Ward's Slow-Cooker 15-Bean Soup

I'm so excited (silly me) this is Ward's first post in the Grasseater's Blog! He made this soup for dinner the other day and asked me to post his recipe. He was all proud and stuff - it was cute :)

Ingredients

1 package 15 bean soup

2 whole serrano peppers, chopped

3 carrots cut into coins

1 Habenero, chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes

Garlic to taste (at least 4 large cloves)

1 tsp dried mustard (more or less to taste)

1Cayenne

1 large onion, chopped

Vegetable Stock to cover

Directions

 Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker... cook on low setting until done - about 7 hours.

Serve over rice - (we use Brown Basmati great fiber numbers and super low GI) and top with a squeeze fresh lemon over each bowl, enjoy!

Grasseaters' Southwest Veggie Soup

I wanted a yummy, hearty soup for this cold day, something cabbagy and beany, and with a little flavor kick. So I came up with this - pretty tasty!


Ingredients:
1/4 head Cabbage - chopped
1 large Onions - chopped
2 cups Celery - greens included, chopped
3 lg Carrot - cut into rounds
1 cup Red Bell Pepper - chopped
2 cups Chick Peas (Cooked)
1 28 oz Hunt's - Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes - No Salt Added
2 cups Water
2 pkt Swanson - Flavor Boost - Vegetable
2 tsp Ground Cumin

Directions:
place cabbage and onions in pot, add enough water to cover the veggies - about 2 cups, put on simmer while you cut the other veggies

cut and add celery (use the greens, too - lots of nutrition and flavor) and carrots

add chopped red pepper and Flavor Booster packets

when the veggies are almost tender, add the canned tomatoes - add the liquid first, then crush the tomatoes in your hand and drop them in the pot, including whatever liquid they contain

add the cumin, and sea salt and ground black pepper to taste - you could also add crushed red pepper, or serve it at the table as a condiment

Nutrition:
Calories:  215
Carbs:  35
Fat:  4
Protein:   8
Fiber: 10
Potassium:  819

Carb Light Living's Peanut Butter Flax Seed Cookies

Simple to make, delicious, nutrition packed! Recipe found on Carb Light Living.

Ingredients:

• 2 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups splenda
• 2 heaping tbsp. ground flaxseed

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix peanut butter, egg and splenda together
• Stir in ground flaxseed
• Shape dough into 2 inch balls - about a heaping teaspoon, then roll
• Flatten cookie by using a fork in a crisscross pattern
• Bake for 8-10 minutes

Nutrition Info:

Servings Per Recipe: 24

Amount Per Serving – 1 cookie

Calories: 75 Carb: 5 g

Total Fat: 7 g

Cholesterol: 13.2 mg

Sodium: 91.1 mg

Total Carbs: 5 g

Dietary Fiber: 1 g

Protein: 4 g Potassium: 11 g

Carb Light Living™ Carbs: 5 g

Weight Watchers Points: 3

Grasseater's Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients
15oz Part Skim Ricotta Cheese, 1 container
1# Frozen Chopped Spinach- thawed and water squeezed out
2T Crushed Garlic
2 Eggplant - Raw, unpeeled - sliced longways into 1/8" slices
1c  Parmesan Shredded Cheese- divided
2 c Shredded Cheese - Mozzarella 2% Milk Part Skim
8oz Baby Bella Mushrooms- sliced
3c Hunt's - Original Style Traditional Spaghetti Sauce

Directions
Thaw & squeeze water out of spinach

Combine with ricotta, garlic, 1/4c of the Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste - let sit for flavors to meld

Wash & slice the eggplant into 1/8" slices, layer the slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt between layers to avoid bitterness. Weight with an inverted plate, and I use a full tea kettle on top to press the slices well. Let drain about an hour. Pat slices dry.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a pan with cooking spray & saute eggplant slices till fork tender

In the bottom of a 13 x 9 in baking pan, spread a little of the sauce, layer, eggplant, ricotta mixture, mushrooms, sauce, a sprinkle of Parmesan, a layer of mozzarella. End with sauce, and a slight sprinkle of mozzarella.

Cover the pan and bake about 60 minutes. Let site 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!

Calories:  274
Carbs:  33
Fat:  13
Protein:  19
Fiber:  7
Potassium:  315

Szechuan Pan Fried Tofu with Spicy Black Bean Sauce

This is one of my favorite dishes when we go out for Chinese. This was particularly good because the tofu was lovely and crispy, and the veggies had a nice char on them. You can serve with rice, but we elected not to. This recipe was adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

• 1-pound block of extra-firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon grated garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons Chinese fermented black beans paste
• 1 tablespoon chili paste or crushed red pepper

• 11/2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons Sherry (dry or sweet)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• vegetable oil
• 2 cups fresh broccoli (cut in bite sized pieces)
• 1 cup red bell pepper, julienned

Directions

Rinse the tofu, then cut crosswise into 4 slices. Put slices between towels, put a cutting board on top, and weight it with a can or canister and let drain while making the sauce. 

For the liquid portion of the sauce, stir together the water, soy sauce, Sherry, maple syrup, vinegar, and the cornstarch until the cornstarch is evenly suspended.

 Place a thin layer of oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir-fry the seasonings until fragrant, less than a minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the pan, bringing it to a boil and simmer till thickened. 

Heat oil over high heat until hot but not smoking.  Fry the slices on all sides turning them only when the undersides are golden and crisp.Give the tofu one last flip on a paper towel to sop up any stray oil and reheat the sauce. 

Add broccoli and red pepper to the pan you just removed the tofu from, give it another turn of the pan of oil, and do a quick stir fry until they begin to caramelize at the edges, but are still vibrant and crisp.

Place tofu center on a serving plate, surround with the veggies and spoon some sauce over the tofu. Serve the remaining sauce in a pitcher at the table.

Serves 2 as a main dish with no starch:

Calories:  569

Carb:   45

Fat:  27

Protein:  29

Fiber:   4

Potassium:   236

 

Or 4 if served with rice (add in the nutritional info from the rice you choose):

Calories:  284

Carb:   23

Fat:  14

Protein:  14

Fiber:   2

Potassium:   118

Three Sisters Stew

This is a traditional Native American dish. Many tribes have grown these crops together throughout their history and have various legends about the three sisters. Nutritionally, this is a power packed meal, because eaten together they provide every single amino acid needed by our bodies for complete nutrition. And it is absolutely delicious! I adapted the recipe here from The Oneida Indian Nation website.

Three Sisters Stew

Ingredients1 large onion, sliced
1 TBS garlic, crushed
2 pickled jalapeno chili, finely chopped
4 cups yellow summer squash, sliced (about 1 pound)
4 cups zucchini, cut into l inch pieces (about 2 medium)
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1 large)
3 cups green beans, cut into l inch pieces (about 1 pound)
1 can white hominy, undrained
2 16-ounce cans kidney beans, undrained
1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
14-ounces water
2 tsp cumin
2 TBS cilantro paste (available in tubes in produce section)

Directions
I like it easy, guys, chop everything up, put it in the pot, cook until squash and green beans are tender.  Delicious!

Serves 9 generously

Calories: 244
Carbs:  41g
Fat:  2g
Protein:  11g 
Fiber:  11g
Potassium:   871g

Mushroom Stew

I had some mushrooms I got on special and wanted to use before they went bad. This is what I came up with. It can be a nice, very savory light lunch, or served over baked potatoes, a very substantial dinner.

Mushroom Stew

2 med Onions chopped
8 oz Sliced Baby Portabella Mushrooms
3 med Tomatoes diced
1 cup frozen Spinach
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 Veggie Bouillon Cube (Low Sodium)
1 cup Water
1 tsp Crushed Red Chili Pepper Flakes

Directions:

put water, boullion cubes and onions in covered pan, let go until well caramelized

Add mushrooms & let cook down slightly

add spinach till warmed through

add tomatoes and garlic, cook till stewy consistency

add salt to taste & red pepper flakes


Serve alone as a light lunch, or over a baked potato for a meal. Sprinkle with feta if desired.  

Calories: 93
Carbs:  15
Fat:  3
Protein:   6
Fiber:   4
Potassium:  631