Creamy goodness all wrapped up in a yummy tortilla. Get your MUFA for the day and smile while you do it 😉 This tastes much like yummy guacamole; just a bit milder, but perfect for a lunch tortilla.
Avocado Tacos
6 servings
290 calories per serving
12 6 inch tortillas
3 avocados, mashed
1/4 t garlic salt
¾ c chopped cilantro
Pepper to taste
A few drops of Tabasco sauce
12 tomato slices
Lime juice
Mix avocados, garlic, pepper, Tabasco and cilantro. Spread the mixture in each tortilla and add 2 tomato slices. Squirt with lime, fold and eat.
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
My friend grows the tastiest cucs ! And they are just perfect in this salad. Just a bit of curry, just a bit of Tabasco, lotsa lime and great veggies. This is one you’ll make again and again.
Curried Cucs and Avocado
3 servings
106 calories per serving
1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
1 t salt
½ red bell pepper, diced
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2 T chopped cilantro or parsley
1 ½ t sugar
½ t curry powder
A Couple of dashes of Tabasco
1 avocado, diced
Take the cucumber pieces and sprinkle with salt and set in a colander to drain. This helps some to remove some of the bitterness that some cucumbers have. Mix pepper, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, sugar and Tabasco. Pat the cucumbers dry and add to the pepper mix. Finally add the avocado and serve immediately.
The fish was so simply done – the ginger butter was really the show stealer here. It made plain, ordinary fish into a delightful meal. I think it would be equally good on shrimp or chicken – and it makes cooking such a snap !
Tilapia with Ginger Butter
4 servings
202 calories per serving
1 ½ T chopped cilantro
1 ½ T butter, room temperature (you can use any butter substitute here that you wish)
1 t minced jalapeno pepper
½ t grated lime rind
¼ t grated ginger root
Salt to taste
4 6 oz. tilapia fillets
Pam
Mix cilantro, butter, pepper, lime, ginger and ¼ t salt. Chill until butter is firm.
Edamame are just baby soybeans – they are tender, sweet, and you often see them served at Japanese restaurants. I like to buy frozen ones and keep them on hand for different recipes. Salads are a great way to serve them 🙂
Turkey, Black Bean and Edamame Salad
4 servings
390 calories per serving
2 c cubed smoked turkey
15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
14 oz. can corn
1 c shelled edamame cooked according to package instructions
1 red bell pepper, chopped
¼ c chopped cilantro
1 T minced garlic clove
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T oil
2 T cider vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
4 c field greens
Mix the turkey, beans, corn, edamame, bell pepper, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk oil, vinegar and mustard and pour over the turkey mix and season with salt and pepper. Place mixture over the lettuce and serve immediately.
These potatoes come out so tender and the spritz of citrus at the end gives them a great flavor !
Potatoes in Foil
4 servings
167 calories per serving
1 ½ lb. new potatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves
1 T oil
Kosher salt to taste
Pepper to taste
¼ c cilantro leaves or basil leaves
Lemon or Lime wedges
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a large double layer square of foil and place potatoes and garlic on it and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Close up tightly and grill, rotating packet often, 25 minutes or until done. Before serving, add in cilantro, extra salt and pepper, and spritz with lime.
This was on of the most excellent lunch salads I have had in a long time ! The curry flavor is just divine, the meal is filling, and it will be a lunch to remember !
Chicken Couscous Salad
2 servings
343 calories per serving
1 ¼ c chicken broth
1 c (6 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast cut into thin strips
3 t curry powder
½ c whole wheat couscous
½ c diced red bell peppers
½ c chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ c scallions, sliced
¼ c cilantro, chopped
1 T Dijon mustard
¼ t kosher salt
1 c lettuce leaves
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Bring broth to a boil. Cook chicken in broth 5 minutes or until cooked through and then remove to a plate and toss with 1 t curry. Bring broth back to boil and add couscous. Remove pan from heat, cover and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff couscous and place in a bowl with peppers, beans, scallions, and cilantro. Then add the mustard, remaining curry and salt. Put lettuce and tomato slices on plates and top with the chicken curry mix. Can be served cold or warm.
This was so super delicious ! It rivals any restaurant soup out there ! I made it without the cheese and it was so incredibly tasty that you did not miss it at all.
Salsa Black Bean Soup
4 servings
213 calories
1 t oil
1 T minced garlic
2 c water
1/2 t chipotle chile powder or 3 t chipotle sauce
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8-ounce) bottle salsa
1 T lime juice
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
With this recipe you are basically adding a red curry sauce (coconut milk and red curry) to an already delicious soup – – and what you get is a spicy, authentic Thai soup that tastes just perfect.
Thai Butternut Squash Soup
5 servings
174 calories per serving
2 18 oz. cartons butternut squash soup
¾ c light coconut milk
2 t red curry paste
¼ t salt
½ c plain fat free yogurt
2 T finely chopped cilantro
15 fat free croutons
Mix soup, milk, salt and paste in a pan and cook 6 minutes or until completely heated. Mix yogurt and cilantro. Put soup in bowls and swirl in some yogurt on the top – add croutons and serve immediately.
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 !!
