Tag Archives: mexican

Sofrito Chicken Stew

December 9, 2010 admin Leave a comment

A rich stew with lots of flavor – the dark meat chicken definitely gives this dish extra texture and the olives give it great authenticity. Sofrito is a tomato, pepper, onion and garlic base for many Latin dishes. The mixture of flavors is sooooooo good. Serve with Rice Pilaf for a perfect meal.

2 servings
238 calories per serving

2 boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (3 oz. each)
1 T oil
¼ t kosher salt
1/8 t pepper
¼ c diced onions
1 T garlic clove, minced
¼ c diced red bell pepper
¼ c diced yellow bell pepper
¼ c diced green olives
4 T tomato paste
1 c chicken broth
2 T cilantro, chopped

Cut chicken into thin strips. Heat 1 t oil and cook chicken over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking about 5 minutes, Place on a plate and keep warm. Add rest of oil to pan and sauté onion 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 1 minute. Stir in peppers and olives and cook 1 minute then add chicken back to the pan along with tomato paste and broth. Simmer about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Dinner, Mexican, Sides, Vegetables

Spicy Corn and Peppers

November 22, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This recipe packs so much flavor into one dish – the milky sauce mixes just perfectly with the cayenne and onion to create a rich vegetable dish that has you coming back for more.

6 servings
127 calories per serving

2 T butter
½ c onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
¼ t cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
16 oz. frozen corn
½ c diced tomatoes, drained (canned)
½ c whole milk

Melt butter in a skillet and add onion, pepper, cayenne and 1 t salt. Cook 7-8 minutes or until onion is soft then add the corn and tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Stir in the milk and then remove from heat and serve.

Dinner, Mexican, Pork

Mexican Pork Dinner

November 17, 2010 admin Leave a comment

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.

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.

Dinner, Mexican, Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Grilled Tomatillos

September 13, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Tomatillos are spicy little green fruits in the tomato family – you have probably eaten them in some salsas (salsa verde which translates to green salsa) and tomatillo sauces. Grilling them brings out a nice sweet flavor. This is a nice spicy addition to a meal that may be a bit on the blander side.

I served it aside Broiled Cod with Chili Powder – it was a great double whammy of flavor 🙂

4 servings
154 calories per serving

¼ c basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 T lemon juice
6 tomatillos cut into 1/2″ thick slices
1 T oil

Heat grill and oil grates or a grill pan. In a food processor mix the basil, garlic and lemon juice until smooth (adding 1-2 t water if needed). Brush tomatillo slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and then serve with basil sauce.

Mexican, Snacks

Chili Lime Popcorn

August 29, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Just the right amount of spice in a popcorn snack that will keep you coming back for more 🙂

2 servings
85 calories per serving

8 c microwave light popcorn, popped (20 calories per cup)
2 t hot sauce
1 T chili powder
Juice of one lime

Toss popcorn with lime juice and then add chili powder and hot sauce and mix well.

Chicken, Lunch, Mexican, Soups

Chicken Posole Soup

August 22, 2010 admin Leave a comment

I think this is the Mexican version of leftover soup – a bit of salsa, a bit of hominy, a bit of chicken, a bit of cilantro – – and all seasoned with cumin, that wonderful spice that makes it taste so rich.

4 servings
194 calories per serving

4 c fat free chicken broth
15.5 oz. can white hominy, drained
¾ c tomatillo salsa (often called salsa verde)
2 c shredded cooked chicken breast
1 ½ t cumin
½ c chopped fresh cilantro

Mix broth, hominy and salsa and bring to a boil. Toss chicken with cumin and add to broth and simmer 10 minutes. Place in bowls and garnish with cilantro.

Mexican, Vegetables

Chili Lime Corn

August 18, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Hot, hot, hot and good, good, good !

4 servings
129 calories per serving

2 11 oz. cans of corn, well drained
2 T butter, soft
¼ t grated lime zest
2 t lime juice
½ t minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (available in the Mexican section of your grocer – or with most other Goya products)
1 t chili powder
½ t Kosher salt

Melt the butter and mix in the rest of the ingredients other than the corn. Then stir in corn and simmer until heated through.

Lunch, Mexican, Salads

Black Bean and Corn Salad

August 14, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Nutritious, full of fiber, satisfying, filling, extremely portable – this is a great lunch salad.

4 servings
350 calories per serving

1 c frozen corn
½ c French dressing
2 t chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
4 c chopped romaine lettuce
2 c grape tomatoes, halved
¼ c sliced green onions
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1 c coarsely chopped blue tortilla chips
¼ c chopped cilantro

Cook corn according to package directions then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Combine dressing with chipotle chilies. Combine corn, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, beans and cheese then add dressing and mix well. Garnish with chips and cilantro.

Drinks, Fruit, Mexican

Tropical Sangria

August 7, 2010 admin Leave a comment

Sangria is a great festive drink – adding the fruit to the wine makes it so much more special. You can set up pitchers well ahead of time so that the fruit really soaks up the wine. This one does away with the usual apples and oranges and adds some really flavorful tropical fruits. Don’t forget to serve some fruit in each glass !

8 servings
172 calories per serving

6 c cubed fruit (mangoes, pineapple, apricot, cantaloupe, honeydew, apples, etc.)
¼ c thinly sliced and peeled ginger
1 c fresh mint or basil leaves
½ c orange liquer or orange juice
1 bottle Pinot Grigio for white or 1 bottle Beaujolais for red
2 T lemon juice

Bruise basil or mint leaves and combine all in a pitcher and refrigerate at least one hour.

[FA_Lite id=”9343″]

Chicken, Dinner, Tex Mex

South of the Border Chicken

August 2, 2010 admin Leave a comment

This is one of those PERFECT meals. Some meals are just spiced perfectly, cook up perfectly time and time again, and deserve a place in the Hall of Fame of recipes – this is one of those. If you love Mexican inspired dishes, you have to give this one a try !

4 servings
289 calories per serving

12 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ t pepper
¼ t salt
2 t oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c fat free beef broth
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4.5 oz. can chopped chilies
1 t chili powder
½ t ground cumin
3 c hot cooked rice
Pam

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place in a hot skillet sprayed with Pam. Cook 5 minutes or until they begin to brown then set aside and keep warm. Heat oil and add onion, garlic and 2 T of the broth. Cook 6 minutes or until tender then add tomato sauce, beans and the rest of the broth and mix well. Add the pepper, chili powder, cumin and chicken and bring to a boil the reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Serve over rice.