Recipes

Lunch of the Week

Italian Bean Soup

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced with garlic press
4 16-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 14.5-ounce cans fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
2 tablespoons commercial basil pesto

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion. Saute a few minutes, then add minced garlic.

Cook until onion is tender. Add beans and next three ingredients. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.

O Baby! Greens

2 cups Mesclun greens (assorted young salad leaves)
1 cup baby spinach leaves
Grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Mustard vinaigrette (recipe below)

Mix greens and top with mustard vinaigrette. To prepare vinaigrette, whisk together well 4 tablespoons walnut oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, and a touch of sea salt and pepper to taste.

Fresh Fruit

Peel and slice a kiwifruit, but don't peel the apple -- just slice, enjoy, and then mark up an additional two for your fruits and vegetables for the day!

Italian Bean Soup makes 8 servings, each of which gives us 7.2 grams of fiber, 11.9 grams of protein, 4.7 mg iron, and 162 mg of calcium. The salad and fruit offer a multitude of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, protecting us against disease, improving our skin, and slowing the aging process.