This soup is absolutely delicious and healthy. It is virtually fat-free and is loaded in nutrients. Here is what you need for this:

Serves eight
3 cups raw lentils – thoroughly rinsed
1 tsp. salt
8 cups water
2 TBS olive oil
1 small white onion – coarsely chopped
½ a bell pepper – chopped
2 celery stalks – chopped
2 garlic cloves – minced
1 chili pepper – membrane and seeds removed – chopped (optional)
2 carrots – peeled and diced
½ TBS dry oregano
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
3 small tomatoes – peeled and chopped
½ TBS honey
1 TBS Balsamic vinegar
1 TBS lemon juice
Salt & Pepper

Place the lentils, salt and water in a large pot and simmer for about 1 ½ hours. Add more water if necessary.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, chili pepper and carrots. Sauté for about 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables are softened. Add the vegetables to the lentils. Add the oregano, cumin and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 45 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, honey, vinegar and lemon juice. Mix well. Simmer for an extra 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy with crusty bread. You can garnish with chopped parsley and chopped green scallions.

CALORIES 246.75; FAT 0.9 grs (sat 0.13; mono 0.13; poly 0.38); PROTEIN 15.92 grs ; FIBER 8.06 grs; CARBS 44.79 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 4.96 mg; SODIUM 604.69 mg; CALCIUM 64.67 mg

Print the Lentil Soup Recipe Here

Black beans burgers are a great alternative to beef. They are full of protein and very low in fat. You can go ahead and make a sandwich with them or serve them as I did with a cabbage, tomato, cilantro and lime salad. Here is what you need for this:

2 – 15 oz. cans black beans –drained and rinsed
1 large garlic clove
3 TBS mayonnaise
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 small chipotle pepper (or ½ a large) – optional
1/3 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup minced red onion
1 TBS chopped cilantro

• Place on of the cans of drained and rinsed beans in the food processor.
• Place the second can into a bowl.
• Add the garlic, mayo, cumin, oregano. Chipotle and bread crumbs to the food processor. Process until beans are mashed and all ingredients are incorporated.
• Add the mashed beans to the bowl of whole beans. Add red onion and cilantro.
• Mix well and form patties.
• Heat a skillet with a little bit of oil. Add the patties and cook until bottom forms a brown crust. Flip burger and cook until second sides browns as well.
• Serve in a sandwich with salsa, sour cream, lettuce, red onion and tomato OR topped with cabbage salad.

CABBAGE SALAD:
1 small green cabbage head – sliced
2 medium tomatoes – chopped
¾ cup chopped cilantro
1 large lime – juiced
Salt to taste
• Mix cabbage, tomatoes and cilantro in a bowl. Add lime juice and season with salt.

Patty no bread or salad – CALORIES 220.75; FAT 4.41 grs (sat 0.48; mono 1.21; poly 2.06); PROTEIN 11.44 grs ; FIBER 12.77 grs; CARBS 42.07 grs; CHOLESTEROL 3.75 mg; IRON 4.11 mg; SODIUM 1702.68 mg; CALCIUM 146.96 mg

Print the Black Bean Burger Recipe Here

Vegetable soup is loaded in nutrients and quite easy to make. Here is a step-by-step video on how to make this very healthy meal. Feel free to use any vegetables you prefer. This is what you need to do for this:

1 medium white onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS chopped cilantro
1 TBS chopped parsley
Veggies
1 ½ TBS white rice
6 cups water, vegetable broth or chicken broth
Salt & Pepper
Dried herbs of choice (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme)-optional

· Heat a pan with some olive oil. Add all of the above ingredients and sauté for a few minutes, until onion starts browning lightly.
· Add any of the following veggies: cubed butternut squash, sliced green beans, diced potatoes, sliced cabbage, sliced carrots, peas, corn, sliced
okra, diced bell peppers, cauliflower florets, broccoli florets or any other vegetable you desire. Sauté for a few minutes.
· Add rice and liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Add your herb of choice, if any.
· Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes until veggies and rice are cooked through.
· Ladle into bowls. Garnish with finely chopped parsley.

Print the Vegetable Soup Recipe Here

Between the garbanzo beans aka chickpeas and the kidney beans this salad packs quite a bit of protein and fiber. Add the vegetables and you have a really healthy salad. You can use canned beans for this if you want to speed up the process. Simply drain and rinse them before you add them to your salad. The soy ginger vinaigrette that I use for this complements the ingredients beautifully. However, you could dress this with whatever you like. Here is what you need for this:

Serves four

2 cups cooked or 1- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
2 cups cooked or 1- 15 oz. can red kidney beans
½ cup finely sliced red onion
½ cup sliced red bell pepper
2 celery stalks – finely chopped
1 medium carrot – finely sliced
Soy ginger vinaigrette dressing

If cooking your beans at home – wash them thoroughly, making sure to pick out debris and little rocks, and place in individual bowls. Cover with hot water and soak overnight. Rinse out re-hydrated beans and cook in salted water until fully cooked through and tender. Your best bet is to use a pressure cooker. The beans will cook a lot faster.

If using canned beans – drain and rinse both kinds of beans. Place them in a bowl and mix with all the other ingredients. Pour soy ginger vinaigrette on mixed salad and toss to coat well. Serve and enjoy!

Salad w/o dressing – CALORIES 274.38; FAT 1.92 grs (sat 0.23; mono 0.35; poly 0.91); PROTEIN 14.18 grs ; FIBER 12.20 grs; CARBS 51.67 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 3.76 mg; SODIUM 387.19 mg; CALCIUM 87.41 mg

Print the Kidney Bean & Garbanzo Salad Recipe Here

I grew up in Bolivia and quinoa was always a normal staple for us. We ate it steamed like rice, as porridge, in soups and in a sort of cakey bread (pastel de quinoa). It is not until recently – and by that I mean maybe 10 years ago – that I started making salads with it. Quinoa was a very important meal for the Incas and is dubbed the ‘golden grain of the Andes’. It is considered a super food and is very high in protein, iron and manganese. It is also free of sodium and cholesterol and contains all 9 essential amino acids the body needs. Quinoa has a nutty, earthy flavor to it. It contains saponins that are released during cooking and will make it bitter; therefore, quinoa must be washed and rinsed thoroughly – a good 3 to 4 times – in order to prevent bitterness. However, most quinoa sold in the US has already had the saponins removed during processing. When you cook it the solid grains become transparent with an exterior ring. This cereal has an ever-growing popularity around the world and is easier and easier to find at your local grocery store.

Serves four

3 cups cooked quinoa – cold
1 cup cherry tomatoes or 2 medium ripe, red tomatoes chopped
½ small red onion – finely sliced
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 TBS fresh thyme leaves
2 TBS capers – drained
4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Mix the quinoa with the tomatoes, onion, parsley, thyme and capers.
In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add to salad and toss to coat well. Refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!

CALORIES 308.05; FAT 16.40 grs (sat 1.91; mono 9.9; poly 1.53); PROTEIN 7.06 grs ; FIBER 5.27 grs; CARBS 34.69 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 2.89 mg; SODIUM 433.89 mg; CALCIUM 44.9 mg

Print the Quinoa Salad Recipe Here

Lentils are so nutritious I try and feed them to my family at least 3 times a month. This little legume comes in red, green and brown and can be used for stews, soups and salads. Lentils are loaded in protein, being the third-highest level of a plant based protein – after soybeans and hemp. They are also a good source of iron. They are nutty in flavor and are the only bean you do not need to soak overnight. This salad can be made as a side or as a light vegetarian meal.

Serves four

4 cups cooked brown lentils
3 scallions – chopped (whites, light green and dark green parts)
3 TBS chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 small green bell pepper – cored, seeded and diced
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
Balsamic Vinaigrette

Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss well to coat. Serve and enjoy!

Salad w/o dressing – CALORIES 255.48; FAT 1.6 grs (sat 0.23; mono 0.59; poly 0.49); PROTEIN 18.86 grs ; FIBER 16.99 grs; CARBS 44.45 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 7.3 mg; SODIUM 953.7 mg; CALCIUM 60.52 mg

FOR THE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:
This is basically a vinaigrette dressing with oregano. I only make it when I make Greek salad but it is great on any salad you like. I always add a little sugar to this to complement the red wine vinegar.
Makes about one and a half cups of dressing
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Balsamic vinegar
½ TBS dried oregano leaves
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl until emulsified. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Mix well before using.

1/8 cup dressing – CALORIES 83.47; FAT 13.61 grs (sat 1.0; mono 8.6; poly 3.8); PROTEIN 0.03 grs ; FIBER 0.08 grs; CARBS 6.1 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 0.09 mg; SODIUM 0.27 mg; CALCIUM 0.92 mg

Print the Lentil & Sun Dried Tomato Salad Recipe Here

Typically, stuffed bell peppers are made with rice. I used cooked quinoa instead to increase the nutritional value of this wonderful dish. You will need ½ cup of cooked quinoa for this recipe. If you have left over cooked quinoa use it to make a delicious salad. Quinoa is showing up more and more all over the world and is considered a super food. I am including instructions on how to cook this Andean cereal below. Pick the prettiest bell peppers you can find for this. Some people like to parboil the pepper before stuffing them. I like to cook them raw because they don’t get so mushy.

Serves four

4 washed bell peppers – tops removed and seeds removed
½ cup cooked quinoa
½ pound ground beef
1 small white onion – finely chopped
3 garlic cloves – minced
1 small chili pepper – seeded, membrane removed, minced
1 TBS chopped parsley
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cup tomato sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. crushed dried oregano
½ tsp. crushed dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 TBS Olive oil
1 TBS shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat some olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and cook until translucent – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili pepper, parsley and cumin. Mix well and cook for a minute. Add the ground beef and cook until almost completely cooked through. Remove from heat.

Place the cooked quinoa and meat in a bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Place the bell peppers in an oven proof dish. They have to fit snugly in order not to fall over. Fill them with the quinoa and meat.

Mix the remaining tomato sauce, garlic powder, oregano and basil. Season with a little salt and pepper. Top the peppers with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese for garnish.

Place the peppers in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes until peppers are softened and filling is heated through. Serve and enjoy!

CALORIES 292.25; FAT 16.11 grs (sat 5.14; mono 7.57; poly 0.82); PROTEIN 14.63 grs ; FIBER 5.47 grs; CARBS 24.18 grs; CHOLESTEROL 41.35 mg; IRON 3.5 mg; SODIUM 1148.99 mg; CALCIUM 86.61 mg

Print the Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe Here

I grew up in Bolivia and quinoa was always a normal staple for us. We ate it steamed like rice, as porridge, in soups and in a sort of cakey bread (pastel de quinoa). It is not until recently – and by that I mean maybe 10 years ago – that I started making salads with it. Quinoa was a very important meal for the Incas and is dubbed the ‘golden grain of the Andes’. It is considered a super food and is very high in protein, iron and manganese. It is also free of sodium and cholesterol and contains all 9 essential amino acids the body needs. Quinoa has a nutty, earthy flavor to it. It contains saponins that are released during cooking and will make it bitter; therefore, quinoa must be washed and rinsed thoroughly – a good 3 to 4 times – in order to prevent bitterness. However, most quinoa sold in the US has already had the saponins removed during processing. When you cook it the solid grains become transparent with an exterior ring. This cereal has an ever-growing popularity around the world and is easier and easier to find at your local grocery store.

Check on the box and see if the quinoa you are using had been pre-rinsed. If not, wash and rinse it 3 to 4 times in order to remove the saponins. Here is what you need to do for 3 cups of cooked Quinoa:

3/4 cups raw quinoa
1 1/2 cups water or low sodium vegetable stock
Salt
Olive oil

1. Wash the quinoa very well, scrubbing it between your hands and rinsing often until water comes out clear. This will take 3 to 4 times.
2. Place quinoa in a fine sieve colander and allow the water to drain well.
3. Heat a skillet with some oil, over high heat, until very hot. Add the quinoa and toast, stirring constantly, until quinoa turns golden and starts crackling, about 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Bring the low sodium vegetable stock or water to a boil in a separate pot.
5. Add the toasted quinoa. Season with salt – if using stock use salt sparingly. Cover. Reduce heat to low and allow steaming for approximately 20 minutes. The grains should be soft but not mushy. Add a little bit more water if necessary. You will know it is cooked when you have a translucent center with a ring on the outside. Fluff with a fork and serve.

1/4 cup – CALORIES 174.13; FAT 6.2 grs (sat 0.93; mono 3.4; poly 1.56); PROTEIN 6.39 grs ; FIBER 2.23 grs; CARBS 23.09 grs; CHOLESTEROL 2.25 mg; IRON 1.63 mg; SODIUM 399.59 mg; CALCIUM 17.44 mg

Print the Steamed Quinoa Recipe Here

I make this soup in a crock-pot which is great because it basically cooks itself and dinner is ready when we are. I use re-hydrated black beans and simply add all the ingredients in at once – except for the garnish of course. This soup is not only delicious it is nutritious with all the protein, fiber and vitamins from the beans and vegetables. You will need to soak the beans over-night so plan ahead for this. Slow cookers work at low temperatures that create moist heat cooking. Therefore, it is really important that you do not uncover the pot until your food is done and ready. Finally, this is a large batch of soup so you will probably have left overs. Pack some thermoses with and send the soup to school of take it to work.

Serves six

16 oz. of soaked black beans
1 medium yellow onion – chopped
3 medium tomatoes – peeled and chopped
1 large carrot – peeled and diced
1 chili pepper – seeded, membrane removed and finely chopped
2 celery stalks with leaves – finely chopped
4 garlic cloves – minced
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 TBS cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
8 cups boiling water
Chopped tomatoes, crumbled fresh cheese and chopped scallion greens for garnish

Place all of your ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix well and cover. Cook on high for 6 hours.
Uncover the pot and- if you have an immersion blender, blend until 3/4 of the soup is creamed. If you do not have one, let the soup cool for a little while and blend 3/4 of it, in batches, in a stand-up blender. Return the creamed soup to the pot with the remaining soup. Mix well. Taste for salt and re-season if necessary.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped tomatoes, crumbled white cheese (I used Cotija) and chopped scallions.

Soup w/o garnish – CALORIES 258.36; FAT 1.34 grs (sat 0.26; mono 0.11; poly 0.47); PROTEIN 15.04 grs ; FIBER 11.95 grs; CARBS 48.49 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 3.8 mg; SODIUM 816.08 mg; CALCIUM 131.98 mg

Print the Cuban Black Bean Soup Recipe Here

Chimichurri is an Argentinian green sauce made from parsley and a lot of garlic. You will find it everywhere steak is grilled in Bolivia. It is great with beef but also with chicken and pork. Chimichurri is very easy to make and is at its best when fresh. However, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It will lose its natural dark green color but will be OK to eat.

¼ cup packed, finely chopped, fresh flat parsley leaves
4 garlic cloves – minced
¼ tsp. oregano
1 TBS minced white onion
½ green chili pepper – seeded, membrane removed, minced
¼ cup white vinegar
2.5 TBS water
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Black Pepper

Place all of the ingredients except for the oil in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil. Add salt and pepper. Let sauce sit for at least 30 minutes so flavors will meld.

1/8 of Chimichurri- CALORIES 70.51; FAT 6.824 grs (sat 0.94; mono 4.93; poly 0.73); PROTEIN 0.31 grs ; FIBER 0.5 grs; CARBS 1.87 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00 mg; IRON 0.32 mg; SODIUM 174.82 mg; CALCIUM 9.58 mg

Print the Chimichurri Sauce Recipe Here