Spaghetti and "Meat" Sauce with Spinach and Cheese Muffins

If there is one food I know my son will eat all of without a fight, it's spaghetti, and there is no easier way to get that boy to eat veggies than to puree them into a sauce to go on the spaghetti! Most tomato sauce recipes call for sugar to cut the acidity of the sauce, but I use carrots instead! It gives us a nutrient boost while sweetening the sauce! If you like a chunky sauce, you can skip the puree step, but I prefer a smooth one. You can add any veggies you want, I sometimes like to add zucchini, mushrooms and spinach or kale, if I have them on hand, but this is my base recipe. Cauliflower and broccoli even go well pureed in this sauce! We aren't eating meat anymore, so I used vegetarian soy crumbles, but you can use ground beef, turkey, or chicken if you're a meat eater! I typically like to cook 1/4 cup bulgur in the sauce after I've pureed it, before adding the crumbles, adding an additional 2 cups chicken stock. However, my commissary doesn't carry it, so, unless I've gone to the closest grocery store in town, which I typically don't just because of the inconvenience, it's not always in my sauce. It adds more fiber and has a meaty texture, we really like it. This makes 8 cups of sauce! You can cut the recipe in half, if you want, or do what I did and freeze the remainder in ziplock bags in one cup portions for easy lunches later!

The way the spinach muffins were made in the recipe I used made them just okay, they weren't anything too terribly fantastic. However, when I ate the leftovers the next day, I reheated them in the microwave and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and let it soak in for a couple of minutes while I made my salad. SO much better with the basalmic, so don't skip that step!

 

Here is how I made the sauce:

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock or white wine (I really like it with red, too, but my husband doesn't)

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1, 12 oz package soy crumbles

 

In a large pot over medium heat, add onion and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, a couple of minutes. Add in the rest of the veggies and saute until tender, about 5-10 minutes. Add in stock or wine and cook until exavorated. Stir in tomatoes, and seasonings, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes to an hour, stirring often (Cover it if you want to let this simmer longer. The longer you simmer, the more the flavors will blend). Transfer to a food processor and pulse a few times to break up large pieces, then let whirl around on low speed until pureed to your liking. Return the sauce back to the pan, add in the soy crumbles, and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. If you're going to add bulgur, add it with the extra water when you add the crumbles, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

This recipe makes roughly 6-8 cups

 

For the Spinach Muffins:

1, 14 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, or 12 oz fresh spinach

4 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

balsamic vinegar

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

If using frozen spinach, squeeze dry (I let mine thaw in the fridge overnight instead of in the microwave so I don't have to wait for it to cool). If using fresh, pulse in the food processor until finely chopped.

 

Add spinach to a bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, except for vinegar. Use your hands, it's easier to combine! Divide the mixture between 8 muffin cups and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic and let stand for 5 minutes to let them finish setting up and absorb the vinegar (Seriously, don't skip the vinegar, it really takes these from okay to awesome!). Run a thin silicone spatula around the edges and gently lift out and sprinkle with extra Parm! Enjoy!

This recipe makes 4 servings, two muffins each!



Kale and Ricotta Ravioli with Red Wine Marinara



 I love filled pastas, they're one of my favorite foods! They, however, take forever to make, especially if you're making your own pasta! I have done that in the past, I make some rocking whole wheat fetucchini and ravioli, but I'm not always in the modd for that! This time, I was not in the mood, so I decided to use wonton wrappers! Guess what? My store was all out! My solution was to buy eggroll wrappers and quarter them! They came out the same size as wonton wrappers, and they are both made of the same kind of pasta, so there was no difference! Filling the ravioli takes some time, especially if you're like me and are particular about it lining up perfectly! If you're wanting to make this for a week day, you could make the ravioli on the weekend and either refrigerate for a couple of days or freeze if you won't be making them until later in the week! You could also make the marinara ahead of time and refrigerate, or make a huge batch and freeze in ice cube trays for future use! All you would really need to do, then, is boil the pasta and warm the sauce when you're ready to serve! These would be great for big batch cooking, so you could eat some fresh and freeze the rest for when you're too busy to cook!

You're trying to eat the computer,
aren't you?

This is a really great way to get kids to eat veggies, with the kale inside the pasta and the tomato based sauce! My son was convinced this was made with broccoli instead of kale. Broccoli is his favorite and he devoured them, so I just let him think that! :)



Rarely does my son clean his plate,
this night, he did!



To make the ravioli, you need:

salt and pepper

6 oz (about 6 cups if you can only get it chopped in a bag like I do), tough stems and ribs removed

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp part skim ricotta

2 Tbsp grated parmesan

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

40 wonton wrappers or 10 eggroll wrappers, quartered

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook kale until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander to cool and drain, reserving the water. When cool enough to handle, squeeze kale to get as much of the liquid out as you can and finely chop.

In a medium bowl, mash together the kale, ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg, and garlic. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble the ravioli, lay out a wonton wrapper on your board and cover the rest with a damp paper towel. Spoon a teaspoon of the kale mixture a little left (Or right, your choice!) of the middle of the wrapper. Dampen the edges with a wet finger and fold the wrapper over into a triangle, pressing the edges to seal. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

If necessary, add more water to the pot you cooked the kale in and return to a boil. Reduce down to a simmer and drop in the ravioli in batches (I cooked 10 at a time, then filled more ravioli while they were cooking to speed the process along). Cook at a bare simmer (Small bubbles rising and bursting slowly) until al dente, about 3 minutes, gently stirring occasionally so they don't stick. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet or large plate, in a single layer, and let drain while you cook the remaining pasta. Serve topped with the marinara and extra parmesan, if you wish!

This recipe serves 10!

Do this for the sauce:

Olive oil cooking spray

3 cloves garlic, minced

1, 16oz can diced tomatoes (You can use crushed if you like, but diced don't splatter as much!)

1/2 cup red wine (You could also use white wine, chicken stock, or water)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp Stevia

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

6 leaves fresh basil, torn, or 1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed between your palms

Spray a small saucepan with oil and heat over low heat and saute garlic for about 2 minutes, until starting to become tender but not brown. Add tomatoes, wine, salt, sugar, pepper flakes and dried basil, if using. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 20 minutes to an hour. Transfer to a food processor and whirl around until it is the consistancy you like. If you want it thicker, add back to the pot and simmer with the lid slightly tilted (So your kitchen doesn't look like someone was brutally murdered) until it is the thickness you desire. If it's too thick for your tastes, add a little water or chicken stock to thin!

This recipe makes anywhere from 2 cups to 3, depending on how thick or thin you like it!

New Year's Eve Spread! Veggie Lumpia, Cheese Arepas, and White Bean Cauliflower Dip with Veggie Dippers!

I love New Year's Eve, because it marks the end of the holiday season. Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays, but it's stressful and there is a lot to do! I rarely make dinner on NYE, we usually heat up leftovers or just munch on something small, and then I lay out a bunch of snacky foods to munch on throughout the night. I usually include wings and roasted shrimp in some flavor variety, but as January 1st marked the first day of our month long vegetarian diet, I didn't want to risk leftovers. Shrimp leftovers would have been okay, since we have been having fish a couple times a week on our heavy workout days, but whatever! I kept the spread small this year, as my husband was starting to get sick and I knew he wasn't going to be eating much, and probably wouldn't stay up as late as we usually do. We still had a really fun night, playing video games and watching movies with our son, and standing on our porch to watch the fireworks go off at midnight!

I've been playing around a lot with my lumpia recipe. Of course, since we are meat free this month, these are vegitarian, and every recipe I read had meat in it. I basically comed through 5 recipes, picking and choosing which veggies I wanted, playing with textures of the ingredients and made my own thing. I'm still playing with the seasoning of the veggies, I haven't quite gotten that where I want it, once I figure it out, I'll post the version I've found I like best. These are still flipping good, I just want to try to make them even better!! This version isn't exactly how I made them on NYE, just because I wasn't satisfied with the textures in that batch, these are better! I want to use bean sprouts, but my store doesn't carry them fresh, and canned ones always taste like a can even when I've rinsed them for 20 minutes and throughly drained, so I just don't use them. My husband and I have a difference of opinion over the water chestnuts, I love the crunch they give, he does not. I'm making another batch today (We've been going through them fast!), and this time I'll chop them finer than I did the first time. I made them without last time, and I really missed them being in there. Most recipes make 30 rolls, but mine only make 20, I think because I'm missing that pound of meat. I could add 50 percent more of each ingredient, but, honestly, I get sick of rolling them after doing 10, so I'm okay only making 20! I just put the remaining wrappers back in the bag, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze. I always end up making more in 2-3 days, so I could get away with not freezing lol! To cut back on fat, I bake them instead of fry, I just spray my hands with a little cooking spray and roll them in my hands so that they will brown. This is really rather hard to do when they're fresh, so I line them all up on a baking sheet and freeze, transfer to little baggies, and then bake them from frozen. It just makes my life easier!

Here is my most recent lumpia recipe:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage (Do it with a knife, don't be lazy and food processor shred it. Trust me, it will be mushy, it's not good.)
1/2 cup minced celery
1, 8 oz can water chestnuts, rinsed, drained, and minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
20 lumpia wrappers (You can find them in the freezer section of the grocery store or Asian market)

Set the wrappers on the counter to thaw at room temp for one hour.

In a small skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat, cook garlic and onion until softened, about 2 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the garlic and onions with the remaining ingredients (Minus the wrappers, of course!).

Gently peel one wrapper from the rest (They are only slightly less fragile than fillo dough, take your time peeling them apart, if you go too fast, you'll tear them up. If you're in a bad or impatient mood, maybe make these another day!), and lay on your work surface with one point facing you, making a diamond (Which Sesame Street is now calling a rhombus, I was tought it was a diamond in elementary school!). About two inches in from the point, place 2 tablespoons of the filling, and form into a log. Fold up the bottom corner up and over the filling, then fold the sides in, pull back slightly to pack the filling in, so the wrapper isn't loose around it, and roll up. It's not easy to make pretty ones, and it took me rolling 15 the first time to figure out how to make them look nice, and still I screw up from time to time! A couple things that have helped me have pretty lumpia have been to, when you fold the sides over, first tuck in the corner where the fold from bringing the bottom up and the side meets on each side, or you'll have a corner for filling to fall out of. Another trick has been to align the middle of the filing with the top point, and make sure the sides form a straight line up when you fold them in, instead of forming a cone. This way, you won't have a skinny piece wrapping around three times (Happened to me), you'll have an even sheet until you get to the tip. I always get a little discouraged when I roll something and it looks like crap, so trust me, you'll get the hang of it, and crappy looking lumpia still tastes good! The point most likely won't be at a flat side, they're rude like that, so just manipulate the lumpia a little so that the side with the point is flat. The reason you want to do this is so that when you bake them, the point is on the bottom so that they're not tempted to unravel (Another bonus of baking them frozen, they don't have time for that), and the tips won't burn. If you're going the tradidional way and frying, I doubt it really matters, but I bake mine.

If you want to bake them off fresh, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, lay the lumpia, pointy side down, spray again, and bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway. They won't brown evenly, mainly just the edges and the parts that touched the baking pan, but they will still be very crunchy and yummy! I would only bake as many as you think will reasonably be eaten. For NYE, I baked 15 and froze 5, and still the ones that didn't get eaten got soft in the fridge. They did crisp up in the oven, but not as much as they were when they were first baked.

To freeze them, line on a baking sheet and freeze at least a couple of hours (I go with over night), then place into bags, squeezing as much air out as possible. The reason you want to freeze before bagging is to prevent them from getting covered in big ice crystals, "freezer burn", which make the lumpia not bake as crisply, it also keeps them from sticking together as they freeze. If you don't have the freezer space, what I've done is freeze a few on small plates where I can fit them, or shuffle stuff around to make room. When you're ready to bake, spray with cooking spray and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway (I don't do 7:30 each side, I go 8 on one and 7 on the other, it's easier with the timer!). Let cool for a couple of minutes, they will be hot inside! I like to dip mine in Asian sweet chili sauce, which you can find in the ethnic aisle. I love the fish dipping sauce that you get with Vietnamese fried spring rolls, so I'm looking for a recipe for that to try with the lumpia, I'll let you know how that goes!
This recipe makes 20!

To make the arepas, you need:
1 3/4 cups masa harina (It's a corn flour. Look in the Mexican area of the ehtnic food aisle)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups water
cooking spray
2 oz queso fresco or mozzarella cheese, diced small

Combine the masa and salt in a bowl and gradually stir in the water to make a soft dough. Let rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 16 balls and pat each into a circle about 1/2 inch thick with your fingers. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and spray with cooking spray, in batches, cook arepas for 4 minutes on each side until slightly blistered on both. Let them cool slightly while you cook the rest.

With a serrated knife, cut the arepas about halfway and open up. Add the cheese and return to the pan to melt the cheese. Serve warm, they're better that way, when the cheese is gooey, yum!
This recipe makes 16!

This white bean dip was so good! To get it on your veggies, do this:
3/4 cup dried cannellini (Great Northern) beans, or 1 can, rinsed and drained
1/2 onion, left whole (If using dried beans)
1 clove garlic, smashed (If using dried beans
1 bay leaf (Again, for cooking the beans)
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (Including the stem)
5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 tablespoon plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chicken stock (Or you could use white wine, or water if you have neither)
salt and pepper
1 tsp lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp juice

If using dried beans (Which I recommend to cut the sodium content, also because it's a lot cheaper than buying cans!), soak overnight or cover with water in a pot, bring to a boil, and boil for two minutes, then let sit, covered, for an hour to quick soak. Drain and rinse, cover with water, add onion, garlic, and bay leaf and boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until tender. For dips, I would go closer to an hour and a half so that they're good and soft. For other dishes, I usually leave mine a little firm, but you want these soft to puree completely. Drain again and rinse. I think the texture of freshly cooked beans works better in everything than canned, plus you can skip the sodium and the chemicals used to line the cans, and can add different flavorings to the cooking liquid if you like! You can do this a day or two ahead of time.
 
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss together cauliflower and garlic with 1 tsp oil and season with salt and pepper (You don't need a lot of oil to coat as long as you toss them well). Roast until cauliflower is tender and starting to brown, about 25 minutes. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the pointy end to pop it from the paper.

In a food processor, combine cauliflower, garlic, beans, 1/2 Tbsp oil, chicken stock, lemon zest, and juice. Process until smooth, then season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, drizzle with 1/4 tsp olive oil after you dish it out.

This is also really awesome as a sandwich spread, or just spread on a piece of toast for a snack!
This recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups!

Christmas Dinner! Creole Butter Roasted Turkey, Creamed Baby Peas and Pearl Onions, Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing, Seasoned Red Potatoes, Broccoli with Parmesan and Walnuts, Brussels Sprouts with Bacon-Horseradish Cream, and Pumpkin-Gingersnap Cheesecake!

*For some reason, I'm unable to upload pictures from my computer, the browse box isn't coming up. I will add the images when I can figure out what's wrong. In the meantime, all of these recipes, along with the corresponding photo, are being posted to my Beachbody coach "like" page: www.facebook.com/bondgrlfit. I apologize for any inconvenience.*

Yes, I know, Christmas was three weeks ago and I am just now posting our menu. It's a lot of food, so the time it would take to post has been a bit intimidating! :) I made quite the massive spread, because I was originally planning on having family in town, but they ended up unable to make the trip, and I like to have dishes from all types of traditional sides you see at a large holiday meal: Meat, stuffing/dressing, potatoes, green side (Broccoli stood in for green beans this year), and I always like to accomidate brussels sprouts, because I love them, and peas, which are my son's favorite! Of course, even a girl who really doesn't like sweet food has to have a dessert on a holiday! The pumpkin cheesecake was perfect, because it fit the dessert bill while still being a bit savory, so we all enjoyed it! My son ate his piece like a pizza. Silly boy!

PS, it is annoying me to no end that I can not get images up here. A food blog with no pictures is lame. I'm still trying to figre out how to fix it. If you have any ideas, please let me know!

Here is how the turkey was made:
2 turkey breasts, about 4 pounds each (You could use a whole turkey, but I wanted the leaner breasts)
3 onions
2 ribs celery
1 large green bell pepper
1/2 stick (2 oz) unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Let turkey sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (A cold turkey won't cook evenly). Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, finely chop enough of the onions, celery, and bell pepper to measure 3Tbsp each, reserve the rest. In a heavy pan, saute chopped veggies in 1 Tbsp butter, stirring occasionally until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the garlic, tomato paste, cayenne pepper and the remaining butter. Let cool slightly.

Place breasts on a rack in a roasting pan (If you don't have a rack, you can layer the bottom of the pan with carrots and celery to lay the breasts on. You don't want them on the bottom of the pan or the bottom of the bird will burn). Using your fingers, gently seperate the skin from the breasts. Gently spread the butter mixture evenly on the meat, and spread any extra on the outside of the skin.

Roast, uncovered, on the lowest rack in your oven for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and roast for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours until juices run clear and meat is no longer pink.

Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before carving. I like to carve the entire breast off the bird, then slice it. This way, it is sliced against the grain, resulting in more tender meat. I also like thick chunks of meat as opposed to thin slices, which I can do much easier with the meat off the bone!

This makes about 8-10 servings!

For the peas:
10oz frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups fat free half and half (Or evaporated skim milk, but that will make the sauce beige)
20 oz frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper

In a large skillet, cook onions in butter for one minute, add flour, and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a boil, simmer, and cook until thickened, 3-5 minutes. Add peas and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper, then get it in your belly!
This recipe serves 8!

How to make the wild rice stuffing:
2 large leeks, white and green parts seperated and well rinsed
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups wild and whole grain rice mix (Or combine 1 1/2 cups brown with 1/2 cup wild rice)
olive oil cooking spray
salt and pepper
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 lb mixed mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini and button)
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
3/4 tsp allspice

In a large saucepan, combine leek greens, chicken broth, rice, and a little salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked, about 50 minutes. Discard leek greens and scrape the rice and wny remaining liquid into a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Chop the leek whites. In a large skillet sprayed with oil, cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the rice. Spray the pan again and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 12 minutes. Scrape into the bowl with the riceand add the currants, parsley, lemon zest, allspice, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and transfer to a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish, patting the stuffing down. top with a lid or greased foil, and bake until hot, about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Enjoy!!
This recipe serves 8!

What I did to those potatoes:
12 to 14 baby red potatoes
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp freshly grated black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Quarter potatoes and place in a lightly greased baking dish (I like to add about 1/2 tsp oil, and wipe it around with a paper towel, this evenly distributes the oil and soaks up the excess) and toss with butter and seasonings. Bake, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes until tender and browned, stirring every 14 minutes. Shovel into your face!
This recipe serves 6-8!

To get the broccoli on your table:
1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice (1 lemon)
2 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook broccoli over medium-high heat until it begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is crisp-tender and garlic begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add red pepper glakes, salt and pepper to taste, and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss with lemon zest and juice and sprinkle with parmesan and walnuts. It's yummy, I promise!! :)
This recipe serves 4!

For zee brussels sprouts:
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, outer leaves discarded, stems trimmed, and sprouts halved
4 strips turkey bacon, cooked until crisp and diced
1/4 cup reduced fat cour cream
2 tsp prepared horseradish
salt and pepper to taste

Bring an inch of water to boil in a lauge saucepan fitted with a steamer basker. Add sprouts, cover, and steam until tender 6-8 minutes (I like mine still a bit firm, I went for 6).

In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, bacon, horseradish, and salt and pepper. Toss in the brussels sprouts, spoon into a serving dish, and feed it to your friends and family!
This recipe serves 6!

To make the awesome cheesecake:
1 3/4 cups gingersnap crumbs
1 cup Splenda or Stevia
2 Tbsp apple jelly, melted
3, 8oz pkgs low fat cream cheese, room temp (Don't use fat free, they use chemicals to give it texture)
6 egg whites, room temperature
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp pumpking pie spice
1 1/2 Tbsp flour

Posiyion a rack in the canter of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, jelly, and 1/4 cup Splenda. Press mixture evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan with your fingers. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely and increase oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup Splenda on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Beat in the egg whites, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the pumpkin, sour cream, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice, again beating until combined. Sprinkle the flour over and, you guessed it, beat until just combined.

Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and pour the filling into the shell. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees and bake for 1 hour longer. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the oven with the door cracked for 2 1/2 hours (You don't want it to cool too quickly). Transfer back to the rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigrate, uncovered, until completely cooled, at least 10 hours or up to 2 days (I made this two days ahead of time).

An hour before you're ready to serve, remove the side of the pan and let the cheesecake sit at room temperature. To serve, cut into wedges with a sharp knife that's been dipped in hot water and wiped after each cut (To ensure clean cuts). Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

This recipe serves 10!

Moussaka with Whole Grain Rice Pilaf

    
*For some reason, I'm unable to upload pictures from my computer, the browse box isn't coming up. I will add the images when I can figure out what's wrong. In the meantime, all of these recipes, along with the corresponding photo, are being posted to my Beachbody coach "like" page: www.facebook.com/bondgrlfit. I apologize for any inconvenience.*

     So, y'all know by now that my husband and I decided to go vegetarian for the entire month of January (And probably onward, because we are really enjoying the changes in the way we have been feeling)! I will not lie, the first two weeks were rough, because we went through a week long detox period followed by a week of serious bacon and hamburger cravings, but now that all that has passed, we have been feeling phenomenal! This is the first meal that I've made where I've tried to imitate the flavor of a meat dish by substituting the beef found in a traditional moussaka with soy crumbles. My husband took one bite and got on to me for using meat, it was that convincing for him! The texture of the crumbles resembled slowly braised beef, it was tender and delicious. Honestly, I like this better with the soy crumbles than I do with meat! The man was so impressed with it that he actually asked that I make this a common dish on our dinner table! Yay!! :)
      Traditionally, moussaka is made with eggplant. My husband loathes eggplant more than he despises people eating babies, so I used zucchini instead, which has the added bonus of being one of my son's top five favorite vegetables! Yeah, I have a kid who digs veggies, I'll wait a moment while you glare at the screen with envy. ;)
      If you wanted to make this vegan, you could make the bechamel with unsweetened soy or rice milk. I wouldn't do almond or coconut, because I think their flavors are too strong, but play around and find what works for you. I have never cooked with milk alternatives, but will make sure I make an attempt at that soon, just to share what I feel works and doesn't. Don't use vanilla soy milk. I did that when making mac and cheese once. That was awful. Don't do it. You could also sub out the parmesan for nutritional yeast, and use veggie stock in the pilaf.
Here is how I made the moussaka:
1, 12 oz package soy crumbles (I used Morningstar Farms)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1, 8 oz can low sodium tomato sauce
1/4 cup dry red wine (I used Menage A Trois California Red Wine. Pinot Noir would rock in this, as well!)
2 Tbsp coursely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (About 2 turns of the knob)
2 large zucchini or 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2" slices
1 1/2 cups skim milk
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (If you use the kind in the can, punch yourself in the face for me!)
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup panko (whole wheat if you can find it, I couldn't, but it exists) or dry whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp crushed Italian herb blend (Or use 1/4 tsp basil, 1/8 tsp oregano, and 1/8 tsp parsley)

In a large pan lightly sprayed with olive oil, saute soy crumbles, onion, and garlic over medium high heat until crumbles have warmed and onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, wine, and seasonings, bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, broil zucchini or eggplant for 3 to 4 minutes until tender. Remove from oven, and set to 350 degrees.
Multitasking further, while the zucchini broils, whisk together milk and corn starch in an unheated pot until starch is dissolved. Turn the burner to medium high and cook, stirring often, until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan and nutmeg. Remove from heat.
Lightly grease an 8x8 pan and layer half of the zucchini on the bottom. Top with the "meat" filling, the rest of the zucchini, and all of the bechamel. Sprinkle the panko over top, spritz with a little olive oil (to help the panko brown), and bake for 35 minutes until bubbly and delicious!
This recipe serves 4 very hungry people or 6 with a normal appetite!
This is how the pilaf came into existance:
olive oil cooking spray
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 cup brown rice
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup broken whole wheat spaghetti
(Unless you want an epic mess, break them up into a large bowl, or they will fly
EVERYWHERE! Take my word on this one!)
1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley (Why don't you see it in the picture? I forgot to add it lol!)

In a small saucepan, saute rice and onion until rice is lightly toasted. Add in bay leaf and stock, boil, then simmer until water is hald absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast spaghetti in a small pan. After rice has partially cooked, add pasta, adding a little more water if necessary, return to a boil, and simmer 15 more minutes until water is absorbed.
Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and stir in parsley.

Now that I've told you how I made the pilaf for this meal, I'll tell you how I will make it in the future! Next time, I will use 3/4 cup brown rice with 1/4 cup wild rice, just to give it a variation in texture and more color. My husband also suggested I toss a few peas in next time, just for added color and texture, as well, so I might give that a try!
This recipe makes 6, 2/3 cup servings!

Christmas 2012 Brunch!

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My favorite part about Christmas after becoming a mom is seeing how excited and happy my son is, not just on Christmas morning, but also in the days and weeks leading up to it! The downside to his Christmas morning excitment is that all he wants to do is tear into presents and play, not sit down and have breakfast before present time! My solution is to make handheld food that would be excellent both warm and at room temperature, so he can pick it up, take a bite, and rip open another present! This year, I made roasted pepper, bacon, and egg ham cups and fruit salad! Of course, my son only managed to get a few bites in, but at least he ate some, and it was delicious!!

Here is how I made the ham cups:
4 whole eggs
4 egg whites
salt and pepper
dash hot sauce
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 lb turkey bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers
1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese
12 thin slices deli ham (I used black forest ham)
1/2 Tbsp minced chives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and a little hot sauce, if you like. Stir in the bacon, peppers, and cheese. Line each cup of a 12 cup muffin pan with a slice of ham, then fill about 3/4 of the way with egg mixture (The egg will souffle some while cooking, and you want enough to fill all of the cups!). Bake for 15-20 minutes until set, then plate and sprinkle with chives!

This recipe makes 12!

How the fruit salad came to be:
2 large apples, chopped (I used one red and one green)
1 cup green grapes, halved
1 cup chopped pear (I used Bosc)
1 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt

In a large bowl, toss the fruit together, then stir in yogurt. Done! Eat! Enjoy!

This recipe makes 6 servings, 3/4 cup each!

Cuban Black Bean Wrap

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This is a recipe I used with some of the leftovers from last night's Cuban Black Beans and Rice. I had saved half of the beans for burgers I will make later in the week, but had some leftover from what was left of the portion I reserved for us to eat, and decided to make a wrap for lunch! This actually made far more filling than fit in my tortilla, so I served myself the extra in a small ramekin and just ate it with a spoon. It was delicious!! If you have rice leftover, you could add that, as well! You could make it vegan, of course, by omitting the sour cream and eggs.

What I used:
3 egg whites, beaten
salt and pepper
1/2 cup beans, drained from liquid
1/4 cup chunky salsa
a few dashes of hot sauce
1 tablespoon low fat sour cream
1 whole wheat tortilla (Mine was also low carb and low fat, only 60 cals per tortilla)
1 wedge lime
1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/4 cup shredded green cabbage
1 roma tomato, diced

Beat egg whites with a little salt and pepper to taste and scramble over medium-low heat until cooked but not dry. Add beans and salsa, cover, and cook until warmed through. Remove from heat and stir in hot sauce and sour cream.

Meanwhile, toast tortilla over a gas burner or warm in a large skillet over medium heat. Line the middle with cabbage and tomato, squeeze a little lime juice over, and top with as much bean filling as you can. Squeeze more lime juice over and sprinkle with some hot sauce, cilantro, and more lime juice. fold up the bottom and then the sides. I needed to use a tooth pick through where the tortillas overlapped to hold it together!

Serve any extra beans in a small bowl, garnished with more cilanto and lime, if desired. If you have extra cabbage and tomato, you can make a little salad dressed with a little lime. You could garnish the beans with some of the extra cabbage and tomato, as I did, as well!

This recipe made enough for me, although there was enough extra filling that I could have made 2!

Cuban Black Beans and Brown Rice

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Once upon a time, I worked at a Latin restaurant, and we served Cuban black beans with rice, and served the same beans with the liquid as a soup drizzled with lime juice and sour cream. It was sooo good, I ate it every evening before my shift! With rice, this is a complete protein, and is full of protein and fiber, so really filling! You can do the same thing we did at the restaurant, scoop the beans out with a slotted spoon and serve it over rice like I did this evening, or ladel it out and serve as a soup! If you aren't vegan, I love to add a small dollop (About 1/2 a tablespoon) of low fat sour cream (Don't buy fat free, they pack that version full of chemicals and stabilizers to give it flavor and texture. I'll take a little fat), lime juice, cilantro, and diced tomato! This makes a TON of beans, roughly 8 cups! I reserved 4 cups of the beans to use later this week for black bean burgers, and divided the remaining beans into one cup servings!

Here is how I made it:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 yellow onion, diced medium
2 celery stalks, diced medium
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
26 oz bag black bean soup mix, seasoning packet discarded or saved for later use, soaked overnight
1 dried bay leaf
1 small bunch cilantro, stems and leaves seperated, stems tied with kitchen twine
3/4 cup brown rice
1 roma tomato
1 lime cut into wedges
sour cream

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, saute onion, celery, and garlic and cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and cumin and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

Add black beans, 8 cups of water, bay leaf, and cilantro stems, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, tilt lid, and cook until beans are tender and liquid is slightly reduced, 1 1/2 to 2 hours (I like mine still a bit firm, so I stay with 1 1/2 hours, if you like soft beans, aim for 2). Taste for seatoning and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Remove bay leaf and cilantro stems.

Meanwhile, cook rice with 2 cups water, bring to a boil and reduce until tender, 30-45 minutes.

Serve beans over rice, or omit rice and serve as a soup! If you'd like, serve topped with tomato, cilantro leaves, sour cream, and lime wedges to squeeze over top!

Baked Tilapia, Broccoli with Cheese Sauce, Steamed Asparagus, and Rice!

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Husband made dinner the night before last, and even made a pretty presentation! Our son doesn't care for asparagus, so I made some steamed broccoli with cheese sauce so he would eat his freaking vegges! He loves broccoli, won't touch aspara...gus! My husband found this awesome Uncle Ben's 90 second rice blend of wild rice, red rice, and black rice, so all whole grains! I don't usually like buying them, since they're flavored and more expensive, but he wanted them! This didn't have MSG in it, which I was adament about checking for since it swells my sinuses. It was really yummy, so I'm going to go pick up the wild, red, and brown rice blend I saw the other day which was just the rice! The asparagus was frozen, we just popped it in a microwavable container, laid the top over at an angle and nuked for 5 minutes. Simple. The cheese sauce makes more than you really need, but it's delicious on other stuff, too, or folded into a warmed corn tortilla and eaten as a quesadilla. That's what I did with the extra! :)

How Man made the fish:
5 Tilapia fillets
Mrs Dash Italian Medly
flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season fish with the herb blend and sprinkle a little flour over (It gave the fish a little crunchy topping, I would have spritzed some olive oil spray over the top to brown it.). Bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

For the broccoli:
2 crowns of broccoli, crowns cut off
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 tsp worchesterchire
1/8 tsp hot sauce

In a steamer basket over boiling water, steam broccoli about 5 minutes until fork tender.

In a small saucepan, whisk together milk and starch, bring to a boil while stirring often. Once it has reached a boil, remove from heat and stir in cheese, hot sauce, and worchestershire until cheese is melted and completely mixed with the milk. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and drizzle over broccoli!

This recipe serves 4!

Pasta with Broccoli Pesto and White Beans

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We decided to go vegetarian for January, and this was our first veggie meal for the month!  It was sooo yummy! In the past, I have used vegetarian recipes as side dishes, so you could cut this in half to make side dish portions, or make the whole recipe if you like bigger sides! All three of us are on high protein diets, my husband and I for building muscle, my son to boost his brain power, so my criteria for all of this month's meals was that they must have a minimum of 20g of protein, which also means the only cook books I used for inspiration are ones that included nutrition information for all recipes (Which I really wish all cookbooks and magazines would do). I plan to input my version of all of these recipes into a recipe calculator so I can post the nutritional information for the changes I make.
 

How to make it!
 4 cups broccoli, cut into 1 inch pieces (Two large heads, floretts and stems)
6 oz short cut pasta, I used rotini
5 teaspoons veggie or chicken stock
1/8 cup freshly shredded parmesan
1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp juice
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley
1 small clove garlic
1 can cannellini (Great Northern) beans, or 3/4 cup dry beans

If using dry beans, rinse, cover with water and soak overnight in the fridge. Rinse and drain, add to a pot and cover with water and cook according to the directions on the bag, drain and rinse and set aside. Or, drain and rinse canned beans.

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook broccoli until tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove broccoli to a food processor, return water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups cooking liquid and drain pasta and return to pot.

Meanwhile, to broccoli in food processor, add stock, parmesan, lemon zest and juice, parsley, and garlic. Puree until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Return to pot with pasta, stir to coat, and add reserved water as needed to make a creamy sauce (I needed it all). Stir in beans and heat over medium until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper (Taste before salting, the cheese and pasta water will add a good bit of saltiness). Serve and sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired (And I desire!) and enjoy immensley! Serve with a salad, I dressed mine with a little lemon juice!

This recipe serves 4

Spinach and Mushroom Smothered Chicken

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I love this recipe! All of the ingredients are things I always have on hand, it looks pretty, and is super fast and easy to make! Plus, it's delicious! I served this with peas (My son's favorite!) and mashed potatoes sprinkled with a little mozzarella!

Here's how I made it!

3 cups spinach
8 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used half cremini and half button)
3 green onions, sliced
2 T chopped walnuts
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 oz part skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large skillet, saute spinach, mushrooms, onions, and walnuts until mushrooms are tender and browned. Set aside, cover, and keep warm.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat and sear chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 8 minutes, until juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Top with cheese and pop back in the oven for 2-3 minutes until melted. Serve, topped with the spinach mixture, and enjoy!

This recipe serves 4

Chicken with Chive Sauce and Broccoli Mashed Potatoes

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I had a lot of chives and mushrooms leftover from Christmas (I still need to post those meals!) that needed to be used up, so I decided to use them up with this recipe! I love mushrooms, so I tend to purposely buy too much so I have an excuse to throw them in to other recipes! Another thing I really love is broccoli cheddar soup, and I wanted to get my son to actually eat his mashed potatoes this time, so I knew adding broccoli and cheddar in to them would get the job done!

Here's what's up!
2 chicken legs
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp minced chives
1 T whole wheat flour
2 T chicken broth
1 cup evaporated skim milk
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a large skillet, brown legs over medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side, shove gently into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Remove from pan and let rest while you make the sauce.

In the same skillet, sprayed with cooking spray, cook mushrooms and chives for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for a minute or two to cook out the floury flavor, and gradually wisk in the broth until blended. Whisk in the milk and nutmeg, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook and stir for 3-5 minutes until thickened. If it doesn't thicken as much as you like, make a slurry with a tablespoon of water and cornstarch, temper it with a little of the sauce, and gradually drizzle in to the remaining sauce while constantly whisking so it doesn't clump. Taste for seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

For the broccoli mashed potatoes:

2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 pound broccoli, chopped (4 cups)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
salt and pepper to taste

Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Add broccoli to a steamer basket and set above the potatoes and water, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Check broccoli with a fork to make sure they are fork tender, and remove to a food processor. Drain potatoes and add back to the hot pot, burner turned off. Pulse the broccoli with a little milk until finely chopped. Add to the potatoes and mash with a potato masher, adding milk as needed. When completely mashed, stir in cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

This recipe serves 4

Vegetable and Tofu Pad Thai

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I love Asian food, particularly Thai and Vietnamese, because their dishes tend to use my favorite ingredients, cilantro, lime, fish sauce, and Siracha! If you're vegan, you can substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce. My husband has never liked me cooking with tofu, and he really liked this! Even my son grabbed some of the seared tofu off my cutting board and ran off with it, singing it's praises! I did change up this recipe just a little bit to lower the fat and boost the protein by using less oil to cook the eggs, veggies, and tofu in, and by using four egg whites instead of two whole eggs. I meant to use wide rice noodles, but forgot to buy them, so I used whole wheat spaghetti, instead. I would have used fetucchini if I'd had it on hand, however.

Here's what I did!
14 oz firm tofu, drained and blotted dry
8oz dried wide, flat rice noodles (Or whole wheat fetucchini or spaghetti)
1/4 cup lime juice (3 normal limes or 1 1/2 of the monster limes I got last week!), plus wedges for serving
3 Tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 Tbsp Siracha chili sauce
1 Tbsp packed dark brown sugar
vegetable oil cooking spray
4 egg whites lightly beaten
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, white and green parts seperated and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Wrap tofu in a double layer of paper towels and set in a bowl. Top with another bowl and a heavy can or two to press out liquid. Let sit 30 minutes, blot again, cut in half widthwise, then slice thinly along the short side, blot again.

If using rice noodles, soak according to package directions, or cook whole wheat pasta according to package directions.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, fish or soy sauce, Siracha, and brown sugar. Set aside to let the flavors marry.

In a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook eggs, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan and cook until set, 1 minute, transfer to a cutting board, lightly roll up, and slice into thin strips (Or, if you fail at this like I did, just scramble the eggs!). Clean out the pan if any egg stuck, re-spray with oil, and cook tofu until golden brown on both sides and crisp, about 7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to cutting board. I sliced each piece in half, as well, just to make it more fork friendly.

Add carrots, garlic, and scallion whites to skillet and cook until softenend, about 3-5 minutes. Add sauce and bring to a simmer. Add noodles and cook, tossing frequently for about a minute, then toss in eggs and tofu to combine.

Serve topped with scallion greens, cilantro, and chopped peanuts, with lime wedges on the side.

Make Your Own Wild Rice Blend!

Here's something that irks me (One of a laundry list of things I find irksome, I should say), I could not find a wild rice mix that wasn't seasoned anywhere, in any of the three stores I tried! It used to exist, I've seen it before! Every freaking box of wild rice mix was blended with white rice and herbs, seasonings, MSG (Which I'm mildly allergic to, and avoid at all costs.), food dyes, and other delicious chemicals I don't want to feed my family. Even if I didn't mind being mummified at 26, the problem still existed that I needed it for my wild rice stuffing for Christmas and wanted to season it myself, not have Uncle Ben do it for me. Where's the fun in that?

What I did find was a box of just wild rice, so I made my own mix! Wild rice really isn't that good on it's own, so you want to have it with another rice. For the one cup I need for the stuffing I'm making for Christmas, I used 3/4 cup brown rice and 1/4 cup wild! When I figured out the cost, it also came out to be cheaper than if I had bought a box of the stuff made with white rice and seasoned with MSG and a ton of salt! The finished product was awesome, by the way! I'll post that in a bit!

Tacos with Refried Beans and Salsa Rice

Sooo, I kinda really love tacos! Growing up in Texas, I crave Mexican food a lot. Most of my favorites are not the most healthy, so when I'm craving the flavors, I go for tacos! This is another great way to sneak in veggies, you can chop up and saute whatever you like, I like to add mushrooms and zucchini, because they kind of have a similar texture to the beef. It stretches out the meat, too, so you can feed more people on less meat, which we all know is the most expensive thing in the grocery cart! I didn't do that this time, because this was last minute and I didn't have them on hand, but it's really so good!

 For the tacos:
1 Box of taco shells (I don't normally buy packaged stuff, but this I do. Frying my own tortilla shells (Which, honestly, I like more), results in a load more fat, so I buy the shells.
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced (optional, I would add more, but my house mates don't like food as hot as I do)
1 pound 97% lean beef
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne (Look! You've made taco seasoning! Now stop buying the expensive salt loaded crap! lol!)
shredded lettuce (Please, don't use iceburg, it has no nutrition. Go with green leaf or romaine for some iron and vitamins.)
chopped tomato
diced onion

Warm shells in oven according to package directions.

In a large pan, saute onion, garlic, and jalapeno until softened, 3-5 minutes. Crumble in ground beef, season with the spices, and cook until brown, draining fat if necessary (The most effective way to do this, I've found, is to line a mesh seive with paper towels, pour the beef in, fold the paper towel over the top to blot, wipe the skillet with another paper towel, and add meat back in the pan to dry off the excess). You can sauce the meat one of two ways, you can make the sauce in the pan with the meat, like I do, or you can make it in a seperate pot to drizzle over your tacos. It's up to you! Top with lettuce, tomato, and onion. If you want, top with a half tablespoon of crated cheese per taco (I add mine on top of the meat so it melts). If you're like me, top with hot sauce! :)

Taco sauce:
1 8oz jar tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional, if you like it with a little heat)
1 1/2 tsp oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp worcestershire

Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan, or in the pan with your cooked meat, and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.

Refried beans:
3/4 cup dry pinto beans (Or you can use a can of beans. However, it's cheaper and you save sodium cooking dried beans)
1 onion, one half whole, the other chopped
2 cloves garlic, one smashed, the other minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced (Seeds out if you want it milder, leave them if you want it spicy)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt
pepper
chicken stock, at least 1/2 cup

Soak beans in enough water to cover overnight. Drain, rinse (Rinse them well, it cuts the gassiness of the beans), and add to a pot with enough water to cover by an inch, along with the whole onion half and smashed garlic clove. Boil beans, reduce heat to simmer, cover with a tilted lid, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until tender. Drain and rinse again.

Saute chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeno until tender, add beans, seasonings, and stock. You can either mash the beans with a potato masher for courser beans, or puree in the food processor (That's what I do, I like them smooth), adding as much stock as necessary to reach desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired. I like to top mine with cotija cheese, which is not always available, so, instead, I'll use fat free feta (This is one of few fat free dairy products I'll use, as they don't add chemicals to compensate, and you can't taste the difference), which is very similar.

Salsa rice:
I don't have a recipe for this, lol! I had about a cup of leftover rice from a stir fry my husband made the night before, so I nuked it in the microwave with a few tablespoons of salsa. Easy, yummy, score!