Chicken and Lentil Soup

This delicious, hearty lentil soup made with chicken, cilantro, cumin and spices is perfect for warming your belly on those cold winter nights. What's more, it's easy to make, economical and very satisfying.

I was in the mood for this last night so I thought it would be a great time to update the photos. I've slightly modified the original recipe which I posted back in 2009, but the results are just as good.

I've been making this soup for years, my family loves it – including my four year old (to my surprise)! It makes a big pot which means plenty of leftovers for lunch. It freezes well and can be reheated with a little water if it gets too thick.

Lentils were actually the first legumes I liked as a kid. My mom would me a similar soup with carrots and celery and since I was picky – she usually pureed mine. I love preparing them because they cook so much quicker than dried beans, and a small amount goes a long way. They are high in protein, Vitamin B, folate and soluble fiber and have twice as much iron as other legumes. You can easily cut this recipe in half or freeze left-overs for lunch which is what I like to do. Chicken breast would work in place of thighs if you prefer white meat. Ground annato (also known as achiote) is commonly used in Latin cuisine, it's used mostly to add color and adds a subtle flavor, but if you can't find it paprika would work instead.

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Southwestern Black Bean Salad

I love making this colorful, salad when the weather warms, it makes enough to feed a crowd and makes a great side dish or appetizer if served with chips. It's also great as a topping for taco salads or served with grilled meat and fresh tortillas.

And BONUS, this salad is low in saturated fat and loaded with antioxidants. A perfect summer side dish for grilled meat, fish or chicken. It's best when you use sweet fresh roasted corn, but if corn is not in season, frozen, thawed corn will work just fine in it's place.

 

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Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

One bite of this spicy black bean burger with spicy chipotle mayo and creamy avocado and you won't miss the meat! Yes, these were good enough to please even the adult carnivore's in my home (a bit too spicy for my kids).

Make no mistake, I love meat, but I also think it's good to give it up at least once a week, so why give Meatless Mondays a shot? Pretty inexpensive to make and really not hard to make. The hardest part is forming them into patties, and even that isn't so bad.

These cook best if frozen so plan to make them ahead and cook as needed. You can even double the batch to keep them on hand whenever you need them.

To store them in your freezer, freeze them on wax paper until they set, about 2 hours, then transfer them into containers. I keep all my homemade burgers labeled in Glad Freezerware containers which can withstand extreme temperatures without cracking. Labeling them keeps them organized so when I have backyard BBQs, I have something to please every palate. Also perfect for once a month cooking!

Vegetarian, High in Fiber, and Gluten Free if using GF oats (excluding the bun). I highly recommend making them exactly as written, don't change a thing!


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Jamaican Red Beans and Rice

Coconut milk, thyme, scallions and scotch bonnet peppers give this rice dish an island flair! The perfect side dish to Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken, or enjoy this as a meatless main dish with a simple avocado and tomato salad on the side. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free!

Rice and beans are a staple in most Latin and Caribbean countries because they are  inexpensive and nutritious. Beans are an excellent source of fiber, protein and complex carbohydrates.

The rice is not spicy since the pepper is cooked whole for added flavor and is discarded before it's finished. Of course, if you want a spicy rice dish, you could chop the scotch bonnet and add it to the rice, but be warned, it will be hot!

You can easily make half the recipe for less servings, but sometimes using a half a can of coconut milk could be such a waste, so I find it easier to make more and save the rest for leftovers.


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Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice

A fried rice dish made with brown rice, shrimp and pineapple. A wonderful combination of savory, sweet and spicy.

Penang in Soho used to be one of my favorite places to eat, when they closed down I was so upset. They had the best roti canai appetizer and a pineapple fried rice which they served in a hollowed out pineapple. That was the inspiration for this dish. If you rather not go through the extra work of hollowing out a pineapple, you could simply serve this in a dish. I had my friends over for dinner and they were really impressed with this flavors and presentation of this dish. My husband however thought the serving sizes should be larger, so if you're feeding hungry men, you may want to make extra. The ladies were perfectly happy with this, and it left room for dessert!


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Fiesta Lime Rice

 

Rice, black beans, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice, every bite of this colorful side dish will feel like one big fiesta in your mouth! Use leftover rice and this side dish comes together in minutes.

I think my love of rice is innate having a Hispanic mother. This dish started as the filling for a vegetarian stuffed pepper recipe I dreamed up in my head, but when I put all the stuffing ingredients together all I kept thinking was... Wow this would be wonderful as is, or with some Chicken Ropa Vieja and melted cheese on top, or as a big burrito bowl topped with Sweet Barbacoa Pork or Barbacoa Beef or Pork Carnitas! You see excited a bowl of rice can make me!

So I decided to make this a two part recipe. Today I will post this as a side dish and let you decide how you want to eat it. Tomorrow stuffed peppers!!

There is always leftover rice in my house, my kids love it and leftovers make great lunches mixed with whatever we had for dinner the night before. If you don't have any cooked rice you can cook about 1 cup rice with salt and 2 cups of water to make enough rice for this. I heated the corn and the beans in the microwave a few seconds to make sure everything was hot before I served it. My family fights me on brown rice so I always make white, but brown rice would be wonderful as well.

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Arroz Congri (Cuban Rice and Black Beans)

The aroma that fills your kitchen while cooking this Cuban rice dish will make you want to pump up the salsa music and grab a mojito!

Rice and black beans cook together in this flavorful dish, which gives the rice it's black color. In addition it's cooked with peppers, onions, garlic, cumin and bay leaf. Not only is the dish delicious, it's also high in fiber, protein, anti-oxidants, it's low fat, vegan, and gluten-free. Win win!!

This is very filling thanks to the beans. You cans enjoy this as a vegetarian main dish with a salad, or great as a side dish with steak, chicken or pork. Try this with Chicken Sabroso or Slow Cooked Pernil, you won't be sorry!

I ate this with an avocado papaya salad (recipe coming) and I was thoroughly satisfied, I didn't miss the meat!

White rice is typically used in this dish, I've never had it with brown rice but I'm sure it would be delicious for those of you who prefer brown - you may have to adjust the liquid and cooking time. You can of course use your own cooked beans from dried beans if you prefer not to used canned. This recipe does not recommend you drain the beans, the liquid is what gives the rice the black color. For those of you who must drain the beans, be sure to fill the can back with water so it won't be too dry.

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White Northern Beans with Aji Verde Sauce

Beans are high in complex carbohydrates, protein and dietary fiber, low in fat, calories and completely cholesterol-free. Eating as little as a half a cup of beans a day can be beneficial in reaching your dietary needs. These beans were a hit with my family, all that was leftover was this little bit shown here over rice, topped with aji verde sauce.

This past weekend my little girl turned one! It's hard to believe a year has gone by, it seems like just yesterday she was a born, and now she's a happy one year old, talking, singing, eating real food, and almost walking!

We had a small family gathering to celebrate her birthday, and I went with a Peruvian theme. We had Peruvian chicken with aji verde sauce, rice, avocados and beans. Sounds good? It was and everyone loved it!

Making beans are an economical way to make a lot of food without spending too much. A pound of dry beans makes about 6 cups cooked and usually costs around a dollar. I always make my beans in my pressure cooker because it cuts the cooking time in half. 

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Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas with Ham

Low fat southern style black eye peas with ham, made in your crock pot! It's really a bean rather than a pea, and an excellent source of calcium, folate, vitamin A and fiber. A perfect recipe for that leftover ham bone, but a ham steak would work great too. These have a mildly spicy flavor, you can adjust the heat to your taste. I served this over brown rice but this would also be great to eat as a soup.

I get a lot of requests for crock pot recipes, so I decided to experiment with dry beans in my slow cooker. I was prepared to call it a loss if they didn't turn out good. Boy was I was pleasantly surprised! The beans cooked to perfection and this couldn't be easier. I'm excited to make some of my other dry bean recipes in the crock pot now that I know how good they came out. Crock pot recipes tend to need more seasoning, I found seasoning the beans the last hour of cooking allowed for maximum flavor.

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White Bean Crostini

Crostinis are fun little bite sized appetizers which are little slices of toasted baguettes topped with whatever your heart desires. I like this healthy White Bean Topping drizzled with a little balsamic. You can make these ahead of time, the bread will store for a few days in an air-tight container. The white bean spread can be refrigerated a few days. This recipe can easily be doubled.

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Scallion Cilantro Rice with Habaneros and Lime

I made this rice with Spicy Garlic Shrimp for dinner tonight and my husband told me he loved me. I guess it's true, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach! The garlic shrimp will post tomorrow but this rice would also be great with Crock Pot Sante Fe Chicken, Chicken Taco Chili or Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops to name a few.

Scallion Cilantro Rice with Habaneros and Lime
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Size: 3/4 cup • Calories: 192 • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 5 pts

• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 habanero pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups water
• 2 scallions, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

In a small heavy pot add oil and saute pepper on medium heat. Add rice, water and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce flame to low and cover about 15 minutes. Shut off stove and keep covered an additional 5 minute.

In a medium bowl, combine chopped scallions, cilantro, lime juice, rice and toss until completely mixed. Makes approx 3 cups.

Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish usually made with Arborio rice. It can be a little time consuming but it's worth it. This is a dish that will impress guests. I used Baby Bella mushrooms, but you can use crimini, portobello, porcini or a combination of all three.

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Arroz Con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas)

I've gotten requests to add more latin recipes to my site which for me is never a problem since I LOVE latin food! Arroz Con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas) is a Puerto Rican dish popular in the Carribean. The pigeon peas are loaded with fiber which makes this a healthy side if cooked right.

This is a lighter version of my cousin's recipe, who makes the best arroz con gandules I know! The most important part of this dish is in the seasoning. Your liquids should have lots of flavor and should taste slightly salty before adding the rice, otherwise it will taste a bit bland.


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Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice

They say spicy food makes you eat less and speeds up your metabolism. I'm not sure how true that is, but I do like some spice in my food once in a while and I feel satisfied with smaller portions. I made this with brown rice, which has more fiber, therefore keeps you full longer and a nice firm texture for fried rice. Every bite of this rice, is loaded with shrimp and a little bit of heat!

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Rice with Spinach

Sauteed spinach combined with rice makes a delicious side dish I just can't get enough of!

This is one of those side dishes I make when I need to go shopping and don't have much left in my refrigerator. I always keep frozen spinach on hand for emergencies.

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Chick Pea and Roasted Pepper Dip

This healthy dip is easy to make and taste great with crudites such as cucumbers, peppers, zucchini and celery. You can substitute jarred roasted peppers if you wish but freshly roasted peppers are best. Chick peas are high in dietary fiber, protein, folate and zinc.

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Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice

 
I am a huge fan of the rice at Chipotle's. Here is my copycat version, it tastes just like the real thing. Of course, I used less oil. Makes a wonderful side dish for chicken, beef or pork.

Make your own burrito bowl, with my quick black bean recipe, barbacoa beef, sweet barbacoa pork, pork carnitas, chicken ropa vieja.

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Quinoa "Fried Rice"

Quinoa males a great alternative to rice. This quick dish was put together in minutes using leftover quinoa made earlier in the week. Quinoa expands to double it's size when cooking, leftovers can refrigerated to use throughout the week.

Enjoy this as an ovo-vegetarian main dish, or would be a great side dish with grilled chicken or shrimp.

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Quinoa Risotto

Combining cooked quinoa and some leftover homemade sauce like filetto di pomodoro you can make a quick, easy meal in minutes. This risotto uses quinoa in place of rice and is delicious! Much quicker to make than traditional risotto and loaded with protein, minerals and amino acids.


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Basic Quinoa Recipe

 
Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is a protein packed ancient seed from South America, similar to the texture of brown rice when cooked with a nutty flavor. It contains all 9 essential amino acids, lysine, phosphorous, copper, iron and magnesium and it is easy to make. It's not truly a grain, it's actually a relative of spinach.

It is recommended that you soak and rinse the seeds well before cooking. Once cooked the seeds expand about 4 times their original size, so 1 cup of uncooked quinoa seeds yields approximately 4 cups cooked quinoa. Preparation is simple, 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water or broth and is done in about 15 minutes.

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