Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
2 quarts water
2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 tsp. of salt
pepper
2 onions diced
1/2 turnip
1/2 parsnip
2 stalks of celery and leaves
5 carrots
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
cabbage - desired amount
1/2 green pepper
fresh cilantro
3 red potatoes or 3/4 cup cooked noodles
* You can add: green beans, corn, any kind of bean, hominy, barley, or anything else you want.

Instructions:
Simmer for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for another hour or so until veggies are tender then add 1/4 cup butter and serve.

Healthy Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

1 T.          dried parsley
1 tsp.       garlic powder
1 tsp.       onion powder
1/4 tsp.    ground black pepper
1/2-1 tsp. salt
1 T.          fresh chives
1 cup       non fat plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup    buttermilk
1 tsp.       Dijon mustard
1 tsp.       lemon juice
1/2-1       avocado

Instructions:

1.    Place the spices into a food processor and pulse a few times until the spices have been slightly ground up.
2.    Scrape down the sides.
3.    Place the remaining ingredients (greek yogurt, buttermilk, mustard, lemon juice, and avocado) into the food processor and pulse until the ingredients have been fully incorporated. Scrape down sides if necessary.
4.     If you want a thinner consistency, add more buttermilk.
5.     Put dressing in the fridge into a sealed jar or container.
6.     Eat and enjoy!

If you want more or less seasonings, please feel free to change it to how you like it.

Spaghetti Squash Noodles with Cashew Basil Pesto

Ingredients:
1 Spaghetti Squash
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup raw organic cashews
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 cups fresh basil
a little lemon zest
1 T. to 1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut squash down the middle and remove seeds. Put about 1 tsp. of olive oil in each half and spread it around with your fingers. Put the squash cut side down on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
3. Put garlic in food processor to finely chop.
4. Add all of ingredients except for the olive oil to the food processor.  Pulse it until slightly mixed then add the olive oil and continue to mix.
5. Once squash is cooked, scrape out the spaghetti noodles with a fork to keep the squash in a noodle type shape.
6. Gently stir the pesto in with the squash.
7. Dish up and eat. Delicious!!

Healthy Banana Bread

This banana bread is very moist and yummy! 

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup milk or Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour or a mixture of wheat and white
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, or walnuts, raisins

Instructions

1.     Pre-heat oven to 325 F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside.

2.     In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside

3.     Pour batter into greased pan. Optional: sprinkle with some more cinnamon, raw sugar or banana slices.  

        Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, slice and enjoy,