Rosemary & Orzo Protein Packed Soup

Rosemary & Orzo Protein Packed Soup:

96 oz organic low sodium vegetable broth
1 package extra firm organic tofu, pressed well
15 oz organic garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4-5 servings organic orzo
5 sprigs fresh organic rosemary (put in cheesecloth bag before adding to soup)
3 tsp organic dried thyme
3 organic dried bay leaves
1 medium organic yellow onions, diced
3 large organic celery stalks, chopped
4 organic carrots, diced
4 organic garlic cloves, diced
juice from 1/2 organic lemon
1 mini cheesecloth bag


First, set the tofu to be pressed and then put aside to drain while you prep the veggies.

In a large soup pot over medium heat add the broth, veggies, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves and bring to a low boil. Cover and let simmer until veggies are soft and cooked. About 20-30 min.

After the soup has been cooking about 15 min, begin cooking the orzo according to directions on package, then add the cubed tofu to the soup.

Finally, once the veggies are cooked, turn the heat to low, add the garbanzo beans and lemon juice, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add a serving or 1/2 serving of orzo to your bowl, top with the soup, and enjoy!


Healthy Life Tip: For extra protein and whole grains and protein, sub out the orzo for some quinoa!

Simple Chickpea Salad

Simple Chickpea Salad:
Makes 2 servings

15.5 oz can organic chickpeas (make sure the can is BPA free). A single can of Whole Food's 365 Everyday Value Organic Garbanzo Beans is just $0.99 and the can is BPA free!!
1 1/2 tablespoons organic vegan mayo
2 organic celery sticks, chopped
organic onion powder to taste
organic garlic powder to taste
organic ground black pepper to taste

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, add them to a mixing bowl, then mash them together. Mix in the mayo and celery well. Finally add the onion and garlic powder and black pepper to your taste, mix everything together and enjoy!


The Healthy Life Tip: Double the recipe and split the rest up into servings to pack for lunch or save for a snack.

Super Easy Hummus Recipe!

Super Easy Hummus Recipe!

Ingredients:

30oz organic Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
6 tblsp organic olive oil
1/8 tsp sea salt
juice from 1 organic lemon
1 1/2 tsp organic ground cumin
2 tblsp organic tahini

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. If you need, add an additional 1-3 tablespoons of warm water to help with blending.

Nutrition Info (serving: 4 tablespoons)

93.5 cal, 8.7g fat, 1.2g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 24.2mg sodium, 4.2g carbohydrates, 1.25g fiber, 0.25g sugar, 1.25g protein

Minted Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta Cheese

Minted Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta Cheese:

Orzo Salad:

8oz organic whole wheat orzo (Delallo)
28oz rinsed, drained organic chickpeas
2oz organic crumbled vegan feta cheese
3/4 cup chopped organic white onion (could also use red)
6 tablespoons chopped organic fresh basil
3/4 cup chopped organic mint leaves
1/2 cup chopped organic celery

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup organic red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground organic black pepper
1 organic garlic clove finely minced
1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons organic agave

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in blender and pulse until combined, then set aside.

Begin cooking orzo as directed on package. Thoroughly rinse and drain chickpeas and put into large bowl. Chop onion, basil, mint leaves, and celery and add to bowl. Once pasta is cooked completely, rinse gently to cool and remove excess starch (note: only rinse pasta when including in cold dishes such as this one). Once cool, add orzo to bowl with other ingredients and fold ingredients together gently. Next, slowly drizzle vinaigrette over salad while continuing to fold over ingredients until coated. Once coated, top with feta and set any extra vinaigrette aside.

Makes 6 servings. Works as a great side dish to a cleanly prepared protein. Also packs well for an easy to-go lunch.