Roasted Corn, Potato and Poblano Chowder

• 4 ears corn, shucked
• 2 poblano peppers
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large russet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1  bunch cilantro, chopped (1/3 c for soup, rest for topping)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
•  juice of 1 lime
•  
• Toppings:  cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, diced tomatoes, diced jalapeno pepper, shredded cheese

Roast the corn and peppers over stovetop flame  or grill until corn is charred and peppers have blackened and blistered.  Place the peppers in a bag and let them steam for about 10 minutes. Peel the outer skin of the pepper, dice and set aside.  Cut the corn from the cob and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add diced onions. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring so garlic does not burn. Add the potatoes, spices and broth.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Add corn to the pot and cook for additional 2 minutes. Remove 1/3-1/2 of the soup and puree in a blender. Add pureed mixture back into the pot and stir to combine. Add peppers and beans and cook 2 minutes. Stir in cream, cilantro and lime juice. 

Note: if a thicker soup base is preferred, add a tablespoon of corn starch mixed with a tablespoon of water to the soup to thicken slightly. Also cheese can be added to thicken the soup. 

Serve hot with optional toppings.

Lasagna Spaghetti Squash

1 medium size spaghetti squash
1/2 onion, diced
8-16 oz mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
1 25 oz.  jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed chili pepper seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh Parmesan cheese
Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400*. Pierce  12-15  1/2” cuts with a sharp knife into squash. Pour 1-2 cups of water into instant pot and place squash on a cooking rack inside the pot. Place lid and seal. Select manual and set the timer for 15 minutes. Quick release when done. Remove squash and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

While squash is cooking, sauté chopped onions and mushroom until no liquid remains in the pan. Add sauce, garlic powder, pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Heat until hot and bubbly, then reduce heat and simmer until squash is done.

Slice squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and place on a baking pan. Shred the squash with a fork. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spread half of the ricotta mixture over 1/2 of the squash. Top with generous amount of sauce mixture and top with 1/2 of the remaining mozzarella cheese. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly toasted.

Serve with garlic bread and salad. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup (Electric pressure cooker)

3 - 15 oz black beans, drained/rinsed (can substitute other types of beans for combination of beans)
1 - 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 - 15 oz can corn, drained/rinsed (the equivalent of fresh or frozen corn can be used)
4 C vegetable broth (can use chicken broth if preferred)
1 C dried red lentils (see note)
2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced seeds (remove seed for less heat)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced

Spices (add after cooking)
1 tsp-1tbsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 C chopped cilantro

Toppings: sour cream, green onion, tortilla strips, chopped cilantro

Pour all ingredients except the spices into the pot. Lock lid to seal and set timer to cook for 7 minutes.  After the cooking process, let pot release naturally for about 5 minutes and then quick release.  Stir in the spices and cilantro and serve. 

Note: Red lentils become soft and dissolve in the pressure cooker adding a thickness to the liquid.  Lentils make the soup very creamy without having to add cream.  When cooking dried beans/peas in the electric cooker, it's best to add the salt after cooking because the salt makes the peas tough and they don't cook well.

Cinnamon Pecans

16 oz. pecans
1 egg white
1/2 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add the egg white to bowl and whisk until bubbly - about 15 secs. Add the vanilla, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Whisk together until blended and creamy. Add the pecans and fold over with a rubber spatula until all the pecans are coated.

Coat a 9x13" baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray. Spread the pecans into a single layer and bake for 20 minutes, turning the pecans halfway through the baking time. Spread onto foil and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

*This recipe calls for regular sugar, but I substituted and equal amount of Splenda and added vanilla for extra flavor. These are great addition as a salad topping!

Strawberry Pretzel Salad (lower calorie/fat version)

2 cups crushed pretzels (whole wheat if you can fine them)
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine (I used a part canola heart healthy type)
3 tbsp Splenda
1 (8-oz) package non-fat or low-fat cream cheese
3/4 C Splenda
1 (8-oz) container whipped topping
1 (6-oz) box sugar-free strawberry or raspberry jello gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 (10-oz) packages frozen strawberries
Whipped topping to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make the crust, combine pretzels, melted butter/margarine and Splenda. Press the mixture into a 9x13 in. pan and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

Combine cream cheese and Splenda in a bowl until creamy. Fold in whipped cream and spread evenly over the crust. Refrigerate until well chilled.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water. Allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pour over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until gelatin is set.

Serve with whipped topping garnish, if desired.

The original recipe called for regular butter, sugar, full fat cream cheese and regular gelatin. I substituted lower fat and sugar-free alternatives.

Chicken Carbonara

1-2 lb chicken, cooked and cubed
4 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped into pieces
1 lb pasta (I usually use whole grain linguini, rigatoni or rotini)
1-2 jars alfredo sauce (I use the light alfredo sauce)
2-3 cups chopped broccoli
salt/pepper to taste
grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta and broccoli together in a pot. Drain and return to the pot. Add cooked chicken, cooked bacon, salt and pepper, and sauce. Stir and heat until the sauce is hot and bubbly.

I haven't found a good tasting lower calorie/fat alfredo recipe yet, so for now I use a commercial sauce. This recipe is an easy anytime recipe and it tastes even better as a leftover. Turkey could easily be substituted for the chicken.

Shrimp Tacos

Shrimp, cooked breaded (or unbreaded if you prefer)

Corn tortillas

Shredded cabbage

Sauce (recipe below)

Pico de gallo (recipe below)

Lime slices

Prepare shrimp as directed on the package. I heated mine up in the toaster oven and they came out perfect. In the middle of a corn tortilla, spread some of the sauce and add the shrimp. Top with cabbage and pico de gallo. Squeeze a lime over the taco and enjoy!! This was a very easy and tasty dinner! It would be a great summertime meal too with a fruit salad on the side. Substitute fish for a yummy fish taco!

Sauce

4 tbsp mayo ( I used canola mayo)

3-4 tbsp sour cream

juice of 1/2 lime

Pico de Gallo

4 tomatoes

1 jalepeno

1/4 onion

cilantro (we like cilantro so I use a lot - about 1 cup)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

juice of 1/2 lime

garlic clove or 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Pulse the ingredients together in a food processor or chop by hand if you like chunkier pico.