1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup frozen chopped onion
½ teaspoon garlic powder
19 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
16 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
14½ oz can fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
2 4.5 oz cans chopped green chiles
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup shredded monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Add oil to a large saucepan; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic powder; sauté until tender. Mash half of cannellini beans; add to onion mixture. Add remaining cannellini beans and kidney beans. Stir in broth and next three ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese. Makes four (1½ cup) servings.

Each serving = 235 calories, 6.6 gm fat, 3.2 gm saturated fat, 30.6 gm carbohydrate, 15 mg cholesterol, 974 mg sodium.

Exchanges = 2 starch, 1 medium-fat meat

Cumin Chips

4 6-inch corn tortillas
garlic-flavored cooking spray
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each tortilla into eight wedges using kitchen shears or pizza cutter. Place tortilla wedges on a large baking sheet. Lightly coat wedges with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with cumin and salt. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Makes four servings of eight chips.

Each serving = 59 calories, 0.7 gm fat, 0.1 gm saturated fat, 12.2 gm carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 188 mg sodium

Exchanges = 1 starch

Orange-Onion Salad

6 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 oranges, peeled and sliced
½ cup sliced red onion
1/3 cup fat-free red wine vinaigrette

Combine first three ingredients; toss well. Add vinaigrette and toss. Makes four (1½ cup) servings.

Each serving = 72 calories, 0.2 gm fat, 0 gm saturated fat, 17.4 gm carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 205 mg sodium

Exchanges = free vegetable, 1 fruit

SHIRLEY’S TIPS—To reduce the sodium in the soup, use a lowsodium bouillon like Herb-Ox Very Low Sodium. You also can omit the salt from the recipe and season the soup before you eat it. If you do not like cannellini beans, you can substitute other beans such as pinto or black.

This recipe can be very warm. If you prefer less heat, use only one can of green chiles. Add the cumin by small amounts and taste as you go. You can do the same thing with the chips. Use less cumin if you want less heat or substitute another seasoning that you do like. 1½ cups soup, eight chips and 1½ cups salad provide 366 calories, 7.5 gm fat, 60.2 gm carbohydrate and 1367 mg sodium. Using low-sodium bouillon will considerably reduce the sodium amount.

All recipes come from Cooking Light cookbooks.

Spicy chicken fettucine…avocado pineapple salad…you’ll find these recipes and more on www.FortHealthCare.com. Click on “Healthy Insights,” then “Healthy Recipes.”