Quick Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) finely chopped ham

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cans beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Place bean mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return soup to pan. Add remaining 1/2 can of beans to pan; cook 2 minutes. Stir in juice; set aside.

2. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ham to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Mix ham into soup. Garnish soup with sour cream and shredded cheese if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Minestrone Soup

In this recipe, the mix of fresh and canned veggies makes for a quick, but fresh tasting soup.

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 1/4 cup water

2 tsp vegetable bouillon granules

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, undrained

1 can (8 oz) kidney beans, undrained

1 can (8 oz) whole kernel corn, undrained

Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat all ingredients except cheese to boiling in a large

pot, breaking up tomatoes; reduce heat. Cover and

simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until

macaroni is tender. Serve with cheese. 6 servings

Falafel Pitas with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

Pack the cucumber-yogurt dressing in a separate container to serve with the sandwiches. The dressing is my favorite part of this recipe and I pile it on. You can substitute fresh baby spinach for the arugula, if you want to. Marc doesn't like me to make vegetarian meals because they aren't filling enough, but this is an exception.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, split
• 1 cup arugula
• 1/2 cup Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

Preparation

Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until well blended (mixture will be wet).

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon about 1/3 cup chickpea mixture per patty into pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Line each pita half with 1/4 cup arugula, add 1 patty to each pita half, and spoon 2 tablespoons Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing into each pita half.

CUCUMBER-YOGURT DRESSING

This makes more than you need for the pita recipe, but it keeps for a couple of days in the refrigerator. It's tasty drizzled over sliced tomatoes, or pack it in your lunch later in the week as a dip for carrot sticks.

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/2 cup diced seedless cucumber
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

Shrimp and Feta Linguine

This is a quick and yummy recipe, but still elegant.

6 oz uncooked linguine

1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups sliced plum tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes drained and rinsed

1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the shrimp, onion and garlic in oil for 3-5 minutes or until shrimp turns pink.

Add tomatoes, wine or broth, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper flakes.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain linguine; top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese.