- FF Spanish Patatas
- FF Asian Roasted Asparagus
- FF Slow Cooked Green Beans & Tomatoes
- FF Fiesta Bean Salad
- FF Fruity Smoothie
- FF Vegie Mashed Potatoes
- FF Spicy Teriyaki Mashed Potatoes
- FF Taco Dip (see 'Notes' section for 'Vegie Taco Dip' version)
- FF Taco Rice
- FF Guacamole (not for the FF vegan diet)
- LF Baked Potato & Mushroom Saute
- LF Roasted Veggie Salad
- LF Salad Tacos
RECIPES
FF Taco Rice
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup Instant Brown Rice
- 1 1/2 cup FF vegetable broth
- Onion - small dice - qty to taste (I love a lot - like 1 cup)
- Jalapeno - fresh - small dice/mince
- Tomatoes - fresh - small dice
- Cilantro - minced (to taste - I like a lot because it gives the dish a fresh herby taste)
- 1 pkg Smart Ground Beef (there is a Spanish/Mexican version but I like to control the spices so I use the plain)
- 1 cup salsa (any kind) - pureed (there's no problem with using it chunky but you may want to decrease the diced onions, jalapenos and cilantro if its included in the salsa)
- 3-6 ounces Tomato paste - at least 3 ounces but you could use more if you want a more tomato-y sauce
- 1/2 cup Vegetable broth
- 1 packet Taco Seasoning
Instructions:
- Make the rice by boiling the vegetable broth and then adding the rice - stir, cover, lower heat to low for 5 minutes - take off heat and move aside with lid on (you can fluff it before adding the sauce)
- Dry saute the vegetable 'meat' until warm - breaking down the crumbles as you go (I cut up the package when I'm adding it to the pan)
- Add onions and jalapenos - blend with broken down crumbles
- Add salsa, tomato paste and vegetable broth blending it well into the mixture
- Once well combined and warmed, add cilantro and fresh tomatoes - fold into mixture
- Fluff rice in its pot and then add the entire sauce mixture (it won't be too saucy) - fold all ingredients together well
- Serve and eat!
Notes:
- For an added depth to this dish you can top with Fiesta Dip (see recipe list)
- If you're able to eat healthy fat you can add guacamole (see my recipe below)
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FF Guacamole
Ingredients:
- 4 ripe Avocados
- 1 cup Salsa (any kind but it should include cilantro and onions)
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Lemon or Lime Juice - fresh is always best
- 1-2 sprigs of Cilantro
- Pinch Sea Salt
- Cracked Pepper
Instructions:
- Dice avocados in their skin (do it on a cutting board if you're not comfortable doing this in the palm of your hand - you need to know your knife!)
- Dump avocado pieces into a serving bowl
- Add remaining ingredients and mix together with avocado with a fork using a smashing technique loosely (you want some chunks in there but not too big so be sure to dice small (1/2"))
- Push one of the avocado seeds to the bottom of the bowl and make sure its covered
- Top with cilantro sprigs
- Serve and eat!
FF Spanish Patatas
Ingredients:
- Potatoes - Yukon Gold or Russet - cubed to your preference (I like smaller - 1/2 to 3/4" dice)
- Onions - any type - diced (I like a fine dice but any size is good)
- Garlic - minced or smashed/chopped
- Cilantro - finely chopped
- Tomato Paste - 1-2 tablespoons (I like the flavor of 2 Tbsp)
- Vegetable Broth - FF - enough to cover the potatoes
- Garlic Powder
- Tomatoes - fresh and diced (or you can buy a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chillies/jalapeno/habanero - depends on how hot you want it)
- Jalapeno - fresh and fine dice (omit if using Ro-Tel with chillies)
- Cumin - just a pinch (optional)
- Hot sauce - to taste
Instructions:
- Dry saute garlic, onions and jalapenos until there is a little translucence around the edges - move the vegies around quickly so as not to burn
- Add tomatoes and tomato paste - mix well with other ingredients
- Add potatoes and broth - enough to completely cover the potatoes
- Add all the other ingredients - mix well and bring to a boil
- Decrease the heat to low and cover
- Cook until potato cubes are done in the middle - 15 to 20 minutes for 1-1.5" cubes, 25-35 for larger cubes
- Turn off heat and uncover to stir the potatoes to be sure the liquid is completely absorbed (it's ok if there's a little moisture left - it will cook out in the next step)
- Pour potatoes into a hot fry pan to dry fry them - allowing them to get a little crispy around the edges
- Serve and eat!
- To make this faster you can use a fresh made salsa with tomatoes, jalapenos, onions and cilantro
FF Asian Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
- Asparagus - 2 bunches of pencil thin stalks, trimmed at bottom
- Soy Sauce - low sodium
- Garlic powder
- Sea Salt
- Cracked Pepper
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- Line baking pan with foil
- Lay stalks landscape position spreading them out as much as possible (okay that they will be in layers)
- Sprinkle soy sauce over stalks
- Sprinkle sea salt over stalks
- Crack pepper over stalks
- Roast in oven for 25 minutes (longer if stalks are thicker)
- Let cool in pan for 5 minutes or so and EAT!
- Parts of the asparagus will be carmelized with the soy sauce - what a treat!!
- I used this as the base of my FF Asian Cream of Asparagus Soup recipe - you basically just need to puree the asparagus, add soy or almond milk to thin somewhat (to taste, that is), adjust seasoning, if necessary and EAT!
FF Slow Cooked Green Beans & Tomatoes
Ingredients:
- Green Beans - as fresh as you can get them (I like to use the smaller, thinner haricort vert)
- Garlic - thinly sliced
- Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes with Jalapenos
- Vegetable Broth (with no fat added)
- Tomato Paste
- Onions - sweet or red - long diced (to taste - I like a lot)
- Garlic Powder
- Dry Saute garlic and onions (quickly so as not to burn)
- Add everything else but green beans
- Stir to incorporate all ingredients
- Add green beans and fold into sauce
- Bring to a slow boil, reduce heat to medium low & cover
- Cook for 1 hour, stirring once or twice in that time
- Serve and EAT!
- This is a great side dish or can easily become a entree by serving it over mashed potatoes, rice or pasta.
- The younger the green beans, the more "melt in your mouth" they become.
FF Fiesta Bean Salad
Bean Dip
Ingredients
- Fat free refried beans (canned or dehydrated)
- Fresh style salsa (any type, any spiciness)
- Jalapeno mustard (optional)
- Minced garlic (to taste)
- Dry saute the garlic and then add the beans - once combined and the beans are warm, add the other ingredients, cover and set aside (off heat)
Ingredients:
- Whole grain rice (any type as long as its not white/bleached)
- Tomato paste
- Vegetable broth (fat free)
- Minced garlic (to taste - I like a lot)
- Cilantro - washed and chopped finely
- Cumin - just a small pinch per can of refried beans
- Finely diced onion (any type, even shallots)
- Finely diced jalapeno (optional) - adds a nice little crunch
- I like to cook the rice with all the ingredients but it will take longer for the rice to split in order to be able to absorb all the flavors. It may be easiest to cook the rice and immediately add the combined ingredients as soon as its finished.
Ingredients:
- Thick shredded crunchy lettuce
- Split grape tomatoes (the more, the better)
- Diced onion
- Loosely combine warmed bean dip, warmed Spanish rice and salad ingredients all together and eat!
FF Fruity Smoothie
Ingredients:
- Frozen Banana chunks
- Fresh or Frozen Fruit:
- Pineapple
- Dark Cherries
- Mixed or individual Berries
- Peaches
- 8 oz Water or Non-Dairy Milk (I use Almond Milk)
- 1-2 drops pure Vanilla extract
- Honey - to taste (I squeeze until the count of 2 for a less sweet flavor)
- Blend together on low until smooth but still has very small chunks - it's healthy to be able to chew it a little bit though it would be fine to blend until smooth. If over blended you'll end up aerating and it could cause flatulence (sorry, had to put that in there)
FF Veggie Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes - with skin on - washed and cubed
- Vegetable broth (without fat added)
- Almond milk (unflavored)
- Steamed spinach
- Garlic - minced
- Onion - diced
- Mushrooms - quartered
- Jalapeno - small dice
- Corn (off the cob)
- Zucchini - small dice
- Scallions - sliced (for garnish)
- Pick-A-Peppa Sauce
- Soy Sauce - Low Sodium
- Sambal Oelak Sauce - to taste
- Garlic powder
- Sea Salt
Mashed potatoes:
- Place potatoes in boiling pot with lid
- Cover potatoes with vegetable broth
- Add a little sea salt
- Stir a few times until boiling
- Bring heat down to low, place lid and let cook for 15 minutes
- When fork tender, strain out water and put in a mashing bowl
- Add a little bit of almond milk (depends on how creamy you want them) - add as needed
- Mash and then use a large spoon to make sure the milk is incorporated - cover and set aside
- Heat up pan on high
- Dry saute the garlic and onions by constantly moving them around the pan
- Lower heat to medium
- Add the mushrooms, zucchini, spinach and corn - fold into onion mix
- Add soy sauce, sambal, pick-a-pepper sauce, garlic powder - make sure all ingredients are incorporated
- Lower heat to low and cover - let ingredients meld for 10 minutes
- Once the sauce is done pour the sauce over the mashed potatoes and use a large spoon to mix them - it's ok if it's not perfectly blended. Top with the scallion garnish for a fresh and sharp taste. Enjoy!
FF Spicy Teriyaki Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
- Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes, cubed (enough to equal the vegetable mix when mashed)
- Vegetable Broth (no fat added)
- Spinach - frozen, chopped (steam in microwave, squeeze out water, chop and set aside)
- Corn - frozen, sweet (steam in microwave and then set aside)
- Mushrooms - baby bellas or cremini - quartered
- Onion - sweet or red - diced
- Carrots - small dice or rough chopped julienne
- Celery - diced or thin sliced
- Garlic - minced or smashed & chopped
- Zucchini - small dice
- Scallions - sliced white and green parts (for garnish)
- World Harbors Hot Teriyaki Sauce (this packs a lot of spice and flavor - balance it with the soy sauce - it is SPICY hot)
- Soy Sauce (low sodium)
- Soy or Almond Milk - unflavored/unsweetened
- Garlic Powder
- Sea Salt
- Cracked pepper
- Prepare the mashed potatoes by covering the potatoes with vegetable broth until boiling; reduce heat to low and cover the pot; let potatoes cook for approximately 15 minutes (1 inch cubes only need 10 minutes); strain and place potatoes in a good sized mixing bowl; mash or smash the potatoes, add soy or almond milk with sea salt and pepper until desired consistency is reached (over mixing will cause potatoes to get glutanous); cover bowl until ready to stir in the vegetable mix
- For the vegetable mix start by dry sauteing the minced garlic for about a minute (move it a lot and quickly so it won't burn) and add in the onions (move around a lot and quickly until you see a little translucence. Add remaining vegetables continuing to blend and move them around to avoid sticking and burning; turn heat to medium. Add spices and sauces and continue to incorporate all ingredients until well blended. Turn stove off and leave vegetable mix on stove with lid for approximately 15 minutes to meld flavors. Once done, fold mixture into mashed potatoes - it doesn't need to be a perfect blend. Serve and garnish with scallions, if desired.
FF Taco Dip (see 'Notes' section for 'Vegie Taco Dip' version)
Ingredients:
- Silken Tofu - typical 10oz package
- Taco seasoning package (make sure there's no whey/milk product or oil added)
- Lemon juice from one fresh lemon (or fresh lime) - roll the lemon/lime roughly on counter before cutting to get as much juice out as possible (I cut up the remaining parts and put in the garbage disposal and give it a whirl to freshen and sanitize it)
- Apple cider vinegar - about 2 tablespoons
- Hot sauce - Tabasco or any other favorite sauce
- Put all ingredients in a container where you can use a hand immersion blender or in a food processor (mixing this by hand will prove to be difficult but can be done with patience though you probably won't get the smooth texture desired)
- Mix/blend until all ingredients are incorporated and the consistency is very smooth
- Refrigerate for a few hours before serving to help flavors to meld (you can eat this right away too but it's just not as flavorful)
- I've never been a big tofu fan but lately I have been wanted to try this dip because my brother made something similar (his had a little bit of vegie oil) in 2009 and it was fantastic.
- Once the dip is made you can add in minced fresh cilantro, onions and tomatoes (without the seeds/juice) - I call this 'Veggie Taco Dip.'
Baked Potato & Mushroom Saute
Ingredients:
- Russet Potato - washed well and 'forked'
- Mushrooms - Baby Bellas - thick sliced
- Butter - non dairy
- Garlic - minced or crushed
- Tomato paste
- Chili paste
- Sambal Oelek
- Pepper - freshly ground
- Sea Salt - freshly ground
Instructions:
- Bake potato at 375 degrees for 1 hour (until very soft inside)
- Melt 'butter' with garlic and then add mushrooms
- Once mushrooms are fully cooked add remaining ingredients
- Once potato is cooked, chop up into chunks, leaving skin on
- Add potato to mushroom saute and stir until the potato soaks up all the buttery sauce
- Cover and remove from heat; let sit for 10-15 minutes before eating
Notes:
- This recipe can be a simple side dish or entree meal. I like to serve it as a side to my roasted veggie salad
- Feel free to add any other veggies to the saute to make it more of an entree meal
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Roasted Veggie Salad
Ingredients:
- Lettuce - Romaine - sliced into ribbons
- Zucchini - sliced into bite sized pieces
- Red Bell Pepper - sliced into bite sized pieces
- Mushrooms - Baby Bellas - Sliced
- Corn - kernels
- Tomatoes - Cherry or Grape - sliced in half
- Avocado - cut into small chucks
- Basil - chiffonade cut (thin ribbons) - to taste
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Garlic Powder
- Pepper - freshly ground
- Salad Dressing of choice
Instructions:
- Heat oven on broil
- Place cut zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, corn and tomatoes into a ziploc baggie with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder and pepper - lightly smoosh veggies to coat with seasonings and dump into a roasting pan (I line my pan with foil)
- Broil for approx. 15 minutes - set aside when finished
- To serve - put lettuce, avocado chunks and portion of roasted veggies in individual salad bowls - drizzle desired salad dressing (I like something creamy with this mix) and toss
- Enjoy!
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Salad Tacos
Ingredients:
- Corn tortillas
- Olive oil
- Lettuce - Romaine - cut in thin ribbons
- Tomatoes - Cherry or Grape - quartered
- Radishes - thinly sliced
- Onion - Red - small dice or thinly sliced
- Avocado - diced
- Salsa - freshly made is best but any kind will work
- Broccoli slaw - precut type
- Cabbage - red - thinly sliced
- Red Bell Pepper - thinly sliced
- Cucumber - English - sliced into bite sized pieces
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Salad dressing of your choice
Instructions:
- Lightly fry the tortillas in olive oil (or any vegetable type) - dry flat
- Make the salad in a bowl and toss with desired salad dressing and salsa (I like a creamy dressing)
- Stuff tortillas with dressed salad mixture
- Enjoy!
Notes:
- The salad can be made with any salad-like ingredients - even a greek-style salad would be excellent with the corn tortillas
- To make the tacos even less caloric you can just use the salsa instead of salsa/dressing combo
- Another way to make the tacos less caloric is to use only a small amount of olive oil per tortilla - so that it's fried only on portions of the tortilla
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