Yogurt with Nuts, Raisins, Agave, Bananas

Serves: 1

Ingredients
1/2 cup Homemade Yogurt (If unavailable, use any plain yogurt without preservatives)
Agave Syrup, to taste
1 medium-sized Banana, sliced
1/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
1/3 cup Raisins
Optional* Pinch of Kesar/Elaichi (Pinch of Saffron/Cardamom)


Preparation
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and enjoy! Be sure to only add a pinch of Saffron/Cardamom if using.

Quinoa & Roasted Red Pepper Burgers

Another favorite from the Oprah Magazine. I left out eggs in my recipe and they patties still came out great!

Serves 4 with accompanying dish
Ingredients:
1 cup of quinoa (Cooking: Use 1 cup quinoa, 1.25 cups water. Combine in a pot, let it come to a simmer, then turn heat low)
3 red peppers, chopped
3 small red onions, chopped
salt and black pepper to season
240g of original feta cheese
baby spinach leaves
8 small whole wheat buns
12 cherry tomatoes
6 garlic clove, chopped finely
3 teaspoon of brown sugar
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Olive Oil
Avocado (optional)
Ranch Dressing (optional)

Method
1. Cook the quinoa and set aside.
2. Now preheat the over to 350 degrees on Roast. Place chopped onion & red pepper in an over dish, sprinkle with olive oil and roast until soft.
3. Next, do the same thing with the chopped tomatoes & garlic (which should be topped with a splash of balsamic vinegar and some brown sugar).
4. Once the onions & bellpeppers are soft, mix them with the quinoa and feta cheese. I did not use eggs (which it orginally calls for in this recipe). Instead, I put 3/4 cup of the mix into my Vitamix and processed on the lowest setting until slightly "mushed." Repeat until you have done this for all of the mixture. Add salt and black pepper, to taste. Now you can form them into 8 equally sized patties.
5. Spray an iron skilled with some olive oil. Place the patty on the pan and spray a little bit more olive oil. Cook on the lowest heat setting until brown. Now turn it over and do the same on the other side.
6. You are now ready to put your burger together! Place the burger patty on one side of your whole wheat bun, top with some spinach leaves, the tomato/garlic mixure, some avocado (optional) and some dressing (Ranch or Thousand Island both tasted fantastic!)

Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

This dish is a gem I found in the Oprah Magazine and was a hit with my entire family! I have just made one minor change in encouraging the use of organic, minimal ingredient whole wheat tortillas. I also added my recipe for a-mazing black beans to accompany the dish, and topped our tacos with avocado!!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Soft Yellow Tortillas (Organic with minimal ingredients)

1 cup Black Beans, cooked

1 Yellow Onion, diced

1 Poblano Pepper (or Green Bellpepper), chopped

2-3 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 cups Oaxaca or Monterey Jack Cheese

Chipotle Sauce (recipe follows)

Salsa or Pico De Gallo

1 medium sized Orange Sweet Potato, diced in 1/2 inch cubes

Olive Oil

Salt, Black Pepper

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a cast iron skillet (or other heavy ovenproof skillet), saute onion & poblano chili/green pepper. Cook until lightly caramelized. Stir in garlic and salt. 

2. On the side, mix the sweet potato, some olive oil and salt. Cook this in a separate iron skillet until tender. Then add to ingredients in step #1.
3. Place the skillet in the oven (make sure it is overproof!) and cook on ROAST for 15 minutes. Once out of the oven, stir in the black beans and black pepper. 

Tortillas dorado is a Meixcan style of taco that involves toasting cheese-topped tortillas in a skillet before serving. Here's how you prepare the tortillas: Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Brush 1 side of the tortilla lightly with oil and place oil side down in pan. Scatter a generous spoonful of cheese over center of tortilla and cook until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is lightly golden on the bottom side. The tortilla should still be flexible. Place on a place and repeat the same way for as many tortillas as you would like to eat! When finished, lightly oil a piece of foil and use it to cover tortillas.

Once the tortillas are ready - top each one with the sweet potato mixture, some avocado (optional) and a drizzle of the chipotle sauce. Add salsa/pico de gallo if desired.

[Chipotle Sauce: Blend together the following ingredients until smooth - 7oz chipotles in adobo sauce, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, juice of 1 lime and salt).

* Black Beans: For additional flavor, try the following when cooking the black beans - add 1/2 tsp cumin, salt (to taste), 2 cloves finely diced garlic and approximately 1 tbsp jalapeno juice (from store-bought jar of jalapenos).