Sunday, April 27, 2008

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad



Ingredients
Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained


Preparation
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 249(30% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 2.8g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 23.3g; CHOLESTEROL 50mg; CALCIUM 106mg; SODIUM 650mg; FIBER 7g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.1g

David Bonom , Cooking Light, AUGUST 2006

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Chilli Con Carne



1 1/2 pounds of extra lean beef (we use turkey because it's healthier)
2 medium onions-chopped
28 oz can whole tomatoes
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 Beef Boullian cube
2 Tbsp. diced bell pepper (I like it hot so we use one whole pepper)
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. Chilli powder
1 whole Bay leaf
4 16 oz. can peans (a mix of pinto, kidney and black)

Brown hamburger and onions in a large pan. Drain fat. In a slow cooker add meat mixture and all other ingredients. Cover and simmer 2-3 hours on low/med. Remove bay leaf and serve.

***Your house will smell so yummy as this cooks really slow!!

Meatless Chilli Verde


8-10 Anaheim Peppers (the long green ones)
2-3 Chillies (the small green ones)

Lay your chillies out on a baking sheet. Turn on your broiler to heat. Broil the Peppers and Chillies. You will need to turn them about 3 times until they start to turn black and blister. This takes about 15-20 minutes.

Place the Peppers and Chillies in a plastic sealable bag to cool. This will make it easier to peel the skin off later. Let them cool completely.

Remove from plastic bag and peel off all the skin. (Note: I buy cleaning gloves to do this, otherwise your hands will be burning all night long and this is pain like you have never experienced before!!!)

In a food processor add 1 cup of water and the peeled peppers and chillies. Blend until smooth.

Meanwhile, add one chopped onion to a pan sprayed with Pam and cook onions until soft. Pour the chilli mixture in with the onions. Add water if it's too thick. (You do want it thick enough that you can scoop it up with a soft flour tortilla. Add 1 tsp. of salt and let it cook with the lid on for 15 minutes. Add a few blocks of low fat cheese) to thicken. I add about a 2-3" inch thick piece.

Serve with fat free refried bean and tortillas.

Hot Chicken Dip

My sister in law's mom came to visit us one weekend from Pittsburgh and she brought this recipe for game night. It was the talk of the night! Every time I take this recipe to a party it's a hit, and I have found a way to make it low fat. Sorry I don't have the calorie and fat info, but you can make this as healthy as you want by adding as much cheese as you want.

2 fat free cream cheese, softened
1 cup Fat Free Ranch
2 cans Chicken (find this in the tuna section of the grocery store)

Mix these first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Then mix in Cheddar Jack cheese (add as little or as much as you'd like).
Add Tobasco (depending on how spicy you want it, we like it spicy so we add quite a bit, probably 10 drops)
Add cracked black pepper
Mix all together and put in a 8x8 square pan. Top with more Cheddar Jack cheese

Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 min's or until the center is warm and the cheese is melted.

Serve with your favorite crackers, we like Triscuit (blacked pepper and olive oil) and Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Chicken Fajitas

With this recipe I saved time by just using store bought salsa. It was just as yummy. But, the recipe for the salsa sounds really good! I also saved a few more calories by not using any oil, and just using Pam cooking spray to cook the veggies and the chicken.



1 medium garlic clove(s), peeled and smashed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut lengthwise into 8 thick strips

To make the salsa:
2 cup cherry tomato(es), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup scallion(s), chopped, green and white parts
1 small jalapeno pepper(s), cored, seeded and minced (don't touch seeds with bare hands)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional (see note below)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

To finish the fajitas:
1 sprays cooking spray
1 medium red onion(s), thinly sliced
1/2 medium sweet red pepper(s), thinly sliced
1/2 medium green pepper(s), thinly sliced
1 tsp canola oil
4 medium whole wheat tortilla(s)
Instructions
In a medium-size glass bowl, combine garlic, red pepper flakes, chili powder, lime juice, salt and pepper; add chicken to bowl and stir well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.


Meanhwhile, to make salsa, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, red pepper flakes, lime juice, salt and pepper. Set aside to allow flavors to blend.


Coat a large, heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add onion and peppers, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes; spoon vegetables into a small serving bowl and cover to keep warm.


Add oil to same skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken and any marinade remaining in bowl, but discard garlic (juices will sizzle so be careful of splattering liquid). Cook chicken until well-browned on bottom, about 3 minutes; flip chicken and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes more. If chicken is not cooked through, reduce heat to low and cook an additional 2 or 3 minutes.


To serve, place 2 chicken strips on each tortilla; top with about 1/2 cup of vegetables and 1/2 cup of salsa. Yields 1 fajita per serving.
Notes

Recipe taken from Weight Watchers Cookbook
If you’re short on time, substitute 1 cup of store-bought salsa for the fresh salsa (could affect POINTS values).

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

**This is not a cooking light recipe, but I saw this on Good Things Utah and thought it sounded really good!

Prep Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 15 min
Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 bags (10 oz. each) torn romaine lettuce

2 cans (15 oz. each) mandarin orange segments, drained

4 cups sliced strawberries

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 cup caramelized almonds*

1 cup poppy seed dressing (Litehouse or homemade)*

6 oz grilled chicken breast

TOSS
lettuce with oranges, strawberries and onion in large bowl.

SPRINKLE with Caramelized Almonds.

ADD
Poppy Seed Dressing; mix lightly. Serve immediately.

*Caramelized Almonds
1 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds

6 Tbsp. sugar

Preparation

TOSS almonds with sugar in nonstick skillet; cook on medium-high heat until sugar is caramelized, stirring frequently.

SPREAD into single layer on greased baking sheet or sheet of wax paper; cool at least 1 hour.

BREAK into small pieces. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.


Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. whole milk
2 tbsp. poppy seeds

Dressing:

Place ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake until blended. Dressing keeps several days in refrigerator.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Blackened Chicken and Avacado Tacos


The avocado will dry slightly in the pan, intensifying its flavor. Choose a ripe but firm avocado so it will hold its shape as it cooks. For a piquant variation, try adding a blend of 1 1/2 teaspoons of Hungarian hot paprika and 1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked Spanish paprika to the spice rub for a more intense flavor.

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 ripe peeled avocado, cut into 16 slices
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup bottled low-sodium salsa (such as Green Mountain Gringo)
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion


Preparation
Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Combine paprika and next 7 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl. Sprinkle paprika mixture evenly over chicken; let stand 10 minutes.
Combine juice and avocado in a medium bowl, tossing to coat. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Grill avocado 2 minutes on each side or until well marked; remove from pan.

Place chicken in pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Let chicken stand 5 minutes; cut chicken crosswise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide the chicken evenly among tortillas; top each with 2 avocado slices, 1/4 cup lettuce, 2 tablespoons salsa, 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream, and 1 1/2 teaspoons onion.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 423(25% from fat); FAT 11.6g (sat 3g,mono 5.1g,poly 2.6g); PROTEIN 45.2g; CHOLESTEROL 100mg; CALCIUM 158mg; SODIUM 675mg; FIBER 5.7g; IRON 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 38g



David Bonom , Cooking Light, MAY 2006

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas




Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 2)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeƱo peppers
1 cup chopped cooked chicken (about 8 ounces), divided
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Cooking spray
3/4 cup salsa


Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until blended.
Place 1/4 cup chopped chicken over half of 1 tortilla. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon onion mixture; fold in half. Repeat procedure with the remaining tortillas, chicken, cheese, and onion mixture.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla in half. Serve with salsa.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 quesadilla and 3 tablespoons salsa)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 328(30% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 4.8g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 27.9g; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 248mg; SODIUM 786mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.4g



Allison Fishman , Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Pan-Grilled Flank Steak with Chermoula



Chermoula is a versatile North African herb-and-spice sauce. Use a cast-iron grill pan for this dish, as a nonstick grill pan can't handle high heat.

Ingredients
Chermoula:
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon paprika
3 tablespoons less-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled

Steak:
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray


Preparation
To prepare sauce, place the first 11 ingredients in a food processor; process until finely chopped, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
To prepare steak, sprinkle steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Heat a cast-iron grill pan over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Cook steak 4 minutes; turn and look for red beads forming on the surface to indicate the steak is approaching medium rare. Cook 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Let rest 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with sauce.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 195(41% from fat); FAT 8.9g (sat 2.7g,mono 4.1g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 25.3g; CHOLESTEROL 37mg; CALCIUM 55mg; SODIUM 284mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 2.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.6g


Mark Bittman , Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I love food that looks "pretty," so if you want to make a really yummy sandwich with lots of flavor, that even looks nice, this is an easy and super yummy recipe.



Ingredients
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup commercial pesto (such as Buitoni)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups cubed skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 (1-pound) focaccia bread, cut in half horizontally, toasted, and cut into 20 slices
1 (12-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
10 romaine lettuce leaves


Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in chicken, celery, and walnuts.
Spread 1/2 cup of salad onto each of 10 bread slices. Top each serving with about 2 tablespoons bell pepper, 1 lettuce leaf, and one bread slice.

Yield
10 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 324(28% from fat); FAT 10g (sat 1.2g,mono 0.6g,poly 2.2g); PROTEIN 26.4g; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 39mg; SODIUM 725mg; FIBER 1.6g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.6g

Taken from Cooking Light

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Girl Scout Brownies

Recipe provided by The Girl Scouts of Utah
Ingredients: Yields 6 servings

1/2 box of crushed Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookies (or if out of season, Grasshopper cookies from any grocery store).
1 box of brownie mix
2 eggs (3 eggs for cake-like brownies)
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
Directions:
Crush Thin Mints into medium size chunks. Mix all ingredients into mixing bowl. Do not use electric mixer — batter will be stiff. Spread batter evenly in greased baking pan (13 x 9 x 2 inch). Bake in center of oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.