Monthly Archives: May 2009

Cheese, Chicken Breasts, Tortillas

Mexican Chicken Casserole

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1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (4.5-oz.) cans chopped green chilies, divided
1-3/4 lbs. skinned, boned chicken breasts
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 oz.) tub-style light cream cheese
1 (10-oz.) can enchilada sauce
12 6″ corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 oz. tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)

Combine broth and 1 can of chilies in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chilies and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Ground Beef, Make Ahead

Meatballs

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Make ahead and freeze cooked meatballs. Thaw and heat in spaghetti sauce or use in other recipes which call for meatballs.

2 pounds ground sirloin
3 slices bread, crumbled
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon ketchup
salt and pepper

Mix together in large bowl. Spread out on a flat baking dish lined with wax paper. Cut into squares, use hands to shape each of these into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. When frozen, place in ziplock bags.
12 Servings

Steak

Marinated Steak

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1 to 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, 1 inch thick, all visible fat removed

Marinade:

1/2 cup dry red wine, nonalcoholic red wine, or low-sodium beef broth
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar or wine vinegar
1 teaspoon acceptable vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
3 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Vegetable oil spray

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Place steak in an airtight plastic bag or in a baking dish. In a small nonmetallic bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Pour over steak and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with vegetable oil spray. Set aside.
Remove steak from marinade, pat dry, and sprinkle with pepper. Place meat on prepared broiler pan. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until desired doneness, 4 to 7 minutes on each side for medium-well done, or 3 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Slice diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Pork

Marinated Pork Loin

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1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 small onion, grated
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root or 3/4 teaspoon dry ginger
1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 pound whole pork tenderloin
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar

In a small bowl, combine oil, onion, ginger, lemon peel, garlic and soy sauce. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
Place pork loin in a glass bowl. Pour soy mixture over pork and turn to coat evenly. Cover and place in refrigerator to marinate overnight.
Remove pork from marinade; drain well.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a small bowl, combine wine, honey and brown sugar. Stir to mix well. Pour over pork, coating all sides of roast. Place in a shallow, nonstick pan and cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 155 F to 160 F.
Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Slice and serve. Serve with steamed rice and snow peas.

Microwave Method for Cooking Pork Tenderloin:

Season pork with salt-free garlic seasoning. Shield each end of the tenderloin with 1 inch of lightweight foil to prevent burning. Place on microwave-safe baking dish. Microwave for 3 minutes at high. Reduce power to 50 percent and microwave 5 more minutes.
Remove foil shields, turn tenderloin over and cook 7 or 8 minutes longer or until meat thermometer reads 165 F. Remove and let sit covered until thermometer reads 170 F.

Fish, Mahi-Mahi, Rice, Seafood

Mahi Mahi with Asparagus and Cashews

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1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2/3 cup vertically sliced onion
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
8 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-oz.) mahi mahi fillets
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups (about 1 1/4 pounds) asparagus, 1″ slices
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted cashews
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
Orange rind strips (optional)

NOTE: You can substitute any firm-fleshed, non-oily fillets such as monkfish, tilapia, cod or grouper.

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 1 minute. Add ginger, orange rind, and garlic; saute 1 minute. Add fish; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned, stirring onion mixture in pan constantly to prevent burning. Sprinkle fish with lemon rind and juice.
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil and salt in a medium bowl; add asparagus and cashews, tossing well to coat. Add asparagus mixture to pan; cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve over rice. Garnish with orange rind strips, if desired. Serving size: 5 ounces fish, 3/4 cup asparagus mixture, and 1/2 cup rice).

Makes 4 servings.