You are here: Home / Recipes / Lunch Ideas

Better Bean Burgers

August 9, 2011 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed, drained, divided in half
1/2 cup green onion, diced including tops
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1 egg
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash garlic powder

In food processor, put half the black beans and all the remaining ingredients.
Use pulse setting on food processor and pulse processor until mixture gets sticky and holds together well, about 1/2 minute or a little more.
Put other half of black beans in processor and pulse until beans break up, but not smooth; about 6 or 7 times.
Let the mixture sit undisturbed at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes. The flavors will blend.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Form burger shaped patties, using about 1/4 cup for each burger.
Heat skillet with a touch of non-stick cooking spray over medium heat.
Put patties in skillet and brown for 3 or 4 minutes, flip carefully, brown the second side for about 3 or 4 minutes.
Remove patties to baking sheet and put in preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve on hamburger buns with salsa, mustard, slices of sweet onions, or avocados.

Filed Under: Lunch Ideas, Miscellaneous, Recipe Cards, Recipes Tagged With: ,

Quick Spinach and Pine Nut Skillet

August 8, 2011 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

3 pounds spinach, rinsed
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and black pepper

Put large heavy skillet on medium-high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add spinach and cook until it just starts to wilt. Add the pine nuts and garlic, toss with the spinach and continue cooking for about 2 minutes or until garlic gets fragrant. Serve while hot. You don’t want the spinach to cook so much that it loses all its form – just until it wilts.

Filed Under: Dinner Ideas, Gourmet, Lunch Ideas, One Dish Meals, Recipe Cards, Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Pepperoni Pizza Pizzazz

October 6, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
slicingpizza

What You Need:

1 (12 oz.) can refrigerated flaky biscuits
1 C of pizza sauce
80 pepperoni slices
1 C of mozzarella cheese, shredded

How to Make It:

Spray a cookie sheet with a non stick cooking spray and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Separate the biscuits into 10 individual biscuits and then separate each biscuit into 4 pieces.
Place the biscuits on the prepared cookie sheet.
Spread 1 tsp of pizza sauce over each of the biscuits
Add 2 slices of pepperoni and 2 tsp of cheese to each biscuit.
Bake 8 minutes or until the cheese has melted and tops are golden brown.

Makes 40 mini pizzas

These are a great snack for kids to make if they are having company over. They also work great as a party snack. Let the kids make them with all their favorite toppings or just with cheese if they prefer.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 8 minutes
Total Time: approximately 28 minutes

Filed Under: Kid Friendly, Lunch Ideas, Recipe Cards, Recipes

All by Myself Lasagna Rolls

September 30, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

What You Need:

8 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 egg
1 (12 oz.) container of low fat cottage cheese
1 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
2 C of pasta sauce

How to Make It:

Fill a saucepan half full of water, place over high heat and bring to a boil.
Carefully place the lasagna noodles into the boiling water and bring back to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook the noodles, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until tender.
Drain the noodles well and allow them to cool enough to handle.
Break the egg into a mixing bowl and beat lightly with a fork.
Stir in the cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and basil well.
Lay the lasagna noodles out flat.
Spread the pasta sauce evenly over each of the noodles.
Spread the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the pasta sauce leaving a little of the short ends uncovered.
Roll the lasagna from the short end tightly up over the filling.
Place the rolls seam side down into a microwavable dish and cover with wax paper.
Microwave the rolls for 2 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt.
Remove the wax paper and top with the remaining pasta sauce.
Return uncovered to the microwave and heat for 1 minute or until the sauce is heated through.

Makes 8 rolls

Children love to cook for their parents and this recipe is a great one for them to try. It’s best if they already know a little bit about cooking before they try this one as it can be a little tricky to get the noodles just right. If they wish they can brown 1 lb. of lean ground beef and stir into the pasta sauce before adding it to the rolls.

Preparation Time: approximately 20 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 13 minutes
Total Time: approximately 33 minutes

Filed Under: Kid Friendly, Lunch Ideas, One Dish Meals, Recipe Cards, Recipes

Lime Seasoned Chicken Wraps

July 3, 2010 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment

What You Need:

2/3 C of lime juice
1 tbsp salt free seasoning blend
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, julienne
1 sweet red bell pepper, julienne
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
6 (8 in.) flour tortillas

How to Make It:

Whisk together the lime juice, seasoning blend, cumin, pepper, chili and garlic powders.
Set 2 tbsp of the marinade aside and pour the remaining marinade into a plastic bag.
Add the chicken strips, seal and turn to coat them well.
Chill the marinade for at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
Place a skillet sprayed with a non stick cooking spray over medium heat.
Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and sauté for 45 minutes or until crisp tender.
Remove the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
Place the chicken into the skillet and discard the marinade.
Add the reserved 2 tbsp of the marinade to the skillet.
Cook the chicken in the marinade for 5 minutes, stirring intermittently until the chicken is cooked through.
Return the cooked vegetables to the skillet.
Cook for 3 minutes or until hot, stirring often.
Spoon the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla.
Fold the tortilla around the filling.

Makes 6 wraps

This healthy wrap is enhanced by the lime juice marinade. Low on fat but high on taste this sandwich will ensure a healthy lunch for the entire family. Use any type of bell peppers you like including yellow, orange or even purple. The colorful vegetables help when it comes to getting our children and even some adults to eat healthy foods.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Marinating Time: approximately 30 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 13 minutes
Total Time: approximately 53 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate value per wrap)
Calories 199; Fat 2g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 23g; Protein 22g; Fiber 3g
Cholesterol 44 mg; Sodium 96 mg

Filed Under: Health Concious, Lunch Ideas, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Juice Simmered Pears

July 2, 2010 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
pears

What You Need:

6 C of water
1 C of sugar
6 firm pears, peeled, cored and cut in half
1 lemon rind strip
3 tbsp pear juice

How to Make It:

Place a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the water and sugar to the pan and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.
Place the pears into the water and return to a simmer.
Cook the pears for 25 minutes at a simmer or until the pears are tender.
Place the pears into a serving bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve.
Over high heat bring the pear cooking liquid to a boil.
Cook the juice for 20 minutes or until the juice is reduced to 1 C and resembles syrup.
Strain the juice through a sieve, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Pour the chilled juice over the pears just before serving.

Makes 6 servings

This is a simple but elegant way to serve a fruit side dish. Everyone will love it and it gives you at least 1 serving of fruit in your daily diet. If you are serving to adults you may use pear flavored liqueur or brandy instead of the pear juice. Try making this recipe using other fruits such as apples, peaches or even plums.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 45 minutes
Cooling Time: approximately 30 minutes
Total Time: approximately 1 hour 30 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 237; Fat 0g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 68g; Protein 0g; Fiber 2g;
Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2mg

Filed Under: Brunch Ideas, Dinner Ideas, Health Concious, Kid Friendly, Lunch Ideas, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Side Dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Cheesy Sweet Pepper Burgers

June 25, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
peppers

What You Need:

1 tsp olive oil
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
1 sweet red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 sweet yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 onion, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
1/4 C of mustard
4 hard rolls, split and toasted
8 lettuce leaves
1 tomato, sliced thin

How to Make It:

Preheat the broiler.
Pour the oil into a skillet and place the skillet over medium heat.
Add all the peppers, onions and the garlic and sauté 5 minutes or until crisp tender.
Drizzle the vinegar over the vegetables and toss to coat.
Spread the mustard over the top of roll.
Spoon the vegetables over the bottom of each roll.
Place a slice of cheese over the vegetables.
Place the bottom of the rolls on a broiler pan.
Place the pan in the broiler and broil 4 inches from the heat for 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Top each sandwich with a couple slices of tomato and a lettuce leaf and cover with the top of the bun.

Makes 4 sandwiches

This tasty burger is great for those who are trying to cut back on their meat intake. The sautéed vegetables give it a low fat twist. For something a little different try a couple of fresh basil leaves on each sandwich instead of the lettuce leaves. You can also make a great sauce by mixing together 1/4 C of mayonnaise and 1/2 tsp of horseradish together and spreading it on the buns instead of the mustard.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 7 minutes
Total Time: approximately 22 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate amounts per serving)
Calories 278; Fat 10g; Saturated Fat 3g; Carbohydrates 39g; Protein 9g; Fiber 3g;
Cholesterol 13mg; Sodium 456mg

Filed Under: Dinner Ideas, Health Concious, Lunch Ideas, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Diced Tomato and Shallot Soup

June 22, 2010 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment
tomatosoup

What You Need:

2 tsp light butter
3/4 C of shallots, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

How to Make It:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the shallots; reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.
Cook the shallots for 5 minutes, stirring often or until tender.
Add the tomatoes along with their juice and the tomato paste.
Pour the broth into the pan and stir to blend in well.
Return the heat to medium and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup for 5 minutes or until heated through.
Stir in the dill just before serving.

Makes 6 servings

This light but tasty soup is a great side kick to any sandwich. For an even healthier lunch serve this soup with a light salad. Remember soup is not only a comfort food but can provide nutrients and vitamins our bodies need to stay healthy. If you prefer you may use regular butter and regular chicken broth and onions may be used in place of the shallots.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 10 minutes
Total Time: approximately 20 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 439; Fat 1g; Saturated Fat 0g; Carbohydrates 9g; Protein 2g; Fiber 1g;
Cholesterol 2mg; Sodium 666mg

Filed Under: Health Concious, Kid Friendly, Lunch Ideas, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Soups and Salads Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Beef and Bean Cowboy Wraps

June 15, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
cowboywrap

What You Need:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (28 oz.) can barbecue flavored baked beans
2 C frozen whole kernel corn
4 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 C reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
12 (8 in.) flour tortillas
3 C lettuce, shredded
1 1/2 C tomatoes, chopped
3/4 C reduced fat sour cream

How to Make It:

Break the beef up in a large skillet.
Place the skillet over medium heat and cook the beef, stirring often for 8 minutes or until cooked through.
Drain the beef and return it to the skillet.
Stir in the beans, corn and Worcestershire sauce well.
Bring the mixture to a bowl then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Evenly sprinkle the cheese over the top of the meat mixture and cook 2 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Spread the 1/2 C of the mixture down the middle of each tortilla.
Place lettuce, tomatoes and a little sour cream over the meat.
Roll each of the tortillas around the filling and serve.

Makes 12 wraps

These wraps are a great way to get the men in your life to start eating healthier. Try adding chopped onion or chopped bell peppers for a little extra flavor and add nutrition.

Preparation Time: approximately 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 15 minutes
Total Time: approximately 25 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate amount per wrap)
Calories 373; Fat 11gt; Saturated Fat 4g; Carbohydrates 50g; Protein 20g; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 27mg; Sodium 605mg

Filed Under: Beef, Kid Friendly, Lunch Ideas, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comforting Chicken Tortilla Soup

June 12, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment
chixtortillasoup

What You Need:

4 corn tortillas cut in half then cut crosswise into narrow strips
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans of chicken broth
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then slices in 3/4 inch slices
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 C of corn
1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 C cooked chicken, shredded
1 tomato, cut into chunks
1/2 C cilantro, chopped

How to Make It:

Spray a heavy soup pot well with a non stick cooking spray and place over medium heat.
Place the tortilla strips into the pan and toast for 5 minutes.
Remove the tortillas and place in a bowl.
Add the chicken broth to the pan and stir in the zucchini, garlic and cumin.
Bring the broth to a rapid boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 3 minutes.
When the zucchini is crisp tender, place the tortillas, corn and beans into the pot.
Cover and simmer 5 minutes or until the tortillas have softened.
Stir in the chicken, tomatoes and cilantro.
Simmer another 15 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 4 servings

Soup is a comfort food but did you know it’s also a very healthy food. Warm comforting soup helps to fight off hunger fills us up and provides us with valuable vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to stay healthy. You can double this recipe so there will always be a hearty bowl of soup available to help fend off a cold or those rainy day blues.

Preparation Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 28 minutes
Total Time: approximately 43 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 309; Fat 6g; Saturated Fat 1g; Carbohydrates 36f; Protein 26g; Fiber 8g; Cholesterol 47mg; Sodium 730mg

Filed Under: Chicken, Dinner Ideas, Health Concious, Kid Friendly, Lunch Ideas, Poultry, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Soups and Salads Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts