1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray, or enough to coat pot
1 medium onion(s), coarsely chopped
15 oz canned pumpkin
3 1/2 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth or vegetable broth
15 1/2 oz canned white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Coat a large soup pot with cooking spray and set over medium-low heat. Add onion, cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.

Stir in pumpkin, broth, beans and oregano; simmer 8 minutes.

In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. or use an immersion blender. or a magic bullet. (Note: Make sure not to overfill blender in order to avoid splattering.) Return soup to pot and reheat; season with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of grated cheese. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

Ingredients

4 cup(s) vegetable broth
12 oz butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes*
1/2 large Vidalia onion(s), cut into 2-inch cubes *I use a whole onion
1/2 small apple(s), peeled and cut into to 2-inch cubes *I use a whole apple, or pear, or both depending on what i’ve got!
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste

Instructions
In a large stock pot, combine broth, squash, onion and apple; cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover pot and reduce heat to low; gently simmer until squash is very tender, about 10 minutes.

Puree soup in pot using an immersion blender (or puree in a regular blender in batches, careful not to splatter hot liquid). Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; serve. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.
6. Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.
7. Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated, enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (1 cup)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
• 2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean)
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced  (these are very hot!!!) Make sure to only use one and seed it!)
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Dark chocolate (3 squares of a candy bar size, or to taste)

Directions

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Add DARK chocolate towards the end, with about 1o minutes left of cooking. I put in about 3 squares (not too thick) of it from a candy bar.  Could’ve used more for my taste.

prepare the macaroni, mix it all together and bake @350 for 25-30 min.

Exotic spices give this hearty seasonal favorite its rich flavor.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Nutrition Score per serving:

(2 cups soup, 1 roll) 238 calories, 40 g carbs (67%), 4.5 g fat (17%), 6 g fiber, 9.5 g protein (16%), 1 g saturated fat

Ingredients

¾ cup Spanish onion, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 ½ tsp curry powder
4 cups reduced-sodium, nonfat chicken or vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 whole-grain rolls
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil for 2 minutes. Add seasonings; stir to coat. Add broth, pumpkin, and potatoes and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium. Partially cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and stir in fresh cilantro. Serve with rolls.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Nutrition Score per serving:

(2 slices tofu, 1 cup vegetables): 199 calories, 8 g fat (37% of calories), 1 g saturated fat, 16 g carbs, 16 g protein, 4 g fiber, 134 mg calcium, 3 mg iron, 282 mg sodium

Ingredients

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon light miso
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
5 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 14-ounce package light firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 8 slices
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh cilantro

Directions

Preheat broiler to high. Whisk together orange juice and miso in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in red and yellow peppers and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add edamame and cook for 2 minutes more, then stir in scallions and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the miso mixture. Toss well and cook for 1 minute more or until scallions are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

Place tofu on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush tops with the miso mixture. Place in the broiler 12 to 14 inches from heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip tofu, brush with the remaining miso mixture, and broil for 1 to 2 minutes more. Spoon edamame and pepper mixture on top, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.