This next recipe comes to us from the Maxwell Family. It's a delicious recipe for Refried Beans! I LOVE this because we have been converting our home over to anti-canned-foods. WHY you ask? That sounds like a lot of unnecessary work but, there's a VERY good reason for it. Did you know they line food grade cans with BPA? BPA stands for Bisphenol A (a chemical invented by a Russian Scientist.) That's the ingredient you see flashing proud on a lot of baby products: "BPA free!" 

Technically, the FDA has banned using BPA in all baby bottles due to it's possible health effects of the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. YIKES! And it lines the inside of our food cans? Yep. 

Now, I know a lot of you love your cans. They're so convenient, they store well, you may even have those special racks that rotate your food cans for you! We sure do. But the risk of BPA is not worth filling those cool rotating racks. So instead, we FREEZE. We make extra large batches and freeze them in Ziploc Brand freezer bags (of which ARE BPA-FREE.) Basically, our food storage is in our freezer. See my special links at the bottom for our suggestions on converting your home to anti-canned foods. It's a lot easy than you think, the food tastes better, and it's so much better for you!

Thanks again Suzanne for this next great recipe! She says, "These beans are great for any Mexican dish or just an after school snack.  My kids ask for them in their school lunch with a little cheese on top."

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free) 
Adapted by The Maxwell Family from 100 Days of Real Food

Ingredients:

• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cups dry pinto beans (rinsed)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 6 cups water

Directions: 

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker (crockpot). 
2. Cook on high for about 8 hours or overnight
3. When the water is absorbed and the beans are soft, mash beans and onions with a potato masher. Yum!
4. If you want a thicker refried bean, drain some of the liquid before mashing.  

A couple of years ago my sister-in-law made this dip for a family party...I have never seen something disappear so fast! The dip was sooooooo good it could only make a person wonder, "What in the world is in this?!" Would you believe only 3 simple ingredients? So apparently this recipe has been around for a while and to some it's well known, but for those who have never tried it...MAN. That's all I have to say. 

The thing about this recipe is it can easily be made A LOT healthier by just looking closely at labels. Typical recipes call for a can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilis. Be sure to find one that does not contain high fructose corn syrup. If there is any sugar in your tomatoes you'll want to make sure the ingredients label says only "sugar" and nothing else. The can I used actually didn't even have sugar. All the better! 

Next, is the sausage. You want to look for one that is first of all, gluten free, but also one that has no msg, nitrates or preservatives. (See the label below.) 

I can't stress enough how harmful MSG is to the brain! It can cause migraines, nausea, numbness, and even heart palpitations! Researchers say these side affects only are only "short term" but if it causes so much disturbance to the body, why eat it?!

Next is the the nitrates...Did you know expectant mothers are cautioned not to consume meats with nitrates? Why...because it can cause brain tumors in children! Yikes. Nitrates have also been linked to DNA mutations and cancer. 

So my intent is not to scare you but to educate you! Look for these simple BETTER ingredients and you have a wonderful & delicious dip (with no side affects!) ;)

(Gluten Free, Can be Dairy Free)
Adapted by jalene

Ingredients: 

• 8 oz of Gluten Free Ground Sausage (I used one with no Nitrates, MSG, or preservatives)
• 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese (use Vegan Cream Cheese to make it Dairy Free)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of Diced Tomatoes with Green chilies (I used Muir Glen's Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Medium Green Chilies)
  

Directions: 

1. Brown the sausage. Add the cream cheese and heat while stirring until softened. Add the can of tomatoes and mix until it is well combined. Serve warm with gluten free chips. 

Store covered in the refrigerated. Can be made ahead of time and reheated just before serving. 

If you haven't ever tried my Lentil Tacos you should! They're amazing! We actually got to the point where we PREFERRED them over Meat Tacos! Lentil Tacos are not only better for you but it saves money too!. 

I invented this next version out of necessity. We wanted to have lentil tacos but we needed them quick! I didn't have time to chop the onion, etc. This recipe is SO easy. All you do is saute the lentils for a minute with taco seasoning, add the liquids, and cover and simmer for 20 minutes. EASY! It also serves as a great dip! (see below)
  

Quick Lentil Tacos
(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Sugar-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, Can be Vegan)

Created by jalene

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 cups red lentils, rinsed and picked through to remove bad ones
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (use my seasoning to be GF, DF, SF)
• 1 & 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth (or Vegan beef broth to make it vegetarian)

Directions: 

1. In a large pan, saute the oil, red lentils, and taco seasoning for 1 minute. 
2. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are tender.
3. Uncover and cook off any extra liquid if any.  If the lentils are too dry simple add more water. 

Serve with your normal taco fixings. Goes great with salsa, avocados, and chips!

To make this VEGAN simply use vegetable broth instead of beef broth. 

This next recipe is one of my sister-in-laws. And let me tell ya, it has got to be one of the most tastiest dips ever! She brought it to share at our big Father's Day dinner and I actually only got one chip-full before it was devoured by everyone else! There were boys seriously hovering over this thing until it was all gone. Another one of my sister-in-laws actually took some and HID IT so it wouldn't get eaten... ha ha. When you've got HOVERING and HOARDING going on, you gotta know it's good. 
  

Magical Mexican Dip 
(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Created by Janey Nielsen

Ingredients: 

• 14.5 oz can diced organic tomatoes
• 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed ( 1 & 1/2 cups)
• 15 oz can organic corn, drained (1 & 1/2 cups)
• 4.5 oz can diced green chilies
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp dried cilantro or 1/3 cup chopped fresh
• 2 Tbsp dried minced onion
• 1 tsp sea salt 
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 small avocados, skinned & pitted

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients together.  
2. Place in an airtight container in the fridge for an hour so all the flavors can blend together. 

Serve with organic corn chips. 
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeps fresh for about 2 days.

This recipe stems from a camping trip I once took when I was 14 years old. I went with a church group and forgot my sack lunch for the first day's meal! Luckily, a leader shared her meal with me: tuna and avocado. I was considering starving. The combo seemed crazy and in my young mind I was sure it was either death by starvation or death by eating this lunch! Reluctantly I gave in to eat it only because if I was going to die, I might as well have a full tummy. To my surprise it actually tasted good! But, I was sure it only tasted good because I was STARVING and it took me a while before I had enough guts to try it again. 

Now, I use this recipe as a great go-to when I need a quick, healthy snack. It's AMAZINGLY nutritious and I love the taste of it! There are so many great health benefits for TUNA. I highly recommend you read  this article about what it can do for you:   The World's Healthiest Foods; Tuna
  
Avocados are a great source of nutrients too! They actually PROMOTE blood sugar regulation and  help PREVENT the occurrence of cancers in the mouth, skin, and prostate gland! You can't get better than that. Give it a try! I'm sure you'll love it. 
  

Avocado Tuna Spread
(Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free)

Created by jalene

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 of a large avocado or 1 whole small avocado (pitted, skin removed)
• 1 can tuna fish
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix until well blended. 

Tastes great served on Rice Crackers or Gluten-Free Bread.  Keep in an airtight container in the fridge. (P.S. The lemon helps prevent the avocado from turning brown). 

 

What can I say...I've been loving the chips and dips lately. Here's another one of our favorites. I got this recipe from my brother in law and then tweaked it a little. Don't be fooled by the green color! It has an amazing flavor and some really good health benefits. The pine nuts alone provide essential minerals, vitamins, and "heart friendly" mono-unsaturated fatty acids that help benefit in reducing cholesterol levels in the blood! (They also give the dip a darn good flavor.) Enjoy!
 

Pine Nut & Spinach Hummus Dip
(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Adapted by jalene from a recipe by my bro-in-law Dr. Jared Nielsen

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 15 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and washed or 1 & 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh packed spinach, washed and dried
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions: 

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and stir-fry until just barely browning. Add the olive oil and garlic and simmer for 1 minute more. 
2. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides. 

Serve with chips, rice crackers, or veggies. Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Lasts up to 3 days. 

Caught chip-handed! 
I really need to get a toddler proof photo shoot area! ha ha

A while back I told you about the Cancer Project Class that I attended with teacher Charity Lighten. This next recipe comes from that class. This Black Bean Dip is SO EASY to make and also incredibly good for you. It's virtually fat free which is extremely helpful in keeping hormone levels within healthy limits and lower ricks of breast and prostate cancer. The cumin helps adds flavor and antioxidants. Plus, it's yummy! We use it as a dip for chips, veggies, or spread it on our Lentil Tacos or with regular tacos. 
 

Check out my little black bean dip thief! 
She hates waiting for me to finish my photo shoots. 
She'd rather dig in!