Cheese Enchiladas

Preheat Oven: 375o
Serves 6
Estimated values per serving:
Calories = 385 Fat = 8 grams

Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 can black beans
Juice of 1 lime
2 canned jalapenos – rinse, seeded and chopped
1 cup salsa
5 cloves garlic – minced
1 ¼ cup low fat grated cheddar cheese
4 Scallions – finely chopped, green and white parts seperated
2 celery ribs – finely chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
½ Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
12 soft low fat small tortillas
Directions:
Make Filling:
1. Drain and rinse beans and puree them in a food processor for a few seconds. Add lime juice and jalapenos and continue to puree until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add salsa, 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1 cup of grated cheese to food processor and pulse 4 to 5 times until chunky but mixed through.
3. Cover and refrigerate filling until sauce is cooked.
Make Sauce:
1. Hat a sauté pan on medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add scallions, garlic and celery and cook for about 2 minutes.
2. Add diced tomatoes with chili powder and paprika and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat
Assembly:
1. In a large oven safe baking dish, spread ¾ of the sauce on the bottom.
2. Spoon about 3 Tablespoons of filling into a tortilla and roll tortilla. Place tortilla seam side down into baking dish on top of sauce.
3. Repeat filling and rolling tortillas until all 10 tortillas are in baking dish.
4. Spoon remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese and scallions.
5. Bake in 375o oven for 30 minutes covered then 15 additional minutes uncovered until cheese is browned on top.
6. Serve hot.

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Bingo Fiesta

Friday night I had some friends over for a fun bingo night out with the girls.  To make things easy, I bought some frozen appetizers and limited my cooking to a few additions.  Here are 3 recipes from that night:

Black bean Quesadillas

Serves 10

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 7 – 10 minutes

Estimated Values per Serving:

Calories: 145                        Fat: 4 grams

Ingredients:

1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans – drained and rinsed

4 ounces fat free cream cheese – softened

4 ounces low fat cream cheese – softened

1 packet cheese flavored taco seasoning

1 clove garlic – minced

1 cup low fat Mexican grated cheese blend

8 medium soft flour tortillas

Salsa for serving

Directions:

1. Place black beans in a food processor with the cream cheeses, taco seasoning and garlic.  Puree until the ingredients are smooth.
2. Spoon into a bowl and mix in grated cheese.
3. Spread the black bean mixture onto 4 tortillas then place the remaining 4 tortillas on top.
4. Grill tortillas for 3 – 5 minutes on each side until the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted inside.
5. Cut each into 4 triangles per tortilla.
6. Serve warm with salsa.

Cheese Quesadillas

Serves 10

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 7 – 10 minutes

Estimated Values per Serving:

Calories: 115                        Fat: 4 grams

Ingredients:

4 ounces fat free cream cheese – softened

4 ounces low fat cream cheese – softened

1 packet cheese flavored taco seasoning

1 cup low fat Mexican grated cheese blend

8 medium soft flour tortillas

Salsa for serving

Directions:

1. In a mixer, beat the cream cheeses and taco seasoning mix on high speed.
2. Mix in grated cheese.
3. Spread the cheese mixture onto 4 tortillas then place the remaining 4 tortillas on top.
4. Grill tortillas for 3 – 5 minutes on each side until the tortilla has browned and the cheese has melted inside.
5. Cut each into 4 triangles per tortilla.
6. Serve warm with salsa.

Tortilla Crisps

Serves 20

Preheat oven 425^o

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 8 – 10 minutes

Estimated Values per Serving:

Calories: 110                        Fat: 1 grams

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

10 large soft flour tortillas

¼ cup melted low fat butter spread

Directions:

1. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
2. Cut tortillas into triangles
3. Wrap a large baking sheet with foil then coat with cooking spray.
4. Spread tortilla triangles on the baking sheet on 1 layer (you may need to use more than 1 baking pan).  Brush melted butter on the tortillas then sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top.
5. Bake 8 – 10 minutes until the tortillas are crisp.
6. Cool to room temperature and serve.

Black Bean and Bacon Soup

It’s been too long since I have blogged a recipe and I am so sorry for that.  Hopefully, we wil be getting back to our routine and delicious new recipes will soon be on the way.  In the meantime, I made this last weekend and is worthy of a posting.  Enjoy!

Black Bean and Bacon Soup

Serves 6

Estimated Values per Serving:

Calories: 165                        Fat: 2 grams

Black Bean and Bacon Soup

Ingredients:

1 bag (16 ounces) dried black beans

6 cups water

8 slices of turkey bacon

½ cup celery – chopped

1 cup onion – chopped

2 cloves garlic – minced

½ cup carrots – chopped

4 cups ham broth*

2 – 3 cups water

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

*You may substitute chicken broth for ham broth.

Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse beans, place in a large bowl and soak overnight.  As a quick method, you can boil the water and pour over the beans and let sit for about 1 hour.  Drain and rinse beans and set aside.
2. Coat a large pot with cooking spray and heat on medium high.  Fry the bacon for 5 – 7 minutes until crispy.  Remove bacon and cool.
3. While bacon is cooling, add celery and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft and slightly browned.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
4. Chop cooled bacon.  Add carrots, chopped bacon, broth, 2 cups water, beans, cilantro, bay leaf and liquid smoke.  Simmer for about 1 hour.
5. Taste soup and add pepper or more water if it has become to thick.
6. Serve hot with a little grated cheese or sour cream.

 

 

A perfect compliment with BBQ…

Smoky Corn Salad

This is a great side dish that goes with any BBQ you are cooking up for family or friends.  The bacon and Tabasco sauce offers a nice contrast to the sweetness of the corn and the beans offer a lot of fiber to make it healthy as well.  If you’re planning a crowd, just double up on the ingredients, it’s easy enough to make.

Enjoy, eat well and feel good about it too.

Smoky Corn and Bean Salad

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 minutes

Refrigeration time: overnight

Estimated Values per serving:

Calories = 110                                              Fat =  2 grams

Ingredients:

2 cups corn kernels

2 slices turkey bacon – chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

3 – 4 dashes Chipotle Tabasco sauce

1 cup red bell pepper – chopped

1 cup canned black beans – rinsed and drained

Salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat skillet on medium high heat and spray with cooking spray.  Add corn and sugar and sauté for 5 – 7 minutes until browned.
2. Transfer corn to a bowl and cool. 
3. Cook turkey bacon in skillet until browned.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
4. Add lime juice, Tabasco sauce, red pepper, black beans,  corn and bacon to a bowl and season with salt.
5. Refrigerate overnight and serve cold.

Hummus…

Maybe you like hummus or maybe you don’t.  If you are one who does not like hummus, I invite you to try the recipe below.  I have always disliked hummus because it has some foul taste that has never been appealing to me.  However, a long time ago, I tried making my own and you know what?  I found out that like hummus (but only if I make it myself).  So think of this as trying green eggs and ham for the first time and decide for yourself. 

Even if you decide after trying this recipe that you still don’t like it, make sure to serve it to your friends because I know they’ll love it, just as everyone did this past holiday weekend.  You’ll come out looking like a hero for making homemade hummus.

Hummus

Serves 8

Prep time: 10 minutes

Estimated Values per serving:

Calories = 130                                              Fat = 3 grams

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans of chickpeas – rinsed and drained

Juice of ½ lemon

2 cloves garlic

½ cup fat free sour cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

¼ teaspoon coriander seeds

¼ teaspoon celery seed

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas thoroughly.
2. Place chick peas in food processor and puree for 1 minute, scraping down the side.
3. Add remaining ingredients and puree for 3 – 4 minutes.
4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature with bread, crackers or vegetables.