Southwest Stew

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb boneless pork cut up into cubes
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 cup beef broth
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans

Brown your pork cubes in olive oil along with the garlic and onion. Put this in your crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.  Serve this with tortilla chips and garnish the stew with a dollop of sour cream.

 You can  sub beef or chicken for the pork

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

8 oz.  whole wheat fettuccine or your favorite pasta

2 T. olive oil

1 small eggplant, diced in large pieces

1 small onion, diced in large pieces

2 tomatoes, diced in large pieces

1 small zucchini, diced in large pieces

1 red bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (or more if you are like me and love it)

1/4 cup butter, room temp or melted

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

1/2 cup chopped basil

Dice vegetables into one inch pieces and place on a large cookie roll pan (Note: if you use a pan with deeper sides it will steam the produce while it's roasting; which is fine if you like it that way. Otherwise, a shallow pan keeps veggies more firm and crisp.) Toss with olive oil and roast or broil for at least 15 minutes or until skins are evenly blistered and charred, turning as needed. Remove from broiler and set aside.

While vegetables are roasting, boil water for pasta and cook al dente and drain. In the meantime, in another bowl, combine garlic, butter, lemon juice, parmesan, salt, and pepper. 

When vegetables and pasta are done, add to the large bowl with the garlic, butter, and parmesan sauce and toss well. Serve with additional parmesan and basil on top.

Bon appetit!

Basil Pesto

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in your VitaMix or food processor. Pulse gently to roughly chop ingredients. On low speed, continue to process and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until well blended. 

Tips: 

• For thicker pesto, reduce the amount of olive oil.

• Pesto freezes well. You can put it in small containers for an entire meal or freeze in ice cube trays for smaller requirements.

• Keep pesto covered prior to serving so it doesn't discolor (like guacamole). 

Uses: 

• Toss on pasta

• Serve on fish or chicken

• Add as a pizza topping

• Garnish appetizers

• Use as a dip

• Make it into a salad dressing!

Pesto Salad Dressing

1/4 - 1/2 cup homemade pesto (recipe above)

1 - 2 T. mayonnaise

juice of one lemon

Add mayo and lemon juice to pesto as desired. This isn't scientific, so just taste as you go. I like mine very lemony and creamy. 

If you freeze the pesto in ice cubes, you can make small batches of this dressing all winter! 

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Buttermilk Powder

1 T. dried parsley flakes

1 tsp. dill weed

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dried chives

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. pepper, ground 

Combine all ingredients either by hand or in a blender on low speed. Store in an airtight jar in a cool dry place until ready to use.

To make ranch dressing:  

Combine one tablespoon mix with one cup of mayonnaise and one cup milk.

To make ranch dip: 

Combine one tablespoon mix with one cup of mayonnaise and thin with just enough milk to make desired consistency.

For cooking recipes: 

Use one tablespoon mix per envelope of commercial Ranch Dressing.

Hint: For long term storage, seal in a vacuum pac such as a Food Saver or Seal-A-Meal bag.

Slow Cooker Low Cal Sesame Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans

½ t. sesame oil

½ t. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced on the diagonal

1 shallot, chopped (about ¼ cup)

½ t. garlic salt

2/3 t. sesame seeds, toasted*
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Remove the ends of the green beans and snap each into two or three bite-size pieces.

Place the oils in a slow cooker set on low. Add the garlic and shallots, topped by the green beans. Sprinkle all with garlic salt and sesame seeds. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours (or high for 2 hours), until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste just before serving.

Serves 2 large servings with 71.4 calories in each serving.

Low Fat Asian Linguine With Vegetables

2 ounces whole wheat linguine

1/4 cup chopped broccoli

1 t. sesame oil

1/4 cup Red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 Green onion, cut on the bias
2 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

1/3 cup Oriental salad dressing

Cook linguine in boiling water as directed on package with broccoli; drain and set aside. In the same pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the pepper and white parts of the onion (reserve the green parts) and stir fry for 2 – 3 minutes, until veggies start to soften. Mix in reserved linguine and broccoli and add salad dressing. To serve, top with slices of reserved green onion and basil leaves.

Dressing

2 cups water

2 T. brown sugar

3 t. dry pectin

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1 t. soy sauce

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. kosher salt

¼ t. black pepper

¼ t. paprika