Mini Baked Potatoes Perfect for St. Patrick's Day
•10 small new potatoes
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1 tablespoon salt
•sprinkle of black pepper
•¼ cup sour cream
•2 tablespoons shredded Irish Cheddar
•1 tablespoon chopped chives
Preheat oven to 350º. Toss potatoes with oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to baking sheet and bake 45 minutes. Combine sour cream and cheddar in a small bowl. Cut a cross on the top of each potato, and give it a pinch to open slightly. Stuff with sour cream mixture. Garnish with chives.
Makes 10
Some Healthy Alternatives for Thanksgiving
Sweet Potatoes -Sugary and covered with a crunchy, toasty topping of marshmallows is delicious, but maybe not your friend in the diet category. Try roasting them with apples and herbs or baking them and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.
Cranberries- Cranberries are a great choice, because they're full of antioxidants and fiber and can help lower cholesterol. The problem lies in the tendency to cook them with multiple cups of sugar. Ditch the sugar and add them to stuffing or use them as a salad topper.
Stuffing—Stuffing is butter. Bread. Salt. Stuffing is normally comprised of those three ingredients, but if prepared correctly, it can actually be fairly healthy. Consider using whole-grain bread and low-sodium chicken broth instead of butter, then adding in carrots, celery, onions, garlic, nuts and fresh herbs.
Green Bean Casserole-Ditch the canned beans and cream of mushroom soup. Try a fresh alternative instead! Boil about a pound of snapped beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Strain the beans and rinse in cold water for a few minutes. In a large skillet, add a little olive oil and three sliced garlic cloves. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in one small package of sliced baby Portobello mushrooms. Add the beans to the skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and finish the dish off with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Rockin Tortilla Soup [ feeds the masses ]
1 med onion, chopped [or ½ bag frozen, chopped onions ]
1-2 cloves garlic, minced [or 1 T minced – jar]
2 T olive oil
8 c water
8 cubes chicken bullion [ or 2 T ]
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 lg can chicken
1 c picante sauce
1 big handful cilantro, chopped
1 T ground cumin
Saute’ onion and garlic in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and simmer to heat through. That’s it!! REALLY!!
Mexican Chicken Casserole
What You Need :
prep time 20 min
total time 45 min
makes 8 servings
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 T olive oil
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp galic powder
1 lg green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1-1/2 cups Chunky Salsa
4 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed
2 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed well
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 whole wheat tortillas (6 inch)
1 cup Finely Shredded Mexican Four Cheese, divided
HEAT oven to 375ºF.
COOK and stir chicken, garlic and cumin in nonstick skillet with olive oil on medium heat 2 min. Add peppers and onions; cook 2 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa; cook 2 min. Add Neufchatel; cook 2 min. or until melted. Stir in beans and tomatoes.
SPOON 1/3 of chicken mixture into 8-inch square baking dish; cover with 1 tortilla and half each of the remaining chicken mixture and shredded cheese. Top with remaining tortilla and chicken mixture; cover.
BAKE 20 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until melted.
Pasta Primavera Alfredo
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Makes 6 servings
What You Need
3/4 lb. Spaghetti, uncooked
3 cups small broccoli florets
3 Carrots (3/4 lb.), cut into thin slices
(bell pepper, onions, eggplant, mushrooms)
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup Milk
1/3 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
Make It
COOK spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package, adding vegetables to the boiling water the last 3 min.
MEANWHILE, cook remaining ingredients in saucepan on medium-low heat until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally.
DRAIN spaghetti mixture; return to pan. Add sauce; toss to coat.
Microwave Mexican Fish Tacos
Ingredients
1 lb Fish fillets
1 tb Lime or lemon juice
pinch of Salt/ Pepper [approx]
1/2 c Sweet green pepper, chopped
1/4 c Green onion, chopped
1/4 c Hot salsa, or taco sauce
2 tb Light mayonnaise
8 Taco shells
Lettuce, shredded 1 Tomato, chopped
1/2 c Cheddar, shredded
1/3 c Plain low-fat yogurt
Preparation
In pie plate, arrange fillets in single layer with thicker portions at edge. Brush with lime juice; sprinkle with pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and microwave at High for 4-6 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork, rotating dish and rearranging fillets halfway through. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl and coarsely flake fish. Stir in green pepper, onion, salsa and mayonnaise. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper. Spoon 1/3 cup down centre of each taco shell. Divide lettuce, tomato and cheese among tacos. Dollop with yogurt.
Microwave Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:
1 lb Boneless beef sirloin steak
1/2 c Chopped onion
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's
Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 c Sour cream
1/2 t Paprika
Preparation:
Hot cooked noodles Freeze steak 1 hour to make slicing easier.Cut steak into very thin slices across the grain.In a 2 qt. microwave-safe casserole, combine beef and onion.Cover with lid;microwave on high 5 minutes or until beef is no longer pink,stirring once during cooking. In small bowl,stir soup until smooth;stir in sour cream and paprika.Add to beef,stirring to coat.Cover,microwave @ 50 percent power 3 minutes or until heated through.Serve over noodles.Makes about 3 1/2 cups or 4 servings.
