Spicy and savory side dish that is perfect next to Mexican inspired meals. The cumin really makes this a different tasting salad.
Jalapeno Tomatoes
8 servings
58 calories per serving
4 c halved cherry or grape tomatoes (plus any other sliced garden tomatoes you have)
1/3 c sliced scallions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced thinly
1/3 c white balsamic vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 T oil
2 t minced ginger
1 t ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the tomatoes, scallions, garlic and jalapeno. Mix the rest of the ingredients to make a dressing then pour over the tomatoes and chill for at least 1 hour.
Perfect next to grilled fish, grilled chicken, burgers – – this corn salsa is so easy to put together and so refreshing on a hot summer night.
Corn Salsa
4 servings
105 calories per serving
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 c frozen corn kernels, thawed (you can use canned, but the frozen tastes fresher)
½ can diced tomatoes, drained
2 T chopped cilantro
3 T lime juice
1/2 t cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Tandoori Chicken is an Indian dish with so much flavor. Though it is not cooked in a tandor as you would for authentic Tandoori chicken, this recipe is pretty darned good !
Tandoori Chicken
4 servings
152 calories per serving
1 ½ c plain low fat Greek yogurt
2 T grated onion (grate it just like you would a hunk of cheddar cheese)
1 T grated ginger
1 T vegetable oil
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground red pepper
1/4 t ground turmeric
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 t salt
Pam
Mix the yogurt and spices in a Ziploc bag. Add the chicken and seal and marinate in the frig for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in a baking dish and roast ½ hour. Turn on the broiler and cook 5 minutes or so to crisp it up.
OH SO GOOD ! Ditch the canned black bean dips ! This one takes no time to put together and is so fresh tasting. This makes a great appetizer served with homemade tortilla chips.
Black Bean Dip
6 servings
139 calories per serving
15 oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 c corn
2 green onions, sliced
½ c plain nonfat yogurt
½ t thyme
½ t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
Pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree for 20 seconds or until mixture is smooth. Serve with baked tortilla chips.
Check out the online cookbook, Keep the Beat ™ (available in pdf format) for some great ideas for healthful food that kids will eat and they will enjoy preparing with you. Kids learn by example – show them how good healthy food can be !!!
This is a great combination of an empanada and a pita – the recipe is fun to make and is a great healthy alternative to traditionally fried empanadas. You can easily change this up and use leftover pork or turkey instead. And you can even make it a bit more authentic by adding some sofrito to the mix. This was a great meal !
Empanapita
4 servings
373 calories per serving
2 6½-inch whole wheat pitas
1 c Tangy Salsa (see recipe below – or you can sub a store bought salsa)
For filling:
2 c canned low-sodium black beans, rinsed
2 c frozen broccoli, corn, and pepper vegetable mix, thawed
2 c grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !)
½ c shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
¼ c sofrito tomato cooking base (in the Goya section of your market) – optional
1 T fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T scallions, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
For Tangy Salsa (22 calories per serving):
½ c jarred roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
½ c no-salt-added diced tomatoes (or substitute 1 medium tomato, chopped)
1 small lime, peeled and cut into small chunks
¼ t ground black pepper
¼ t ground cumin
1 T fresh cilantro, rinsed and chopped
Tangy Salsa
Preheat oven to 400 ºF. Combine beans, vegetables, chicken, cheese, sofrito and seasonings. Mix well.
Cut pitas in half, and open the pockets. Divide filling evenly between the four and place on a nonstick baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes until the filling is hot, cheese melts, and chicken is reheated. You can make these a bit ahead of time and heat when ready – this makes it a great recipe for when you are having guests.
For salsa, combine all ingredients and toss well (it is best if you make this ahead and let sit an hour or 20 so let the flavors mingle). Serve each empanapita with ¼ cup of Tangy Salsa.
Don’t skimp on the salsa – it really makes the meal ! I added ¼ c lime juice, 1 T sliced scallions, salt and pepper and omitted the roasted red peppers. The lime pieces add such a nice fresh flavor !!
This has the down home earthy flavor that all good soups should have. I had a leftover baked potato when I made this last, so I cubed it up and threw it in for some extra bulk. Sometimes I used canned chipotle pepper instead of poblanos. This one is easy to make your own – so many extras go so well with the ingredients.
Spicy Tomato and White Bean Soup
4 servings
157 calories per serving
14 oz. can chicken broth, divided
1 c water
2 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
16 oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium poblano chile, halved and seeded
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 T lime juice
1 T oil
1/2 t salt
¼ t pepper
Mix broth, chili powder and cumin in a large soup pot on medium high heat. Mix the water with the pepper and onion in a food processor and pulse to chop veggies. Add onion mix to pot. Mash some beans a bit to help thicken the soup and then add all beans to the pots. Put tomatoes and cilantro in food processor and coarsely chop then add this to the pot. Bring all to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, oil, salt and pepper.
Quite sweet and definitely tastes of the islands ! This sweet/spicy sauce would do well on any white fish, but I love tilapia !
Spicy Jamaica Tilapia
6 servings
150 calories per serving
¼ c brown sugar
1 t ground cumin
1 t red pepper flakes
6 tilapia fillets, 4 oz. each
¼ c lite zesty Italian dressing
¼ c lime juice
½ c orange juice
¼ c chopped cilantro
2 T chopped mint leaves
Heat dressing in a skillet on medium high. Combine sugar, pepper and cumin and sprinkle 2 T over one side of the fish and put in skillet sugar side down then sprinkle with the rest of the sugar mix. Cook 5 minutes each side or until done. Remove from pan. Add juices to skillet and heat through then stir in cilantro and mint and spoon over the fish.
This is a great quick chili – you can serve it with rice, drop the whole thing in some broth to make a soup, or eat as is with a nice dollop of sour cream on top.
Black Bean Chili
4 servings
253 calories per serving
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
2 t chili powder
1 t oregano flakes
1 t ground cumin
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam
Place onion and garlic in a hot saucepan sprayed with Pam and cover and cook on low 5 minutes stirring occasionally and adding up to 1 couple of tablespoons of water to keep them from scorching. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, peppers, chili powder, oregano and cumin and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer 5 minutes then add the beans and simmer another 5 minutes.
This is a great quick meal – the chops are tender and tasty and the corn mixture is not your boring old corn ! Try serving with Cheesy Spirals.
Mexican Pork Dinner
4 servings
320 calories per serving
3 t chili powder
1 t cumin
½ t salt
¼ t cayenne pepper
4 4 oz. boneless pork chops
1 t oil
½ c finely chopped onion
½ medium green bell pepper finely chopped
1 lb. frozen corn
Pam
Combine chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne. Rub half the mix over both sides of the pork chops. Spray a skillet with Pam ad cook chops 5-6 minutes each side on medium high heat. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm. Spray skillet again and cook onion and bell pepper 4 minutes or until tender. Add corn, the rest of the seasoning and continue cooking 3 minutes.
This has a definite Middle Eastern flair to it with the coriander and cumin as the main seasoning. Serve next to Eastern Fried Rice for a great vegetarian meal.
Zucchini Boats
4 servings
107 calories per serving
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
½ T oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 oz. button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped
1 t ground coriander
¾ t ground cumin
½ c chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 T lemon juice
2 T chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with Pam. Scoop the flesh out of the middle of the zucchinis to create boats for the filling. Chop the removed flash and reserve. Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions 5 minutes then add garlic and cook another minute. Add chopped zucchini and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes then add coriander, cumin, chick peas, lemon, parsley, salt and pepper. Stuff the zucchini shells and bake 35-40 minutes.
