It Can be Healthy and Taste Good Too!!

Thursday - June 10, 2010

Trying to fix something that is easy, good, and healthy can be a challenge sometimes!! I have a Campbell's Soup Cookbook that has some great recipes that are easy to fix!! Many times I will tweak the recipe just a little. One recipe that Bill and I both like is a Chicken Enchilada which using Cream of Chicken Soup to make a sauce for the dish. Today I used "healthy" ingredients! I chose the following ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Tortillas
• 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
• Fat Free Sour Cream
• ground Cumin
• Garlic powder
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Mexican Seasoning
• Red, Yellow, Green Peppers
• Vidalia onion
• Can of Green Chilies
• Diced chicken tenders
• Shredded cheese - I used a four cheese Mexican mixture

Procedure:

• Clean and dice the peppers, onions, and chicken placing in separate bowls
• Mix one cup sour cream with a large can (or 2 small cans) of Cream of Chicken Soup
• Sprinkle you spices on veggies and chicken
• Saute onions, peppers, and then chicken
• Once chicken is tender, and sauteed veggies, and green chilies to the pan - reserve some of the veggies to place on top of enchiladas
• Add about 3/4 cup of sour cream/soup mixture to the pan - mix well
• Warm the tortillas in the microwave -easier to handle when they are warm
• Spoon mixture onto one of the tortillas - roll - and place in a pan sprayed with Pam
• After all tortillas have been placed in the pan - spread the rest of the sour cream/soup mixture on top of the tortillas!
• Using reserved veggies - spread them on top of the soup mixture
• Bake at least 30 min at 350 degrees - cover with foil
• Remove foil - sprinkle shredded cheese on top and return to oven uncovered for about 10 minutes - or until cheese melts!
• Remove from oven and ENJOY

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Sour Cream and Cream of Chicken Soup Mixture
Mexican Seasoning, Ground Cumin, and Green Chilies

Lemon Pepper Seasoning and Garlic Powder

Saute the onions sprinkled with seasoning - to your taste and choice

Saute the peppers sprinkled with seasonings

Saute the the chicken

Dice the green chilies - you can buy a can already diced!

Once chicken is tender, mix with sauteed veggies, green chilies, and soup mixture.

Place a couple of spoonfuls onto the tortilla and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.

Roll each tortilla and place in a baking dish sprayed with Pam.

Using remaining soup mixture - pour over rolled tortillas; then use reserved veggies on top of soup mixture. Cover with foil and bake!

Bake for 30 min (350) - remove from oven - sprinkle with cheese - return to oven until cheese melts - about 10 min.

We had shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, olives, and refried beans (fat free) with our meal.

You tweak this recipe to suit you own taste - maybe using steak instead of chicken!!!! Add jalapeno peppers to add a bite to the dish - let your imagination soar!

Tropical Chicken Salad

Saturday - June 5, 2010

This past week has given me a jolt. I have battled high blood pressure for many years as well as anxiety. The doctor has finally gotten the right mixture of BP meds to get my pressure out of the 180/90 range to the 120/70 range. Wow - I thought things were starting to look up!!! Then the dreaded blood work came back - all was okay except for my sugar level! I'm not sure when it went out of whack!!! (But I shouldn't have been too surprised since sugar does run in the family!) Since realizing that my sugar was elevated I have taken my sugar test daily - the range has been from 201 - 424!! Yep - that's extremely high!! I have been to the doctor twice within a week!!! I am now on glucophage. I am to start out with one pill daily and work myself up to four a day - unless I have the dreaded side effects!!!! I worry about Bill's levels because he does love sweets!!! He is on four glyburides a day. His sugar level was okay!
I started browsing the cookbooks and the web for some recipes that sounded sumptuous as well as easy! :)

The recipe I am posting is from the Betty Crocker web site and sounded good for a light meal at lunch. Hope it sounds good to you as well!!

Tropical Chicken Salad

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 tablespoons blackened seasoning blend
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 bag (5 oz) mixed baby salad greens (4 cups)
1 medium mango, peeled, pitted and diced (1 cup)
1/2 medium red onion, sliced (3/4 cup)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
2/3 cup raspberry vinaigrette

1. Place chicken in heavy-duty resealable food-storage plastic bag. Sprinkle seasoning blend over chicken; seal bag and shake until chicken is evenly coated.
2. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink in center. Remove chicken from skillet; drain on paper towels.
3. In large bowl, toss salad greens, mango, onion and bell pepper; divide among 4 plates. Top with chicken. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Health Twist Loaded with mango and bell pepper, this salad is a tasty source of vitamins A and C. Vitamin A is vital for proper eyesight and healthy hair and skin; vitamin C helps promote healthy gums, blood vessels, bones and teeth.
Serve-With Add a crusty roll and a glass of milk for a total of 3 Carbohydrate Choices. If your meal plan allows, select a small cookie for dessert.
Do-Ahead Cook and drain the chicken, and chop the mango and veggies up to one day before serving. Then cover and refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the salad.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 270 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 70mg; Sodium 440mg; Total Carbohydrate 25g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 14g); Protein 26g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 70%; Vitamin C 80%; Calcium 6%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 1/2 Very Lean Meat; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.