Black Bean Soup with Crispy Tortillas

vegetable oil, for frying tortillas
4 (6 inch) corn tortillas
dash or two of salt
1 onion, chopped about 1/4 inch
1 tsp ground cumin
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans (NOT drained!)
2-4 tbsp (to taste) fresh cilantro, chopped
black pepper (to taste)
lime juice (to taste)
4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 medium tomato, chopped

In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil over moderately high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Add the tortillas and fry, stirring occasionally, until crisp and lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. (Or you could do the easy thing, like me, and pull out your deep fryer!) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tortillas to paper towels to drain; season with salt. In a medium soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil used to fry the tortillas. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and their liquid and 1 1/2 cups of water. **Optional Step: You can blend one can of the soup, with its liquid, for a creamier, thicker soup. I like it this way, but you can just dump in both cans if you'd like.** Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a tortillas, cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro. Squeeze a little lime juice over the soup and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Calories 421
Fat 19g
Sodium 179mg
Carbs 43g
Fiber 14g
Protein 21g

Spicy Mexican Style Zucchini Casserole

(The first picture is how we ate this as a main dish the other night. The second picture is just the casserole which would also be really yummy as a side dish by itself.)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 medium summer squash, quartered and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup white/yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked according to package directions (or leftovers!)
1/2 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 Roma or plum tomato, diced
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 corn tortillas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add zucchini, squash, and onion. Cook about 10 minutes. Stir in seasonings and spices and cook about 1 minute. Mix in the rice, beans, tomato, and green chiles. Heat through. Transfer to an 8x8 baking dish and sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake about 15 minutes. (If you'd like you can broil for the last minute to get the cheese nice and light brown and bubbly). While casserole is baking, heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Warm tortillas, one at a time, until they begin to bubble. Then flip and do the same to the other side. When everything is finished, scoop casserole into tortillas and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

Calories 632
Fat 15g
Sodium 720mg
Carbs 44g
Fiber 5g
Protein 16g

Mexican Bean Stew

I had partial cans of assorted beans in my fridge and needed to find a way to use them. I found this recipe and just adjusted it to what I had on hand.

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 cup canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion becomes translucent. Stir in cumin. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, corn, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Calories 209
Fat 3.5g
Sodium 497mg
Carbs 37g
Fiber 9.5g
Protein 9.8g

Bean and Veggie Quesadilla

1/4 onion, chopped

1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 cup frozen corn
1 slice large tomato, chopped
garlic powder, to taste
lime juice, to taste
cilantro, to taste
1 Tortillaland flour tortilla, cooked according to package directions
1/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Saute onions and bell pepper in non-stick cooking spray over medium heat until onions are slightly brown. Add beans, corn, tomato, garlic powder, lime juice, and cilantro (if using dried; if fresh add later). Heat through. Spread cheese on half of tortilla. Top with beans and vegetable mixture. If using fresh cilantro, add now. Fold tortilla over and allow hot bean and veggie mixture to melt the cheese. Possible toppings: salsa or pico de gallo, low fat sour cream, avocado or guacamole.

Makes 1 serving.

Calories 321.4
Fat 9g
Sodium 346mg
Carbs 46.5g
Fiber 6g
Protein 15.4g

Albino Chili

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (remove seeds to decrease spiciness)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 tsp powdered cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
8 ounces cooked chicken breast, in small cubes
1/4 cup fresh or 2 tsp dried cilantro
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Saute onion and garlic in oil in pot until tender. Add jalapeno, chiles, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt, and saute another minute. Stir in chicken broth, beans, and chicken. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in cilantro and cheese and serve.

Makes 3 (1 1/3 cup) servings.

Calories 300
Fat 14
Sodium 1139mg
Carbs 19g
Fiber 4g
Protein 25g

Traditional Taco Soup

**I call it traditional because my mom makes this for the family every year on Halloween. We get back from a cold night of trick or treating and she has warm taco soup waiting for us. She's the best!**

1/2 package taco seasoning (I love the seasoning to be strong so I use the whole package) :)
1 (16 ounce) can pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
4 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, diced

Saute onions in a medium pot for about 5 minutes. Add beans, seasoning, onion, tomatoes, sauce and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve topped with cheese and avocado.

(Other additional toppings: sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, etc.)

**If you choose to add meat to this recipe, I have doubled the beans and omitted the beef. So saute 1/2 pound ground beef with the onions, use 8 ounces of beans, and you may or may not want to add a little extra tomato sauce.**

Makes about 6 servings.

Calories 259.5
Fat 11.5g
Sodium 850mg
Carbs 31g
Fiber 9g
Protein 11.5g

Awesome Bean and Veggie Enchiladas

1 medium onion, shopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (no sodium added)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 ounce) can Old El Paso Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, split
6 flour tortillas (I prefer to cook up Tortillaland tortillas)

Pre-heat over to 350. Saute onions and bell pepper over medium heat. When soft add tomatoes, corn, beans, and 1/2 of the enchiladas sauce. Heat through. Using half of the shredded cheese layer tortillas with a small amount of cheese and two large serving-sized spoonfuls bean and veggie mixture. Roll up and place in 8x8 pan. Repeat with 6 tortillas. You might have to squash the enchiladas together a bit to make room. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to lightly brown. Delicious plain or topped with salsa, sour cream, guacamole (although it all just adds calories and fat).

Must add, when I double this recipe, I usually do one can pinto and one can black beans. I also do one red and one green bell pepper. And I usually mix cheeses, mozzarella and cheddar. Just for fun. I like it that way. :)

Makes 6 servings.

Calories 432.6
Fat 17g
Sodium 807mg
Carbs 51.5g
Fiber 8g
Protein 19.5g

Spicy Stuffed Peppers

2 large red bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 (14.5) ounce can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles*
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes*
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces part skim mozzarella cheese, grated

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange peppers in a 9x9 inch baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes to vent and microwave on high for 4 minutes. In a medium saucepan combine tomatoes, green chiles, beans, corn, rice, and seasonings and simmer 3 minutes. Spoon mixture evenly into peppers. Top evenly with cheese and bake until cheese starts to bubble and brown. Top with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!!

*Increase or decrease these ingredients to increase or decrease spiciness.

Makes 4 servings.

Calories 288
Fat 5.5g
Sodium 621mg
Carbs 45g
Fiber 12.7g
Sugar 5g
Protein 17g

Veggie Quesadilla

1 TortillaLand uncooked flour tortilla (8-inch)
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
5 mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Saute mushrooms. When mushrooms begin to brown, add spinach and beans. Cook one side of tortilla on a griddle and remove. When spinach is wilted and beans are warm, put them on the cooked side of the tortilla. Sprinkle cheese and fold tortilla in half. Place back on griddle until cooked and flip. Serve with Lime Guacamole!!

Makes 1 serving.

Calories 295.5
Fat 9g
Sodium 370mg
Carbs 38g
Fiber 5.5g
Sugar 2g

Protein 17g

Black Bean and Avacado Salsa

1-15 ounce can corn, drained
1-15 ounce can black beans, drained
1-8 ounce can sliced olives, drained
1 cup fat free Italian dressing ( bottled or made from a mix)
3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced
2-3 avocados, diced
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, to taste

Mix everything together except for avocados & tomatoes. Chill for 2-3 hours. Add avocados & tomatoes just before serving. Serve with tortilla chips, pita bread, tortillas, or on salad.

Makes 12 servings.

Calories 148
Fat 7.5g
Sodium 500mg
Carbs 18g
Fiber 6.5g
Sugar 1.5g
Protein 4.5

Mexican Pita Pizza

1-6 inch whole wheat pita bread
1 tbsp spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, pizza sauce (whatever you have around)
2 tbsp diced green chiles
1/4 cup pinto or black beans
1/4 cup sliced and quartered zucchini
1 ounce grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer ingredients on pita bread. Cook until cheese is melted. This is very filling! You could use salsa instead of pizza sauce, or top with olives, meat, or any other veggies.

Makes 1 serving.

Calories 303
Fat 5g
Sodium 702mg
Carbs 52g
Fiber 10g
Protein 15g

Spicy Bean Dip

1-15 ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed (any beans work, pinto are just my favorite for this recipe)
1/4-1/2 cup water
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
a pinch of cumin
canned diced green chiles to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Blend beans with water until smooth. Start with 1/4 cup water and add more if it's too thick for your blender or food processor. Mix in the spices. Dip sliced assorted veggies. A lot of the time I'll dip lots of fresh veggies and some whole wheat pita bread triangles and call it a full meal. It's a good source of protein and fiber and is super filling!

Suggested dipping vegetables: broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, celery, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.

Makes 4-1/2 cup servings.

Calories 117
Fat 0.5g
Sodium 203mg
Carbs 22g
Fiber 7.5g
Sugar 0g
Protein 7g