Chicken Enchiladas

Today we had a craving for some good old Tex-Mex, so I found some of my homemade enchilada sauce and whipped up some Chicken Enchilada for lunch.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts cut into thick strips
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green, red or yellow sweet pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded &  minced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup of canned/frozen corn kernels, drained
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
¾ cup grated mild white cheese
12 8 inch flour tortillas
1½ cups enchilada sauce (store bought, or go to this link for my homemade red enchilada sauce)
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. This part can be done ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator a few day in advance of assembling the enchiladas. Season the chicken with the salt pepper and cumin.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and add the chicken to the hot oil. Sauté the chicken until thoroughly cooked and nicely browned. Set the chicken aside until it cools.  When the chicken is cool, shred it into thin strips.
2. Prepare the filling. Sauté the onion and sweet peppers over medium heat in the remaining olive oil until translucent.  Add the garlic and jalapeño pepper and stir for another minute.  Add the diced tomatoes and the corn. 
3. Lightly grease a large 15-inch x 10-inch x 2-inch rectangular baking/casserole dish.  Pour about ½ cup of enchilada sauce in the dish.  Dip each of the tortillas in the sauce and stack them on a dinner plate.
4. Assemble the enchiladas.  Place about 2 tablespoons of shredded chicken in a tortilla and top it with a heaping tablespoons of the onions, peppers, tomato & corn mixture.  Add a little of the cheeses and roll the tortilla so that it is about an inch in diameter.  Place it in the baking dish with the open seam to the bottom.  Continue with the remaining tortillas.  You should be able to get 10 enchiladas vertically, with 2 at the top horizontally.
5. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining filling, enchilada sauce and cheese.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until all the cheese is melted.  

Serving suggestions:  Top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh cilantro.

Tex Mex

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King Ranch Chicken

King Ranch Chicken is usually made with creamy canned soups and several cups of cheese.  This is a recipe I found in the "Eating Well" magazine, that I modified to reduce the amount of fat and sodium.   This version still brings all the spicy Tex-Mex flavor goodness we crave. Try experimenting with add additional fresh chopped vegetables like, spinach, squash, corn stripped from the cob, celery, and mushrooms.  Don't be surprised if you have everyone coming back for seconds.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup 2% or non-fat milk

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup non-fat plain yogurt or light cream cheese
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 4 ounce can of diced green chilies, drained

(You could substitute the diced tomatoes and chilies above for Ro~tel diced tomatoes and chilies, but you'll need 1½ cans, since Ro~tel only comes in a 10 ounce size)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley

1 ½ teaspoon chili powder, or more, according to taste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 ½  teaspoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

10 corn tortillas, cut in quarters

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium sauce pan, heat broth until simmering.  Add milk and flour to a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Gradually add the milk and flour to the broth and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes, until thickened and smooth.  Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the yogurt (or cream cheese), rotel tomatoes & chiles, cilantro (or parsley), chili powder, oregano and cumin.  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.

Line the bottom of a shallow 3-quart baking dish with half the tortilla quarters. Top with half the chicken and half the onion mixture. Spoon half of the sauce evenly over the top. Repeat layers with remaining tortillas, chicken, onion mixture and sauce. Top with the Cheddar cheese, Bake until bubbly, and the cheese starts to brown, about to 30 to 40 minutes.

Serves 8

Tex Mex

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Latin Fusion Pasta with Grilled Chicken

We went to dinner at our favorite upscale Latino restaurant, the Red Onion, and discovered something new on the menu. While we didn't try it then, it sounded so good, I had to come home and try to invent it using ingredients that fit with our healthy weight management plan. The recipe sounds complicated, but much of can be prepared ahead of time. It's pretty awesome, even if I do say so myself. You be the judge, try it, and be sure to leave a comment...

Ingredients:
1 cup cilantro lime pesto sauce (click here for my pesto recipe)
4 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon spicy seasoning salt (click here for my seasoning salt recipe)
1 16-oz package of whole wheat bow tie pesto
1 cup frozen white corn
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh pico de gallo (click here for my pico de gallo recipe)

Directions:

• Make the pico de gallo and chill until ready to serve.
• Make the lime pesto sauce, cover and leave it at room temperature.
• Season the chicken with a spicy seasoning salt, cover and store it in the refrigerator until ready to grill.
• Using medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and then saute the corn until lightly toasted. Add the black beans to the skillet, cover and turn off the heat.
• Bring salted water to cook the pasta to a boil in a large pot and heat the grill to cook the chicken to medium-high (I use a panini grill)
• Cook the whole wheat bow tie pasta "al dente". While the pasta is cooking, grill the chicken.
• Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and gently toss the pasta with the pesto sauce.
• When the chicken is thoroughly cooked, slice each breast on an angle. You should get about 8 slices per breast.

To Serve:
Layer a plate with a serving of pasta, 3 tablespoons of the sauteed corn & black beans, 4 slices of chicken and top it with the chilled pico de gallo.

Yield: 8 servings

WP

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Pasta with Turkey & Artichokes in Marinara Sauce *WP*

Ingredients:
Turkey, Ground turkey, 93% lean, 16 oz
Spaghetti Sauce, Classico Tomato & Basil, 26 oz jar
Peppers, sweet, red, raw, sliced, 1 cup
Onions, raw, 1 cup, chopped
Fresh chopped Basil, 2 tbsp
Mushrooms, canned, .5 cup
Artichoke Hearts, 12 oz jar, drained
Italian Herb Seasoning mix, 1 tsp
Red or White Wine, 4 fl oz
Whole Wheat Penne, Bowtie or Spirals (dry), 16 oz

Directions:
Saute onion, garlic and peppers in olive oil until soft. Add ground turkey and cook thoroughly. Split the artichoke hearts in half. Add jar of marinara sauce to the turkey, fold in mushrooms, artichoke hearts, fresh basil and Italian herbs. Add salt & pepper to taste. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.

Cook pasta until "al dente" and drain. Add sauce to the pasta and serve.

Makes 10 - 1 cup servings

Nutritional Info

• Fat: 6.1g
• Carbohydrates: 45.6g
• Calories: 290.1
• Protein: 16.3g

WP

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Paprika Chicken / Chicken Paprikash *WP*

This Chicken Paprikash has been modified from "The Spice House" original recipe to use boneless, skinless chicken, whole wheat pasta and fat free sour cream. Special attention has been given to the list of ingredients to insure the accuracy of the nutritional calculation.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
8 ounces ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon good quality Hungarian Sweet Paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound whole wheat egg noodles
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely minced parsley
2 tablespoons fat free sour cream
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons cream or sour cream (fat free)
1 tablespoon Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread

Directions:
In a flame proof casserole, heat oil and add onion. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until soft but not browned. Add chicken and tomatoes and cook, covered, over low heat for ten minutes. Turn chicken over. Add paprika, salt and pepper, and 3/4 cup water. Cover and cook over low for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

While chicken is cooking, boil a large pot of water and about 10 minutes before serving, boil the noodles until tender per package directions. Drain and toss with buttery spread, salt, and chopped parsley.

In a small bowl, mix sour cream and flour to form a paste. Remove chicken from pan to a warm platter. Add the paste to the pan, and, stirring constantly, cook over low heat until thick and smooth, about 8 minutes. Add the additional cream or sour cream, return chicken to the pan and continue to cook over low for another five minutes. Serve over the hot pasta.

Helpful Hints:

• Boiling sour cream may cause it to curdle, so keep the heat low.
• This works very well with cubed pork substituted for the chicken.

Credit:
This recipe was provided by The Spice House in Chicago and modified to reduce the fat and lower the calories.

Number of Servings: 8

Nutritional Info: Fat: 9.0g
Carbohydrates: 46.3g
Calories: 324.5
Protein: 20.8g

WP

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Tita's Chicken Picatta *WP*

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless breast
1/2 cup white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 tbsp capers
1 cup chicken broth

Directions:
Flavor the flour with the salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper and lemon zest in a large shallow dish.

Remove any visible fat from the chicken and divide each breast into 2 equal portions. Pound each piece into a thin cutlet. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flavored flour and shake off all the excess. Heat the oil* to medium-high in a large non-stick skillet. Brown the chicken cutlets on both sides.

While the chicken is browning, add 1 tablespoon of the leftover flavored flour to the chicken broth and whisk until there are no lumps. Heat the broth in the microwave or a sauce pan.

Once the chicken is browned on both sides, transfer cutlets to a plate. Add the warm broth to the hot skillet and gently scrape up anything stuck to the skillet. Bring the broth to a boil over medium heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the lemon juice and capers and stir. Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken cutlets back in and reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 8-10 minutes.

One serving = 4 ounces of chicken.

* Note: It is important to use a canola or peanut oil because olive oil will burn at high temperatures.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info:
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 229.1
Total Fat: 8.8 g
Cholesterol: 69.7 mg
Sodium: 965.5 mg
Total Carbs: 8.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 28.5 g

WP

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Braised Herbs de Provence Chicken

My friend Suzy gave me this recipe which she had originally obtained from William-Sonoma.

4 Chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
Salt & Pepper
¼ Cup Olive oil

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; brown in olive oil on both sides and remove from pan.

Add the following to the same pan and brown until softened:
2 Potatoes, peeled & wedged
½ Large Onion, sliced and rings separated
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced or cut into strips
1 Yellow squash, sliced

Add:
1 Tbsp. Herbs de Provence
2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
½ Cup Chicken stock or white wine

Put chicken back with vegetables and cook on low simmer for about 45 minutes or until chicken is done. Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) and serve.

4 Servings

Poultry

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Mayan Chicken Fricassee

Pollo en Pepian Dulce

Ingredients:
3-1/2 to 4-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 cups chicken stock,
about 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds)
3 red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped, or 5 canned pimientos, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
1/4 cup Seville (bitter) orange juice, or use two-thirds orange juice and one-third lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice salt,
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup seedless raisins
butter
1/4 cup chopped almonds

Directions:
Put the chicken pieces into a heavy casserole, pour in the stock, adding a little more to cover, if necessary. Cover and simmer until almost tender, about 30 minutes. In a blender or food processor grind the sesame and pumpkin seeds as fine as possible and shake through a sieve. Set aside. Put the peppers, tomatoes, onion, and garlic into a blender or food processor and reduce to a coarse puree. Mix the puree with the ground sesame and pumpkin seeds. Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a skillet, add the puree, and cook, over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes. Drain the chicken, reserve the stock, and return the chicken to the casserole. Add to the puree 1 cup of the stock, the Seville (bitter) orange juice, allspice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix, and pour over the chicken. Cover and simmer gently until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Add a little more stock if necessary. The sauce should be thick. Soak the raisins in cold water to cover for 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Heat a little butter in a skillet and saute the almonds until they are golden. Drain. Transfer the chicken and sauce to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the raisins and almonds. Serve with rice.

Poultry

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Chicken Stew

INGREDIENTS:
1 - 3 pound chicken, cut into pieces
1-2 lemons
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 big carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
5 medium potatoes, cut into cubes
1 cup green peas
1 tsp chopped parsleyt
tsp vinegar
salt, pepper and oregano to taste
2 cups water with a bouillon cube

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the chicken pieces in lemon juice for about 2 minutes. Take out and drain. Heat margarine and fry the chicken together with all the other ingredients, adding the potatoes and the consomme last. Add water if needed. Let it cook for an hour and serve with rice.

Soup

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Baked Oriental Chicken & Grapes

Ingredients:
3 pounds fryer chicken pieces
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cups red seedless grapes, halved.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Arrange the chicken, skin side down, in a large shallow baking
pan. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven and drain off
the excess fat.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, soy sauce, honey, and
garlic powder; brush the mixture onto the chicken. Sprinkle the
chicken with sesame seeds and bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or
until golden brown, basting once or twice during baking. Add
the grapes to the chicken and return to the oven for another 10
minutes. Pour any pan juices over the chicken before serving.

6 servings

Poultry

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White Chili

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c water
1 tsp lemon papper
1 tsp cumin seed
3-16 oz cans Great Northern white beans, undrained
4 skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 med. onions, chopped
18 oz frozen white corn
2 4-ounce cans chopped mild green chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsps dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken stock or canned broth
2/3 c shredded jack cheese

Directions:
Boil chicken in water with lemon pepper & cumin seed. Simmer approx. 20 mins. Remove chicken and cut into bite size. Heat oil and saute onions & minced garlic in oil. Stir in chilies, cumin, oregano & cayenne and saute 2 mins. Add undrained beans, white corn, broth and chicken and bring to a boil. (Optional: to serve, put 1 T cheese in bottom of bowl and pour chili over.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bon appetite!

Soup

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Lil' Gramma's Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup bread crumbs
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
4 slices mozzarella cheese
flour for dipping
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

Directions:
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in bowl. Put flour in separate bowl. Coat chicken in flour, then in egg wash, and finally in bread crumb mixture. Melt butter in pan and brown one side of breaded chicken. Add butter as needed. Cook 6 - 8 minutes on high, covered. Turn chicken over and spoon 1-2 tablespoons of sauce over each piece of chicken and top with slice of mozzarella. Cook 5 minutes on high until cheese is melted.

Poultry

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Aunt Rose's Wine Chicken

Mary hooked Nick with this recipe!

Ingredients:
5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup milk
¼ cup favorite white or blush wine
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Stovetop dry stuffing mix
4 chicken breasts

Directions:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add flour, milk, chicken broth, and wine. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently. Allow to thicken. Arrange chicken breasts in baking pan. Sprinkle cheese over chicken. Pour wine sauce over chicken and cheese. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and mix with stuffing mix. Spread stuffing over chicken. Place in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Poultry

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Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:
8 ounces butter
1/2 cup vinegar
24 ounces Louisiana Hot Sauce
30 whole chicken wings, Deep Fried

Directions:
Heat the butter, vinegar and hot sauce together, then add the chicken wings after they have been deep fried.

Poultry

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Chicken Alfredo *WP*

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat vermicelli spaghetti
2 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon course ground pepper
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, etc.)
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup chicken stock (cold)
1 - 1½ tablespoons corn starch
6 ounces low-fat sour cream

Directions:
Cut chicken into bite-sized squares. Saute in small amount of olive oil over medium to medium-low heat. Dice onion and add to chicken. Add garlic, Italian seasonings and pepper. Cook until the chicken is thoroughly done.

Add the corn starch to the chicken stock, mix well, and add it to the chicken. Simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Fold in the sour cream and shredded Parmesan cheese and remove it from heat.

Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Drain and top individual servings with Chicken Alfredo. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serves: 6

Nutritional Information: Per Serving: 358 Calories; 8g Fat (19.6% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 76mg Cholesterol; 617mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

WP

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