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December 2025 Recipes of the Month
Cooking Demonstration
Be Well Illinois hosts a variety of virtual cooking demos throughout the year. Among the most popular webinars are the live cooking demonstrations, which show you how to prepare simple, healthy and tasty meals. The live cooking demo will post on the Be Well Webinars web page.
Hearty Bean and Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme (optional for extra flavor)
Directions
- In a large pot, combine the beans, diced tomatoes, frozen vegetables and vegetable broth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes.
- Season with dried herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
No-Sugar-Added Minty Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1–2 packets of a sweetener or an all-natural sweetener like Stevia
- Dash of salt
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Directions
- Mix cocoa, sweetener and salt in a mug.
- Microwave the milk for about a minute and a half or until hot.
- Slowly add milk to the cocoa mixture, stirring as you go.
- Add vanilla and peppermint and stir.
- Enjoy!
