Thursday, February 19, 2009

Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles


yield: 6 servings

1 cup thinly sliced onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 4-oz can chopped green chilies
15 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup shredded queso blanco

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chicken; cook 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; stir in beans. Add broth, salsa, and green chillies to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
3. Place half of tortilla strips in the bottom of an 11x7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of chicken mixture over tortillas; top with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Pour broth mixture evenly over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

Cool Creamy Chocolate Dessert


Cold, creamy pudding, cream cheeses, and whipped topping combine for a smooth, delicious, and refreshing dessert. This is the perfect dessert for a party or summer holidays.

yield: 15 servings

Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz) 1/3-the-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup (4 oz) fat-free cream cheese
1 8-oz carton whipped topping, thawed
3 cups 1 % milk
2 3.9-oz packages chocolate instant pudding mix
cocoa (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. To prepare crust, combine flour and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in food processor; pulse 3 times or until combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans. Firmly press mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool completely.
3. To prepare filling, place 1 cup powdered sugar and cream cheeses in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Fold in half of whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture on cooled crust. Cover loosely and refrigerate 1 hour.
4. Combine milk and pudding mix in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until pudding is set. Spread pudding mixture over cream cheese layer. Spread remaining half of whipped topping over pudding layer. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cocoa if desired.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Crock-Pot Chili #2

yield: 4 1-1/2 cup servings

1 lb ground meat (turkey or beef)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
3 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15-oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add ground meat and onion; cook until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain fat.
2. Place onion mixture, chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, beans, and salsa in a crock pot; stir. Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Top each serving with shredded cheese.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

German Apple Pancake



Original recipe credit: Cooking Light
yield: 6 servings

Batter:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup egg substitute
1 cup fat-free or 1% milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Apple Mixture:
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/8 tsp nutmeg
1 cup thinly sliced Granny Smith apple

Remaining Ingredient:
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

1. To prepare batter, combine flour, baking powder, 1 Tbsp sugar, salt, and 1/8 tsp nutmeg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. In a small bowl, combine egg substitute, milk, butter, and vanilla, stirring with a whisk. Add egg substitute mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a whisk. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.
3. To prepare apple mixture, coat bottom and sides of a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with cooking spray. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; sprinkle evenly over sides and bottom of pan. Arrange apple in an even spokelike layer in pan. Sprinkle apple with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture bubbles. Slowly pour batter over apple mixture.
4. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°; bake an additional 13 minutes or until center is set.

Carefully loosen pancake with a spatula. Gently slide pancake onto a serving platter. Sift powdered sugar over top. Cut into 6 wedges; serve immediately.