Layered Chicken Taco Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 1 lb. ground chicken  breast 
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. ground dark chili powder
• 1 (8 oz.) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup fat-free refried beans
• 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup salsa verde
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• 12 reduced-fat tortilla chips

Makes 6 Servings (3/4 cup salad with 2 tortilla chips per serving)

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, garlic, onions, cumin and chili powder. Cook, breaking up the chicken with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat; stir in the cheese and cilantro.
2. Spread the beans in the bottom of a 7 X 11-inch baking dish; top with a layer of the lettuce, hen with the chicken mixture, salsa, and finally a layer of sour cream. Tuck the chips around the dish. Serve at once.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. This is a wonderful dish to enjoy during the game day, movie night or any night of the week. It's quick, easy and flavorful. If you don't have ground chicken available, ground turkey works just as well. If you don't have salsa verde on hand, use homemade guacamole or homemade tomato salsa and the dish will be just as tasty. 

Tostados with Pork & Chipotle Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 (1-lb. ) pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 tsp. minced chipotle en adabo
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 cup fat-free canned refried beans, warmed
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
• 2 cups sliced romaine lettuce
• 1 large tomato, chopped

Makes 4 Servings

1.  Cut pork tenderloin into 4 equal pieces. Slice each horizontally at the middle without cutting entirely through the meat  and open up each like a book. Combine chili powder, salt, cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle onto pork, coating all sides.
2. Spray large skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for 3 minutes; cut into strips.
3. Combine sour cream, chipotle, lime juice, and sugar in a small bowl. Spread warmed refried beans on tostados. Top with lettuce, strips of pork, and tomato; drizzle chipotle cream sauce evenly  over top of each.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Tastier than Takeout Cookbook. These will be your new Mexican guilty pleasures instead of the other food you get at the other Mexican fast food joints. It's a very filling meal that's filled with protein and will quickly fill you up. You can use black beans in place of the refried beans but it may change the point value. You can use chicken, steak or even turkey in this tostada and it will still be good. 

Baked Turkey and Jack Cheese Chimichangas

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1/2 lb. lean ground turkey
• 16 oz. fat-free canned refried beans
• 1 3/4 cups salsa
• 4 1/2 oz. canned mild green chili peppers, drained and diced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 8 large whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Makes 8 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Coat a 13- X 9- X 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Add turkey to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from pan and then add beans, 1 3/4 cups of salsa, chili peppers, chili powder and scallions. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes; stir in cheese.
3. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil; warm in oven for 10 minutes.
4. Assemble chimichangas by spooning about 1/2 cup of turkey mixture onto each tortilla; fold in sides and roll up.
5. Place chimichangas, seam-side down, in prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until tortillas are crisp and browned, about 20 minutes. Serve each topped with 2 tablespoons of salsa and 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5pts

 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Who doesn't love comfort food whether it was Italian, Mexican, Chinese, etc? I was really craving comfort food with lean protien and I've always wanted to try these. These Chimichangas really hit the spot. They were so delcious and filling and I thoroughly enjoyed them. You don't need to fry this traditional Mexican comfort food. Bake the tortillas until they are lightly browned and crisp. The filling of this comfort food is so delicious with the cheese melted in with the salsa, beans, veggies and turkey. I highly recommend making your own salsa because it's fresh and you know what's in it. You can also use any kind of Mexican cheese in this dish and it  will still be delicious and you can also substitute black beans in place of the refried beans. I also highly recommend using fresh jalapeno peppers in place of the canned green chili peppers for a more authentic Mexican taste. Also, use as much sour cream as you'd like because you'll need it to cool off the heat in your mouth.

 



Huevos Rancheros Omelets

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 spray, cooking spray
• 1/2 cup fat-free canned refried beans
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp skim milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 20 baked low-fat tortilla chips, coarsely crushed and divided
• 1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1/4 cup green chili sauce
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Makes 4 Servings

1. Cook onion in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat about 4 minutes or until tender. Add beans and cumin; cook about 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Combine egg whites and next four ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk. Heat 1/4 tsp oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour half of egg mixture into pan. Cook 5 minutes; flip omelet. Spread half of  bean mixture onto half of omelet. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chips and half of cheese. Carefully loosen with a spatula; fold in half. Cook 2 minutes. Slide onto a plate. Spoon half of shili sauce and 1 tbsp of cilantro on omelet. Repeat procedure with remaining 1/4 tsp oilive oil and remaining ingredients. Serve imediately.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 PTS

Note: This recipe appears on http://www.weightwatchers.com/. I was looking for some good egg recipes to try and this looked so good. Plus, I've always wanted to try Huevos Rancheros thanks to Tyler Florence and Bobby Flay. Huevos Rancheros is the official egg dish of Mexico and it is SO good (this recipe). My omelets were not as brown as the last time I made them so I'm improving on that technique! These omelets are perfect for a weekend brunch or for a weeknight dinner because they are so filling and filled with the flavors of Mexico.