Farm Fresh Bean, Corn Tomato Trio

This is a must have staple for the summer, so easy to make and you don't feel guilty afterwards.  I have a garden plus love hitting up the local farmers market.  This is sooo simple and won't take long at all.

Ingredients:
4- Cups-Yellow and Green Beans
2- Med- Tomatoes
2- Ears - Corn
4-TBS - Of Your Favorite Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
Salt & Pepper to Taste





Directions:

Cook Beans in a large pot with water and 2-tsp of salt till tender,boil and cook approx 30 min. Cook corn in a large pot boil and cook approx  20 min.  Drain beans and corn and let cool.  Place beans in a large mixing bowl, take corn off the cob and place in bowl.  Slice up tomatoes into bite size pieces, add dressing salt and pepper and gently toss so not to break up the beans.  You can serve immediately or place in the fridge.

This is a great alternative to lettuce type salads and you can always play up this recipes with other types of veggies such as, squash, zucchini, spinach, potatoes etc.  Also if you want this to be your main dish, throw some lentils or black beans, garbanzo beans or cannellini beans!!!

This salad will keep great and you can make a bunch in advance and eat it all week.!!!
I Hope you enjoy this one, this is what I had for lunch!!

Nutritional Information:
Per serving est.
160 Calories, 22 Carbs, 7 Fat, 2 Protein

Stuffed Green Peppers

This is a favorite of mine!!!  Hope you enjoy
Stuffed Green Peppers, Yummy!!!  Now you can stuff them with what ever you like, I kept mine on the low carb side so I didn't use any rice.

Ingredients
2- large Green Peppers
1- Package of Boca Crumbles
2-TBS Garlic
5-Mushrooms chopped
5- Handfuls of Kale
Salt and Pepper
1-TBS olive oil
1 1/2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup veggie shreds ( faux cheese)

Directions

Cut Tops and hollow out both peppers and set aside.  In a pan add olive oil, Boca crumbles, garlic, mushrooms, kale and cover and simmer about 5 minutes (till kale is a little wilted).  Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another 5- 10 min.  Remove from heat, and stuff each pepper with mixture (you will have left overs).  Top each pepper with veggie shreds

Place in Oven at 400 degrees for about 10-15 min, remove and enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts: calories: 219, Fat: 5,Carbs:23, Fiber:8,Sugar:5, Protein: 24

Garlic - Tortilla Points

I wanted to share this right after putting up the Lasagna - Zucchini Style post, these go great with them.

These are super duper easy and many people already enjoy making homemade tortilla chips, I just added a little spin on them.

Ingredients:

6- flour tortilla shells
2- TBS Olive Oil
1- Brush
Garlic Salt - to taste
1-TBS Dried Italian Seasoning

 Pre-Heat oven 350' Place all 6 tortilla's on top of one another and cut in half and half again to make triangles, next place olive oil in a bowl, add Italian seasoning and mix together.  Place tortilla triangles on a oven pan and brush each tortilla triangle with the olive oil mixture.  lastly sprinkle each triangle with a shake of garlic salt.  Place in oven for 5-7 min or until about to turn brown.

Enjoy!

Alternative:
-Just add salt for authentic tortilla chips
-Just add Cinnamon sugar for dessert chips



I do not at this time have the nutritional info on this item.

Lasagna - Zucchini Style

Don't let the title of this fool you,  It is awesome.  I just made this last week and I know there are tons of variations of Vegan Lasagna but I thought I would share mine.  I had pictures of my masterpiece but broke my phone and lost my pics :(

Ingredients:

1- Zucchini (sliced long ways)

1/1/2 - Cups  Spaghetti Sauce (your choice)

1- Cup Veggie Shreds (Faux Cheese)

1- Onion Chopped or Minced

2-TBS - Garlic - minced

2 - Cups Boca Crumbles (you can also use Tofu)

5- Fresh Basil Leaves

5- Fresh Parsley Leaves

1-TBS Olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

1- TBS any dried Italian Seasoning

Pre-Heat oven to 350' Cut Zucchini Long ways and set aside.  Place olive oil in a skillet and heat to medium heat on stove, Add Onion, Boca Crumbles, Garlic, Parsley, Basil, Shake or Two of Salt & Pepper, and Dried Italian seasoning. Cook for about 7- 10 min and set aside.

Assembly of the Lasagna:
Next I used a casserole/meatloaf glass pan:  Place 1-2 table spoons of sauce on bottom of dish place zucchini slices (enough to cover bottom) add Boca Filling, cheese, sauce and repeat. until you have used up all of the zucchini, then top with Cheese. I like to sprinkle a little garlic salt on the top of the lasagna before I place it in the oven.

Place in oven cook 350' for about 20-30 min or until bubbly and slightly brown on top.

This recipe makes enough for 4 people

Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 207, Fat 5.5, Sat Fat 2, Carbs 17, Dietary Fiber 4.25, Protein 20, Sugar 16

Buffalo Tofu

Buffalo Tofu you say?  Don't knock it till you try it.  I used to love love a buffalo chicken sandwich and have been looking for a good alternative.  So here is what I came up with!
Ingredients:
-Extra Firm Tofu sliced long ways (slice 4 strips about 1/4 inch wide)
-1TBS olive oil
-3/4 cup bread crumbs
-Buffalo Sauce (of your choice) I love Franks)

Directions:

-Heat pan with olive oil
-cover each slice of tofu with the bread crumbs ( the water of the tofu should make the bread crumbs stick)
-Place tofu in pan and cook about 3-5 min on each side medium heat or until crisp and brown
-Remove the tofu from the pan and place on plate, drizzle as much or as little buffalo sauce that your mouth can handle.
Nutrition:
Total Calories 180, Total Fat 8.2g, Sat Fat 1.2g, carbs 13 g, dietary fiber 6g, protein 9g

Footnote:
I eat mine with out a bun
Alternatives:
-Use a low carb wrap to make a sandwich with some veggie cheese
-Use a nice toasted bun with veggie cheese
-Also if you have a hunkering for some ranch to go with your Buffalo Tofu, there are some great alternatives, I believe "Annie's" sells a vegan ranch dressing that is very tasty!
-If your not crazy about tofu any vegan burger would do as long as you have buffalo sauce, the possibilities are endless!!!
Enjoy:)
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Banana Ice Cream

Want a delicious and nutritious snack that not only you will love but so will the kids?  They will never know its good for them either and it is super simple.
Ingredients:
4- Bananas Peeled (just ripe or almost to ripe will work)
Cinnamon Sugar (optional)

Directions:
-Take 4 peeled bananas and cut each in half and freeze them for at least 2 hrs or longer.
-Once bananas are frozen remove from freezer and place in food processor, chop or grind until a smooth consistency.( I use a small food processor so I only do 2 halves at a time)
- Each frozen blended banana per person, so 4 bananas would yield for 4 people
-Lastly sprinkle the banana Ice Cream with cinnamon sugar ( my daughter thought of that one )

Enjoy!

There are so many variations to this recipe, I could go on and on, you can freeze strawberries as well and do a strawberry banana ice cream.  You could also add peanut butter to the banana mixture and have banana peanut butter ice cream.

nutrition facts
total calories 110, total fat 0.4 g, saturated fat .01g, potassium 450mg, carbs 30g, dietary fiber 3.1g,
sugars 15g