Southwest Chicken

My brother pointed this recipe out from allrecipes.

D made it and said it was really easy.  D added a little more seasoning.

We had with rice, avocado and corn tortillas. Will have again.

Southwest Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 pinch ground cumin
(added 1/2 tsp of Adobo Seasoning)

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Brown chicken breasts on both sides. Add tomatoes with green chile peppers, beans and corn. Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Add a dash of cumin and serve.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 310; Total Fat: 6.4g; Cholesterol: 68mg Sodium: 863mg Total Carbs: 27.9g; Dietary Fiber: 7.5g; Protein: 35g

Beef Carnitas Tacos

D and I are in the minority on this recipe.  It tasted weird.  So the stew meat was chewy, which is fine. It is cheap meat.  But the Carnitas gathered a Chinese Pot Roast Flavor. After 2 bites though, it became incredibly bland, even though D added way more seasoning than it called for (added chili powder, cayenne and Arizona Seasoning and salt).

The salsa for the tacos was good. 

We had with refried bacon beans.

Beef Carnitas

YIELD: 4 cups (serving size: 1/2 cup)
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

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

Preparation

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 

Amount per serving Calories: 180 Calories from fat: 40% Fat: 8g Saturated fat: 3g Monounsaturated fat: 3.4g Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g Protein: 22.2g Carbohydrate: 3.5g Fiber: 0.4g Cholesterol: 71mg Iron: 2.5mg Sodium: 320mg Calcium: 16mg 

Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2006

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)
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

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

Preparation

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

Amount per serving: Calories: 235 Calories from fat: 30% Fat: 7.9g Saturated fat: 2.2g Monounsaturated fat: 3.2g Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g Protein: 17.6g Carbohydrate: 26g Fiber: 3.8g Cholesterol: 48mg Iron: 2mg Sodium: 303mg Calcium: 37mg

Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2006

Spicy Green and Red Pork Loin Tostadas

This made me sad.  The salsa was gross. Not inedible gross, but gross enough not to contemplate it for leftovers, and just use jarred salsa.  Why would you cook salsa.  Of course we left out the apple, because that would have been grosser. 

The pork was decent, but D had to cut down on the cayenne.  He kept checking to make sure it said 1 TBSP. He ended up putting in 2 tsp.  It was still spicy.

So the left overs are not with the salsa.

We had with Black Beans and Rice.

Spicy Green and Red Pork Loin Tostadas

"The pork roast can be cooked and shredded a day ahead. Simply reheat it before serving. I like to offer a variety of toppings for these tostadas, such as shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, grated cheese, salsa, and light sour cream." --CL Reader

• YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1 tostada)
• COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

Pork:
1 tablespoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
Cooking spray
Salsa:
3 cups chopped yellow onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 cup green salsa
1/2 cup diced red apple
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Additional Ingredients:
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese 

 

Preparation 

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare pork, combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub pork loin with pepper mixture. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until meat thermometer registers 155°; cool and shred with 2 forks.
To prepare salsa, heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes; add red bell pepper and next 5 ingredients (bell pepper through green salsa). Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Stir in apple and cilantro, and cook 5 minutes.
Warm tortillas according to package directions. Place 1/2 cup pork and 1/2 cup salsa on each tortilla; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese and top with desired toppings.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 286; Fat: 9.9g; (Saturated fat: 3.7g; Monounsaturated fat: 3g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g); Protein: 23.9g; Carbohydrate: 26.6g; Fiber: 4.9g; Cholesterol: 59mg; Iron: 2.1mg; Sodium: 667mg; Calcium: 144mg

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

D made these.  They were very good, and seemed to come together quickly. The one thing we thought was weird was that a gratin had no cheese.  So he added 1/4C of Italian Blend Cheese.

We and our friend all liked them.  Perhaps a little more salt, but would have again.

We had with Lamb with Rosemary and Anchovies.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

YIELD: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)
TOTAL:36 MINUTES

Ingredients

2 hickory-smoked bacon slices
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 (2-ounce) slice French bread baguette (used 2 oz of bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons butter
Added 1/4C Italian Blend Cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings; crumble. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to drippings in pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add Brussels sprouts and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil; cook 6 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are almost tender. Uncover and remove from heat. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; toss to combine. Spoon Brussels sprouts mixture into a 2-quart broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray

3. Place bread in a food processor, and process until finely ground. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add cooked, crumbled bacon to toasted breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over Brussels sprouts mixture. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 133; Fat: 5.8g (Saturated fat: 3.2g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.1g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g); Protein: 5.9g; Carbohydrate: 17.9g; Fiber: 4.6g; Cholesterol: 14mg; Iron: 2.1mg; Sodium: 280mg; Calcium: 57mg

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2010

Irish Carbomb Cake

So I know the name of this cake is politically incorrect, but it is also the name of a shot that is really good.  So when I found this recipe I had to try it.  I got it from Never Did Think. It was very easy to make.

I really liked the Baileys and the cake. The Whiskey frosting was good when I got all 3 together.  D liked every thing.  Yes, I would make it again.

What religion is your whiskey? Jameson is Catholic and Bushmills is Protestant.

Irish Carbomb Cake

Guinness Cake
1 Box chocolate cake mix (I used a Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge cake.)
Egg and oil called for on box of cake mix (3 eggs and 1/2 C of oil)
Guinness (1 can will suffice with some left over for the cook).

This is the easy part. Make the cake as directed on the box, except replace the water called for with Guinness. Bake in two 9 inch round pans. Your house will smell like beer while it bakes. Don’t worry, the smell is much stronger than the taste of the cake will be.

Bailey’s Cream Cheese Filling
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 box powdered sugar
Bailey’s, to taste
Mix the cream cheese and butter, then add in the powdered sugar a little at a time. (Follow this! I didn't and was covered in sugar) When it’s all blended, add the Bailey’s. I couldn't tell you how much I added (less than 1/4 C) but didn't measure. If it gets too runny, you can add more powdered sugar to fix it.
Note from Never Did Think: This is half of my normal cream cheese frosting recipe. Believe me, it’s more than enough since you’re only putting it between the two cakes.

Chocolate Whiskey Buttercream frosting:
Adapted from the Williams Sonoma chocolate buttercream recipe
¾ c dark cocoa powder
4 TBSP vegetable oil
3-4 cups powdered sugar (start with three, add as needed, I only used 3)
1 stick butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk
2 tbsp whiskey, plus more to taste(I used 4 because I used up the whiskey)

Mix the cocoa powder with vegetable oil and set aside.
Beat powdered sugar, butter, milk, and whiskey together with electric mixer. Once fully combined (it will be pretty liquid-y), blend in the cocoa mixture until the frosting is the right consistency. If it’s still too runny, add more powdered sugar. If it’s not whiskey-tasting enough, add more whiskey.

Rosemary, Parmesan, and Black Pepper Scones

I found this recipe on a few blogs.  They all had different amounts, so I just made my own.

Rosemary, Parmesan, and Black Pepper Scones

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
3 sprigs rosemary, minced
3/4 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl combine your flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Toss in the parmesan, black pepper, and rosemary and mix thoroughly with your fingers. Add buttermilk, mixing everything with your fingers until you have a big mass.

Drop dough by 2 level tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  (I got 16 scones).

Put your scones on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam and put into the oven for 18-20 minutes (I did 20) or until the edges turn golden brown. Remove from oven and eat.

Nutritional Information (from Sparkpeople Builder)

Servings: 16
Calories: 110.9 ; Total Fat: 5.3 g; Cholesterol: 13.7 mg; Sodium: 249.5 mg; Total Carbs: 12.9 g; Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g ; Protein: 3.0 g

Nuevo Cubano

Yum! I don't know if these were easy or not, but they were good. D added a jalapeno to the black beans. I can see adding an avocado as well.

We had with black bean salad. Will have again.

Nuevo Cubano

Photo by ALB

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients
4 (3-ounce) whole-wheat sub rolls, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 pound thinly sliced reduced-sodium deli ham
1 peeled mango or 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Preparation
1. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use.
2. Combine cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, and black beans in a food processor; process until almost smooth and spreadable, adding a few drops of water, if necessary. Spread bean mixture evenly on bottom halves of the prepared rolls. Layer rolls evenly with ham, mango or tomatoes, and provolone cheese; replace top halves of rolls.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 sandwiches to pan; place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until sandwiches are golden brown (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Remove sandwiches from pan; repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 sandwiches.

Mark Bittman, Cooking Light
AUGUST 2010

Nutritional Information

Calories: 436; Fat: 19.9g (Saturated fat: 6.7g; Monounsaturated fat: 7.9g; Polyunsaturated fat: 3g); Protein: 24.3g; Carbohydrate: 44.6g; Fiber: 7.2g; Cholesterol: 32mg; Iron: 3.5mg; Sodium: 792mg; Calcium: 328mg