I'm looking for some new tried and true healthiest recipes for the following:

Green drinks (I have a Vita-Mix)
Smoothies
Salads (or just your favorite salad basics)
Soups
Casseroles
Any other category

What are your favorites that you like to make on a regular basis...your go to recipes?

Here's my contribution to start:


Mix and Match Vegetarian Dishes

Grains: brown rice, quinoa, kamut, barley

Herbs: oregano, basil, dill, tarragon, curry, cumin, chili powder, thyme, dill, rosemary or any favorite herb

Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onion, sweet pepper, spinach, kale, mushroom, like, corn, potato, asparagus, snow peas, etc.

Beans/Legumes: navy, kidney, black, garbanzo/chickpea, lima, lentil, pinto, adzuki

Nuts/Seeds: sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans

Directions:

Pre-cook a grain (brown the grain in a dry/unoiled cast-iron fry pan for a few minutes on med/high until slightly browned and aromatic), transfer to a pot with lid containing approximately twice the water volume of the grain and cook until done…times vary.

Select a grain (pre-cooked), several herbs of choice, as many vegetables as you like, beans (canned/pre-cooked), and one or two nuts and seeds.

In a medium hot skillet (preferably cast-iron) heat up 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (an additional drizzle of sesame oil is delicious), add herbs and allow to lightly bubble in the oil for a minute, add vegetables and cook until tender crisp, add beans, nuts, seeds, and cooked grain.

Season to taste with salt if desired.

Happy healthy eating helps lead to a healthy weigh-loss and well being!

Cheers!

Smoothies - I make a lot of smoothies. I use soy or regular milk mixed with steel-cut oats, and then add whatever frozen fruit I have on hand. I also use plain yogurt and fruit. I often add peanut butter to smoothies. One of my favorites is yogurt with frozen watermelon chunks, with a few sprigs of fresh mint (or basil) thrown in. Delicious!

Lately I've been following a "recession diet," which is basically foraging whatever garden goods I can get from my garden or the gardens of my generous family and friends. I do a lot of grains, lentils, and meatless dishes.

I just made a really good crock pot vegetarian chili last night. My husband didn't even miss the meat. I used a bag of the boca meat substitute crumbles, 2 cans of red kidney beans, 2 cans of black beans, a small onion, a green pepper, and a can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz). I added some vegetable juice (about 12 oz) or you could use stock and then just chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.

I just got my Vitamix last week. I have been making this particular green smoothie for over a year, and love it.

3 Handfuls of fresh organic spinach
2 bananas-chilled in fridge
1 tsp of bee pollen
2 Tb of flax oil
2 Tb of supergreen powder
optional 2 Tb of hemp seeds
enough water to cover ingredients
blend for about 45 sec.

I like the simplicity of it. It takes me under 5 minutes to make this. Plus my 3 year old loves it!

Makes 2 servings (about 12 oz each)

Great recipes everyone, thanks!

leeshalulu, I love your idea of using a supergreen powder in your smoothie. What kind of supergreen powder do you use?

What are the hemp seeds for? What kind of those do you get?

Thanks!

I use Garden of Life Perfect Green powder. Found it in our local health foods store. I use Hemp Hearts shelled hemp seeds, which I also get from our local health store. I use these because they are a complete protein, are rich in Omegas, and I love the taste! It gives the smoothie a nutty flavor. Hope this helps.

Leesha

Here's a Vegetable Bean Soup that is pretty healthy (leaving out the turkey bacon probably wouldn't hurt)...you can vary it (choose different beans or vegetables) - also, I know there are healthier tomato juices than V-8.

Vegetable Bean Soup

In this recipe the beans are used as an alternative to potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 can of Vegetable broth
1 C. V-8 Juice (or tomato juice)
1/2 can of fire roasted crushed tomato (I like Muir Glen)
1 medium-small onion
3 collard green leaves, chopped
2 C. chopped brocolli
1 half of a zucchini squash, chopped
1 can black beans OR large butter beans
2 slices turkey bacon (lowfat)
Plenty of fresh dill
1 T. fennel seeds

Spices:
a few shakes of garlic powder
several shakes of Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning (probably a different seasoning than Mrs. Dash would be a good idea)
salt and pepper to taste

______________


In a frying pan:
begin frying the bacon and turn until done.

While that is cooking, chop the veggies.

In a soup pot:

Saute the chopped onion in a little oil.
Add the vegetable broth and V-8 juice and turn the heat to medium-high.
Add the crushed tomatoes and mix in well.
Add chopped collard greens, brocolli, squash, dill, fennel seeds and spices, cover and let it cook down for about 5 minutes.

Add the turkey bacon
Add the can of beans (drain the liquid from the can first).

Cover and let cook over a medium-low heat for another 15-20 minutes.

Thanks for sharing the yummy recipes!

~Monique

I bought a pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes at Trader Joe's last week and put them in the refrigerator and promptly forgot about them. Found them yesterday, but didn't feel like eating cold tomatoes. So I turned the oven on to 400-degrees, then halved the tomatoes, tossed them with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, thyme and fresh chopped garlic. I roasted them for just 10 minutes, then tossed in a few handfulls of spinach and popped the pan back in the oven for another five minutes until the spinach had wilted. YUM! I scooped the spinach and tomato mixture over crusty sourdough bagettes and had a lovely dinner! The tomatoes were sweeter and more concentrated in flavor. I think it would be tasty over pasta too.