Layered Mexican Chicken

This is a Weight Watchers recipe that I made Sunday night. It was very easy, especially because I had cooked chicken already. This served 12 so I halved it. Below is the halved recipe.

1 lb cooked chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1.5 c. fat-free sour cream (I used low fat because I always do)
1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained
1 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (I used a mix of Cheddar and Pepper Jack)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp black pepper
6 6 in corn tortillas, cut into 2 inch strips
salsa

Preheat oven to 350 and spray square baking dish with cooking spray.
Mix chicken, sour cream, beans, chiles, 1/2 c. of cheese, cumin, and pepper. Toss to combine.
Place half of the tortilla strips in an overlapping layer in bottom of pan. Spoon half of chicken mixture on top. Place the remaining tortilla strips on top in an overlapping layer. Top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with rest of cheese. Bake until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes, then cut into 12 portions and serve with salsa.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Lots of leftover grilled chicken, so planning on these Lettuce Wraps. They are delicious and Neil loves them. The sauce is delicious.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
2 cups packaged cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw
8 ounces grilled chicken breast strips (such as Louis Rich)
12 Bibb lettuce leaves

Place peanuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan frequently. Remove pan from heat; set aside.

Combine hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, oil, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Combine peanuts, coleslaw, and chicken in a medium bowl; toss well.

Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken salad in the center of each lettuce leaf; top each with 2 teaspoons sauce. Roll up; secure with a wooden pick.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 wraps)

CALORIES 197 (34% from fat); FAT 7.4g (sat 1.4g,mono 2.9g,poly 2.1g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 37mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.2g; SODIUM 825mg; PROTEIN 16.5g; FIBER 3.4g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2006

The Perfect Summer Dinner. 3-Step Taco Salad

This looks like a perfect summer meal. Can't wait to try it. From Cooking Light.

Three-Step Taco Salad

1 pound ground sirloin
1 (1.25-ounce package) taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
2/3 cup bottled salsa
8 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
4 cups (4 ounces) bite-sized baked tortilla chips
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 (15-ounce) can kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sliced ripe black olives

Cook the beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine sour cream and salsa in a small bowl.

Combine the beef mixture, iceberg lettuce, tortilla chips, tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, and beans in a large bowl. Drizzle the sour cream mixture over the salad, and toss gently. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and black olives. Serve immediately.


Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

CALORIES 217 (24% from fat); FAT 5.7g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.7g); IRON 2.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 171mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.1g; SODIUM 757mg; PROTEIN 16.8g; FIBER 5g

Cooking Light, JULY 2003

A Great Resource.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html

The recipes look delicious, and healthy!

Pasta with Goat Cheese

My creation last night. Was an easy way to have a comforting, relatively light dinner.

1 lb pasta, any shape
1 cup frozen peas
4 oz goat cheese (flavored if you have it)
about 3/4 cup pasta water

Cook the pasta (add peas in the last few minutes of cooking), reserving about 3/4 cup of the water, and drain.
Add the goat cheese to the cooked pasta/peas, add the pasta water and stir to coat. Add lots of salt and pepper to taste.

I used the goat cheese from Trader Joes that was flavored with garlic and herbs, so this was extra tasty!

Cucumber Salads

Cucumbers are on sale this week, so I'm looking for a marinated cucumber salad to have with some grilled chicken (or Peanut Noodles). So far, my search on CookingLight.com has yielded some tasty looking recipes:

Spicy Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

1 1/2 pounds cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Place the cucumber slices in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 1 hour. Place cucumber slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Rinse and pat dry.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove vinegar reduction from heat; cool. Stir in onion. Combine cucumbers and vinegar reduction in a medium bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Cooking Light, JUNE 2001


Sesame Cucumber Salad



1 3/4 cups (2-inch) julienne-cut English cucumber (about 1 large)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup red bell pepper strips
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Place cucumber in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain for 20 minutes. Combine cucumber and bell pepper in a medium bowl.

Combine vinegar, ginger, and oil, stirring with a whisk. Pour over cucumber mixture; toss gently to coat. Stir in crushed red pepper and black pepper.

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2005

Chicken Tamale Casserole

The Best. Comfort food. Easy. Cheap. This is can't miss.

I usually use black beans in lieu of chicken because I have them on hand more often. Either, or both, are perfect. This is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe (below). I have found that I have to cook the cornbread base about 25 minutes, not 15.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (Jiffy)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (or one can of black beans, rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream


Yield: 8 servings

CALORIES 354 (36% from fat); FAT 14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 58mg; CALCIUM 179mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.3g; SODIUM 620mg; PROTEIN 18.9g; FIBER 2.5g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2008