Saturday, December 6, 2008

Spanish Rice and Beef

Ingredients

1 lb of lean ground beef
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
2 cans (32 oz) of stewed tomatoes
1 cup Mahatma uncooked long grain rice
1 cup water
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder


Directions

1. Cooked ground beef, chopped onion and green pepper in dutch oven until meat is browned.
2. Drain in colander, pat dry with a paper towel and clean pan with paper towel.
3. Return meat mixture to dutch oven, stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occassionaly.


Number of Servings: 6

Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients

3 medium-large cucumbers
3 small-medium tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
1/2 cup red onion
2 jalapeno peppers
2 Tbsp minced cilantro
2 Tbsp minced fresh dill
3 squeezes of lime juice (either from wedges or a lime-bottle)


Directions

(20 minute prep-time is for chopping up all the ingredients.)
Peel cucumber (if desired- you can leave the peel on if you prefer- I usually do, or at least leave some of it). Remove seeds from cucumber and discard, and chop remaining cucumber flesh into small pieces.
Remove seeds from tomatoes and discard. Chop remaining flesh into small pieces.
Remove seeds from bell pepper and discard. Chop bell pepper into small pieces.
Remove seeds from jalapeno peppers and chop into very small pieces (or mince).
Chop red onion into small pieces.
Mince cilantro and dill.
Combine all chopped veggies in a large bowl.
Add cilantro and dill and mix together well.
Add a few squeezes of lime juice and mix together again.
Serve with your choice of tortilla chips (not included in nutritional information). I use baked chips to make the recipe a little more healthy. I've found this salsa tastes great on baked "Scoops" chips, or corn tortilla chips with the "hint of lime" flavor. It especially worked well when I served it with Mango-Peach baked fruit chips!

Number of Servings: 6

Tzatziki

Ingredients

1 medium Cucumber, finely sliced
� cup finely chopped fresh dill weed
1 clove garlic, diced
2 Tbsp onion, diced
�-� tsp salt
� tsp freshly ground white pepper
6oz. plain, nonfat yogurt


Directions

Combine ingredients, serve, and enjoy.
Keeps for several days, although some separation may occur--just mix again!

Number of Servings: 6

Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds cooked, skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes and peppers
1 can tomato puree
1 tbsp dried onions
1 tbsp chili powder
2 cups cooked rice


Directions

Dice chicken and set aside.
Make a sauce with the water, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, dried onions and chili powder. Cook 15 minutes.
Turn off heat. Stir in rice and chicken.

Number of Servings: 4

Bean and Macaroni Soup

Ingredients




* 2 cans (16 oz.) great northern beans


* 1 tablespoon olive oil


* 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced


* 1 cup onion, coarsely chopped


* 2 cup carrots, sliced


* 1 cup celery, coarsely chopped


* 1 clove garlic, minced


* 3 cups cut-up peeled fresh tomatoes or 1-1/2 lbs. canned whole tomatoes cut up


* 1 teaspoon dried sage


* 1 teaspoon dried thyme


* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano


* black pepper to taste


* 1 bay leaf, crumbled


* 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni




Directions

1.Drain beans and reserve liquid. Rinse beans.

2.Heat oil in a 6-quart kettle; add mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.

3.Add tomatoes, sage, thyme, oregano, pepper, and bay leaf.

4.Cover and cook over medium heat 20 minutes. Cook macaroni according to directions on package using unsalted water. Drain when cooked. Do not overcook.

5.Combine reserved bean liquid with water to make 4 cups.

6.Add liquid, beans, and cooked macaroni to vegetable mixture.

7.Bring to a boil; cover and simmer until soup is throughly heated. Stir occasionally.

Yield: 16 servings--Serving Size: 1 cup

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup bananas, mashed (about 2 1/2 medium bananas)
1 large egg
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tbsp stevia or 1/2 cup splenda
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup regular flour
1/4 cup milk, 1%
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp semi-sweet mini chocolate chips


Directions

Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Fill 16 muffin tins or papers about halfway. (I used an ice cream scoop to spoon it because the dough will be thick.)
Bake 350 degrees for 20 mins.
ENJOY!


Number of Servings: 16

Oh Boy, Salad!

Ingredients

1 cup tomatoes, chopped or sliced
1 cup cucumber (peeled), pared, chopped
1 tsp dill weed, dried
1 tbsp light mayonnaise


Directions

Using equal proportions of tomato and cucumber, chop everything up into small bits.
Sprinkle with dill, or any seasoning of your choice.
Add a spoonful of light mayo and stir until everything is well mixed. You can also use ranch dressing if you prefer.
Serve immediately, or after chilling. It generally lasts a few days in the refrigerator, so it can be made ahead of time. Enjoy!


Number of Servings: 1

Black Bean Burrito Bake

Ingredients

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup bottled salsa
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese



Directions

Preheat oven to 350�.
Remove one chile from can. Chop chile. Reserve remaining adobo sauce and chiles for another use. Combine sour cream and chile in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes.
Place half of beans in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add chopped beans, remaining beans, and corn to sour cream mixture.
Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350� for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burrito)

Herb Lentils and Rice

Ingredients

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup and 1 tbsp dry lentils
1/2 cup and 1 tbsp chopped onion
1/4 cup and 2 tbsp uncooked brown rice
3 tbsp dry white wine, or chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese, divided


Directions

In a bowl, combine the first 11 ingredients; stir in 1/2 cup cheese.
Transfer to a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray
Cover and bake at 350*F for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until lentils and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring twice.
Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.


Number of Servings: 3