Sofrito is filled with just incredible spices – when you add that and bacon to beans, there is nothing better ! The creamy texture of the beans mixed with the spicy sofrito is just perfect.
8 servings
290 calories per serving
2 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained
6 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 c sofrito sauce (In the Mexican section at your grocer)
Cook bacon then add beans along with sofrito and cook 15 minutes.
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 !
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
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 !!
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.
The recipe below calls for a small piece of whole wheat bread. Often I double up the calories using a piece of thinly sliced Italian bread instead, especially if the rest of the meal is relatively low in calories.
6 servings
80 calories per serving
6 slices 45 calorie wheat bread
6 T sofrito (available in most supermarkets with all the Goya products, it is a condiment of richly condensed tomatoes, peppers and spices).
Spread 1 T sofrito on each slice of bread and place the bread sofrito side up in a toaster oven. Heat until bread edges or toasty brown. Serve immediately.
Black Beans are a great source of fiber and a great, filling addition to many salads, stews, etc. In this purer form, their earthy flavor really comes out.
4 servings
368 calories per serving
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 small red onion
2 garlic cloves
2 T olive oil
1 c water
1/2 c sofrito (jars are sold in the Mexican section of your grocery store – near the Goya products)
2 T cilantro leaves
8 T light sour cream (2T per serving)
Place red onion, garlic and sprigs of cilantro in small food processor and puree. Remove and set aside. Place oil in small sauce pan and heat. Add garlic and onion mix and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Place beans, water, sofrito and 1 T cilanto leaves in blender. Blend on medium speed until desired consistency – I like some big chunks left in mine, so I don’t go too crazy here. Stir into saucepan and heat through. Pour into bowls and top each bowl with 2 T sour cream and serve immediately.
