Eat Comfy, Go Lightly

This is my absolute favorite recipe for chili.  It's so filling, so healthy, and I promise you won't miss the meat!

Portobello mushrooms, cashews (sounds strange, but they're great in this!) and amazing spices make this chili stand out.  The beans and cashews add protein, iron and zinc.  It's a complete meal all by itself, but it's great with cornbread (whole -wheat cornbread recipe below) or some brown rice.  It's perfect for a cold night -- especially a cold super bowl Sunday night!  Have fun! Portobello Mushroom Vegetarian Chili 1 yellow onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 red pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cerrano (or other mild… continue reading the BEST vegetarian chili. | 2 Comments

I know I have been MIA for a while but life got kinda crazy for a while--between starting a new job right and dealing with all the craziness that comes with the holidays, I didn't have that much time to blog. But life, has hopefully settled down once again and I should be back to regularly blogging. To end 2009 with a bang, I decided my last blog entry of the year should end with some spice--zippy shrimp tacos! These shrimp tacos have just the right amount of heat to light up all the taste buds in your mouth. Shrimp Marinade 1 pound shrimp, peeled with tails removed and butterflied11/2 teaspoons chili powder1 teaspoon paprikaPinch of cayenne pepper… continue reading zippy shrimp tacos! | 2 Comments

Ever since The New York Times told me that pumpkin seeds are one of The 11 Best Foods [I'm Not] Eating, I've been trying to work them into my diet.  They have a ton of magnesium and B vitamins, and also have anti-inflammatory properties.  They're great on salads and they make a really easy snack that's packed with protein - 9 grams in every 1/4 cup serving!  

Anyway, enough about how healthy pepitas are.  Yes, they're healthy, but on their own they're not all that much fun.  This recipe changes that.  These pepitas are a perfect party snack - or anytime snack.  But if you are making them for a party, be sure to make 2 batches -… continue reading put some pep in your pepita. | 6 Comments

Tudy and I are definitely on some sort of fall-cooking kick.  Each time we talk about what we're cooking, the conversation eventually comes back to pumpkin-this or butternut squash-that.  I've also been on a Mexican food kick for the past day, which is why I decided that these butternut squash and sweet potato quesadillas were very necessary. These are so good - there's no oil in the recipe, and I really don't think you'll miss it.  I roasted the squash and sweet potato to bring out the flavor (and fyi - you get so much healthy vitamin A in this dish), and seasoned everything with spicy cayenne, jalapeño peppers, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Yes, even though this is a savory dish, nutmeg and… continue reading roasted butternut squash and sweet potato quesadillas. | 6 Comments

As I mentioned in my previous post it can be hard to put a healthy, tasty meal on the table in a short amount of time. Well one of my favorite recipes when I am in a rush is  chicken fajitas because everything can be made in 20 minutes.  Chicken fajitas are packed with a good source of lean protein and a diverse set of vitamins from the peppers, onions and guacamole. What I love even more about these fajitas is that they satisfy my junk food craving even though I am eating something truly good for me! Chicken Fajitas (makes 6 soft tacos) 12