Easy Mexican Chicken Tortillas

3	Cups	Chicken breast meat, cooked, cubed
½		White onion, chopped
2	Cups	2% shredded Mexican cheese
1	Cup	Picante sauce or salsa
1	Cup	Red enchilada sauce
		Light sour cream
¼	Cup	Fresh cilantro, chopped
6		Multigrain tortillas

 

1.       Sauté onion in pan prepped with cooking spray until soft

 2.       Add chicken and salsa and chiles, heat through.  Add 1cup cheese.  Can prep to this point and refrigerate or freeze.

 3.       Preheat oven to 400

 4.       Microwave tortillas in a stack between 2 moist paper towels to soften – about 30 seconds

 5.       Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas and roll up (bottom and tops, then sides.  Place seam side down on baking sheet coated with spray.  Spray tops lightly with canola spray.

 6.       Bake 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile heat enchilada sauce.  When enchiladas are lightly brown, remove and plate. Top with sauce and remaining cheese, cilantro and sour cream to taste. 

 

Makes 6 servings.  365 calories per serving,  10 g fat (25% of calories), 36 g protein, 4 g fiber (without the sour cream)

So, why?                                   

• Great way to use left over chicken from a roasted chicken
• Healthy way to get your Mexican fix, you can round this out with some fat free refried beans on the side and\or a side salad

Week of January 13 Meal Plan

Ok, I forgot to mention last week that my plan never ends up being exactly reality because I often have to make adjustments.  Last week, the Mexican Baked Cod got bumped – I pushed that one to this week since it doesn’t require much that will spoil.

Today, we had lunch out, so I just made a simple soup for dinner while the boys had leftovers from the restaurant.

Sunday – Hearty Tomato Soup, made this the first time tonight, it was good but only if you really like tomatoes!
Monday – Mexican baked cod, steamed broccoli in bag
Tuesday – Bolognese Meatloaf Cupcakes, green beans
Wednesday – Cauliflower and Red Lentil Curry (I have been making this for years, reduce the spices if you have little ones, you can always sprinkle more cayenne on yours) over rice
Thursday – Chicken Vegetable Soup (from freezer)
Friday – Bowtie pasta with Ham (will try to post this later, have not tried before), side salad

A few items to note:

1. I try to have soup once a week. Most soup recipes make enough for my family to freeze half for a really easy dinner on another week.
2. Each meal usually only has one item that requires work. So I a few easy sides on hand, like the steamable vegetables or a can of green beans, corn, etc.

Cauliflower and Red Lentil Curry

½	Cup	Red lentils
1	Small	Onion, chopped
2	tsp	Curry powder
½	tsp	Salt
¼	tsp	Turmeric
2	tsp	Vegetable oil
1	tsp	Cumin seeds
¼	tsp	Cayenne
2	tsp	Lemon juice
1	T	Cilantro, chopped
14	Oz	Can diced tomatoes, drained
4	Cups	Cauliflower florets
2	tsp	Ginger, minced (jarred is fine)
1		Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
3	Cloves	Garlic,minced
1	Cup	Cooked rice

 

1.       Simmer lentils, onions, curry, salt and turmeric in 2 cups water.  Cover and cook 45 minutes.  Add tomatoes, cauliflower, jalapeno, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

2.       Heat oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.  Cook cumin seeds 10 secords.  Add garlic and ginger and sauté 1 minute.  Stir in cayenne.  Add mixture to cauliflower.  Stir in lemon juice, cilantro.

 

So, why?                                   

• Great vegetarian meal with lots cauliflower
• Lentils are a great legume to add as they are easy to cook and don’t come with all the salt of canned beans. Check out the benefits.

 Notes:

• Original recipe called for 1 tsp of sugar but I dropped that out

Citrus Thyme Chicken

1		Orange, cut in half
1		Lemon, cut in half
7	Lb	Roasting chicken, remove stuff from inside
8	Cloves	Garlic, peeled and cut in half
8	Sprigs	Fresh thyme
2		Onions, cut in wedges
1	Lb	Carrots, cut in 1 inch segments
½	Cup	Dry white wine
1.5	Cup	Vegetable or low fat chicken broth
1	t	Dijon
1	T	Cornstarch, mixed with 2 T water

 

1.       Preheat oven to 425

2.       Cut 1 orange half and 1 lemon half into wedges. Squeeze the juice from the remaining halves into a small bowl and set aside.

3.       Rinse the chicken with cold water and pat dry. Season the cavity with salt and pepper and stuff it with the orange wedges, lemon wedges, 4 pieces of garlic and 2 thyme sprigs. Tie the legs together with twine, tuck wing tips under the back.

4.       Gently work thyme springs under the skins on both breasts.  Scatter remaining vegetables on the bottom of a roasting pan, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Place chicken on top.  Extra veggies will be around the chicken

5.       Roast the chicken for 20 minutes.

6.       Lower the oven temperature to 325° and continue roasting, basting occasionally with the reserved citrus juice about another 1.5 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced. 

7.       Tip chicken to allow juices to run into pan and transfer chicken to a platter to keep warm.

8.       To make the gravy: Place the roasting pan on the stove. Add wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, scraping up any brown bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Add broth and simmer for 5 minutes more. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the fat to rise to the surface. Using a bulb baster, transfer the juices to a saucepan (leaving the fat behind) and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add mustard and the dissolved cornstarch; whisk until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

(last time my husband did this recipe, he forgot to strain out the veggies and do the remaining items.  So we had a bowl with the veggies and broth (no mustard or cornstarch) and it was fine we just scooped out the veggies onto our plates and they were moist from the broth and didn’t really use it as gravy.  I figure we ended up about even on the fat content.

Adapted from an Eating Well magazine recipe I copied many years ago.

Makes 6 servings.  243 calories per serving ; 5 g fat,  41 g protein

So, why?                                   

•         Moist flavorful, lean protein
•         Side veggies get made with the recipe

Notes:

• This is really 4 servings per side of the chicken for us.  Normally, if I buy a roasted chicken at the store, we eat half and then I chop up the remaining to use in some recipe that takes already cooked chicken like this week’s chicken chimichitos.  But not this chicken, its so moist and yummy my family insists on having it as a left over dinner later in the week.

 

 

Week of Jan 6 Meal Plan

Here is my weekly plan, I’ll continue to post some of the recipes as well.

Monday – Mexican baked cod, steamed broccoli in bag
Tuesday – Citrus Thyme Roasted chicken, frozen bag veggie\grain mix as side
Wednesday – Susan has business dinner, so boys can have tacos or eggs & bacon
Thursday – Lentil & turkey sausage soup (from freezer), side salad
Friday – Rosemary potatoes and ham casserole
Saturday – Easy Chicken tortillas (use leftover chicken from Tuesday)
Sunday – pan cooked venison loin, spicy roasted vegetables

A few items to note:

1. I try to have soup once a week. Most soup recipes make enough for my family to freeze half for a really easy dinner on another week.
2. Each meal usually only has one item that requires work. So I a few easy sides on hand, like the steamable vegetables or a can of green beans, corn, etc.

Mexican Baked Crunchy Cod

1	Pound	Cod fillets
1.5	Cup	Salsa
1	Cup	Reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated
½	Cup	Corn chips, crushed (baked scoops work well)
1		Avocado, peeled and sliced
¼	Cup	Reduced fat sour cream
		Cilantro, chopped

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 8 by 12 baking dish.
2. Rinse fillets under cold water and pat dry. Lay fillets side by side in prepared baking dish. Pour salsa over the top and sprinkle evenly with the shredded cheese. Top with crushed corn chips.
3. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until fish is opaque. Serve topped with avocado and sour cream.

So, why?
• Lean protein, baked
• Salsa makes a great nonfat, healthy sauce
• This is simple and leaves the fish nice and moist.
• Wins approval from my non-fish loving husband.
• Avocados are a source of good fats

 

Notes:
• With frozen cod fillets on hand, I usually have the makings for this at any time.

Football Day Strategy

In the old days, I would make fattening dips and snacks for a football game and make dinner. We were all stuffed by the end of the day. Sometimes, my family didn’t even want the dinner after I’d labored over it all. So my new game day strategy is this:

• Have a light lunch, like a bowl of soup
• Make a healthy dip like my Healthy 5 Layer Dip
• Buy some salsa
• Serve both with my Light Pita Chips

This is dinner.  (OK, this doesn’t work for early games, we tape those and watch them at dinner time).  If my boys are still hungry later they can have a bowl of cereal.

 

Light Pita Chips

With dips like my Healthy 5 Layer Dip, I prefer to make pita chips rather than use tortilla chips. I like the 8 Grain Pocket Thins Flatbread from Arnold since it first ingredient is whole wheat flour and its high in fiber. It’s not so “whole wheat” like that the boys turn up their notes. In fact my 12 year old loves it.

1. Split the pita in half
2. Cut each into wedges (a pizza cutter works well)
3. Lightly spray with olive oil spray
4. Toast to desired crispness

Healthy 5 Layer Dip

1	14.5 oz can	Pinto beans
3	Medium	tomatoes
1	Small	Vidalia onion, finely chopped
2		Jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
¾	Cup	Cilantro, chopped
2		Limes
2		Ripe avocados
½	Cup	Reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated
¼	Cup	Fat free greek yogurt
¼	Cup	Reduced fat sour cream

1. Drain beans, reserving liquids.  Place beans in food processor and process until smooth, adding up to ¼ cup of the liquid.  Should be firm but smooth.  Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9 by 13 pyrex dish.
2. Sprinkle grated cheese over the beans.
3. Combine avocados with juice of 1 lime and ¼ cup cilantro.  Mash together, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Spread over cheese (tip: plop 2 spoonfuls over cheese and then spread gently with a rubber spatula).
4. Combine sour cream and yogurt (you can use all sour cream, the addition of the yogurt makes it just a little lighter and adds some protein).  Spread over avocados.
5. Combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, ½ cup cilantro and juice of 1 lime.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle tomato mixture over the top.
6. Serve with tortilla chips or Light Pita Chips.

I have a pet peeve about dips that list servings based on 2 tablespoons per serving.  Who eats 2 tablespoons?

Yields:  6 servings, about 225 calories each, with about 50% of the calories from fat  (not including chips)

If you add a half a pocket thin from my Light Pita Chips recipe, total calories is around 325.

So, why?                                   

• Not a low calorie dip but so much more healthy than traditional dips with loads of cheese
• Beans are filling and high in fiber
• Avocados are a source of good fats
• Tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, limes all great sources of antioxidants and vitamins

Notes:

• Original recipe, from who knows where called for 1 C of light sour cream and 6 oz. of cheese, both of those have been reduced.  I recalculated the nutritional value.

Spicy Roasted Vegetables

½ tsp   Ground cumin
½ tsp   Ground coriander
½ tsp   Ground ginger
½ tsp   Salt
¼ tsp   Ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp  Cayenne pepper
1 T         Honey
2 T        Olive oil
1 – 2     Small Onions, depending how much you like onions
2           Medium Red bell peppers, seeded and cut in ~1 inch squares
1.5 lbs   Sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in 1 inch cubes, about 3 Cups
5            Medium Carrots, halved lengthwise and cut in 1 inch pieces
1 T         Fresh thyme leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1st eight ingredients (cumin through olive oil)
3. Peel and cut onions into wedges (8 per onion) so (keep a bit of root intact so they hold together)
4. Place all veggies into bowl and toss with spice mixture to coat evenly
5. Put veggies on a baking sheet in a single layer and cook for 25 minutes.
6. Stir in thyme leaves and cook 25 more minutes.

Yields 4 servings, about 200 calories each, less than 30% total fat.

So,why?
• Lots of veggies and spices with antioxidants
• Spicy flavor goes great with a plain meat entrée such as roasted chicken
• Can be prepped in advance

Notes:

• I underlined large bowl, because the first time I made it I didn’t go large enough – make the stirring a delicate process. Cover your baking sheet with foil to avoid messy clean up but don’t cover with a cooking spray, that will inhibit development of that awesome crunch
• Original recipe by Ellie Krieger called for butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes. I find butternut squash a pain unless you can find the pre-prepped and I almost always have some sweet potatoes on hand. I also always have some red peppers in the freezer (buy on sale, wash and throw in freezer bag) which makes this a side dish I can almost always make with ingredients on hand.
• if you don’t like hot spicy foods (or have little ones that don’t) reduce or eliminate the cayenne.  Those who like it can sprinkle some on theirs later.