Revisiting Black Bean Taco Soup

In honor of the first snow of the fall, it is offically Taco Soup Day! So make this taco soup - it is the perfect cold day food :)

All I can say is holy cow this soup is good! The corn and sweet potatoes bring a soft sweetness than balances out the cumin and red pepper nicely, while the onions and celery offer up the fantastic aromatics I have come to love about Thrive vegetables. And the instant black beans? These are great because you don't have to remember to soak them the night before. Plus they have, um, well, fewer "side effects". :)

1 1/2c Thrive Instant Black Beans
1/2c Thrive Taco TVP
2T Thrive Corn
2T Thrive Onion
2T Thrive Celery
3T Thrive Sweet Potatoes
1/2t Garlic Powder
1t Cumin
1/2t Ground Red Pepper (or Red Pepper Flakes)
6c Water
For Garnish: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, salsa

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add black beans, taco TVP, corn, onions, celery, sweet potatoes and seasonings.

At this point I decided to add a can of petite diced tomatoes and a small can of diced green chiles. Yeah, I know, it's not in the pictures. It was a last minute decision :) You could also throw in a can of jalapenos - maybe even a diced zucchini. That would be really good. Now I wish I had a zucchini.

Reduce the heat and let everything simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. After about an hour, give it a taste and adjust the seasonings at your discretion. I like my soup to have a nice kick to it, but feel free to add more or less seasonings to suit your taste. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips and/or salsa before serving.

* Are you afraid of TVP? Don't be. TVP, or textured vegetable protein, is a delicious meat alternative that is made from soy flour. It is an excellent source of low fat protein, and is quite inexpensive. There is a great little article about it here.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice with Broccoli

1 5oz Package Yellow/Saffron Rice
1 1/2c Thrive Chopped Chicken
2T Thrive Red & Green Bell Peppers
3c Hot Water
1c Thrive Broccoli Pieces
1-2t Curry Powder (optional)
1c Thrive Shredded Cheddar, rehydrated

Combine rice, chicken, peppers and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in broccoli and curry powder and simmer for 5 more minutes or until rice is tender. Season as desired (I added salt and pepper), spoon into bowls and top with cheese.

Feel free to add more Thrive vegetables to this dish if you would like! Peas, mushrooms, green beans and corn would all be delicious additions. Just be sure to adjust more water as needed.

Meatloaf with Tomato Glaze

This low fat meatloaf comes together quickly and is loaded with veggies. Replace the traditional ketchup topping with a homemade tomato glaze for a four star weeknight meal!

1lb Lean Ground Beef
1lb Ground Chicken, Pork or Turkey
2T Thrive Whole Egg Powder
2T Thrive Tomato Powder
2T Thrive Carrot Dices
2T Thrive Freeze Dried Celery
2T Thrive Red & Green Peppers
1/4t Garlic Powder
1/4t Salt
1/3c Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil (non stick foil works best). In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour meat mixture onto baking sheet and shape into a loaf. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

While the meatloaf is baking, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine:

1/2c Thrive Tomato Powder
2T Grated Parmesan
3t Brown Sugar
2t Worchestershire
1t Garlic Powder
1t Onion Powder
1t Ground Mustard

Stir well and simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken. Cover and keep warm.

After the meatloaf has baked for the first 30 minutes, turn the oven to 400 degrees and continue baking, brushing the top and sides with the glaze every 10 minutes until a nice crust forms and the meatloaf is cooked through - usually an additional 30 minutes depending on how thick your loaf is. Slice and serve the meatloaf, drizzled with additional glaze if desired.