Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad + Weekly Menu

May 19, 2013 by · 4 Comments

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Michigan had a frost last week. The owners of my Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) were concerned that the unusually cold May temperatures would ruin what had been planted. After last year’s fruit crop being completely trashed by the weather, I was concerned, too. But it sounds like everything survived. Phew.

Hopefully, just hopefully, we can start putting spring behind us (and certainly winter), and begin to move into summer temperatures.

Lord knows the mosquitoes were out in full force last night. #notcool

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While my CSA deliveries are still a few weeks out, signs of fresh, local produce are here. Other than the fresh picked, local asparagus we’ve been enjoying, the grocery stores are starting to fill up with other local produce. Rhubarb, anyone? :)

Even produce that is not yet in season…is beginning to taste a whole lot better. A tomato almost tastes like an actual tomato. I can’t wait to have too many of them luring fruit flies into my home. That’s one problem I don’t mind having. …especially after I learned that a little dish of water, apple cider vinegar, and dish soap do the trick as far as catching the little buggers.

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I digress.

Fruits and vegetables are coming into their prime season and salads have been a welcome addition to dinners as of late. When salads are full of this much flavor, this much color, this much texture, this much nutrition, this much fiber…and protein, with fat and sodium levels in check…it is seriously note-worthy. It’s a meal you won’t hear complaints over. Only raves and requests for more.

Yep, it’s one of those.

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Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad from Cooking Light

Dressing:
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
4 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Salad:
1 head Romaine, chopped
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 avocado, peeled and diced
1/3 red onion, thinly sliced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 3/4 oz) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained and rinsed

Directions:

To prepare dressing, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl; mix well and set aside.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 entree portions

Nutrition Information (per serving): 300 calories; 5.5 g. fat; 41 mg. cholesterol; 438 mg. sodium; 30.5 g. carbohydrate; 11.0 g. fiber; 34.5 g. protein; 6.3 g. sugar

Result: Incredibly quick to throw together (especially if you use leftover chicken or a rotisserie), and packed with flavor, no calories…this meal was rated 5 stars by Cooking Light reviewers, and I’d have to agree. This was delicious. lots of bold flavors and the yogurt dressing was unique, spicy, fun, and summery. A meal for 300 calories that is this filling and packed with nutrition? Amazing. Enjoy!

Weekly Menu: May 19th – May 23rd

Cookbooking today!

Be well,

sig4

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Filed Under: 300 calories or less, carb-controlled, fiber, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free, guilt-free, quick meals, recipe, reduced-calorie, spicy, weekly menu ·

Avocado Tuna Salad + Weekly Menu

May 12, 2013 by · 4 Comments

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Back in August, my family and I drove an hour south of Chicago to Joliet, Illinois. My mom had purchased a “NASCAR Racing Experience” for my dad, a lover of all things cars. Unfortunately, on that day back in August, we were rained out and received a rain check for his “experience”.

Fast forward to yesterday, and we were there for his rain check race “experience”. The date has been on my calendar for months. Having grown up at race tracks on account of my dad’s hobby of racing vintage stock cars, race tracks tend to feel like home.

While this particular race track excelled in sanitary restrooms, they offered no food for sale. Whaaa?

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We waited. And waited for his turn to race.

We went to the driver’s safely meeting. Listened to the man repeat himself at least three times. No burnouts, got it. Check your 2-way radios, got it. Don’t release your 5-point safety harness, got it. It started to rain for a moment and I got nervous. Rain check #2? Please NO.

We returned to the track only to sit around and wait, and wait some more. Finally, my brother and I went to a nearby, extremely sketchy gas station to get something to eat and drink. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Wouldn’t you know my dad was the LAST person to race for the day? His scheduled race time was 10am. He got into the car at 1:28pm. Yes, I looked at my watch phone. He raced the track 5 times, topped out at 132 miles per hour, and we walked back to the car with him saying, “I’m hooked.” Oh fabulous.

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In the nearly 5 hours we were at the track, we had a lot of FAMILY BONDING time. We talked about everything from school to jobs to vacations, and everything and anything in between. We even talked about avocado tuna salad because my mom has been on the prowl for a light mayo or mayo-free tuna salad to help use up the “15 cans” (this number is still to be confirmed – a hot topic in my parents’ home) of tuna my dad has been stock piling in the basement ever since the Y2K scare well over a decade ago.

I proudly informed her that I found a winning recipe for her — this one. She reported to me she had found one, too, but was yet to try it. And then, she threw me a print out of a recipe. This recipe…and I laughed. Other than few small modifications, this recipe was worthy of 2 thumbs up in my book. Loved it and its simplicity.

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 Avocado Tuna Salad from Tablespoon

1 large avocado, pitted
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
1 (7 oz) can tuna
1/3 cup red onion, minced
1/3 cup carrot, shredded
2 celery stalks, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp salt1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Remove the avocado from the skin and mash in a medium bowl using the back of a fork. Add lemon juice and mayonnaise; stir well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

This salad is best served immediately, but can be refrigerated until ready to serve. Lay plastic wrap directly on the surface of the tuna salad to store and prevent oxidation (browning).

Yield: 3 servings (~ 3/4 cup each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 194 calories; 12 g. fat; 31 mg. cholesterol; 500 mg. sodium; 13.0 g. carbohydrate; 7.0 g. fiber; 13.3 g. protein; 2. g. sugar

Result: If you can get over the somewhat off-putting look of this tuna salad, it truly is delicious. Avocado is such a champion ingredient when looking for that creamy, rich flavor and texture, while swapping out bad fats for good fats, while increasing fiber and nutrition in the recipe. This tuna salad took 10-15 minutes to prep and mix together and I served it with a handful of crackers and an ice cold beer. That, to me, is a perfect summer meal!

Weekly Menu: May 12th – May 16th

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms…especially mine! :-D

Making brunch and heading home…a busy week — Hospital Week — is upon me!

Be well,

sig4

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Filed Under: 200 calories or less, carb-controlled, fiber, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free, guilt-free, kid-friendly, low-carb, quick meals, recipe, reduced-calorie, weekly menu ·

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad + Weekly Menu

May 5, 2013 by · 7 Comments

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I live vicariously through many of Kristen’s stories. My best friend leads the happening single life in the hustle and bustle of Chicago. The stories, sometimes, are almost too funny to believe.

Last weekend, she was in Nashville for a bachelorette party for one of her old college roommates. She told lots of stories, one of which involved a rather “tipsy” girl who kept stealing her food. Kristen would ration the food out to her so that she was sure to get her own meal. You’d have to hear Kristen tell the story, but it sounded entertaining.

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Last night, Kristen was out on Weed Street in Chicago.

My last night? Walking Lily on the beach, making friends with a furniture sales woman (I plan to visit her boutique!), and her shih tzu named Jack. Then we stopped for soft serve and called it a night. At least it was 72 degrees and absolutely perfect. The sunrise had the potential to be rather romantic, but…Mr. Prevention was not around.

Just me and my bulldog. And my soft serve.

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Even with her fast-paced social life, Kristen is a Pinterest fanatic. The girl has gone from 0 to 60 and it’s all about food on her Pinterest page. Reason #12324 I love her so.

If you recall, both the Mustard-Herb Panko Crusted Chicken Breasts and Salt and Vinegar Kale Mashed Potatoes were Kristen’s finds, as well as the Black Bean Salsa with Corn, Red Peppers, and Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette (recently approved by Ma Prevention with 2 huge thumbs up). Kristen loved this Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad, too…and so she passed it along knowing I am married to Frank’s Wing Sauce’s #1 fan.

I’m shocked to say that Mr.Prevention loved this more than I. It was good, but not AMAZING. I guess, however, that also depends on how much buffalo sauce is enough buffalo sauce. This was saucy and spicy!

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Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad slightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Salad:
1 cup quinoa
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
4 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Frank’s hot sauce
1/2 tsp seasoned salt

Directions:

In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse quinoa under cold running water for 1-2 minutes. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn heat to low. Cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, hot sauce, and seasoned salt in a small bowl. Whisk well and set aside.

Heat the pot used to cook the  quinoa over medium high heat, adding a tablespoon of olive oil. Add teh chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes or until nearly cooked through. Add the broccoli and saute for about 2-3 minutes or until bright green and slightly tender. Remove from heat and stir in carrots and cabbage. Add about 1/2 of the buffalo sauce and stir.

Transfer the chicken and veggies to the bowl with the quinoa and toss with the remaining dressing. Add the blue cheese and half of the green onions. Toss again and serve warm or chilled with additional green onions.

Yield: 5 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 466 calories; 23.4 g. fat; 54 mg. cholesterol; 1022 mg. sodium; 32.6 g. carbohydrate; 5.2 g. fiber; 30.4 g. protein; 5.6 g. sugar

Result: I rate this recipe a B+, Mr. Prevention would rate it an A. It was good, but it was a lot of buffalo sauce (and thus, a LOT of sodium) and some really different flavors and textures. I liked the addition of broccoli – it was probably my favorite part. I would, personally, double the broccoli and ditch the carrots and cabbage. Simple enough to make, this is a great weeknight meal. Enjoy!

Weekly Menu: May 5th – May 9th

Planning a productive day of cookbooking, working out, and writing! It has been STUNNING in Michigan! :-D

Be well,

sig4

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Filed Under: 500 calories or less, carb-controlled, fiber, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free, one-pot meal, quick meals, recipe, sodium, spicy, Uncategorized, weekly menu ·