Crispy Chicken Quesadilla

Recently, a friend of mine got me hooked on Pinterest, and poof...there went several hours. One of the things I pinned recently was a recipe that looked delicious and consisted of ingredients I already had in my fridge. Those are the best kinds of recipes, in my opinion. I didn't change much, and I found the original recipe here.

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup cooked rice
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 chopped green onions
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 Tlbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
shredded Monterey Jack
shredded cheddar
white corn tortillas

Mix the rice, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder together (Alternatively, cook the rice with the spices). Stir in the remainder of the ingredients, except the cheese. Warm up a cast iron skillet over medium or medium low heat. Spray one of the tortillas with olive oil and put it oil side down in the pan. Sprinkle some of the Monterey Jack on the tortilla (not too much or it will melt out the sides). Spoon the rice/chicken mixture on the tortilla out to about 1/2 an inch from the edges all the way around. Then sprinkle a small amount of cheddar on top, and put the other tortilla on top. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, until it is toasted, then spray the top tortilla with olive oil, flip the entire thing over and toast the other side. Cut and serve.

A note here...In the original recipe, she rolled a larger tortilla into a burrito style shape and toasted it closed. When I did that, everything fell out. And then I ran out of whole wheat tortillas, which is what I usually use. However, I had some white corn tortillas left over from the green enchiladas last week, so I used those instead and it turned out pretty good. To flip them without spilling out all the ingredients, I lifted the quesadilla off the pan and onto a small plate, then flipped another small plate over and put it on top, then flipped the entire thing, took the top plate off, and used the spatula to put the whole thing back on the pan. No mess. In the original recipe, she used garlic salt and a fresh lime, but I didn't have either one of those. I think I would add corn next time, just because I like it, but this is pretty good as is. This recipe makes a fairly large amount, about 3 cups of mixture total, but it would be really easy to cut it down. In the original recipe, she said she served 6 people.

Rating 5/5
Why? This is super easy to make, and I almost always have all of these ingredients on hand. I like that it will make a relatively large amount that will sit in the fridge for several days and I can use when I want a quick snack.

Green Enchiladas

My friend's mom came up with this recipe, and Kathleen introduced it to us in college. It is now something that we make every time we get together. This is a somewhat healthier variation on the original. This picture is pretty bad, but it will do. It's hard to photograph these.

Ingredients:
** NOTE: all amounts are approximate. Each time I make this it turns out slightly differently, so I add a little of this or that to make it the right consistency or flavor.
2-3 chicken breasts
4-5 cups shredded cheese (Mexican or fiesta mix)
16 oz Greek yogurt (2ish cups), divided
1/8-1/4 cup chicken broth
5-6 jalapenos (or more)
1-2 poblano peppers (sometimes called ancho)
3-4 Tlbs flour
1 tsp salt
white corn tortillas (smallest package has about 25-30)

First, boil or bake the chicken. You could season it if you want, I don't. Let it cool, then shred it and put it in the fridge until you are ready for it. Prep the peppers by cutting the tops off and if you want to, removing the seeds and membranes. In a food processor or blender, put 1 cup or so of the Greek yogurt, 1/8 cup of chicken broth, and all the peppers. Process until smooth. It should be quite green due to the peppers. Pour the pepper mixture into a cast iron frying pan, and turn it onto medium or medium low. As it is heating, add the rest of the Greek yogurt and the salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle the flour in, a tablespoon full at a time, until the sauce is just a little thick (so it will stick to the tortillas). Continue to whisk the flour through until it is smooth each time before you add more. If it gets too thick, add chicken broth a tablespoon at a time. When the mixture feels right, turn the burner to low, and let it simmer for a while (15-20 minutes, or until you are ready for the next step).

The tortillas need to be slightly softened before using, so unless you made your own fresh ones, you need to put them in the microwave between damp cloths and microwave 30-40 seconds. Also spray a 9x13 pan with olive oil and set up a construction line with the green sauce next to the pan, and the chicken and cheese close by. Take a tortilla, dip it in the sauce, then flip it over to get both sides with the sauce. Lay it in the 9x13 pan, then put a SMALL amount of shredded chicken down the center, then top with a slightly larger amount of cheese. Roll the tortilla, then shove it to one end of the pan. Repeat the process, shoving the enchiladas close together until the pan is full. If your sauce appears to be running low, add a little more chicken broth and Greek yogurt to the cast iron pan while you still have enough green sauce to mix. When your 9x13 pan is full, pour any remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas, then top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is totally melted and the edges are starting to crisp. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so before serving or it will be a hot mess.

This is a dish that is easier to construct with someone helping you with the assembly line portion. It is so good, and is very easy to make all kinds of variations - more jalapenos for more heat, beans instead of chicken for vegetarian, fewer jalapenos for less heat. As far as the cheese goes, you can buy the fiesta mix, or I mixed monterey jack, cheddar, and mozzarella together myself. I have also made quite a lot of changes from the original recipe in the interests of making it healthier. However, the original recipe called for:
* the tortillas to be quick fried (dipped in hot oil for 5-10 seconds, then drained on a paper towel). I chose not to do this because I was trying to make them healthier, but if you do this, you will not need to soften the tortillas in the microwave and you shouldn't have any problems with them tearing when you roll them.
* 2-3 cans of cream of chicken soup instead of the Greek yogurt. Again, I was trying to make them healthier and Campbell's has a ridiculous amount of salt in their soup. If you use this, leave out the salt and the flour, and you won't need as much chicken broth.

One final note. These get hotter the longer they are refrigerated and are really good as leftovers.

Rating? 4/5
Why? The original, full-fat, unhealthy version is really amazing, so it is hard to make it healthier and still as tasty. But this comes pretty close...close enough for me, anyway. I think the jalapenos I used were WEAK because it was not hot at all, so that's why in this recipe it is pretty important to taste as you go. I put in 6 jalapenos and should have doubled it, and I am not a person who loves ridiculously spicy/hot food.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

So....it's been a while. The end of the school year was rough, then I went on vacation, and I really haven't been cooking much at all, and when I do I've been making things I am comfortable with. Which brings me to these wraps. I have made these before, but it has been a couple of years at least, and I've been craving them for a while. I apologize for the crappy picture.

Ingredients:
Bibb lettuce
1 chicken breast, thinly sliced or cubed
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tlbs soy sauce (I used tamari)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 Tlbs rice vinegar
1 tsp Thai chili pepper sauce
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
4-5 green onions, chopped
2 tsp dark sesame oil

Brown the chicken in a pan until it is about half cooked. Then add the onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin, vinegar, and chili sauce and cook for another few minutes until it is almost done. Add the water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil and cook 1-2 minutes more. Take it off the burner, and wash and dry the Bibb lettuce leaves. Using a spoon, put a small amount of the chicken mixture in a leaf and wrap it up to eat.

These are SO good, but be aware that the Bibb lettuce MAKES this dish. I have tried to use other types of lettuce, such as romaine and red lettuce, but for some reason the Bibb lettuce goes with this perfectly. I can go through an entire head of lettuce eating this dish. I also put in more like a tablespoon of chili sauce, but it is really hot when you do that. The first couple of times I made this, I had a hard time finding Bibb lettuce, but it is now at my local Safeway as well as the fruit stand I go to during the summer. Also, FYI, this is really ridiculously messy to eat, which should be an indication of how awesome it tastes.

Rating: 5/5
Why? This is pretty easy to make, especially if you prep everything first, and comes together really fast. It is also relatively healthy and I love the texture of the lettuce as a wrap. It also refrigerates well if you have leftovers, and is a good way to get kids to eat lettuce.

Chicken Carbonara

This is suprisingly easy to make, and has some surprising (for me) ingredients. The original recipe is from Clean Eating, but I have modified it.

1 chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 cloves minced garlic
2-3 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a medium skillet, cook the chicken and minced garlic until it's finished, then set it aside in a covered bowl...it needs to stay warm. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water and steam the carrots and broccoli until the color gets bright, but they are still crunchy. When the pasta is almost done, add the peas and peppers for the last couple of minutes. While you are waiting, add the egg, parmesan and black pepper to the bowl with the chicken and stir to combine. Add the steamed vegetables, drain the pasta, and add the pasta as well. Toss everything well and serve immediately.

I had no idea that the magic ingredient in Carbonara was raw egg, although the heat of the cooked vegetable and chicken cooks the egg enough to be safe. The original recipe called for a package of frozen mixed vegetables, but those always have way too many mushrooms and not nearly enough peppers, so I make my own vegetable mix, and add more than the recipe calls for. It also called for 1/4 cup of the pasta water to be added to the mix, but I forgot to do it. When I have made this prevously and remembered the water, it makes it just slightly more creamy.

This comes together incredibly fast, so I recommend making sure everything is cut and measured ahead of time. It is important that the chicken and vegetables are hot when you add the egg, so cover them until you are ready to add it. Also, this does not microwave well as leftovers, so try to make it work for the number of people you are feeding. I haven't managed to make it work for one person yet, so I deal with slightly scrambled eggs mixed in with my leftovers.

Rating - 4/5
Why? I can't make a one serving portion. But it's easy to make and tastes delicious.

Cod Manicotti Wraps

This was on the front cover of the latest Clean Eating magazine and it looked so good I knew I would be making it. The problem was finding whole wheat lasagna noodles, I ended up going to three stores before finding some. This is messy to make but is really good, so it's worth it.

olive oil
3-4 green onions
8 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 carrot, peeled and grated
8-10 oz cod*
4 oz neufchatel cheese
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp chopped dill
1/8 tsp salt
2 oz shredded mozz

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9x9 cooking pan with olive oil and set it aside. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of water. While they are cooking, rinse the onions, then slice them LENGTHWISE, to make long strands. Make sure you have at least 8 long strands. During the last 90 seconds of cooking, add the onion strands. Take the noodles and onions off the burner, drain, and set aside to cool. Cover the pot with a lid to keep the noodles pliable. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, mist with olive oil, then cook the fish until opaque and flaky. Set it aside to cool slightly. In a medium saucepan, mix the neufchatel cheese, skim milk and dill. Heat over low heat, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add half of the mozz, and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and bechamel is smooth. Take it off the burner and set aside half of the cheese mixture. Shred the fish with a fork, then add the fish and the carrots to the remaining cheese mixture and mix together. Take one of the lasagna noodles, put about 2 Tlbs of the fish bechamel sauce mixture on one end, and roll it up gently. Tie one of the green onions around it to keep it closed. Continue doing this until all the mixture and noodles are used. As you wrap them, place them in the 9x9 pan close together. Pour the remaining bechamel sauce over the top, and add the rest of the mozz. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly toasted.

*I use cod because I like it and it is one of the few white fishes I can find that is caught wild. The magazine recommends tilapia, but ever since I saw 40 tilapia jammed in a tank at a local store, I can't bring myself to buy farmed fish.

This was a bit of a process to make, but really didn't take that long to put together. In the future, I will probably not use the green onions as I really didn't care for the texture when they were cooked. You could probably use a toothpick or something to keep it together, although they were close enough together in the pan that you really wouldn't need it.

Rating: 4.5/5
Why? Although it is messy to assemble, it is really good and very filling.

Shrimp Amatriciana

To say I've recently fallen off the healthy eating train would be the equivalent of saying that teenagers are occasionally obnoxious - a shocking understatement. This recipe is the perfect step to get back on the train. According to tradition, it is an ancient Roman recipe created by poor shepherds, and has only 4 ingredients, although this history is hotly debated. Wherever it came from, it is incredibly simple and extremely delicious. The original recipe is from allrecipes.com, but I changed several ingredients.

2 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
1/4 chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 can stewed tomatoes
10 medium shrimp, roughly chopped
2-3 oz pasta
3 leaves chopped basil
grated Parmesan

Spray a skillet or flat saucepan with olive oil. Saute the onions and bacon together for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for about a minute, then add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then add the shrimp. Simmer for 7-8 minutes. While it is simmering, cook the pasta. Drain, then top the pasta with the tomato mixture, then garnish with the basil and Parmesan.

In the original recipe, there was no shrimp, less red pepper, and the basil was mixed in with the tomato sauce. I felt the need for more protein, so I added the shrimp, and I forgot to add the basil until the dish was already plated, so I just tossed it on top. The original recipe also called for the bacon to be raw, cooked in the pan, and use the grease to cook the onions. I cook an entire package of turkey bacon at a time and keep it in the freezer and I also shred and freeze Parmesan, so I changed that part of the recipe as well.

Rating: 5/5
Why? This was filling, delicious, nutritious, easy and tasty. A complete winner!!

Lime Tortilla Soup

Normally, I prefer thick, chowder-like soups, but something about this one really appealed to me when I saw it in Clean Eating last month, and the fact that it came together quickly was a big selling point. It was totally worth it! This soup is completely delightful and super easy! I did change the recipe slightly as I was out of some ingredients and didn't realize it until I was in the middle of prep.

2 Tlbs olive oil (divided)
1 chicken breast, in 1/2" cubes
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 tsp cumin
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 chopped green pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 shallot, finely minced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 10" whole wheat tortilla
1 lime, quartered
low-fat Greek yogurt for garnish

Heat 1tlbs oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the chicken, jalapeno, cumin and green pepper, and cook 2-3 minutes, until chicken is done. Add the chicken broth, water, shallot and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. When mixture is at a hard boil, remove it from the heat and add the tomato, cilantro, and remaining tablespoon of oil. Cover the soup and let it sit for 5 minutes to let the flavors blend. While the soup is resting, mist a non-stick pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Using a pizza cutter, cut the tortilla into narrow strips (1/8" wide) and then each strip into 2" lengths. When the pan is hot, toss the tortilla strips in and toast them, turning constantly to prevent burning. When they are crispy, remove them from the heat. Put soup into a bowl, then add a dollop of Greek yogurt and garnish with tortilla strips and squeeze a quarter of a lime into the soup.

This soup is so delicious, I will definitely be making this again. The original recipe called for scallions in place of the shallot and 3 cups of chicken broth instead of a chicken broth/water mixture. It also called for baby spinach and a corn tortilla instead of whole wheat.

Rating: 5/5
Why? So good....perfect flavors, light and filling.