Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

I have no idea how I found this recipe, but I'm glad I did.  D grilled the chicken with some taco seasoning and it came together fairly fast.  The colors were really bright and it was very tasty.  I only wish we had tortilla chips but we don't keep them in the house.   Would have again.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Photo by ALB

Serve a zesty chicken taco salad drizzled with a chipotle chile, cumin, and cilantro dressing. The smokiness of the chipotle brings out the rich flavors of the roasted chicken breasts.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 cups)

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce (used more)
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (used grape tomatoes)
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

Preparation
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 249; Calories from fat: 30%; Fat: 8.2g; Saturated fat: 2.8g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.9g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g; Protein: 23.3g; Carbohydrate: 25.1g; Fiber: 7g; Cholesterol: 50mg; Iron: 2.2mg; Sodium: 650mg; Calcium: 106mg

Cooking Light AUGUST 2006

Corn and Shrimp Bisque

So D and I were on vacation and I had crab bisque.  He said I should find a bisque recipe.  So I did.

I showed him this one.  He said that he would make it for Monday. I thought it was a little labor intensive but he said it was fine.  He said the hardest part of the recipe was not throwing the shrimp shells in the trash. And that a lot of bowls were involved. 

He added some more sherry to get it more bisque-y tasting.  It was really good.  Would have again. 

We had with Basic Beer Cheese Bread.

Corn and Shrimp Bisque

Photo by ALB

Nothing goes to waste in this recipe, since the shrimp shells and corn cobs make a delicate stock for the soup.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients
2 pounds unpeeled large shrimp
4 ears corn
Cooking spray
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup dry sherry (used 1/3 C)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup half-and-half

Preparation
Peel and devein shrimp, reserving shells. Coarsely chop shrimp. Cover shrimp and chill.

Remove kernels from ears of corn to measure 2 cups, and set aside. Reserve the corn cobs.

Heat a stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp shells and onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until shells turn pink. Add corn cobs, water, bay leaf, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Drain the shrimp stock into a sieve over a bowl; discard solids.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add corn kernels; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomato paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Combine sherry and flour, stirring with a whisk to form a slurry. Add slurry to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add shrimp stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes or until bisque starts to thicken, stirring frequently. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Stir in half-and-half; serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 302; Calories from fat: 27%; Fat: 9.1g; Saturated fat: 4.4g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.4g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g; Protein: 34.5g; Carbohydrate: 17.1g; Fiber: 1.8g; Cholesterol: 255mg; Iron: 4.3mg; Sodium: 764mg; Calcium: 136mg

Cooking Light AUGUST 2003

BLT Dip

I found this recipe on Facebook.  My brother made it and people raved about it (I didn't have any).  So D made it while we were at the beach.  Oh my!  How people don't stick their whole face into a bowl, is beyond me.  How we made this last 3 days, I'm not sure either.

BLT Dip

Photo by ALB

Ingredients 
1-1/2 pound bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled, and divided
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (used 1/3 fat)
1/2 cup sour cream (used low fat)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (used low fat)
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded) or to taste
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
1 tablespoons mustard
2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
1-1/2 cup shredded Iceberg lettuce
pepper an salt to taste (didn't use, and didn't need)

Toasted bread rounds, crackers, or pita chips.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 11⁄2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Set aside 3/4 cup crumbled bacon.

In a large bowl, combine remaining bacon, cream cheese, shredded cheeses, sour cream, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and mustard. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes, remaining 3/4 cup crumbled bacon and lettuce over hot dip. Serve immediately with toasted bread rounds, crackers, or pita chips.

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

I made this in about 3 minutes.  Simple would be an understatement.  It is a little spicy, but good.  I didn't use the Pita Chips because I was using it on pitas for breakfast.  Would make again.

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

Photo by ALB

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 2 1/2 tablespoons hummus and 4 chips)

Ingredients
1 garlic clove, peeled (used 3)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste) (heaping)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons) (mine was a bit big...I seeded but didn't de-rib)
Dash of crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Dash of ground red pepper
1 (6-ounce) bag pita chips (such as Stacy's Simply Naked)

Preparation
1. Place garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, black beans, jalapeño pepper, and crushed red pepper; process until smooth. Spoon bean mixture into a medium bowl, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with ground red pepper.  (I added the oil and ground red pepper into the processor since I was using at a later time). Serve with pita chips.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 148; Calories from fat: 0.0%; Fat: 6.2g; Saturated fat: 0.7g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.2g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6g; Protein: 4.5g;  Carbohydrate: 20.6g; Fiber: 3.5g; Cholesterol: 0.0mg; Iron: 1.7mg; Sodium: 381mg; Calcium: 16mg

Cooking Light JANUARY 2009

Without the chips, the NI from My Fitness Pal was
Calories: 148; Carbohydrate: 9; Fat: 3; Protein: 4; Sodium: 236; Fiber: 3

Garlic - Garlic (1 Clove, Raw), 3 clove (3g)
Mc Realemon - Lemon Juice, 6 teaspoon
Krinos - Tahini (Imported), 1 Tbsp (37 g)
Spices - Cumin, 1 tsp
Kroger - Coarse Kosher Salt, 1/4 tsp
Aldi Dakota's Pride - Canned Black Beans, 1 container (1 4/5 cups ea.)
Raw - Jalepeno Peppers, 1 Peppers (14 grams)
Mccormick - Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, 1/8 tsp (0.8 g)
Mccormick - Ground Cayenne Red Pepper (Gourmet Collection), 1/8 tsp
Kroger - *Pure Olive Oil, 0.67 Tbsp

Southwest Grilled Chicken and Avocado Melts

Avocado, cheese and peppers.  What's not to love?  The creaminess of the avocado and the spiciness of the peppers and cheese.  Too me, the chicken served as a vehicle to get all that in my mouth.  D might disagree. I'm not sure.

Would have again. We had with a black bean salad.

Southwest Grilled Chicken and Avocado Melts

Even within the same variety, chiles can vary greatly in heat. If you like yours mild, pull out the inner membrane when seeding them; that's where a lot of the heat-producing capsaicin is concentrated.

Yield: Serves 4
Total:30 Minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 Anaheim or poblano chiles
4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (about 8 oz. each)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Lime wedges
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 cup shredded jack cheese

Preparation
1. Prepare a grill for high heat (450° to 550°; you can hold your hand 5 in. above cooking grate only 2 to 4 seconds). Rub 1 tbsp. oil over chiles. Cook chiles, turning often, until skins are browned. Put chiles in a bowl, cover, and let cool. Seed chiles and rub off skins.

2. Meanwhile, rub remaining 1 tbsp. oil over chicken. Combine cumin, cayenne, and salt and sprinkle evenly over each breast. Grill chicken, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes total.

3. Squeeze a little lime over chicken, then top each breast with a few avocado slices, a reserved chile, and about 1/4 cup cheese. Grill, covered, until cheese melts, about 4 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 586; Calories from fat: 42%; Protein: 62g; Fat: 28g; Saturated fat: 8.6g; Carbohydrate: 18g; Fiber: 7.4g; Sodium: 760mg; Cholesterol: 150mg

Sunset MAY 2010

Spiced Chicken Thighs with Garlicky Rice

So this was actually better as a left over than on the day of.  It was good the day of but it picked up a lot of flavor between dinner and lunch.  The rice was a little too garlicky for me.  I'm sure D would say no such thing, although he thought it needed an herb (other than parsley).  He increased the rice, because he has never seen a recipe where 1 Cup of uncooked rice equals 2/3 Cup portions.

Would have again.  We had with broccoli.

Spiced Chicken Thighs with Garlicky Rice

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 2 thighs and about 2/3 cup rice)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds), skinned
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add rice; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups water and 3/8 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff rice. Stir in parsley and black pepper.

2. Preheat broiler to high.

3. Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients; stir in remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle half of spice mixture over chicken. Place chicken on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 6 minutes. Turn chicken over; sprinkle with remaining spice mixture, and broil 6 minutes or until done. Remove chicken; reserve pan drippings. Let chicken stand 5 minutes. Spoon drippings over chicken; serve with rice.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 406; Fat: 8.9g; Saturated fat: 3.3g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.7g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g; Protein: 29.7g; Carbohydrate: 53.8g; Fiber: 1.8g; Cholesterol: 139mg; Iron: 3mg; Sodium: 635mg; Calcium: 31mg

Cooking Light JULY 2013