Joan’s Country Kitchen

Slow cookers are great for the busy cook with a family. If you work, you can put your dinner in the slow , or crock pot, in the morning and have it ready when you reach home at night, solving the question, “What’s For Dinner?”

Try this delicious and nutritious Black Bean Chile Recipe, which is also good for you. There is only 250 calories per serving and a whopping 24 grams of protein!

Ingredients for Black Bean Chili

1 lb lean beef, cut into stewmeat size chunks

16oz jar of low sodium, chunky salsa

3 15 oz cans’ of black beans, rinse and drain beans

1/2 cup fat free- low sodium chicken broth

1 medium red pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

2-3 tsp chili powder, depending on how spicy you’d like your chili

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 cup fat free sour cream

Directions for recipe

Add all ingredients to your slow cooker, leaving out only sour cream.

Cover and allow to cook on low for about 6-8 hours, or until meat is tender.

Serve and garnish with sour cream or shredded American cheese.

Serve over nutritious brown rice if you’d like.

The heat of summer is the perfect time for soup - Melon Soup, that is. This cool melon soup recipe with mint and basic is perfect for your next summer get-together. The warm months make you think of watermelon and the fresh cool taste of watermelon and cantaloupe in this recipe will cool you off in now time. The added flavor of mint brings out the summer freshness of this delicious recipe.

Melon Soup Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 TBS sugar

1 1/2 cups of fresh mint leaves

2 fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 cups cantaloupe, diced

4 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cups seedless watermelon, cut into small pieces

Directions

In a small cooking pan, add water and sugar, blending until sugar is melted.

Bring to a boil and turn down heat to medium.

Add mint and basil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Liquid should be reduced by 2/3rds.

Take from heat, cover and allow mixture to stand for about 2 hours or until entirely cool.

Strain out basil and mint and set liquid aside.

Using a blender or food processor, blend cantaloupe until smooth.

Add 2 Tbs of the mint/basil syrup and 2 tsp lemon juice. Pour this into an airtight container and put it into the frig until cool.

Blend watermelon in your blender until smooth and add 2 tsp of mint syrup and 2 tsp of lemon juice, put into airtight container and refrigerate until cold.

Throw away any remaining mint/basil syrup.

To serve, pour from both containers simultaneously into 1/2 cup serving bowl so watermelon and cantaloupe soup are side by side. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Makes 4 servings.

This recipe is a good one to make ahead if you’re planning a summer party.

Enjoy this cool dish on a hot summer day.

Drinking tea has been linked to many health benefits and white tea is especially high in antioxidants. Its delicate flavor is lighter than other teas and is especially good for adding fruit to make a delicious iced tea drink. You can read more about the benefits of white tea and buy some high quality silver needle, white peony or a wonderful white tea sampler at WhiteTea.com.

White tea is made from buds and young tea leaves, which are picked just prior to the buds being opened fully, while green tea is made of more mature tea leaves.

Delicious White Tea Smoothie

Ingredients

1 1/2 c frozen mixed berries
3/4 cup berry flavored yogurt
1/2 cup brewed white tea
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 small banana