Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

I very rarely cook without a recipe. What can I say!? I'm a Virgo, I need order and direction. Anyway, this is one of the few things that I make without thinking about it. I've never really measured out the ingredients and when people ask how I make these enchiladas, I just end up with a long sordid tale that probably is confusing! So tonight I busted out the enchiladas and decided to write down the measurements as I go. Hopefully it makes sense. We LOVE these enchiladas and it's one of the things my husband requests on a regular basis. Serve with some Spanish rice and refried beans and you have a great weeknight meals!!

PS: These are not soaking in sauce, so if you love your enchiladas with a ton of sauce, add an extra can of enchilada sauce! Put a little more on the bottom and the rest on the top. This recipe is versatile - you really can't go wrong mixing it up to suit your liking!

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Amy's Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Source: An Amy original
Yield: 8 enchiladas

Cooking Spray
1 cup diced onion
1 4.5-ounce can diced green chiles, undrained
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce, divided
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I use 1 rotisserie chicken, picked clean and shredded)
1 Tbsp light sour cream
hot sauce (optional)
4 cups shredded cheese (use cheddar, Monterey jack, a mix of the 2, or Mexican blend - your choice!)
Sour cream for serving

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray and add oninos. Saute until soft and slightly brown (4-5 minutes). Add the undrained chiles and saute 1-2 minutes until well combined with the onions.

3) Place the shredded chicken in a medium bowl. Add the onion/chile mix and stir to combine. Add 2 Tbsp of the enchilada sauce and 1 Tbsp light sour cream and a few shakes of hot sauce, if you like it spicy! Stir to combine.

4) Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Spoon about 3 Tbsp of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the pan - just enough to coat it. Spread with the back of the spoon, if necessary.

5) Fill tortillas each with approx 2 Tbsp cheese (2 hearty pinches) and 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Cover enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce. Use the back of the spoon or a spatula to smoothe the sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Make sure you get the edges so they don't get too dried out! Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas.

6) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes - just until the cheese is nice and melty and the sauce is bubbling around the sides!

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(18) Fiesta Rice

I have a recipe that I normally use when I want a zesty Mexican side dish. I decided to try this one because we've been on a brown rice kick lately. This took a while to cook, but was DELISH and very filling. I will make this again!

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Fiesta Rice

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Source: Cooking Light, May 2007

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped green onions
1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn to pan; cook 10 minutes or until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. Set aside.

Melt butter in pan. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, cumin, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in reserved corn and beans. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and juice.

CALORIES 226 (16% from fat); FAT 3.9g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.7g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 52mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.5g; SODIUM 354mg; PROTEIN 6.6g; FIBER 4.9g

(98) Chicken Tamale Casserole

In an effort to have dinner on a busy weeknight, I decided to try this recipe. I made the cornbread the night before and put the dish in the fridge. I let it get to room temp while the oven was heating. With pre-shredded chicken (also done the night before) and pre-shredded cheese, this was a snap!

I'm still in stopped up nose territory, but what I could taste was yummy! My husband packed 2 servings for lunch tomorrow, so I'll take that as a good sign! Please try this and let me know what you think!

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Chicken Tamale Casserole

"I came up with this dish to satisfy my cravings for the tamales I had at Mexican restaurants when I was growing up in Houston. Homemade tamales are too time-consuming to prepare for weeknight meals, but I discovered a corn bread mix approximates the flavor." —Risë Minton, Smyrna, GA

Yield: 8 servings
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, November 2008

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
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 (such as Martha White) *I used 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
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.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 354 (36% from fat), Fat: 14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g), Protein: 18.9g, Carbohydrate: 36.3g, Fiber: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 58mg, Iron: 1.7mg, Sodium: 620mg, Calcium: 179mg

(67) Green Chile-Chicken Enchiladas

These were not hard to make at all, but they were a little time consuming. SO worth it in my book. YUM. As I mentioned in the sauce recipe, it was spicy, but the flavors were awesome and the texture so creamy. Will make these again for sure! (oh and I don't know why I always feel compelled to say this, but I left out the bay leaf *blech yuck spit phewweee blech*)

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Green Chile-Chicken Enchiladas

New Mexicans prefer these over the beef enchiladas associated with other Southwest cuisines. Prepare the sauce and the chicken mixture up to two days ahead, and refrigerate separately until ready to assemble the enchiladas.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 enchiladas)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, December 2007

3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion, divided
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
3 cups Green Chile Sauce
Cooking spray
16 (6-inch) corn tortillas
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Combine broth, 1 cup onion, and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf) in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan; chill 15 minutes. Reserve broth mixture for another use. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine chicken, remaining 1/2 cup onion, and sour cream in a bowl, stirring well.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread 1/4 cup Green Chile Sauce in the bottom of each of 2 (11 x 7-inch) baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place 8 filled tortillas, seam-side down, in each dish; pour 1 1/4 cups of remaining Green Chile Sauce over filled tortillas in each dish. Combine cheeses in a bowl. Sprinkle half of cheese mixture evenly over filled tortillas in each dish. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 308 (30% from fat), Fat: 10.1g (sat 4.3g,mono 2.6g,poly 2g), Protein: 27.2g, Carbohydrate: 29g, Fiber: 3.4g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Iron: 1.2mg, Sodium: 382mg, Calcium: 198mg

(66) Green Chile Sauce

Either I didn't take enough care removing the seeds or I just had hot chiles. This sauce was make-your-nose-run kind of spicy. But I love that kind of stuff, so it was a.ok in my book! YUM! This recipe makes just enough for the enchilada recipe!

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Green Chile Sauce

Fresh Anaheim chiles--long, slender, pale green peppers--have mild heat. The sauce pairs well with chicken or pork, or serve it as a snack with baked tortilla chips.

This recipe goes with Green Chile-Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 3 tablespoons sauce
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, December 2007

6 Anaheim chiles
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Preheat broiler.

Place chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 14 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning after 7 minutes. Place in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile. Remove and discard seeds and tops. Chop chiles to measure 3/4 cup.

Heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Add chiles, coriander, salt, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place half of chile mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return pureed chile mixture to pan; stir well. Remove from heat; cool completely.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 23 (39% from fat), Fat: 1g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.6g), Protein: 0.7g, Carbohydrate: 3.3g, Fiber: 0.6g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.2mg, Sodium: 114mg, Calcium: 9mg

(48) Mixed Fajitas with Peppers and Onions

We wanted to make fajitas for our 4th of July/1st birthday party soiree. I didn't follow this recipe to a T because we were cooking ahead of time and for a large crowd. But we did use the marinade and may I say YUM!!! I did both chicken breast and steak. The steak was a little tough, but I think that was because it wasn't a great piece of meat, not because of the marinade.

We marinated the meat overnight. There were a few bags of chicken that soaked for 48 hours. They were fine too. The chicken was super moist and very flavorful! I have been eating the leftover meat as a taco salad and there are some chicken quesadillas in my future too!

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Mixed Fajitas with Peppers and Onions

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, May 1999
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 tortilla, 2 ounces meat, 1/2 cup onion mixture, 2 tablespoons tomato, and 2 teaspoons cilantro)

1 1/4 pounds flank steak
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 6 limes)
2/3 cup beer
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breast
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 2 large onions)
2 cups red bell pepper strips (about 2 peppers)
2 cups green bell pepper strips (about 2 peppers)
12 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups diced seeded tomato (about 1 large)
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

Trim fat from steak, and score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak.

Combine juice and next 7 ingredients (juice through garlic) in a small bowl. Divide marinade equally between 2 large zip-top plastic bags, adding steak to 1 bag and chicken to the other. Seal bags, and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight, turning bags occasionally. Remove steak and chicken from bags, discarding marinade.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Place steak on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and cook 10 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place chicken on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Cut chicken into thin slices.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell peppers; sauté 10 minutes or until onion mixture begins to brown.

Warm tortillas according to package directions.

Spoon steak or chicken, onion mixture, tomato, and cilantro down center of each tortilla; roll up.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 378 (30% from fat), Fat: 12.4g (sat 3.5g,mono 5.3g,poly 2.3g), Protein: 26.8g, Carbohydrate: 38.7g, Fiber: 3.3g, Cholesterol: 57mg, Iron: 4.1mg, Sodium: 444mg, Calcium: 97mg

(44) Corn and Black Bean Salad

This was very easy to put together and very fresh tasting. An excellent compliment to a summer grilling meal - and was AWESOME with the carnitas tacos!

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Corn and Black Bean Salad

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, August 2006

2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of salt

Combine corn, bell pepper, onions, cilantro, and beans in a medium bowl.

Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle vinegar mixture over corn mixture; toss well. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 74 (28% from fat), Fat: 2.3g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.3g), Protein: 3.4g, Carbohydrate: 14.4g, Fiber: 3.4g, Cholesterol: 0.0mg, Iron: 0.8mg, Sodium: 208mg, Calcium: 19mg

(43) Beef Carnitas Tacos

The avocado, tomato, onion salsa on this is EXCELLENT!! I could have eaten 10 of these tacos!

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Beef Carnitas Tacos


These simple tacos are an ideal showcase for tender Beef Carnitas (or Pork Carnitas). Serve with a black bean salad and frozen margaritas or ice-cold beer. You can warm the tortillas in a nonstick skillet just until lightly browned.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos and 2 lime wedges)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, September 2006

2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 2 medium)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup diced peeled avocado
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups Beef Carnitas
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; toss well. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 1/4 cup Beef Carnitas onto each tortilla; top each with about 3 tablespoons avocado mixture. Fold in half; serve with lime wedges.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 235 (30% from fat), Fat: 7.9g (sat 2.2g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.9g), Protein: 17.6g, Carbohydrate: 26g, Fiber: 3.8g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Iron: 2mg, Sodium: 303mg, Calcium: 37mg

(42) Beef Carnitas

Back in the kitchen! Last week was a week of sloppy joes, pizza, and tacos! This week, I have real menus planned! YAY!! Tonight I made these carnitas tacos and black bean salad. FANTASTIC! I hope you will try them!

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Beef Carnitas

This simple recipe, which uses inexpensive beef stew meat, garnered our highest rating for great flavor and versatility. To freeze the carnitas, wrap them tightly in heavy-duty plastic wrap or foil, and place in a zip-top plastic freezer bag; they will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

Yield: 4 cups (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, September 2006

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large unpeeled orange wedge

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add beef; sauté 5 minutes or until beef is browned on all sides. Stir in broth, sugar, salt, and pepper; nestle orange section into beef mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Remove and discard orange. Continue simmering, uncovered, 8 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 180 (40% from fat), Fat: 8g (sat 3g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.3g), Protein: 22.2g, Carbohydrate: 3.5g, Fiber: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 71mg, Iron: 2.5mg, Sodium: 320mg, Calcium: 16mg

(36) Salsa Cornbread

You can't have chili without cornbread!!! I'm always looking for new ways to do cornbread (besides the traditional Jiffy from the box!). My husband called this "Junk Cornbread" and he was right. I wish I had used the seeds from the jalapeno. Very filling portion (I made 9, not 10... not sure how you would cut a square pan into 10!).

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Salsa Cornbread

Tip: If you do not have an ovenproof skillet of the correct size, use an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. Do not preheat the empty baking dish in the oven before filling it.

Source: Eating Well Magazine, Winter 2004
Yield: 10 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk or equivalent buttermilk powder
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup drained canned corn kernels
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Place a 9-inch cast-iron skillet (or similar ovenproof skillet, see Tip) in the oven to heat.

2. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

3. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, butter and honey in a medium bowl. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients; mix with a rubber spatula. Stir in corn, onion, tomato, garlic and jalapeno.

4. Remove the skillet from the oven and coat it with cooking spray. Pour in the batter, spreading evenly. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake the cornbread until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 138 calories; 4 g fat (2 g sat, 1 g mono); 70 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 1 g fiber; 319 mg sodium.

(25) Chicken, Mushroom, and Cheese Quesadillas

So I didn't do as great a job as I had hoped this week in the cooking arena. Oh well, that's life! But tonight it was "use it or lose it" time for the pack of mushrooms that I had, so I made these quesadillas. They were quick and easy and made a ton! I used 1lb of chicken because that's what I had partitioned out in the freezer. I'm also not a great judge of what size tortillas are. So I think I got 8" wraps, but who the hell knows?! In any case, I think this was a 6 serving meal. VERY flavorful and a definite repeater!!

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Chicken, Mushroom, and Cheese Quesadillas

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, July 2004
Yield: 4 servings (1 quesadilla per serving)

CL Comments: Using preshredded cheese and presliced mushrooms makes these quesadillas a snap to prepare.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) preshredded light Mexican cheese blend (such as Sargento)

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine ground cumin, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; sprinkle over chicken. Add chicken to pan, and sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan; set aside. Add onion, mushrooms, garlic, jalapeño, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Remove from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Wipe pan with paper towels.

Heat pan over medium heat. Sprinkle each tortilla with about 1/3 cup cheese. Arrange 1/2 cup mushroom mixture over one-half of each tortilla. Arrange chicken evenly over mushroom mixture. Carefully fold each tortilla in half. Add 2 quesadillas to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 388 (29% from fat), Fat: 12.5g (sat 5.7g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.9g), Protein: 38.5g, Carbohydrate: 31.3g, Fiber: 1.7g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Iron: 2.8mg Sodium: 759mg, Calcium:429mg

(1) Mexican Black Bean Sausage Chili

Well, we're starting the new year off with a bang! Before Christmas, I had intentions to make this recipe but I just ran out of time. So instead of let the meat go to waste, I made the sausage and then put it in the freezer. That step was very handy when I decided to make this today!!

This soup had quite a kick!! If you don't love spicy spicy stuff, cut the chipotles down to 2 instead of 3. The recipe says that it makes 6 servings at 1 3/4 cup each. I ended up with 8 servings at 2 cups each! Score! That cuts the nutritional information down to 296 cal, 8g fat, 26g protein, 30 carb, 10.5g fiber, 22mg chol, and 749mg of sodium! Much more manageable!

I served the soup with cornbread. Will definitely make this recipe again!

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Mexican Black Bean Sausage Chili

Yield: 6 servings (1 3/4 cup each) -- I got 8 servings @ 2 cups each
Source: Cooking Light Magazine - January 2006

Ingredients

Sausage:
1 1/2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons dry red wine
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of kosher salt
3/4 pound lean ground pork
3/4 pound ground turkey breast

Chili:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced onion (about 2 medium)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
3 cups water
2 (14.5-ounce) cans no salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup very finely chopped cilantro, divided
Low-fat sour cream (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)

Preparation

1) To prepare sausage, combine first 12 ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2) To prepare chili, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage mixture; cook 7 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon garlic, 2 teaspoons oregano, and chiles; cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender.

3) Place 1 1/2 cups black beans and 1 cup broth in a food processor; process until smooth. Add puréed beans, remaining beans, remaining 2 cups broth, water, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil.

4) Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 45 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in juice and cilantro. Ladle about 1 3/4 cups chili into each of 6 bowls. Garnish each serving with sour cream and sliced green onions, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:395 (27% from fat), Fat: 11g (sat 2.9g,mono 6g,poly 2.1g), Protein: 35.3g, Carbohydrate: 40.4g, Fiber: 13.7g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Iron: 6mg, Sodium: 989mg, Calcium: 128mg

Tortilla Soup

I feel like I'm on a never-ending quest for quick, easy, and healthy meals! I subscribe to 648 million magazines - 95% of which are food related. I read them or shuffle through them and then they go in this big basket in the kitchen. So my new year's resolution this year is going to be to sort through them and actually COOK from them! I've started a bit before 2009 and am starting with this winner from Eating Well Magazine's September/October 2008 issue.

This recipe fit all 3 of my needs - it was quick, easy, and healthy! AND it was darn tasty!! The chicken thigh is normally not part of my repertoire, but it was perfect in this soup - so tender! My peppers had a little kick to them, but that's ok because we like it a little spicy. I suspect I didn't do a good enough job getting the seeds out, but oh well! I served this soup with little mini cheese quesadillas that I made with the extra corn tortillas and cheese that I had! YUM!

Source: Eating Well Magazine
Yield: 6 servings (about 1 1/3 cup each)

Ingredients

8 corn tortillas, halved and thinly sliced
Canola or olive oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 Anaheim or poblano peppers, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (see Tip)
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Spread tortilla strips in an even layer on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake until browned and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add peppers and onion and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chicken, broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice. Serve each portion topped with some of the baked tortilla strips, Cheddar and cilantro.

Tips
Tip: To trim boneless, skinless chicken thighs, we like to use kitchen shears to snip the fat away from the meat.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 288 calories; 12 g fat (4 g sat, 4 g mono); 56 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrate; 20 g protein; 5 g fiber; 483 mg sodium; 404 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (40% daily value), Iron (15% dv).
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat