Soft Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 t. chili powder
• 1/2-t. salt
• 1/2-t. ground cumin
• 1/2-t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Cooking spray
• 12 (6-inch) white corn tortillas
• 1-½-cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 1/4 cup (1 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese (such as Tillamook)
• Fat-free sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare grill.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub spice mixture over chicken.
3. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 5 minutes; chop.
4. Heat tortillas according to package directions.
5. Divide chicken evenly among tortillas; top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons cabbage and 1 teaspoon cheese. Serve with fat-free sour cream, if desired.

Servings: 4

Source: Cooking Light magazine, September 2006

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Vegetarian Olé Enchiladas

Preparation Time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 can (16 oz.) fat-free vegetarian refried beans
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat or regular sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup medium-spicy or mild salsa
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional for topping
• 1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced olives, drained
• Hot sauce to taste (optional)
• 1 can (16 ounces) enchilada sauce, divided
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into small chunks, optional

Directions:
Arrange the tortillas in 2 stacks and place in a cold oven. Heat the oven to 400°F. Remove the tortillas after 10 minutes and cover with a warm damp towel.

Enchilada filling: Mash the refried beans in a medium bowl with a fork. Add the rice, cheese, salsa, cilantro, olives, and hot sauce, if desired. Coat the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of enchilada sauce.

Place a tortilla on a cutting board and spoon about 1/3-cup filling over the center of a tortilla; roll it up. Set in the baking dish seam-side down. Fill the remaining tortillas and place them in the baking dish.

Toppings: Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese evenly over the top.

Bake, uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving and, if desired garnish with a topping of diced avocado.

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Chicken Marinara

Preparation Time: Approximately 5 minutes
Cook Time: Approximately 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 8 ounces), cut in 1-inch chunks
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low-sodium crushed or chopped Italian-style tomatoes
• 1/2 cup canned low-sodium mixed vegetables, drained
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t pepper
• 2 cups freshly cooked whole-wheat spaghetti noodles

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the chicken, and brown on both sides.
3. Reduce the heat to medium; add the tomatoes, mixed vegetables, garlic powder and pepper.
4. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve over hot whole-wheat spaghetti.

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Sesame Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 2 T. soy sauce
• 2 T. sesame oil
• 2 t. lemon juice
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• Dash of lemon pepper
• 1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 T. sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a zip lock plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, 1 T. of the sesame oil, lemon juice, garlic powder and lemon pepper.
2. Add the shrimp to the bag.
3. Seal bag and turn to coat.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Remove bag from fridge. Drain marinade from bag.
6. In a skillet, sauté shrimp in remaining 1 T. sesame oil until shrimp turn pink (about 3 minutes).
7. Serve with brown rice, if desired.
8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Servings: 2

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Lemon BBQ Chicken with Blond BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken drumsticks (about 1 lb), skinned
• 4 chicken thighs (about 1 lb), skinned
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 T Dijon mustard
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 2 T light mayonnaise
• 2 T barbecue sauce
• 1 t chili powder
• 1/4 t paprika
• 3/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Cooking spray
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Trim excess fat from chicken.
2. Combine lemon juice, mustard, and garlic powder in a large bowl; reserve 2 tablespoons.
3. Set aside. Add chicken to lemon juice mixture in large bowl, turning to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 min.
4. Combine reserved 2 tablespoons lemon juice mixture, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, chili powder, and paprika. Cover and chill.
5. Preheat oven to 400°.
6. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese.
7. Remove chicken from bowl. Discard marinade.
8. Dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
9. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until golden brown and chicken is done.
10. Serve with sauce, and garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 drumstick, 1 thigh, and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Source: Cooking Light, April 1997

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BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 (10-oz) Italian cheese-flavored thin pizza crust (such as Boboli)
• 3/4 cup tomato chutney
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
• 2/3 cup diced plum tomato
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Place crust on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 3 minutes.
3. Remove from oven; spread chutney over crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
4. Top chutney with chicken. Sprinkle diced tomato, cheese, and green onions evenly over chicken.
5. Bake at 450° for 9 minutes or until cheese melts. Cut pizza into 6 wedges.

Note: If you can't find tomato chutney, make your own. Combine 2 cups diced plum tomato, 3 T brown sugar, 3 T cider vinegar, 1/8 t Jamaican jerk seasoning, and 1 minced garlic clove in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes or until thickened.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Calories: 300(26% from fat)
Grams of Fat: 8.5g (Sat: 3.9g, Mono: 2.9g, Poly: 1g)
Protein: 21.3g
Cholesterol: 48mg
Calcium 247mg
Sodium 622mg
Fiber: 1.2g
Iron: 1.7mg
Carbohydrate: 35.2g

Source: Cooking Light, December 2002

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Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 9 whole-wheat lasagna noodles
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and pressed of liquid
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Boil lasagna noodles until barely cooked.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
4. In one bowl, mix tomato sauce, oregano and garlic.
5. In a second bowl, mash cottage cheese and add broccoli, carrots and parmesan cheese.
6. After noodles are drained and slightly cooled, spread approximately 1/2 cup of sauce in bottom of pan.
7. Layer 3 noodles on sauce, spread half of broccoli cheese mixture on noodles, and top with 1/2 cup sauce.
8. Once again layer 3 noodles and the other half of the broccoli cheese mixture, topping with 1/2 cup of sauce.
9. Top it off with the last 3 noodles and the last of the sauce.
10. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake about 45 minutes, or until bubbly.
11. Cool 10-20 minutes before serving.