Easiest Ever Black Bean Soup

I didn't have a lot of ingredients on hands, so I kept this really simple: diced tomatoes, black beans, garlic, and spices. It's an easy soup that is still full of flavor. If you're feeling fancy, top with some low-fat shredded cheese, and sliced green onion.

Easiest Ever Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 cans (14.5 ounce) black beans (with liquid- don't drain!)
1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Add the canned tomatoes to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
2. Heat a large non-stick soup pot over medium heat. Add all ingredients to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve!

Crock Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken

Ever since I bought a crock-pot, I never want to eat chicken any other way! It comes out so tender and falls right apart with a fork- no knife needed! The other great thing about crock-pots is you don't have to baby-sit your food -  just throw it in the pot and let it work it's magic.

I always recommend crock-pots to busy clients who want something quick and easy to make when they are prepping their meals for the work week. Here's another one of my favorite and super simple crock-pot recipes.

Crock Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken 

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast (2 large)
2/3 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)

Directions:

1. Place the chicken in the crock-pot. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour onto the chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours.

2. Remove chicken from the crock-pot and place on a plate. Pull apart with two forks. Add back to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve!

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread

I'm really not sure why loving pumpkin makes you a "basic bitch", but since I loved pumpkin way before it became cool, I'm excluding myself from that hashtag. Plus, this bread is far from basic. It's moist and pumpkin-y and perfect for fall.

 I used baked kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) for this recipe, but regular pumpkin should work fine (or even baked butternut squash). 

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 flax eggs (2 regular eggs works fine too!)
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup millet flour
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup baking stevia
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cooked kabocha squash
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk (or any milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. To make the flax eggs, mix the flax seed with 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Add the flax eggs and remaining ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (don't overmix!).
4. Add to a small loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Allow to cool, then cut into 8 pieces. Enjoy!

Macros per serving: 7.5 fat, 7 carbohydrates, 8 protein

Sauteed Mushrooms and Green Beans

There are so many ways to eat veggies, and it doesn't have to take a lot of preparation. I always stock my freezer with frozen steamer bags for days that I am super busy and don't have anything prepared. That wasn't the case today, but I wanted to add something to the mushrooms I started cooking. So I searched my freezer and pulled out a bag of green beans. Here's how it went down:

Sauteed Mushrooms and Green Beans

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) cartons of sliced white mushrooms
1 steamer bag green beans
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Sherry cooking wine

Directions:

1. Heat a non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 6-8 minutes

2. Meanwhile, follow package directions on the steamer bag of green beans. Once the mushrooms are soft and the green beans are steamed, add the green beans to the pan. Add garlic salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of sherry cooking wine to the pan and toss to combine. Cook for about 30 seconds more then remove from heat and serve!

Perfectly Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

If you're trying to add more veggies into your day, but don't enjoy them raw or steamed, I HIGHLY recommend that you try roasting them. Roasting gives vegetables a totally different texture and flavor. Unlike any other cooking method, roasting caramelizes the vegetable which gives it a naturally sweet flavor. And who doesn't like sweet?

Serve to any veggie skeptic and watch them change their mind.

Perfectly Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli
Sea salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Cut broccoli into florets, leaving about 3/4" of stem.
3. Coat a baking pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Add the broccoli and coat with cooking spray and salt and pepper to taste. Roast 25-30 minutes, or until tender and crisp.
4. Remove from pan and place in a large bowl. Add the cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and toss to combine. Serve while hot!

Serves: 1-2 veggie lovers