soda, salt if desired, and spices.  In another bowl, whisk together egg whites or egg, agave or honey, applesauce, oil, molasses, and vanilla.  Stir into dry ingredients until well mixed.  Fold in raisins and walnuts.  Drop by rounded teaspoons onto oiled baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes, or until firm.  Makes about 3 dozen.

VEGGIE AND BEAN BURGERS

My husband is in his happy place when we have these because he says it feels like he is eating a hamburger, especially when we add our favorite hamburger toppings!  This recipe is a combination of several of my favorite veggie burger recipes.  They freeze nicely and I can pull them out and warm them up as needed.  I like making my own, rather than buying the somewhat pricy ready-made frozen ones, which makes this recipe budget-friendly!

   2  15.5 ounce cans, drained and rinsed,  or 3 1/2 cups cooked red or kidney beans

3 cups 2 or more raw veggies, coarsely cut up (Examples:  peppers, mushrooms, summer squash, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, etc.)

1 medium onion, cut up

4-6 cloves garlic, cut up

5 egg whites or 3 whole eggs

4 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce

2 teaspoons liquid smoke (opt.)

1 cup old-fashioned (whole) oats or bread crumbs

 

In a food processor, finely chop beans, veggies, onion, and garlic.  In a large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients, except oatmeal or bread crumbs.  Stir in bean and veggie mixture until mixed well, then stir in oatmeal or breadcrumbs.  Make 12 equal balls and flatten onto oiled baking sheet(s).  Bake at 375 degrees 12-14 minutes on each side.  Serve on buns with your choice of toppings.  Makes 12 burgers. 

GREEK STYLE GREEN BEANS

This is an old recipe that I only tweaked a little bit so it has fewer calories and less salt than the original.  Lemon juice is actually a good substitute for salt.  For best taste quality, use fresh green beans.  

1 pound fresh green beans

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt (opt.)

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

Wash and stem beans.  Leave beans whole or cut into 1-inch pieces.  Cook in boiling water 8-10 minutes, or until desired tenderness.  Mix remaining ingredients  together and toss with beans.  Makes about 4 servings.