Garnishes:
1/2 to 1 ripe avocado, mediumdiced
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs. sour cream, or to taste (optional)
1/2 lime, cut into wedges

Heat the 1 Tbs. oil in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until softened and just beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 15 to 30 seconds; don’t let the chili powder scorch. Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with the spoon to loosen any cooked-on bits. Add the cilantro sprigs and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, until the broth has reduced by about a third and is very flavorful, 20 to 30 minutes. Discard the cilantro sprigs and season to taste with salt.

While the broth reduces, bake the tortilla strips.

Divide the turkey, tomato, corn, beans, and tortilla strips between two large soup bowls. If necessary, reheat the broth until it’s piping hot. Pour the broth over the ingredients in the bowls. Garnish with the avocado, cheese, cilantro, dollops of sour cream (if using), and big squeezes of lime juice. Serve immediately.

Turkey Tortilla Soup is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: avocado, black beans, corn, soup, tortillas, turkey

Dressing
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. agave nectar

Pecan Kale Salad is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: carrot, kale, maple syrup, onion, pecans, rutabaga, turnip, vegan, vegetarian

3 small potatoes

1/4 cup cubed cooked ham

2 cups shredded cheese

5 large eggs

1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork in several places and prebake for 15 minutes; remove from the oven, then icrease the oven temperature to 375. Layer the potatoes, ham, and then cheese into the shell. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and milk together, and pour the mixture into the shell. Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

The Hungry Woman’s Quiche is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: cheese, eggs, ham, milk, pie, potatoes

Place first 3 ingredients in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add yogurt and the next 8 ingredients (yogurt through nutmeg); pulse 4 times or until blended.

Make 3 diagonal cuts 1/4 inch deep across top of each chicken breast half. Combine chicken and yogurt mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Remove chicken breast from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.

Tandoori Chicken is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: chicken, chili powder, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, onion, paprika, yogurt

No, really. There’s also a red pepper variation I’ll be posting later on… but for now…

1 large cucumber

8oz fage yogurt (it’s 0 fat, but not because of chemicals to my knowledge – just skim milk, so its okay)

8oz cream cheese

approx 1tbsp dill weed

You’ll take your cucumber and peel it using a vegetable peeler. To demonstrate the procedure…

From here, after you do your dicing, you’ll want to scoop your yogurt and your cream cheese into a bowl. Drop in your cucumber, and get to whipping!

From here, add in your dill weed by the shakeful – two shakes, stir and taste. I add a lot, mainly because I like the taste.

Be sure to whip it until you can’t whip it anymore… and you’ll be good! Ta-da! Use it on sandwiches in place of mayo, or just scoop it up like egg salad, on a couple pieces of bread… or a tortilla! A bagel? It’s up to you! Enjoy!

Cucumber Dill Spread is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: cream cheese, cucumber, vegetarian

Ever consider purchasing an indoor electric grill?

1  (2-pound) side of salmon, skin on
1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
1  teaspoon  sea salt
1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
2  tablespoons  chopped fresh chives
2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
2  limes

Grilled Wild Salmon is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: chives, cilantro, salmon, seafood

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups chicken stock or bouillon

1/2 pound fresh broccoli

1 cup matchstick carrots

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

Drop your butter in the skillet with the onions, and set the onions aside once golden. Whisk your butter and flour together over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and chicken stock, and let it sit for about 20 minutes over low-medium heat (on a scale of 1-10, on 5.)

Toss in your carrots, onions and broccoli. Cook until the carrots are tender, and add the salt and pepper. Add the cheese and nutmeg, and ta da! Soup!

If you said my soup didn’t taste equal to or better than Panera’s, you’d be a hot blooded lie!

Broccoli Cheese Soup is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: clean eating, Recipes, vegetarian

Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan separately. Serves 4-6, so don’t be afraid to cut it down!

Pasta With Tomato and Almond Pesto is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: almonds, pasta, tomatoes, vegetarian

Sauté first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash; sauté 3 more minutes. Add chili powder and next 2 ingredients, and sauté 5 more minutes.

Stir together tomato sauce and tomato juice in a 6-qt. slow cooker until smooth. Stir in diced tomatoes, next 2 ingredients, and carrot mixture. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours.

Note: Cool leftovers, and freeze in plastic freezer containers or zip-top plastic freezer bags for up to 2 months.

Slow Cooker Veggie Chili is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: basil, beans, carrots, celery, corn, mushrooms, onion, squash, tomatoes, zucchini

Drain and rinse tofu; pat dry. Slice the block crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slabs. Coarsely crumble each slice into smaller, uneven pieces.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu and cook in a single layer, without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then gently stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Add tomatoes and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in pesto and feta.

Tofu With Tomato Mushroom Sauce is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: feta, mushrooms, pesto, tofu, tomatoes

Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Prepare grill. To prepare kebabs, combine first 7 ingredients; toss well. Thread 3 steak pieces, 2 peach wedges, 1 onion wedge, and 1 bell pepper piece alternately onto each of 16 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Place kebabs on a platter; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes. To prepare sauce, combine chopped parsley and next 5 ingredients (chopped parsley through garlic), stirring with a whisk. Spoon over kebabs. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Grilled Sirloin Skewers With Peaches and Peppers is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: bell peppers, black pepper, cumin, garlic, olive oil, parsley, peaches, red onions, red peppers, red wine vinegar, sirloin, steak

Chunky Gazpacho is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, tomato juice

Heat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or plate. Season with 2 tsp. of the salt and 1 tsp. of the pepper. (I like to massage the seasoning into the chicken to ensure it’s evenly distributed.) Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken in the flour, making sure to coat it on all sides, then return it to the sheet.

Place a large (12- to 14-inch), straight-sided sauté pan or a Dutch oven over high heat for several minutes. When hot, add 1/4 cup of the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin side down (that way the fat “melts” as it cooks and gives you a bit more sizzle in the pan), in a single layer and sauté over high heat without moving it for about 4 minutes, or until browned on the first side. (If the pieces stick, that means they haven’t browned long enough. Let them cook a bit longer. If sticking continues to be a problem, use a sharp-edged spatula to loosen the skin from the pan.) Turn the chicken over and repeat, lowering the heat to medium-high if it gets too dark too quickly. Transfer the browned chicken to a clean baking sheet, trying to leave as much oil as possible in the pan.

Let the pan heat up for a minute over high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. black pepper, and let them sauté, without stirring, for about 2 minutes. Stir and let the mushrooms sauté undisturbed for another 2 minutes. Stir again and repeat, if necessary, until they’re almost all seared and golden. Remove the mushrooms to the baking sheet with the chicken, leaving as much fat in the pan as possible.

Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil and then the onions, carrots, and peppers. Sauté until the onions are very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.

Deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Add the tomatoes, squeezing them (with clean hands) as you add them to the pan to help them break down faster. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan tightly with foil or a lid and place in the oven. Cook
for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender.

The sauce should be the perfect consistency (like a rich soup rather than pasta sauce), but if it seems at all watery, transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, over medium-high heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. (How long this takes depends on how thin the sauce is and the dimensions of your pan. Just keep an eye on it so you don’t over-reduce it). Taste and add 1 more tsp. salt if needed. Serve with rice, pasta, or crusty bread.

Chicken Cacciatore is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags:

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup sliced green onions

Flatten each chicken breast half to 1/4-in. thickness. Place flour in a resealable plastic bag; add chicken, a few pieces at a time. Seal and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, brown chicken in 2 tablespoons butter on both sides. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in the remaining butter until tender. Add the broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Spoon over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with cheeses and green onions. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Baked Mushroom Chicken is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: chicken, mushrooms, recipe

Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Place 3 slices, oil side down, on a 10- by 15-inch baking sheet and layer evenly with basil leaves, tomato slices, and mozzarella slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and top with remaining bread slices, oil side up.

Broil sandwiches 6 inches from heat, turning once, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes total. Serve immediately.

Caprese Melts is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: basil, mozzarella, tomatoes

4 ears of corn

1 tsp chili powder

3 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp cilantro

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grab your butter, and toss half of your chili powder and all of your cilantro on top. With a butterknife, blend it all in together. It’s ok if it’s not perfect. It’s food. It doesn’t need to be. It’s all going to the same place, right?

Grab some aluminum foil. Wrap your corn up, smear butter on top of each ear, shake the last of your chili powder over your butter and wrap ‘em up tightly. Toss ‘em in the oven for about 15mins (or until tender to your liking.)

It’s just that easy!

Baked Corn With Chili Butter is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: corn, recipe, vegetarian

Quick Fall Minestrone is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: beans, carrots, cheese, green beans, onion, parmesan cheese, pasta, potatoes, squash

Many thanks to blogchef!

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 medium onion (chopped)
½ green bell pepper (chopped)
2 cups water (or chicken broth)
10 oz diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a deep skillet over medium heat add vegetable oil. Add rice, onion and green bell pepper. Sauté until the rice is browned and the onions are tender. Stir in water (or chicken broth) and tomatoes and green chilies. Season with chili powder and salt. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.

Spanish Rice is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: rice, vegan, vegetarian

Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Put all ingredients (EXCEPT shrimp and rice) in crock pot. Cover; cook on low for 8 hours. Add shrimp the last 20 minutes of cooking. Stir in rice before serving.

Crock Pot Jambalaya is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: chicken, rice

Mix chili powder, salt and ground chipotle in a small bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of pork.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add cider, syrup and vinegar to the pan. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, turning the pork occasionally to coat, until the sauce is reduced to a thick glaze, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve the pork drizzled with the glaze.

Maple-Chili Glazed Pork Medallions is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: apple cider, chili powder, maple syrup