Jen's Easy Black Beans & Rice

Ingredients:
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 14- ounce bag of Seasoning Blend
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5- ounce can of Hunts Fire Roasted Tomatoes w/ Garlic, diced
• 1 12.5- ounce can of chunk chicken breast (may be omitted to make vegetarian)
• 2 Tbsp white or red vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ Tbsp cilantro
• ½ - 1 cup water

Directions:

1 Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Sauté Seasoning Blend for 3-4 minutes, until just beginning to soften, then add garlic and sauté a minute more. Add the black beans, tomatoes, chicken, vinegar, water, and Tabasco or cayenne, oregano, and cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

2 Stir in rice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 6

Something I have learned....

With changing our eating habits in our house one thing that I have learned is that frozen spinach is a great filler for a lot of recipes. It is not only healthy for you, but really has no taste once it is combined with other foods.

Jen's Vegetable Soup

Makes 10-12 servings
2 Tbl olive oil,
2 C carrots, chopped (can add more if you like)
3 C Seasoning Blend (has onions, celery, seasonings, peppers)
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 can (49.5 oz) or 6 C of vegetable or chicken broth
3 bay leaves
½ tsp ground oregano
1 tsp thyme (dried leaves)
1 tsp basil (dried leaves)
1 – 1 ½ t red pepper
3 cans of tomatoes, do not drain
2 C frozen corn
1 C frozen broccoli
1 C frozen green beans
1- 1 ½ C frozen spinach, thawed,drained and chopped
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Put 2 T of the oil into a large, deep pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the seasoning blend, carrot, and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5-10 minutes.

Add the stock, beans, tomato, remaining vegetables, red pepper, thyme, bay leaves, basil, and oregano; bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the mixture bubbles enthusiastically. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes.

The longer you let simmer the more the seasoning will blend.

Remove the bay leaves before serving.


Nutrition Facts

10 Servings


Amount Per Serving


Calories 177.8


Total Fat 3.4 g


Saturated Fat 0.5 g


Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g


Monounsaturated Fat 2.1 g


Cholesterol 0.0 mg


Sodium 535.1 mg


Potassium 516.8 mg


Total Carbohydrate 30.3 g


Dietary Fiber 7.0 g


Sugars 5.3 g


Protein 8.5 g



Vitamin A 85.4 %


Vitamin B-12 0.0 %


Vitamin B-6 11.4 %


Vitamin C 34.5 %


Vitamin D 0.0 %


Vitamin E 4.4 %


Calcium 6.9 %


Copper 9.2 %


Folate 28.3 %


Iron 12.9 %


Magnesium 15.3 %


Manganese 24.6 %


Niacin 7.9 %


Pantothenic Acid 4.1 %


Phosphorus 12.5 %


Riboflavin 7.8 %


Selenium 2.0 %


Thiamin 13.4 %


Zinc 6.7 %









*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Cheesy Tuna and Noodles

Ingredients

2 cans tuna, drained
1 can of cream of mushroom soup, regular or 98% fat free
half to three quarter a soup can of milk
2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese
8 oz medium egg noodles, cooked al dente (not overly soft, they will cook some more in the oven)
2 C frozen peas

Directions

Heat oven to 350. After noodles are cooked mix everything together, can reserve a bit of cheese to sprinkle on top. Put in a casserole dish and bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.


**Note**

Do not have to add peas, I serve them on the side because Olivia does not like them in it.

Black Bean Chili

Makes 10 servings


It is great served with homemade flat bread or cornbread.

Ingredients
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb ground beef, extra lean
1 can or 12 oz tomato juice
2 cans tomatoes, diced, do not drain
1 clove, garlic
1 cup onions
1 cup green peppers
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons basil, dried
2 tablespoons cilantro, dried
2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

1. Brown the beef in a non stick pan and drain if necessary.

2. Stir everything together in a heavy pot. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.

3. If the chili is too thick, add tomato juice or V8 as needed.



Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 296.7g (I figured this to be between 2-3 Cups, not sure if this is accurate though)
! Some items from this recipe could not be found or sized. This estimate is incomplete.

Amount Per Serving

Calories
480
Calories from Fat
41

% Daily Value*
Total Fat
4.6g
7%
Saturated Fat
1.5g
7%
Trans Fat
0.0g
Cholesterol
40mg
13%
Sodium
133mg
6%
Total Carbohydrates
73.8g
25%
Dietary Fiber
17.9g
72%
Sugars
6.5g
Protein
38.3g
Vitamin A 19% • Vitamin C 44%
Calcium 15% • Iron 41%