Black Bean Soup

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 T olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)

3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)

1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained- I use dry beans.

1 3.5oz can green chilies

2 cans low-sodium beef broth

1 t kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 t chili powder

1/4 t cumin

1/2 t dry oregano leaves

1 bay leaf

Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro, etc.

**If you use dry black beans, make sure you prepare them in the morning, otherwise you'll need to use canned. What I usually do is take about 1/2 cup dried beans and rinse them. Then I place them in a pot and boil them for 10 minutes and then turn off the heat and let them sit covered  for the rest of the day. It usually takes 6 hours to soften the beans, if you want to speed it up, just boil them for another ten minutes after you let them sit for 3 hours. That should do the trick. 

Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat.  When pan is warm, add olive oil.  Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes.

 

Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup. 

Place soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters. 

Puree soup until completely smooth.  Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges.  Makes about 8 C soup.

Nutritional Information (1 C soup, w/o toppings):

125 calories, 2g fat, 8g fiber

2 Weight Watcher points

Grilled Fish Tacos

This has probably been my favorite way to cook Mahi Mahi!!! When you buy it fresh, the fillet usually has skin on one side of it, which grosses me out. I have a hard time with fish to start with and the less I have to deal with the skin, the better. Grilling the fish makes it easy to flake off the fish and disguard the skin. Yeah!!! Plus the marinade is wonderful. I love recipes that make the fish taste non-fishy!! And this one definitely meets that criteria. I usually tell my kid they are eating chicken. Surprise!!!

Time: about an 1 hour 20 minutes

Recipe adapted from the Food Network/ Bobby Flay

Serving for 4-6 people

 

Tacos:
1 pound white flaky fish, such as mahi mahi
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped, or a dash of red pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 flour tortillas 

 

Pureed Tomato Salsa:
3/4 teaspoon peanut oil
1/4 small red onion, coarsely chopped
 1 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno, sliced, or 1/4 tsp red pepper

 1 teaspoon chipotle hot sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper

Garnish:
Shredded white cabbage
Hot sauce
Sour cream
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced green onion
Chopped cilantro leaves
Pureed Tomato Salsa, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, ancho, jalapeno, and cilantro and pour over the fish. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. Remember, if you marinate it longer than that, the lime will cook your fish, and you don't want that. 

 

While your fish is marinating put together your pureed salsa. Preheat grill or use side burners of the grill. Heat oil in medium saucepan, add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, serrano and jalapeno and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the mixture with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Add the hot sauce, cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Remove the fish from the marinade place onto a hot grill, flesh side down. Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side and then flip for 30 seconds and remove. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork.

Place the tortillas on the grill and grill for 20 seconds. Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.

Per serving: Calories: 418; Total Fat: 20 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 26 grams; Total carbohydrates: 33 grams; Sugar: 2 grams; Fiber: 3 grams; Cholesterol: 83 milligrams; Sodium: 502 milligrams