MFP Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

I still use this blog! It's an easy way for me to find old favorites and share recipes. :) So I'm adding this one bc I make it all the time and wanted it to be typed up in neater fashion than my current chicken scratch paper! lol! Hope some of you can enjoy this recipe too! xoxo, B


Ingredients:

• 2 sweet medium potatoes
• 2 cans black beans (drain & rinse)
• fresh spinach, chopped up
• salsa (optional)
• 1-2 cans mild red enchilada sauce
• shredded cheddar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Peel & dice sweet potato (I microwave mine after I peel it to soften it up too)
• Mix the diced sweet potato, chopped spinach & black beans all together. 
• Season the mixture with cumin, garlic powder, s&p to your liking (add in the salsa if using)
• Divide mixture evenly between tortillas & add a little shredded cheese (half corn/ half flour kind work well)
• Place roll ups seam down, in a pan and pour enchilada sauce over them. Top with more shredded cheese.
• Bake until heated through and cheese is melted about 20 min.

Enjoy! These enchiladas are also in My Fitness Pal for easy tracking (if you're into that kinda thing ;))!

Roasted Veggies

Easy roasted veggies --

Roasted Okra – Toss w/ olive oil, salt, pepper. Roast in oven at 425 for 15-25 minutes depending on how crispy you prefer. 

Roasted Carrots -- they taste like sweet potato fries! Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper.  Roast in oven at 425 for 20 minutes or so.  (Baby carrots work good great too)

Roasted Asparagus -- Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  425 for about 15-20 minutes

(All were good and a different way to eat them.  Sam and Seth aren't big carrot fans (they are Scott's favorite though) and they will eat them like this.)

Vegetarian Enchilada Bake

Found this recipe on Taste of Home website (via Pinterest :) I tweaked original recipe slightly). Made it tonight and wished I had doubled it! This was healthy, easy & we loved it--I will definitely make it again!

Ingredients:
1 C shredded zucchini
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp olive oil
minced garlic
3/4C frozen corn
3/4C black beans (rinsed & drained)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cumin
3/4C salsa
fresh chopped cilantro
corn tortillas
shredded cheddar
sour cream (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, saute zucchini, bell pepper, & onion until soft. Add garlic & seasonings (use more or less of those seasonings to your liking). Add corn, beans, salsa, cilantro & mix together.
2. Place corn tortillas on the bottom of your baking dish (coated with cooking spray). Spread 2/3C vegetable mixture; sprinkle with cheese, repeat layers twice.
3. Bake, uncovered @ 350degrees for 20-25minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Let stand for 10minutes before serving.

Veggie Delight

Again, this is probably a no brainer, but sometimes it's just the idea or being able to actually remember what I did that helps me! :)

A friend of mine got me hooked on the Veggie Delight sandwich at Subway--I never thought I'd like it, but now that's about all I order.

To make my own at home I now use those whole wheat sandwich thins (those things are awesome)! On my sandwich I like to put: spinach leaves, sliced bell pepper, alfalfa sprouts, avocado & pepperocini's. I have also discovered this wonderful dressing, (I went and looked at the bottle so when I run out I can reference it here) it's called Creamy Vidalia Onion Vinegarette and it actually seems quasi healthy. Anyway, it tastes great and I always put a little of this dressing on my sandwich.

I vary up my sandwich by what veggies I have at home of course. Sometimes I add cucumber, sometimes I add black olives. But overall you would be amazed how great a total vegetable sandwich can taste!

O.k. enough of that. I think I'll go have another bite of Reese Cup Candy now. ;)

Spinach, Mushroom Lasagna

Yeah! A healthy recipe that is easy & yummy! (So easy, I hope none of you will be insulted that I am posting this as a "recipe"! :))

Ingredients:

bag of fresh spinach leaves

fresh mushrooms (baby bellas or other small button type mushroom)

lasagna noodles (I use the oven ready kind to cut down on time)

shredded mozzarella cheese

shredded parmesan

1-2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (or make your own)

minced garlic

olive oil

Directions: Preheat oven to 350

1. Saute spinach leaves in olive oil & minced garlic until leaves are cooked down & softened; transfer spinach to a bowl.

2. Saute mushrooms in same pan, again in olive oil or butter; season mushrooms with s&p and some garlic salt. Saute mushrooms until they are softened and then transfer them into the bowl with the spinch--mix together.

3. In a lasagna dish coated with cooking spray begin to layer--spaghetti sauce, lasagna noodles, a little more spaghetti sauce, mushroom/spinach mixture, cheeses (alternating mozz & parm to your liking), then repeat the layering--noodles, sauce, mushrooms/spinach, cheese, etc. until you have used up all your ingredients--finishing with sauce & cheese to top it off.

4. Bake in oven for about an hour or so until ready.

Enjoy!

Noodle, Asparagus & Walnut Stir-Fry

I found this recipe in a Rachael Ray magazine and thought it sounded good--I made it the other night and I really enjoyed it...of course I made it on a night when it was mainly just me eating--in other words, I haven't really tested it on the whole family to determine if it is kid & husband friendly; my guess is that it may not be! :} But I definitely liked it enough to make it again for myself, so I thought I would post it!


Ingredients:
1/4 C sesame oil
2-1/2 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS soy sauce
1-1/2 TBS finely chopped garlic
1-1/2 TBS finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (I used less, b/c I didn't want it really spicy)
1/4 lb vermicelli or capellini pasta (angel hair)
1 C walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 lb asparagus, cut on an angle into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb sugar snap peas, halved

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons sesame oil, the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper.
2. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil over high heat. Add the onion and asparagus and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar snap peas and the sesame oil sauce; cook for 1 minute over high heat. Lower the heat to medium, add the pasta and cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 minutes. Top with the walnuts.

*I also topped mine off with a little sea salt & along with the walnuts I sprinkled mine with a little cheese...I can't remember if I used Feta or Parmesan, but it was really good!

Sherried Tomato Soup

This is another recipe from www.thepioneerwoman.com.
(Here is the direct link to the soup)

I made this tonight and although it wasn't cold outside, it was yummy and warm. We had french bread and salad with it and enough for lots of leftovers this week!

Sherried Tomato Soup

6 tablespoons melted butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
2 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 to 3 Tablespoons chicken base (I didn't even know what this was, but it is right next to the chicken bouillon cubes at the store. I used 2 T.)
3 to 6 Tablespoons sugar (I used 5 T.)
Pinch of salt
Black Pepper
1 cup cooking sherry (I used about 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
chopped fresh basil (I used dried)

Saute diced onions in butter until transluscent.

Add canned tomatoes; stir.

Add tomato juice, sugar, pinch of salt, and black pepper, and chicken base and stir. Bring to a near boil, then turn off heat.

Add in sherry and cream and stir.

Add in parsley and basil to taste, adjust other seasoning, and serve with yummy, crusty bread.