Black Bean Sliders

I believe anything mini is adorable, and food is no exception! I love these sliders, not only because they're miniature but they are packed with flavor and protein! These are great as appetizers and even as a main meal (just make bigger patties) You can really flavor these however you want, I love using fresh herbs and lots of jalapenos for a great kick! You can even make these ahead of time and freeze the patties for a later date. Try this out at your next cook out and everyone will love them!

Ingredients
- One 15oz can black beans
- 1/3 cup cooked wild rice
- 2 TBSP fresh chopped cilantro
- 3 TBSP chopped jalapeno
- 1 TSP fajita seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- Hawaiian rolls
- Cheddar cheese slices
- Tomato, pickles, lettuce

Directions
- Preheat oven to 400. Place half of the black beans, cilantro, jalapeno and fajita seasoning and pulse into a thick paste. Combine paste with rest of black beans and rice in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Make 2 inch patties with mixture. Lay on a parchment paper lined sheet and let rest in a fridge for an hour.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Cook patties 3-5 minutes each side or until golden brown crust forms.
- Transfer patties to a baking tray with cooking spray and bake for another 7-9 minutes. Cool patties for 15 minutes
- Place cooled patties on Hawaiian rolls and build with whatever toppings and condiments you like!

Serving size- makes 6-8 sliders

Resolution Lemonade

A new year is a great time for new beginnings.  This year, my hubby and I decided to be oh so cliché and decided we wanted to really ramp up our workouts, stick to eating healthier and "being good"; this latter part was more for him because if you know my husband, you know he plans his "cheat days" in advance.  HA!  Nonetheless, he wanted to give his metabolism a good jump start so we did a lot of research and decided that we (and by we, I mean he) was going to do the Blue Print three day juice cleanse.

If you haven't heard of the Blue Print Cleanse, check it out because it is legit!  We first heard of Blue Print through the avenues and back alleys of the world known as Twitter.  The cleanse consists of a 3 step process and it involves not only discipline but also mental strength to overcome your desire for food.  But let me tell you, these juices are nothing ordinary and are actually quite delicious!!!  

I liked the spicy lemonade so much that I decided to replicate it and have decided to share the recipe with y'all.  This particular juice is not only yummy but it also is proven to have a lot of great health benefits including helping your body burn fat tissue faster, metabolism booster, as well as other advantages.  Here's the recipe but if you want to know more about the cleanse itself, keep scrolling further down because I've written more about it.     

Ingredients:

12-14 oz filtered water

2 & 1/2 lemons

1-2 TBSP agave syrup

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1.  Juice the lemons to get about 2-3 oz of fresh lemon juice.

2.  In a tall glass or pitcher, add 12 ounces of water to the lemon juice.

3.  Stir in the cayenne pepper and agave.
4.  Add more water or agave if needed.  

5.  Place in the refrigerator and chill overnight.

6.  Drink up!
**Please note that this is not something I created but rather based it on the ingredients from the juices we purchased and there are many recipes for this particular drink already on the internet. 

For those of you who want to know about about the cleanse, here's how it works:

Step 1 - The 3 days leading up to the cleanse and drinking the juice, you start prepping your body by eating fruits, nuts, and raw veggies.  This included no dairy, caffeinated beverages such as sodas, coffee, etc and plenty of clear liquids.  My hubby decided he just wanted to go all in, skip this step (because he fasts often enough), and opted to have a "last supper" instead.

   

Step 2 - Days 4-6 is when you actually get to drink the juice.  You drink 6 bottles of the juice per day, one every 2 hours, for a total of 3 days.  If you order the juices through their website, the juices come pre-labeled as 1, 2, 3, etc. so that you have an order to drink it in.  We did enough research and bought the juices because it was going to be a cheaper option.

Step 3 - Days 7-9, your diet again consists of lots of fruits, nuts, raw veggies, liquids, no dairy, & nothing processed, etc.  Being a vegetarian, we added some quinoa for some healthy protein on these days because it can me made without adding any oil, dressing, etc. 

All in all, my hubby said he really didn't feel that hungry but it was more of a mental challenge. He ended up losing about 8 lbs in the 6 days (since he skipped the first 3) & would definitely consider doing it again.  So to all of you who choose to do a cleanse, g'luck and I hope this post has encouraged you if not helped you!   

  

Chora, Chora! - Indian Style Black Eyed Peas

As everyone knows, black eye peas at New Years are considered to be good luck and therefore, they are almost always cooked and eaten on New Year's Day.  This is also true in the Indian tradition…I love this style of black eye peas because they are not only delish but also because it's very healthy and good for you.  Cooking black eye peas using this recipe proves that healthy doesn't mean flavorless.  I do hope you try this recipe at home and share your thoughts with us.

Ingredients:

1 TBSP EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

4-5 leaves of curry, washed and dried

1/2 tsp anise seeds  

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 - 1 tsp turmeric

1 & 1/2 - 2 tsp cumin and coriander powder mixture

1.5 - 2 tsp crushed serrano pepper and ginger mixture (depending on how spicy you like your food)

1 roma tomato 

Roughly 9 oz or 3/4 of a 12 oz bag of frozen black eye peas 

Roughly 1/4 cup of water (maybe just a bit more)

Splash of lemon juice

1 - 1.5 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

Cilantro to garnish

Directions:

1.  In a pressure cooker, heat EVOO, over medium to low heat and add anise seeds.

2.  Once the seeds start to turn dark brown in color, add curry leaves, ginger & serrano pepper mixture. 

3.  Add tomato and cook for about 2 minutes.

4.  Mix in black eye peas, water, coriander & cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, turmeric, lemon, and sugar. 

5.  Taste the flavor of the water in the beans to make sure it tastes the way you like it (spice level, etc.)

6.  Cook for roughly 20 - 30 minutes in the pressure cooker.**

7.  Let the cooker cool down before attempting to open it. 

8.  Top beans with cilantro before serving.

9.  Enjoy!

**If you're using an "Indian style" pressure cooker, let the whistle ring 3 times.

Veggie Pastry Squares

Happy New year! I hope this year is full of laughter, happiness and lots of food! I made this recipe over the holidays when all my family came over and it was such a hit! I think anything you make with puff pastry will always be good, so this was a no brainer! You can really top it with anything you'd like, any of your favorite cheeses, veggies and herbs! These make awesome appetizers for any party! Try it out and let us know what you think!

Ingredients
- 1 package of frozen puff pastry- thawed
- 1 cups of sautéed veggies (I used mushrooms, tri-colored peppers)
- 1 cup yellow and red grape tomatoes- halved
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- After puff pastry has thawed, cut pastry into 5x5in squares.
- Sprinkle flour on a clean surface and roll puff pastry out until they are about 6.5x6.5in.
- Place pastries on a baking sheet, and top with a little cheese, veggies and tomatoes, leave 1/2in of space around the edges so toppings don't spew. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake pastries for approximately 15 minutes or until pastries are golden and puffy.
- Serve immediately.

- Serves 6-8 people.

Awesome Orange & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and enjoyed spending time with their loved ones as much as I did.  If your Christmas was anything like mine, you ate, ate, & then ate some more.  Today's recipe is one that I found in a cookbook my mom had hidden away at her home.  The recipe was quick and easy to make but the best part of it all is that it's almost vegan - ALMOST.  But it can easily be made into an all vegan recipe; matter of fact the recipe was for a vegan cookie, I just altered it a bit.  All that aside, it is an amazingly awesome cookie that tastes like a citrus chocolate burst as described by the hubs.  Try making them for your new years eve party or any party and share your thoughts with us!  After doing all this eating, can you guess what everyones new years resolution is in my house?!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp pure orange extract
1/3 cup soy or almond milk
1 TBSP maple syrup (I used light agave nectar)
2 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks (I used 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate but will use 1 cup next time)
Zest of 1/2 of an orange (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the oil, sugar, extracts, soy milk, & maple syrup.
3. Sift in flour, baking soda, & salt.
4. Stir in chocolate chips until evenly incorporated.  The dough will be VERY sticky!
5. Spoon tablespoon-sized portions of the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Flatten slightly and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom and baked all the way through.
7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. Enjoy!

Close up view of the cookies

 

Mexican Hot Chocolate

This is the perfect weather for hot chocolate! This recipe is a little different from your standard hot chocolate, Mexican hot chocolate uses cinnamon and cayenne pepper for a little kick! It sounds weird, but trust me it is so good! Try this with your family and friends this holiday with some yummy cookies!

Ingredients
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 2 cup fat free half and half
- 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 TSP ground cinnamon
- big pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions
- Heat milk and half and half over a gentle heat until hot. Add semi sweet chocolate chips and stir until completely melted.
- Add cinnamon and cayenne pepper and bring to a gentle boil.
- Pour hot chocolate through a sieve straight into mugs. Serve hot, and garnish with cinnamon sticks!

Serving size- 4

Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone had a great weekend and stayed warm.  This recipe is somewhat of a continuation of the recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago.  Try it at home and I hope it's as big of a hit in your place as it is at ours.

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. pack of mushrooms, sliced
2 cups fresh organic baby spinach
1/4 - 1/2 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp (maybe a bit more) EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Pinch Mexican oregano
Black pepper to taste
Corn tortillas (8-10)
Avocado Cream Sauce
Mexican blend cheese (roughly 1/4 - 1/2 cup)

Directions:
1.  Heat oil in a skillet, add black pepper, Mexican oregano, & mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium to low heat.
2.  Stir in spinach and continue to cook until it is wilted (eyeball it).
3.  Add orange bell pepper and poblano and cook for another minute.
4.  Remove mixture from heat and place to the side to cool down.
5.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6.  In a separate skillet, spray Pam, and lightly cook corn tortillas over medium to low heat for 15-30 seconds.
6.  Place corn tortilla flat in a plate, add a couple of spoonfuls of vegetable mixture in the middle, add a light amount of cheese (just enough to bind everything), roll the tortilla, and flip over to keep it closed.
7.  In a baking dish or pan, cover the bottom of the pan with Avocado Cream Sauce, and place tortillas side by side in a row.
8.  Add remaining sauce on top of the enchiladas, add light amount of cheese, and sprinkle red bell peppers on top.
9.  Cook in the oven until cheese has melted (roughly 10 minutes).
10.  Enjoy!