The Chef and The Dietitian-Episode 30-Baked Tortilla Chips

Can you hear the crunch?!? Watch my favorite messy and crazy partner-in-crime, Chef AJ, demonstrate the crunch of her homemade baked tortilla chips. These tasty staples can be made with a mere one ingredient (blue corn tortillas) plus some water. Enjoy them with my favorite bean dip of all time, Holy Mole Bean Dip, which was featured in our last episode.

Bean, Baby Bean Chili! Jon and Julieanna in the Kitchen

This is one of the simplest, heartiest meals that can be whipped up very easily, with minimal work. Plus, it is loaded with antioxidants (tons of various carotenoids which are great for heart and eye health and cancer protection), fiber, vitamins and minerals. Another benefit is that it lasts for days in the refrigerator which means tasty and quick leftovers. Jon Ham was able to learn about the beautiful rainbows of color found in nature and he was (fortunately) pleasantly surprised!

The chili can be eaten alone or with a chunk of cornbread, whole grain rolls, or on brown rice.

Recipe:
~1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 large onion, chopped
2 (red) bell peppers, chopped
1 bunch of (rainbow-colored) carrots, sliced

Let this simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Then add:
1 can pinto beans
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans black beans
1 can garbanzo beans
~1.5 cups frozen (or canned) corn
~1 Tbsp Chili Powder
~1 Tbsp smoked chipotle powder (optional)
1.5 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 small can green chillies
1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
~2 more cups vegetable broth

Let simmer for about 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Veggie Peanut Pasta Masala

Here is a very quick and easy meal that can be made in literally 15 minutes, including cooking time with absolutely no chopping, washing or mess. Jon Ham and I boiled brown rice pasta (but any type of whole grain pasta will be great). When it was about 4-5 minutes before being cooked, we added a bag of frozen organic mixed Thai vegetables to the pasta. Then, we let the water re-heat to boiling and let it sit for a couple minutes to make sure everything was cooked through. After straining the water out of the veggies/pasta mix, we placed it in a wok and added Basu's Homestyle Peanut Masala Sauce. It simmered for less than 4 minutes. Presto! A delicious, healthy Indian-flavored meal that was made in barely enough time to get your pajamas on and pour a glass of wine after a long day at work! Cheers!