Halloween Tacos

When I saw these cute little tarantulas on Betty Crocker's website, I knew I had to perch them atop our favorite fish tacos.

Fish:
1 1/2 pounds of your favorite fish (we use mahi mahi or tilapia)
1 T olive oil
juice of 3 limes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin

Put the fish in a shallow dish. Combine oil, lime juice, garlic and cumin. Pour over fish and let marinate for 15 minutes, turning over occasionally. Cook on a hot grill or grill pan for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until fish is opaque all the way through. Flake with a fork and set aside until you build your tacos.

Fish Taco Sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream (we use reduced fat)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (we use reduced fat)
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients. Add more lime or cumin to taste.

To build tacos:
Tortillas (corn or flour) or Taco Shells
Fish
Fish Taco Sauce
Queso Fresco, crumbled
Fresh salsa or pico de gallo
shredded cabbage
cilantro
Limes for squeezing

We generally use corn or flour tortillas. Our girls requested hard shells tonight. If you are using tortillas, warm them on the grill.
Fill shells or tortillas with fish, then sauce, then cabbage, cheese, salsa and a sprig of cilantro.

Garnish with a spooky tarantula:

Jumbo Olives

For each spider, top taco with 1 olive, pitted end down. Cut second olive lengthwise into 8 pieces; place around olive for legs. For eyes, squeeze 2 dots of fish taco sauce onto top of olive (I spooned a little into a sandwich bag, snipped a tiny bit off the corner and used it to pipe the eyes).

"chips n salsa"

It's been a while, huh.

Remember this post?

The one about buns in the oven...
as in more than one bun...
no nuts....

Any of this a-ringin' a bell?

Salsa (l), Chips (r)

We welcomed our two little ones earlier this summer.

Since a lot of the conversation in this house revolves around food, it was fitting that our three year old nick-named them "chips" and "salsa".


Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Chips
4 (7-inch) flour tortillas
Cinnamon-sugar mixture (I like cinnamon, so I mix 1 T cinnamon into 1/2 cup sugar, use less cinnamon if you wish)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine sugar and cinnamon. Lightly brush the tortillas with water and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from oven and cool on the pan.

Fruit Salsa
2 cups chopped fruit:
we used a combination of peaches, kiwi, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries
1 t lime zest
2 t lime juice (you should be able to get enough juice and zest from one large lime)
1 tsp sugar

Combine all salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix gently.

Un-Fried French Fries

As I've mentioned, we try to eat healthy meals around here so that we can justify the indulgent treats. This is one of our favorite ways to eat something that tastes fattening, but isn't.

Un-Fried French Fries
adapted from In The Kitchen with Rosie
5 large baking potatoes (about 2 3/4 pounds total)
cooking spray
2 large egg whites
1 T Cajun seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice each potato length-wise into quarter-inch by quarter-inch fries (I have an attachment to my apple slicer that makes perfectly shaped fries).
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
Combine egg whites and Cajuns seasoning in a bowl. Add the potato sticks and toss to coat. Pour the coated potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer (I always make too many, so they are overlapping quite a bit).
Place the baking sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until fries are crispy, turning them every 8-10 minutes with a spatula so they crisp evenly.
Serve immediately.

Being from Utah, we like to serve these with "fry sauce". A simple version consists of equal parts mayonnaise (I use low fat) and ketchup. You can add a little pickle juice or relish. Sometimes we kick it up a notch with barbecue sauce, liquid smoke, chipotle powder or hot pepper sauce.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

My girls couldn't be convinced that these muffins were healthy.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 2/3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
  
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk (an easy substitute: put 1 1/2 T lemon juice or vinegar in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup. Add enough skim milk to make 1 1/2 cups)
  
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind (I needed almost 2 lemons worth)
  
• 2 large eggs or 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt or sour cream (optional: I often add a big spoonful to muffin recipes...makes them more moist)
  
• 2 cups blueberries (if using frozen blueberries, toss them with 2 T flour to keep the batter from turning purple)
  
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place oats in a food processor; pulse 5 to 6 times or until oats resemble coarse meal. Place in a large bowl.

3. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt to oats; stir well. Make a well in center of mixture.

4. Combine buttermilk, oil, zest and eggs. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist.

5. Toss berries with 2 tablespoons flour (you can omit the extra flour if your blueberries are fresh), and gently fold into batter. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle 2 tablespoons granulated sugar evenly over batter. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pans immediately; place on a wire rack.

Whole Wheat Waffles with Honey Cinnamon Syrup

Heaven knows I love brunch. But I really LOVE a brunch that I can feel good about serving my gals. We enjoy waffles a great deal, so we decided to whip up a batch with some fresh ground whole wheat flour. If you don't have a wheat grinder, store bought whole wheat flour should do just fine.

Whole Wheat Waffles
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
4 T oil
1 T honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

In a blender, blend the eggs, milk, oil and honey. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend well. Cook in a hot waffle iron.

Honey Cinnamon Syrup
1 cup honey
1/2 cup butter
1/2 t cinnamon

Heat honey and butter in a saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. Add Cinnamon. Stir well. Serve warm syrup over hot waffles.

Both the waffle and syrup recipes are from Wheat Cookin' Made Easy

Roasted Salmon with Zucchini and Nutty Couscous

Most evenings at my house go something like this: Starting at 5:00, I become a broken record. "Finish your homework and get the table set before your father gets home. Finish your homework and get the table set before your father gets home. Why isn't the table set? Whose socks are these in the pantry?"
We hear the garage door open and know we have approximately 15 seconds to get something more than a saggy diaper on the baby. The dinner that I hoped to serve by 6:00 starts to trickle to the table around 6:20. How is it that I have such a hard time getting four items to finish at the same time?

Well, tonight was the exception to the rule. Like the dinner of my dreams. I could hear the faint sound of Sam Beam as I worked quietly in the kitchen. Dinner was ready before the garage door opened. The table was set.

And surprise, surprise. All four of my daughters CLEANED THEIR PLATES. (I've mentioned that I have one daughter who is quite vocal in her hatred for any vegetable...only compliments from that girl!)

Roasted Salmon with Zucchini and Nutty Couscous
from Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine
(While I can't watch her, I like most of her recipes. This one was marketed as "dinner in twenty minutes" and it was surprisingly accurate!)

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup couscous
• Four 3/4-inch-thick skin-on salmon fillets (about 6 ounces each)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 4 lemon wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous; cover, remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil into a rimmed baking sheet or dish; arrange the salmon skin side down in a single layer. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 8 minutes for medium-rare (I cooked it a few more minutes.)

3. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini in an even layer across the pan; season with pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and sprinkle in half of the Parmesan, then flip the zucchini and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

4. Fluff the couscous with a fork, then stir in the almonds and the remaining 3 tablespoons parsley. Serve with the salmon, zucchini and lemon wedges.

Lime and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Basmati and Broccoli

This salmon dish was a refreshing oasis in a sea of heavy holiday meals.

And clean up was a snap as it all cooked in one skillet.

Adapted From Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons finely grated lime peel (I used about 4 limes total)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for sprinkling
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup sliced shallots (I got enough from one LARGE shallot)
1 1/2 cups basmati rice (9 to 10 ounces)
3 1/4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
4 5- to 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
1 bunch broccoli, bottom inch trimmed, stalks separated if necessary

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk lime juice, lime peel, honey, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and soy sauce in small bowl; set aside.
Heat oil in large deep ovenproof skillet or casserole (with lid) over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, then 3 1/4 cups broth; bring to boil. Cover skillet tightly with lid; place in oven and bake 10 minutes (rice will be almost cooked through and most of broth will be absorbed; mix in more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry).
Remove skillet from oven. Sprinkle rice lightly with salt. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper and arrange on rice, pressing in lightly. Tuck broccoli in around fish, with stems anchored in rice. Spoon 1 tablespoon lime mixture over each salmon fillet. Cover skillet tightly and return to oven; bake until salmon is just opaque in center and broccoli is crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle remaining lime mixture over fish and rice; sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro and serve from skillet.

Sinless Pancakes

Contrary to popular belief, I do not sit at home, eating home-baked treats all day. Oh, how I wish I could.

Ninety percent of my meals are pretty strictly healthy, and, dare I say, maybe even  boring. Watching what I eat quite closely, coupled with the 25-30 miles I run, helps me justify eating one to two indulgent treats each week. Oh, how I wish it was eight or nine.

This recipe is one of my secret weapons. I eat it almost every morning for breakfast. It was given to me by my ultra-fit sister-in-law. It tastes decadently "carb-y", but actually provides an average woman with 63% of her daily protein (just over 50% for a man). I can eat this right after a run and feel satiated until lunch time rolls around.

Heather's Cottage Cheese Pancakes
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup oats (I use "Old Fashioned Quaker Oats")
3 egg whites
2 packets Splenda (If you're opposed to artificial sweetener, use sugar. It will alter the calorie count)
Splash of Vanilla Extract (I use about 1 teaspoon)
Sprinkling of Cinnamon (about 1/2 teaspoon)
pinch of salt (my addition...I find it boosts the flavor a bit)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Cook on a hot griddle, sprayed with non-stick spray.

I think these are sweet enough to eat plain, but you can serve them with any syrup (sugar-free if you're watching your waistline), jam, or fresh fruit. I love to add blueberries to the batter (1/4 cup will only add 15 calories...plus some extra fiber and antioxidants). I've also experimented with flavor a little bit. When I'm feeling spunky, I add a pinch each of nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, and cloves and get gingerbread pancakes. 

This makes one serving. I usually get six average size pancakes out of one batch.

290 calories
4.5 g fat
0.5 g saturated fat
15 mg cholesterol
33 g carbs
4.7 g fiber
29 g protein

This is probably the only time I'll post nutritional info. With desserts, ignorance is bliss.

Favorite Whole Wheat Bread

This is my go-to bread recipe. I make it a couple of times a month. (I usually make four loaves at a time--it freezes well). My family loves this bread. My girls actually prefer it to store-bought white.

Do you have kids? That's saying a lot.

It could have something to do with the fact that they don't know it's whole wheat. We just call it "home-made".

Anyone who tells them differently is asking for it.

Whole Wheat Bread
from Whitney of Peacocks on My Porch fame
makes two loaves
3 cups warm water
1 T yeast
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
1 T salt
5 - 6 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Add oil, then honey (it slips out of the measuring cup easier this way), and salt. Slowly add flour until beater bar scrapes the sides of the bowl clean. Let dough mix for ten minutes. Let dough rise in bowl for 30 minutes (optional but I generally do it). Punch and divide dough into 2 loaves, shape and place in greased bread pans. Let loaves rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

The original recipe makes 4 loaves, but it kills my Kitchenaid, so I generally make this half batch twice. If you have a Bosch, double the above ingredients and make all four loaves. They'll get eaten.

Delicious eaten warm out of the oven with real butter and homemade jam.

Roasted Ginger Salmon with Mango Salsa

Another perfect summer recipe. I'd make the salsa just to eat with chips.
Roasted Gingered Salmon with Mango Salsa

(Serves 4)

4 center cut salmon fillets (6 oz each)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
Fresh grated ginger to taste (we used about 1 teaspoon)
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Rub salmon all over with lime juice, oil and brown sugar. Season with
ginger, salt and pepper. Let marinade for 30 minutes. Roast, skin side down,
on a foil-lined baking sheet in upper third of oven until fish is just
cooked through, about 12 minutes. Discard skin and serve with salsa.

Mango Salsa

(serves 4)

4 mangos, cubed
1 red onion, diced
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, or to taste
Salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes
before serving.

Zesty Black Bean Hummus

This is a tasty and healthy snack to have on hand for after-school munchies.

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drain and reserve 1/4 cup of liquid
1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini (can be found in most major supermarkets, generally in the "health food" aisle)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (start with 1/2 teaspoon, taste it after you process it and adjust the flavor)

Combine all ingredients in bowl of food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
Serve with assorted veggies (we love it on carrots), pita chips, or tortilla chips.

This will store well in the refrigerator for a week or so (ours has never made it uneaten past a week).

Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Salmon with Cowboy Potatoes

We tried a new salmon recipe tonight. It was delicious. The glaze is perfectly sweet and tangy. We've been making the potatoes forever and have added more and more veggies over the years.

Salmon
(Adapted slightly from Rachael Ray as the cyclist doesn't particularly like to read recipes. While I took number 3 to our neighbor/bishop/pediatrician for a quick ear infection diagnosis, Seth worked on dinner. I'll tell you how he made it because it was delicious.)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 T Dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
four (7 oz) salmon fillets

Preheat oven to 400. In small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice and 1/2 t pepper.
Heat large, ovenproof skillet over high heat. Pour in about 1/3 of the sauce and place fish skin side up in the skillet. Cook until a crisp brown crust forms, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, flip salmon and coat with remaining mustard mixture. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until the glaze caramelizes and fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes.


Cowboy Potatoes
Potatoes, quartered (sometimes we do red, sometimes russet)
Red onion, coarsely chopped
Baby Carrots
Whole mushrooms
olive oil
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix (dry)

Combine all veggies in large bowl. Coat with a couple tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with soup mix and stir to coat. Spread evenly onto large rimmed baking sheet. Cook at 450, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender on the inside and crisp on the outside, about 1 hour.

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes

Most of the things I make for brunch, I make simply because they look or sound decadent...with absolutely no concern for their nutritional make-up.
Going on a seven day cruise (and eating like a true cruiser) has changed my attitude, at least for this morning, maybe all week.

These pancakes taste delicious, and are made 100% with things you can pronounce. No preservatives, no enriched flour, nothing from a mix. I actually feel good about feeding these to my children. The batter whips up in under 5 minutes (and all in the blender, so your hands are free to cook up some homemade syrup). Pick up some wheat and keep it in your pantry. It will keep forever.
However, once you taste these, your wheat won't stay on the shelf long!


Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes
adapted from "Wheat Cookin' Made Easy"

3 cups milk
2 cups whole-wheat kernels
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup cooking oil
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar or honey

Place milk and wheat in blender and blend at high speed for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and process 1 minute more.
Cook pancakes on hot griddle, flipping once.

Serve hot with homemade syrup, fruit, or jam.

We served ours with a homemade raspberry syrup. While high in sugar, at least I knew exactly what was in it.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 vanilla bean (split and scrape out seeds)

Combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Add raspberries, vanilla seeds and pod. Cook 3 minutes more. Strain through a fine sieve. Return to pot and cook over medium heat until reduces by about half, about 10 minutes.
Any leftover syrup will store well in refrigerator.
We're eating it tomorrow night for dessert over some fat free frozen yogurt and bananas.

Orange Peanut Stir-Fry

My family loves this dish. My first born is anti-vegetable (and quite vocal about the issue), but she gobbles this right down...even the mushrooms. My second LOVES veggies and usually sneaks bites of this off her sister's plates.
The flavor combination in the sauce is fabulous, and it's quite healthy.
I don't know that it is technically a stir-fry, but that's what we've always called it.
You can add any protein you'd like. We usually add Yoshida's Salmon.

Peanut Sauce:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter* (can use low fat)
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (can substitute regular)
1/4 cup honey
2 t bottled minced garlic
2 t bottled fresh ginger
1-2 t crushed red pepper flakes (Dustin, remember t=TEAspoon)
zest of one orange (if you don't have a zester or microplane, use the smallest grater you have)
chopped peanuts

about 2 lbs of your favorite vegetables, chopped, sliced, or julienned (think matchsticks)
red onion
red, yellow, orange, or green peppers
broccoli
mushrooms
carrots
snow peas

Cooked noodles (I usually use spaghetti)

Combine sauce ingredients in large saute pan. Cook over low heat until peanut butter melts. Dump veggies in sauce. Stir and cover. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in cooked noodles. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

*Speaking of peanut butter, I'd like to thank Lindsey for the "spoonful of pb dipped in plain m&m's" tip. My hips, however, don't thank you.

Ginger Glazed Salmon

I won't get into all the terminology, but the cyclist is a vegetarian who eats milk, eggs, and fish. This has long been one of our favorite fish dishes.

Ginger-Glazed Salmon
4 (6 oz) salmon fillets (about 1-inch thick)
3/4 cup apricot-pineapple preserves
2 T fresh lime juice
1 1/2 T Dijon mustard
2 1/2 t bottled fresh ginger
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1 1/2 t soy sauce
1/4 t each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Place salmon in 13 by 9 inch pan, coated with cooking spray. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over fish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with fork. Serve extra sauce over rice or couscous.

Fresh Vegetable Risotto

Make sure you have all of your vegetables chopped and ready before you begin. Once you start, you (or your husband) will be stirring constantly for about 25-30 minutes; this is what makes the risotto so creamy.


1 T Olive Oil
2 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 C Arborio rice
3 cups vegetable broth or stock
2 C bite size fresh asparagus, broccoli, or a combination
3/4 C chopped tomato
1/4 C shredded carrot (about 1 small carrot)
3/4 C grated mozzarella cheese
3 T fresh grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
3 T snipped fresh basil, plus more for serving

Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic; cook until onion is tender. Stir in the rice. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the broth to boiling. Reduce heat. Slowly and carefully add 1 cup of the broth to the rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add 1/2 cup more broth and the asparagus or broccoli to the rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add 1 cup more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. (This should take about 12-15 minutes.)

Stir in remaining broth, the tomato and carrot. Cook and stir until rice is slightly creamy and just tender. Stir in mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil. Serve immediately.


4 Servings

Morgan's Chunky Marinara

This last Christmas, we received a very tasty present. A jar of homemade pasta sauce from my sister-in-law's sister, Morgan. She was generous and shared the recipe with me as well. It's the kind of sauce that makes your kitchen smell wonderful. And it tastes so good, it is hard to not eat it all straight out of the pot.

Thanks Morgan.

Morgan's Chunky Marinara

About 2 T Olive Oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more for seasoning

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, plus more for seasoning

2 (32 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

Sprig of fresh rosemary

In large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until onions are tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add celery, carrots, salt and pepper. Saute until all vegetables are soft, about 10 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and 1 whole branch of fresh rosemary (the leaves will mostly fall off on their own and you will remove the branch later). Simmer over low heat until sauce thickens a little, about 1 hour. Remove the bay leaves and rosemary branch. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.

Peach Salsa

I found some white peaches at the store, so I decided to make peach salsa. It was delicious on tortilla chips, but even better on the cyclists blackened halibut. (Halibut rubbed with fajita seasoning, cooked on the grill).

2 C chopped peaches (I needed two peaches)
1 1/2 C chopped tomatoes (I used 4 Romas)
1 C chopped red onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 T chopped cilantro
2 T olive oil
4 T lime juice (I used 3 limes)
3 tsp sugar

Combine peaches, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, green onion and cilantro. In separate bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice and sugar. Pour over peach mixture and stir gently to combine. Chill until ready to use.

Tortellini Soup

This is one of our favorite soups. I've been making it since we were newlyweds. The original recipe had more exact measurements, but over the years, I've simplified the amounts. It is really flavorful and super easy. You don't add many seasonings, they're all in the Italian tomatoes.


1 T. butter or margarine
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms (about 8 oz.)
1 clove garlic
1 can low sodium vegetable broth
1 (14-oz.) can Italian stewed tomatoes
3 cups fresh or frozen tortellini
10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I actually only use about half the box if I single the recipe—eyeball it)*

Melt margarine. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute for a couple minutes. Add broth, tomatoes (undrained) and 3 cups of water. Bring to boil. Add tortellini. Return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tortellini are cooked (about 5 minutes). Add spinach. Return to a boil. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

*If you can find a loose pack of frozen spinach (instead of a box), prep is even easier. No need to thaw and squeeze dry, just sprinkle in a few handfuls. (I'm sure fresh spinach would work as well.)

Black Bean Soup (Quick and Healthy)

3 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
12 oz vegetable broth
1 cup chunky salsa
1 tsp cumin
2 minced garlic cloves
1 small onion, diced
1 T olive oil
sour cream
chopped green onion
cheese

In blender or food processor, combine 2 cans of beans, broth, salsa and cumin. Blend until fairly smooth. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add blended bean mixture and third can of beans. Heat over medium heat until hot through. Serve soup garnished with sour cream, green onion, and cheese.
My girls (and the cyclist) loved this. We ate it with quesadillas made on "Rico" tortillas (the best).