Barbecued Lentils

Easy, and loaded with fiber, this is a great take-along for a vegetarian potluck or picnic.

2 tbl olive oil
1 medium chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp mustard powder
4 cps vegetable broth
1 large can Muir Glen Crushed Tomatoes 16 oz
3 tbl balsamic vinegar
2 tbl Dijon mustard
2 tbl nectar or honey (withhold for vegans)
1 tbl dried thyme
1 tbl dried marjoram
1 tbl celery salt
1 pound dry lentils, soaked in water overnight (if you don't soak, double the cooking time)
1 can black or kidney beans
4 cps fresh spinach
Ground black pepper and additional salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and spices and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute; do not brown garlic.

Add everything else but the beans, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, but intact, about 15 minutes. (Lentil cooking times vary, so if needed, add an additional ¼ cup water and simmer for 5 minutes longer if lentils are not tender. Note that you don't want a finished product of a runny soup, but more a thick lentil chowder). Add the beans and spinach to finish off. Season with salt and pepper.
Lentil Factoid: Lentils are very high in folic acid. One cup of cooked lentils provides 90 percent of the daily recommended intake for adults.

Black Bean & Mushroom Tortillas

Saute a handful of mushrooms in 1 tbl olive oil and a dash of salt. When the mushrooms are ready, add 1 cup of rinsed black beans, and 1/2 cup of salsa to warm the mixture through. Fill one side of a whole wheat tortilla with the mixture, and spread 1-2 tbls hummus on the other side. Rollup and munch. Delish! No pic, because I ate it up so quick!

Quick Snack! Sliced Ripe Tomatoes with Avocado (add Balsalmic)

The title says it all. Just slice and drizzle. (Tip: 1/4 Avocado and a 3" Tomato = 105 calories).

Easy Pancake Breakfast

*2 pancakes (4" diameter), 1 tbsp Syrup, 1 cup of halved Fresh Strawberries, and handful of Toasted Walnuts. Add 1 Yoplait Light yogurt, and you've got a good balanced breakfast (Tip: 574 calories). *To make things easier, you can now buy a variety of pre-made pancakes and warm them in the microwave for 1 minute.

To toast any kind of nuts: Turn on your oven's Broiler. Line a small cookie sheet with some Aluminum Foil (do NOT spray or grease the foil, the nuts themselves will take care of it). Crush the nuts, and scatter on the cookie sheet. Place under the broiler, and WATCH carefully for 2-3 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY, the minute you do, you'll forget, and the nuts will burn like THAT! Taking the extra time to toast your nuts is well worth it, the extra nutty flavors brought out by the heat are delicious.

Quick Snack! Blueberries and Sunflower Seeds

1/2 cup fresh blueberries, sprinkled with 2/3 oz salted sunflower seeds. (Tip: 150 calories)