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

This soup combines the silky flavors of pears with butternut squash. It is fantastic as an appetizer before a large meal or to comfort you on any cold day. Here is what you need for this:

I large butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and quartered
1 leek, white and light green parts, chopped – wash very well
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon ground sage
½ teaspoon thyme
6 cups water
1 cup half & half
Butter
Salt

• Melt some butter in a large, heavy pot. Add the squash, leeks and pears.
• Sauté your vegetables and fruit for 15 to 20 minutes, until starting to brown. Stir occasionally.
• Add the ginger and mix well. Cook for about 1 minute until you can smell the ginger.
• Add the sage and thyme. Mix well.
• Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until squash is soft.
• If you have a hand held blender, go ahead and blend your soup. If you do not have a hand held device, cool the soup a bit and blend it in batches – be careful not to fill the glass too much as you might have little, messy explosions if the soup is still warm.
• Add the half and half and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and heat through. Do not boil the cream!
• Serve and enjoy!

Print the Cream of Butternut Squash Recipe Here

Here’s a smooth, silky cream that can be made as a week day meal or as an appetizer when entertaining. It is smooth, silky, elegant and delicious! However you decide to use it, I promise you will love it! Here is what you are going to need for this beautiful soup:

3 leeks – white and light green parts sliced
6 small red potatoes – peeled and chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth – or water
½ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ cup heavy cream
Salt & Pepper
2 TBS Butter
Parsley and chives – chopped

• Wash the leeks very well – rinsing them off 4 or 5 times until all the dirt is removed.
• Melt butter in a pot and add leeks. Cook for about 5 minutes until leeks are softened.
• Add the sugar to the leeks and mix well.
• Add the potatoes and the liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Bring pot to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes – until potatoes are cooked through.
• Cool soup a little and blend into a smooth cream.
• Return to pot and add nutmeg and cream. Mix well.
• Heat through and serve.
• Garnish with chopped parsley and chive.
• Enjoy!

Print the Potato Leek Soup Recipe Here

This sauce is absolutely wonderful. The amazing combination of spices, nuts and chilies makes this a deep and bold sauce. It takes a lot of work but it is well worth it! Here is what you need to do for this:

Makes 6 cups

6 ancho chili pods
6 guajillo chili pods
6 arbol chili pods
½ cup raisins
8 garlic cloves
1 medium white onion – peeled and quartered
3 medium plum tomato
3 to 4 medium tomatillo
1 inch piece cinnamon stick
1/8th tsp. anise seeds
1/8th tsp. coriander seeds
1 TBS sesame seeds
4 cloves
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 TBS vegetable shortening or lard
½ cup raw almonds
½ cup walnuts
¼ cup raw peanuts
1 corn tortilla
½ cup soaking liquid
2 cups chicken stock
5.5 oz. Mexican drinking chocolate (1 round tablet) or 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate

Remove the seeds and stem from the dry chili pods. Place them in a dry skillet and toast them until starting to blister. Place in a bowl. Add the raisins to the skillet and cook for a few minutes until puffed. Add to the chilies. Cover with boiling water and weigh down with a plate. Allow soaking for about 30 minutes.

While the pods are soaking, add the garlic and onion to the skillet. Cook until charred on all sides. Set aside. When garlic is cool enough, peel it. Add the tomatoes to the skillet. Repeat the process.

Add the sesame seeds, anise, coriander and cinnamon to the pan. Toast for a couple of minutes – until fragrant – stirring constantly. Place in a mortar or coffee-grinder with the cloves and turn into a powder.

Add shortening to the skillet and melt. Add the nuts and brown. Set aside. Add the tortilla to the shortening and brown well.
Place the hydrated chilies and raisins in a blender with ½ a cup of soaking liquid. Blend well. Transfer to a sieve and strain into a bowl. Rinse the blender and add all of the other ingredients – except the chocolate – and blend. Pass through a sieve into the same bowl where the chilies are. Mix sauce well.

Place the sauce in a large pot – it will spatter so be careful – and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

You can keep this sauce for up to 6 months in the freezer.

Print the Mole Sauce 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

These little cookies are also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes or Italian Butter Nuts or Southern Pecan Balls. Whatever you call them, they are a melt in your mouth delicacy! This particular recipe is doubled so feel free to split it in two if you would like. Here is what you need for these:

Makes about 60 cookies

1 1/3 cup walnuts
4 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
2 cups unsalted, softened butter
½ cup confectioner’s sugar + more for rolling
2 tsp. vanilla

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast them for about 6 to 7 minutes – shaking the pan occasionally. Once lightly browned and fragrant, remove from oven and allow cooling.

Place the walnuts and 4 TBS of flour in a food processor. Process until fine. Set aside.

Add the salt to the remaining flour. Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the vanilla. Mix. Add the flour and mix. Finally add the walnuts and mix.
Form 4 balls of dough, wrap them in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees again. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicon liner.

Remove the dough from the fridge. Tear off a piece and roll it into a ball. Do this with all the dough. Place the balls on a cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes – until bottom is lightly browned and cookie hardens a little. Remove from oven and allow cooling on pan. Place the cookies into a bowl with some confectioner’s sugar and roll them. Once covered in sugar place them on a wire cooling rack.

Place some more confectioners’ sugar into a small sifter and sift over the cookies. Serve and enjoy!

2 cookies – CALORIES 215.39; FAT 15.75 grs (sat 8.11; mono 3.65; poly 2.92); PROTEIN 2.62 grs ; FIBER 0.79 grs; CARBS 16.74 grs; CHOLESTEROL 32.56 mg; IRON 0.92 mg; SODIUM 40.92 mg; CALCIUM 11.16 mg

Print the Snowball Cookies Recipe Here

These little cookies are very pretty and a great addition to any Christmas platter! They are also quite easy to make. Kids love to make these so make sure to include them in the project! Here is what you are going to need for these:

Makes about 30 cookies

½ cup unsalted butter – room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
2 cups of flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
About 30 fruit candies – chopped

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl. Add the almond extract and the egg. Mix until completely uniform. Add the dry ingredients. Mix until the dough resembles thick bread crumbs.

Press the dough together to form a ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Take dough out of the fridge. Tear 1/3rd of the dough and roll out – on a floured board – to 1/8th of an inch. Use your favorite cookies cutter shapes and cut the cookies. Carefully place cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Using a sharp knife – cut a triangle of circle in the middle of your cookie, depending on the shape you picked. Make sure to reuse the dough. Place a few chopped candies in the hole.

Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes – until the candy has melted and the cookies are very light brown. Do not over bake them as the candy will start to bubble and get ruined.

Remove from oven and allow cooling on sheet for about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer cookies onto a wire cooling rack. Serve and enjoy! These cookies will last for a week in an airtight container, at room temperature.

2 cookies – CALORIES 198.03; FAT 6.73 grs (sat 4.06; mono 1.75; poly 0.38); PROTEIN 2.31 grs ; FIBER 0.67 grs; CARBS 32.39 grs; CHOLESTEROL 28.90 mg; IRON 0.89 mg; SODIUM 102.97 mg; CALCIUM 19.59 mg

Print the Stained Glass Cookies Recipe Here

These cookies are very easy to make and are not overwhelmingly sweet. Be careful not to eat them all in one sitting! Here is what you need for these:

Makes about 30 cookies

8 fresh or 10 dried figs
1 cup apple juice
1 cup orange juice – preferably freshly squeezed
½ cup sugar
2 puff pastry sheets – thawed

Place the figs in a pan. Add the juices and bring to a soft boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the juice has reduced considerably and the figs are soft. Cool the figs down completely and process them in the food processor.

Place ½ cup of sugar on a board and spread it out. Using a rolling pin, press a sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar. Spoon ½ of the fig mixture onto the dough. Roll it tightly into a log. Wrap the roll with plastic wrap and freeze for at least one hour and up to 2 months.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line some cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Remove the dough from the freezer and allow thawing a little bit – until soft enough to cut. Using a serrated knife, cut the dough into ½ inch thick cookies. Place the cookies on the pan and bake for about 8 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and flip the cookies carefully. Bake for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until evenly browned. Remove the pan from the oven again and allow cooling for 3 to 4 minutes. Place the cookies on a wire rack and cool down completely.
Store your cookies in an airtight container for about 4 days. Enjoy!

6 cookies – CALORIES 205.77; FAT 6.3 grs (sat 1.56; mono 3.44; poly 0.89); PROTEIN 1.97 grs ; FIBER 2.33 grs; CARBS 37.22 grs; CHOLESTEROL 0.00mg; IRON 0.78 mg; SODIUM 41.82 mg; CALCIUM 32.83 mg

Print the Fig Pinwheels Recipe Here

A dark chocolate torte is a flourless chocolate cake that is rich and decadent. This cake is not something you will be eating in large quantities. But the size you do eat will be so ultra-satisfying you will not need to overindulge. We will glaze this with a chocolate ganache but you can also dust this cake with some confectioner’s sugar and top it with berries.

Serves sixteen

FOR THE TORTE:
16 oz. Bitter sweet chocolate – chopped
¾ cup unsalted butter
1 TBS coffee liquor
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TBS water
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan with some buttered parchment paper. Butter the rest of the pan and set aside.
Place the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Melt the chocolate, stirring constantly. You can do this in the microwave as well. Whisk in the coffee liquor and remove from heat. Set aside and allow cooling.

Beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, water and salt in a large bowl – until eggs are pale yellow and have doubled in volume. Carefully add in the melted chocolate. Continue beating for about 2 minutes. Add the cocoa. Mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until an inserted cake pin comes out with moist cake crumbs. Remove pan from oven and place on a cooling rack. Let it cool down completely. Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Frost the cake with chocolate ganache or dust it with confectioners’ sugar. Serve and enjoy.

FOR THE GANACHE:
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate – chopped
1 TBS butter
1 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate and the butter into a bowl. Bring the cream to an almost boil – when you start seeing little bubbles you are done. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and butter. Let it sit for a couple of minutes – untouched.
Whisk the chocolate and cream until it turns even and smooth.

CALORIES 435.94; FAT 31.39 grs (sat 18.79; mono 9.65; poly 1.23); PROTEIN 5.67 grs; FIBER 4.42 grs; CARBS 40.58 grs; CHOLESTEROL 112.13 mg; IRON 3.23 mg; SODIUM 71.32 mg; CALCIUM 45.49mg

Print the Dark Chocolate Torte Recipe Here

Print the Ganache Recipe Here