Make Healthy Meals

2 lb. green beans, trimmed
1 small white onion, chopped
2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced in half
4 tsp. minced fresh oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 tbsp capers

Boil green beans in water until just slightly tender, no more than a couple minutes. Drain. Immerse in cold water to stop the cooking.

In a frying pan, combine olive oil, capers, tomatoes and onions. Cook for about one minute.

When ready to serve, reheat green beans, and combine with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper.

1 package dry pasta
1 can sliced black olives, drained
1 (6.5 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 red bell pepper, diced
salt, ground black pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in large bowl.

Toss pasta with olive oil, vinegar, pepper and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to toss. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Editor’s Note:

You can make this a bit fancier by adding in kalmata olives, either whole or sliced.

1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 diced tomatoes
1/2 cucumber, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a boil. Add the couscous and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Combine the olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar and cumin in a bowl large enough for all the other ingredients to eventually be added.

Drain, then rinse the black beans thoroughly.

Add the black beans, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, cilantro and garlic to the oil mixture. Stir with a spoon until all ingredients are coated.

Fluff the couscous with a fork, then add to the other bowl. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This dish can be served immediately or sit in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors mingle.

Editor’s Note:

If you want to add meat to this, chicken goes very well, but it’s quite excellent as a vegetarian dish. Washing the black beans ensures that they don’t turn the entire dish gray, which many find unappealing. Feta cheese crumbled over this is also a good addition.

You can also switch which beans you use, depending on what you have on hand.

Technorati Tags: couscous, black beans

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
dash lemon juice

Place olive oil, salt, lemon pepper, asparagus spears and lemon juice in frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes. Vary the cooking time by personal preference and thickness of asparagus stalks. Add garlic about 2-3 minutes before the asparagus is finished cooking.

Editor’s Note:

Nuts go well  in this. Slivered almonds or chopped cashews are personal favorites. Parmesan cheese also works well. You can also chop the asparagus into bite size pieces rather than stalks to make it easier to eat.

Don’t overcook the asparagus. This habit is why a lot of people think they don’t like asparagus. It should still be green and a little bit crispy, not soggy, when you’re done cooking.

Technorati Tags: asparagus recipes

2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans vegetable broth Read the rest of this entry »

1 can quartered artichoke hearts
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1-2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp Italian salad dressing
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (optional_

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small square baking ban, mix all ingredients until artichoke hearts are sufficiently breaded. Bake 20 minutes and serve.

Technorati Tags: artichoke hearts

1 can black beans
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2-1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve.

Editor’s note:

This also goes very well with mozzarella cheese as a topping.  Great with Mexican dishes.

Technorati Tags: black bean recipe

1 cup couscous
1-1/2 cup vegetable broth (chicken broth for non-vegetarian)
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste
dash balsamic vinegar
chopped bell peppers
cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional) Read the rest of this entry »

1 raw jicama, peeled and sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Editor’s Note:

This recipe is really refreshing for the summer. You can chill it for a while in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to mix a bit if you like.

Technorati Tags: jicama, salad, recipes

2 tbsp olive oil
1 diced onion
1 cup cracked wheat
1 egg, beaten
2 cups water
12 oz. seashell pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste Read the rest of this entry »