Spinach and Black Bean Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

I found THIS salad and it got my creative juices flowing.  (No pun intended.)  I created the following salad based on what I had at home.  I'm a little hesitant to publish it on the blog because I feel like it's a salad "in progress" but I also really loved the flavor and I just want to fine-tune it.  


We just bought a juicer this week and have really LOVED using it.  Yesterday I bought strawberries and they were already going bad.  (A major pet peeve of mine.)  Anyway, instead of adding the strawberries directly to the salad I made a dressing out of them.  However, I think adding the strawberries to the salad and pouring fresh squeezed lemon juice over this dish would be AMAZING.  


Ingredients:
1 can of black beans - rinsed and drained 
1 can of whole kernel corn - rinsed and drained 
1 avocado - chopped 
1 mango - chopped 
1 bunch of cilantro - chopped
1 bunch of green onions - chopped 
1 cucumber - cut in pieces 
Fresh Spinach - to your liking 
*Chopped nuts would be yummy on this, but I didn't have any.




Dressing:
1 cup fresh strawberry juice
1 Tbs strawberry pulp
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
* whisk together and/or shake before serving. 


Put all the ingredients (and any extra you can think of) into a large bowl.  Use your hands to mix.  I like to sort of "mush" the fixins'  together so the flavors of the mango and avocado get onto the spinach leaves.  I poured the dressing over each portion of salad so it didn't go to waste, but you could add it to the whole salad if you wanted to.  


Let me know if you have any other ideas of items to add to this salad.  It was really yummy, but I do feel like something is missing. (Although, I think that I should have added more dressing.)  Good luck and ENJOY!  

Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Cucumber Salad

I found this recipe HERE while I was searching for HCG Diet recipes. I also found THIS recipe that made me think of adding the cucumber and making a salad. (I haven't tasted that recipe, but it looks good too.) The Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Cucumber Salad is so yummy I plan to enjoy it for years to come. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 Cucumber, julienned
• Small - medium shrimp, 15 - 20
• Coconut Oil, 2 Tbs
• Garlic, 2 cloves
• Ground Red Pepper, a dash or two
• Minced (dried) onion, a few shakes
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lemon, zested
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cilantro (chopped) to taste
• Green Onion (chopped) to taste 

Directions:

1. If shrimp is frozen, defrost it.
2. Julienne your cucumber. Toss your cucumber in a bowl with some sea salt, pepper, and dried minced onion, cilantro and green onion. (You could also add a little bit of lemon juice.) Set aside to "marinate."
3. Heat coconut oil in a skillet.
4. Add garlic (I use my garlic press) and ground red pepper, and a few shakes of the dried minced onion.
5. When the garlic and onion begin to brown, add the shrimp to your skillet. Cook the shrimp until golden, then flip those little buggers over and brown on the opposite side.
6. Now add your lemon zest and lemon juice. Let cook for a two or three minutes.
7. Optional: Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Put the warm shrimp over those flavorful cucumbers. Pour the rich "sauce" from the pan over your shrimp and cucumbers for an tasty dressing.
9. Toss and ENJOY!

**UPDATE - July 22, 2012: 

I found THIS way too cook shrimp.  I used all the same ingredients in the above recipe, but cooked it this way: 

1. Prehead oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with sides with foil.
2. Drizzle coconut oil on lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle the dry ingredients on top of the oil.  Lay SLICED lemons on top of the seasoning.  Lay the shrimp on top of everything.  
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Flip shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes, until light golden brown.

Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice

I found this recipe in Tosca Reno's, "The Eat-Clean Diet, Recharged." It's an especially easy meal when you have leftover brown rice or chicken from another meal. It really was SO good. Full of flavor and it made the house smell amazing! I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow!

INGREDIENTS:

4 tbsps. coconut butter (if that's unavailable, use olive oil)

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 scallions, whites and greens, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, passed through a garlic press

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips

2 Thai red peppers, cut into ribbons (Or you could buy a bag of frozen mixed Asian veggies.)

2 tbsps. fish sauce

3 tbsps. oyster sauce

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh Thai basil

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

A pinch of red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the coconut butter in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and scallions and stir-fry for a few minutes until fragrant.

Add the garlic, chicken and red peppers, and stir-fry for four or five minutes.

Add fish and oyster sauces and sea salt, and stir fry it into the mixture. If it's too hot, reduce the heat under the mixture slightly.

Add the basil and rice, and stir-fry until it's heated through.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

NOTE: You can mix it up with beef strips or shrimp instead of chicken.

Picture Source

Lemon Ricotta Pie

I found this recipe HERE. I couldn't pin it in Pinterest so I decided to put it on this blog so I can use it later.

This is a low-carb, low-calorie version of a lemon ricotta Italian Easter pie. This is a crustless "pie", but is very similar in flavor and texture (minus the crust). Whole milk ricotta is preferred for this recipe. Part-skim can be used, but the pie comes out grainier and more crumbly.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole milk ricotta cheese (a 15-oz container works fine)
• 3 eggs
• Juice and grated zest of one medium lemon
• Sugar substitute to equal 2/3 cup of sugar - liquid preferred (see link below)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Dash of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Separate the eggs, and beat the whites until soft peaks form.

2. Combine the egg yolks and the rest of the ingredients. Taste to see if it's lemony enough, as some lemons are "dryer" and have less juice (average is about 3 tablespoons of juice for a medium lemon). You can add half a teaspoon of lemon extract, or more lemon juice to taste.

3. Fold egg whites into the mixture and spread in a well-buttered pie pan.

Bake until barely set in the middle (a toothpick will come out clean or almost so) about 25 minutes. Chill completely before serving; about 90 minutes.

Serve plain, or with a berry topping such as this strawberry topping or this berry syrup. Sugar-Free Lemon Curd also makes a good topping.

Nutritional Information: Each of 8 servings has 2 grams effective carbohydrate plus 8 grams protein, and 123 calories.

Maria's Popeye Cake

This recipe was published on the HCG Difference Facebook page. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm excited to give it a go!

Ingredients:

• 1 Box Chopped Spinach ~ squeezed dry
• 8 eggs (can substitute more egg whites if egg yolks cause stall)
• 3 Tbls Fat Free Cocoa
• 2/3 cup Almond Flour or ~ Coconut or Quinoa Flour for Phase 2 (VLCD)
• Stevia to taste
• Peppermint oil/extract, or other flavoring (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix spinach and eggs in bowl.
2. Mix Cocoa powder and Flour in separate bowl.
3. Combine dry ingredients with spinach and eggs mixture.
4. Add Stevia and Peppermint oil/extract (or other flavoring)
5. Bake in a 9x13 non-stick baking dish. (Lightly greased if Phase 3- Maintenance)
6. Bake at 300 degrees until firm to touch.
7. Cool and cut into small squares and refrigerate.

Phase 2 ~Approx 1/4th of a 9x13 pan is equivalent to 1 protein and a vegetable.
Phase 3 ~ can be used as breakfast bars or snacks. Great for traveling!

Clean Crunchy Apple and Cabbage Salad with Sweet Curry Dressing

I originally got this recipe from THIS site. We've eaten it enough and I've made a few changes so I thought I would add it to our own little blog. The version I am posting is double the original recipe because (I think) it's easier. This salad is perfect for picnics and potlucks. *People won't even know it's super healthy because they'll be distracted by how YUMMY it tastes!* Because this version of the salad is so large I like to make and eat it all week long. I also send it with my husband for lunches. (He loves it!)

Salad:

1 bag of Tri-Color Slaw

2 medium apples, julienned (a tart and crunchy apple like Braeburn or Granny Smith works best)

2 handfuls (1-2 cups) dried unsweetened cherries (I used dried cranberries because it's what I already had.)

8 oz bag of chopped pecans, toasted

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

2-3 cups shredded chicken (Cubed would work too.)

Pile all the ingredients into a bowl and hand toss it to mix.

Dressing:

1/2 cup cider vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

8 tbsp honey or agave nectar (depending on the sweetness you prefer)

6 tsp Dijon mustard

3 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

Mix the dressing and reserve. (You may or may not want to add ALL the dressing. You decide.) Pour dressing over the salad just before serving. Clean and absolutely DELICIOUS!

SPLIT PEA SOUP

My family LOVES this soup! I doubled it, and it was gone! Light, Healthy and guilt free!

1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced* (optional)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup split peas, rinsed and sorted
5 cups water
2 teaspoons good quality salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 bay leaf

Directions:
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. Add water and bring to a boil. Add split peas and
simmer until slit peas form a smooth soup. Add salt, bay leaf and basil. Simmer for 10
minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Variations:
Add 1/2 to 1 cup evaporated milk to finished soup.
Add chopped carrots and celery to soup with the seasonings and simmer until vegetables
are lightly cooked, but still crisp.
Add 1/2 cup brown rice to the boiling water first, then after 1/2 hour add split peas and
cook until peas are tender or form a smooth soup. Add seasonings and simmer for 10
minutes. (Note: The brown rice completes the protein of the legumes.)

Notes:
*A head or bulb of garlic usually contains about 10 cloves. 1 clove = 1 teaspoon chopped
garlic = 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder = 1/2 teaspoon garlic
flakes = 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic = 1/2 teaspoon garlic juice

TANGY PUMPKIN SEED SALAD

YIELD: 8 SERVINGS
PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 0 MINUTES

---

Details

Add some kick to your meals with this delicious side salad! The combination of lemon and Worcestershire sauce in the dressing will have your taste buds dancing while the healthy fats in this salad feed your skin to make it glow!

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml sea salt
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp / 5 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup / 120 ml best-quality olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 10 cups of the lettuce of your choice
• 1/3 cup / 90 ml toasted pumpkin seeds

Preparation

1. Rinse lettuce of your choice under cold water and set aside in a bowl.
2. In a small bowl, add minced garlic and salt.
3. Whisk lemon and Worcestershire sauce into the garlic.
4. Continue to whisk the dressing while slowly pouring the olive oil in a steady stream. Whisk until smooth.
5. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. Add pumpkin seeds to the lettuce then pour the dressing over top.
7. Toss the lettuce to coat with dressing and serve.

Tosca's Tip

The dressing for this salad is perfect for a Clean Caesar Salad! Tear two heads of romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces, add the dressing and toss to coat, then serve with fresh Parmesan cheese on top. Much healthier than a regular Caesar salad but with all of the flavor!

Nutritional Value for One Serving of Salad:

Calories: 120
Calories from Fat: 98
Total Fat: 10.9 g
Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
Total Carbs: 4.3 g
Fiber: 1.6 g
Protein: 3.86 g
Sodium: 56 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg

MOCK-A-MO LE

By Bethenny Frankel - AKA Skinny Girl
Makes about 1 1/2 cups (I doubled it for our family Thanksgiving gathering)
Hands-on time 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and mashed
• 1 cup green peas, cooked
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp chopped red onion
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp hot sauce
• Additional cilantro for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Using a hand-held blender, purée mixture until smooth.
2. Garnish with cilantro and serve with whole-grain crackers or raw vegetables.

NUTRIENTS per 1-tbsp serving:
CALORIES: 25
TOTAL FAT: 1.6 g
SAT. FAT: 0.25 g
CARBS: 2 g
FIBER: 1 g
SUGARS: 0.25 g
PROTEIN: 1 g
SODIUM: 9 mg
CHOLESTEROL: 0 mg

Tangy Pumpkin Seed Salad

YIELD: 8 SERVINGS
PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 0 MINUTES

---

Details

Add some kick to your meals with this delicious side salad! The combination of lemon and Worcestershire sauce in the dressing will have your taste buds dancing while the healthy fats in this salad feed your skin to make it glow!

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml sea salt
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp / 5 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup / 120 ml best-quality olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 10 cups of the lettuce of your choice
• 1/3 cup / 90 ml toasted pumpkin seeds

Preparation

1. Rinse lettuce of your choice under cold water and set aside in a bowl.
2. In a small bowl, add minced garlic and salt.
3. Whisk lemon and Worcestershire sauce into the garlic.
4. Continue to whisk the dressing while slowly pouring the olive oil in a steady stream. Whisk until smooth.
5. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. Add pumpkin seeds to the lettuce then pour the dressing over top.
7. Toss the lettuce to coat with dressing and serve.

Tosca's Tip

The dressing for this salad is perfect for a Clean Caesar Salad! Tear two heads of romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces, add the dressing and toss to coat, then serve with fresh parmesan cheese on top. Much healthier than a regular Caesar salad but with all of the flavor!

Nutritional Value for One Serving of Salad:

Calories: 120
Calories from Fat: 98
Total Fat: 10.9 g
Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
Total Carbs: 4.3 g
Fiber: 1.6 g
Protein: 3.86 g
Sodium: 56 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Brown Rice (its SOOOO yummy!)

My husband (Deland) grew up eating rice EVERY DAY. (He is Iranian after all.) And let me tell you I LOVE Iranian Style Rice. It is so yummy, buttery, and the crispy rice on the bottom of the pot is amazing! The problem is that I'm allergic to large amounts of butter. (It makes my butt bigger.) Plus I know brown rice is much healthier. So I did some research and came up with an amazing brown rice "recipe" that tastes different from the Iranian rice my husband and I love, but is equally yummy. (Deland eats it by itself.)

Enjoy! (And let me know what you think!)

INGREDIENTS:

• Brown Rice
• Beef Broth - Low Sodium
• Olive Oil
  
• Fresh Garlic - 3 or 4 cloves
  
• Dried, Whole Bay Leaves - 3 or 4
  
• Sea Salt - a dash
• Pepper - a dash
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Read the instructions on the bag.
   
2. Substitute beef broth for the water.
3. Substitute olive oil for the butter.
4. Add bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper to the broth.
5. When it comes to a boil, add the rice.
6. Just follow the directions on the bag from here.

Simple Salsa

I got this recipe from the book, "Your Best Body Now," By Tosca Reno. It really is yummy. I used it over Mexican Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin (from the same book) and served it with Brown Rice. But I can't wait to try it with pita chips!

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (19 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Serve with Mexican Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin, or over chicken with baked whole-grain tortilla or pita chips and a salad.

Tomato Basil {Personal} Pizza

We eat this on nights when we would normally eat out. It's quick, easy and OH SO YUMMY! I make cheese ones for the kids, and tomato basil for Daddy and Mommy. I hope you like these as much as we do!

Makes aprox. 4 pizzas

INGREDIENTS:

• Plumb Tomatoes; 2 or 3 (Sliced into rounds.)
• Fresh Basil - chopped (We like a Tbsp or two on each pizza)
  
• Whole Wheat Pita Bread
• Olive Oil or Coconut Oil - 5 or 6 Tbsp
  
• Fresh Garlic - 4 or 5 cloves
• Low Moisture Mozzarella Cheese (Grated)
• Optional: Grilled chicken
  

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

"Sauce:" In a microwave safe bowl, poor in you choice of oil. (Maybe 2 Tbsp. per pizza.) Peal your garlic cloves. Crush them over your bowl of oil and add all the garlic to the bowl. Heat the oil in the microwave for 30-40 seconds. You just need it warm. Then remove it from the microwave and crush the garlic a little more with a fork. (You want as much flavor as possible.) I add a dash of salt and pepper at this point too. That's it! You have your sauce!

Spread the sauce on your pita bread. Add just a sprinkle of cheese. Then add your tomatoes and basil. *Again, we like a lot of basil. You decide how much you want.* (If you want a little protein in your meal, add chicken.) Then top with more cheese. Thats it!

Cook for 8 minutes. We make 4 pizzas at a time on Papered Chef baking stone. You just want the cheese golden and bubbly. Then it's done!

Friday Night Chili

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground bison or turkey 1 large onion, chopped fine 3 stalks celery, chopped fine 1 carrot, peeled and grated 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 T EVOO 1T molasses 1 can navy beans 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can red kidney beans 3/4 c chicken stock 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cooked and mashed 1 T chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

heat 1 T of oil in skillet and brown meat.

Heat remaining oil and cook garlic, onion, carrot and celery until soft.

Add meat, chili, molasses, tomatoes and beans. Add chicken stock and mashed sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Number of Servings: 12

THIS RECIPE IS FROM THE BOOK, EAT CLEAN DIET FOR FAMILY AND KIDS, BUT I FOUND IT HERE.

Eat-Clean Egg Salad

SERVINGS: 1 cup of egg salad

DETAILS:

Egg Salad is the perfect school lunch! It’s hearty, tasty and takes no time at all to prepare. Trade the fatty, mayonnaise-laden version for this Eat-Clean recipe from my latest book, The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids! Make sure to pack it in a cooler.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup / 60 ml fat-free cottage cheese
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml skim milk
• 1 tsp / 5 ml mustard
• 4 hardboiled egg whites, diced
• 1 hardboiled yolk
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml chopped green onion
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml chopped celery
• Dash curry powder
• 1/4 tsp / 1 ml sea salt

PREPERATION: 

1. Whip cottage cheese and milk until smooth in medium-sized mixing bowl.
2. Blend remaining ingredients except egg whites with cottage cheese mixture.
3. Add diced egg whites to cottage cheese mixture. Mix well.

Yogurt Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 Quarts low-fat plain yogurt, dairy or soy based.

Method for yogurt cheese:

1. Place 4 layers of damp cheesecloth in a fine mesh sieve or colander. Place the colander over a bowl.

2. Add yogurt and let it drain overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Discard the water from the bowl.

What Next?

The result of the draining process will leave you with a soft, creamy cheese-like product. In fact, it is lower in calories than cream cheese but can be used in its place. It is also lower in lactose, highter in protein, and lower in sodium than cream cheese. The best part is that it is all nautral.

You now have a wonderful base into which you can mix just about anything, since yogurt cheese readily takes on the flavors of whatever you choose to mix it with. It is sinfully rich and makes you think you are eating something naughty – but you aren’t.

Turkey Waldorf Salad

Ingredients:

• ½ turkey breast, roasted and cooled, skin removed, cut into 1/2 “ cubes – aprox. 1 ½ lbs

• 4 Ribs celery, trimmed and chopped

• 1 cup cored and chopped red apple OR 1 cup nectarines

• 1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped

• ½ cup walnuts

• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1 cup yogurt cheese (you may need more depending on how big your turkey breast is)

• Juice of one fresh lemon

• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Place turkey, celery, apple, green onion, walnuts and cilantro in large salad bowl. Set aside.

2. In small mixing bowl, whisk yogurt cheese with lemon juice, sea salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad ingredients. Mix until dressing coats other ingredients. Chill.

Fabulous No Bake Protein Bars

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Oats

• 4 Scoops Protein Powder

• 2 Tbs Ground Flaxseed

• 1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter

• 1/2 Cup Water

• Optional: Almond Butter

• Optional: Ground Pecans

• Optional: Dark Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients together - Oats, Protein, and Flaxseed. (You can add about 1/2-1/3 of the chocolate chips to the patter at this point. Use your personal preference.)

2. Mix in Natural Peanut Butter, then Water

3. Mix well, will be clumpy and take awhile

4. Line 8x8 glass pan with aluminum foil, then use your hands to pack the mix into the pan.
   
   Optional:

5. Spread a light layer of almond butter over the top (I let mine set out a little while to be soft)

6. Sprinkle ground pecans over the top of the almond butter.

7. Melt about 1/3 of the (total) chocolate chips in the microwave. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of your bars.

Place into the freezer for 35 minutes
Cut into 3 sections of 3 - wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate.

Tips & Bonus Information

Ok, I totally played around with these until I found something that I preferred taste wise. I use BSN Banana Cream Protein Powder. You can use gluten free or pure whey, whatever works for you. I love the taste of banana with peanut butter, it gives it great flavor! Without the topping the nutritional value of mine (depends on your protein, etc) Calories - 192 Protein - 13.35g Sugar - 1.6g Total Fat - 8.6g Sat Fat - 1.6g

Yield: 9 Bars
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes chill time

P.S. I got the recipe from HERE.

Pumpkin Protein Shake

This is Planet Smoothie worthy! I am hocked on this now! Fresh and Light and can even help if you have a hunger for a treat, and much healthier!

Ingredients

• 1 Cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
• 1 scoop protein powder (vanilla)
• 1/2 cup canned organic pumpkin
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ice

Instructions

Put all ingredients in the blender and enjoy.

Spicy Taco Soup

Zesty soup with a little kick, perfect on a cold day. Vegetables can be added or taken away to fit personal tastes. Makes for great leftovers!

Ingredients

• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 16 oz. bag frozen corn kernels
• 1.5 lbs. ground turkey
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 15 oz. can black olives (sliced)
• 2 cans Rotel tomatoes with green chiles (or habaneros for some extra heat)
• 2 packs taco seasoning
• 2.5 C. water
• 1 pack dry ranch dressing mix (optional)
• 1 15 oz. can black beans (do not drain)
• 1 15 oz. can pinto beans (do not drain)

Instructions

In a soup pot, brown onions in oil until tender.
Add ground turkey and cook thoroughly.
Strain excess grease (to remove more fat, run under hot water).
Add turkey, onions, and all other ingredients to pot, and let simmer for 25 minutes.


For a more flavorful soup:

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and let simmer all day.
Replace 1C. Water with chicken or vegetable broth.

Tips & Bonus Information

Per Serving: Calories: 186.2 Total Fat: 10.6 g Cholesterol: 33.7 mg Sodium: 821.1 mg Total Carbs: 12.9 g Dietary Fiber: 1.6 g Protein: 9.8 g Make it Healthier: Buy all veggies fresh! It'll add some time to the cooking process, but you cut way back on the preservatives.

Yield: 12 Servings
Preparation Time: Approximately 30 minutes (to prepare and cook)