Lasagna with Mex Appeal-Looneyspoons Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper (I used half of a green bell pepper and half of a red bell pepper.)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 can (28 ounces) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup salsa
2 tsp ground cumin
1 can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can no-salt-added kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 T fresh cilantro, minced (optional)
4, 7 inch, whole grain tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded light Monterey Jack cheese (I used about 2 cups of a reduced fat shredded Mexican blend)
garnish:
chopped tomatoes
chopped green onions
fat free sour cream
sliced avocado
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions, peppers and garlic.  Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, salsa and cumin.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  Stir in black beans and kidney beans.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cilantro, if using.
Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Spread 1/3 of the bean mixture over bottom.  Cover with two of the tortillas and half of the cheese.  Spoon another 1/3 bean mixture on top of cheese, followed by remaining tortillas, and last of the bean mixture.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with tomatoes, green onions, avocados and sour cream.  I served this with a side of kale, spinach and mushrooms.
Very good and easy to make!

These are the best tortillas!  I found them at Walmart on the bread isle.

   

  

Crockpot Pork and Veggies

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean, boneless pork pieces or you can buy lean porkchops and slice them into chunks.
1 cup of beef broth
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 T sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T cornstarch
2 T cooled sauce, taken from the crockpot, after being cooked
Fresh broccoli florets, as many as desired
Chopped mushrooms (I used a large box)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
baby carrots, sliced lengthwise  
Hot cooked brown rice (I used red quinoa) 

Directions:
Brown pork in a large skillet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.  After pork is browned, place in crockpot. Add chopped onion to crockpot as well.
In a large bowl, whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, honey, oil and garlic.  After sauce is well combined, pour over pork in crockpot.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
In a cup, stir cornstarch along with 2 T of cooled sauce from the crock pot.  Stir until smooth.  I added a small amount of cool water as well.  Add to crockpot and stir well to combine.  Add broccoli, mushrooms, peppers and carrots and stir well.  Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high.  Serve over hot rice or quinoa. I served this with a side of kale and spinach.

So easy and tasted great!  
    

Fruit Wash

I saw this idea on the Dr. Oz show and gave it a try.  Mix three parts water to one part vinegar.  I used 3 cups of water and 1 cup of vinegar. Add this to a large bowl and then add the fresh fruit. Swish it around and clean it well.  This will kill any bacteria that results in moldy fruit.  Place fruit in a colander and rinse with cool water.  Place fruit on paper towels and blot dry, then place fruit in a container that has been lined with a paper towel, seal with airtight lid and refrigerate.  This should extend the life of your fruit.  I used this on strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes and cherries.

Product Watch-Teff

I recently tried TEFF...so good as a breakfast cereal.  I found it at the health food store.  It has the consistancy of cream of wheat, with a nutty flavor.  Topped with berries and a little bit of coffee creamer. 

Dr. Mark Hyman's Almond-Flax Crusted Chicken-Dr. Oz show

Serves 4
Ingredients:

4 (5 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 T ground flaxseed
1/2 C almond meal (I used almond flour that I found at the Health food store)
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T almond butter
1 T finely chopped yellow onion
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a baking sheet and set aside.
Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound them with a kitchen mallet until the pieces are approximately 1/2-inch thick.
Pour the flax and almond meal into a small bowl and stir until evenly mixed.
In another small bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients.  Add the chicken breasts to the mixture and toss them until coated.  If time allows, marinate the chicken in the mixture for 10-15 minutes to further enhance flavor.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer them to the baking sheet.  Sprinkle half of the almond/flax crust over the tops of the chicken breasts and gently press the crust into each piece until evenly coated.  Carefully turn the chicken over and repeat the process with the remaining almond and flax mixture.  
Put the baking sheet into the oven on the top rack and bake until juices run clear, 20-30 minutes.  Any leftover chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.  
I served this with a side of baked veggies.  Tasted great!

 
 

3 year anniversary picture!

"The girl who looked back from the mirror was a total stranger, yet she had always been there, waiting."
-Elizabeth George Speare-

Feast from the East-Asian beef-noodle salad with grilled sirloin-Looneyspoons Cookbook

Dressing:
1/2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 C hoisin sauce
2 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 T seasoned rice vinegar
1 T sesame oil
1 T grated gingerroot
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp each salt, freshly ground black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes

Salad:
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
1 lb. sirloin steak, grilled and cut into strips
2 C small broccoli florets
1 C thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 C peeled, seeded and diced cucumber
1 C grated carrots
1 C frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 C chopped green onions
1/3 C fresh basil leaves

Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain.  Rinse well with cold water and drain again.  Transfer spaghetti to a large salad bowl and toss with remaining ingredients.  Add dressing just before serving and toss again.  

I served this as a warm dish, cooking the steak in a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, setting it aside, and then cooking the veggies in the same skillet until tender.  I added the cooked spaghetti, sauce and steak into the skillet and heated through.  I served squash, green beans and cucumbers on the side.