Strawberry Banana Smoothie

My daughter made this smoothie for our family this morning for breakfast... DELICIOUS! One of the best smoothies we've had.

10 frozen strawberries
1 banana
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 Tbs sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cubes ice

In a blender, combine all the ingredients; blend until smooth and creamy.

**If using fresh strawberries, make sure to hull first, and add more ice.
***We are going to try using Splenda instead of sugar next time, to make it a little more healthy.
****Variation, we just made this with blueberries instead of strawberries and banana. Also delicious! Use a large pile of frozen blueberries and a little extra milk. :)

Mexican Rice Soup

2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 lb Velveeta cheese, diced
2 cups cooked rice

Combine soup, broth, onion, tomatoes and green chilies, and cheese. Heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. Add rice. Heat through. Serve hot.

***The original recipe calls for a couple cups of cooked chicken, but we left it out and it tasted really good.

Black Bean Soup

I made this for dinner tonight and we really liked it when served with tortilla chips. We kind of ate it like a dip. I think I'd also consider serving it topped with shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Black Bean Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
4 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or 3 cans, drained and rinsed)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp groud cayenne
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Add broth, beans, thyme, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the soup has thickened, about 45 minutes.

Puree soup in the pot with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, and return to the pot. Reheat if necessary.

Ladle soup in bowls and garnish with parsley.

The original recipe says to serve 1/3 cup dry sherry on the side and add a splash to each bowl, if desired. Needless to say, we didn't do that. lol

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup flour
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 small hot or jalapeno pepper, minced (I used jalapeno)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium red pepper, diced
2 cups cooked or canned black beans, mashed (I used cooked)
1/2 cup corn niblets
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp parsley, minced (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. On a small plate, set aside flour for coating. In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic, oregano, and hot peppers in oil on medium-high heat until the onions are translucent. Add the peppers and sauté another 2 minutes, until pepper is tender. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mash the black beans with a potato masher or fork. Stir in the vegetables (including the corn), breadcrumbs, cumin, salt, chili powder, and parsley. Mix well. Divide and shape into 6 patties.

3. Lay down each patty in flour, coating each side. Cook on a lightly oiled frying pan on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes or until browned on both sides.

Makes 6 patties.

***These are very filling! I served them on whole wheat hamburger buns, topped with lettuce and a little salsa. I didn't think they were especially spicy the way I made them, but then that was probably a good thing because my girls don't like spicy as much as I do. ;)