Ground Turkey with Potatoes and Peas

It's almost fall!! I am so excited for the chilly weather and rainy days. As much as I love sun and summer, I will always love a lazy rainy day. This recipe was one I found in the middle of summer, but I couldn't help but make it. Glad I did, it was delicious. As I was eating this dish, I thought about how delicious this would be on a chilly autumn afternoon. I will be making this again in the fall to enjoy the warm full flavors!

Ground Turkey and Potatoes and Peas

Gina's Skinny Taste Recipes

Ingredients:

1 medium tomato

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

20 oz 93% lean ground turkey

4 medium scallions, chopped

1 cup fresh peas

1 potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

8 oz can tomato sauce

3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp cumin, or to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a mini food processor or you can chop by hand finely chop tomato, garlic, and cilantro.
2. In a large skillet, brown turkey and season with salt and cumin to taste.
3. When meat is browned and cooked through add scallions, chopped tomato mixture, peas, potato, tomato sauce, water, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until potatoes are cooked through, about 25 minutes stirring occaionally. Add more water if needed. Serve over rice.

Serves 5

Nutrition: (about 1 cup) Calories 209.2; Fat 6.9g; Carb 17.3g; Fiber 3.5g; Protein 21g

Skinny Green Chile and Chicken Enchiladas

My mexican food cravings come at the most odd times. I can crave an enchilada at 7am and I would be happy to have one for breakfast with no regrets. Pretty sure it's the mexican in me that makes my cravings so strong. I can have one craving for days. This dish was definitely the result of my need for enchiladas. I was lucky to have left over rotisserie chicken in my fridge, and I believe it makes dinner planning so much easier. Rotisserie chicken is a must have!

Skinny Green Chile and Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from CookingLight

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno, seeds removed
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
24 oz can of Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (or make your own!)
10 corn tortillas
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add jalapeno; cook 30 seconds. Take off heat, add chicken, salt, and pepper. 
3. Spread 1/2 cup green Chile sauce on bottom of 13x9in baking dish. Place 1/4 cup of chicken mixture and 1 teaspoon of crumbled feta cheese on each tortilla; carefully roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Cover rolled tortillas with remaining sauce, making sure all is covered. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. 

Low-Fat Caesar Dressing and Baked Croutons

I have been slacking hardcore on postings. For some reason during the end of this summer I have been a little lazy. Plus this is one of the hottest summers we have had in a while and when it's sunny out, my house becomes an oven. I am pretty sure that is one reason why I haven't been cooking a lot lately too. There is no way I am turning on the oven and making my house even hotter. So maybe when I stop melting and the weather gets a bit cooler I will get up and start cooking more. I having been trying my hardest to find recipes that don't include baking or even using the stove. It's quite hard, so I have been just microwaving left overs or frozen dinners to save myself the extra heat. Lets hope fall gets here soon, I can't wait to start using fall ingredients!

This is a great simple recipe. I suggest making a large batch and saving the rest for later. I had a request do to just that from my mom, and I plan on jarring some up! Caesar dressing always is too bitter for me and I wanted to make one that was a little more sweet and lemony. That is exactly what I got. I left out the anchovies that originally come in caesar dressing, because well...it's anchovies. Without those salty little fish taking over my dressing, I believe that is why I didn't get a strong bitter taste. There was definitely a zest from the lemon and robust flavor from the Worcestershire sauce. Seriously, if you haven't made your own caesar dressing do it. Not only will you know what's in it and how healthy it can be, but it's so simple!!

I forgot to picture the basil, please forgive me! :)

Line your baking sheet with foil for an easy clean up!

So crunchy and flavorful!

Low-Fat Caesar Dressing
Adapted from lowfatcooking.com

Ingredients:
1/3 cup non-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced and crushed
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients together with a whisk until fully combined. Pour over salad. 

Makes 1/2

Nutrition: (2 tablespoons) Calories 82; Fat 5g; Protein 3g; Cholesterol 7mg; Carb 7mg; Fiber 0g

Baked Croutons

Ingredients:

Day old bread cut into 1/2 cubes (French or Italian work best)

Olive Oil (basil infused, garlic infused, or extra virgin)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Spread bread cubes in an even layer on a foil lined baking sheet.
3. Pour olive oil over bread, tossing every so often until all are cover evenly with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, onion power, and garlic powder to taste.
4. Bake at 350º for 10 to 15 minutes, turning half way through. 

Lightened Huevos Rancheros

I have been on a huge fried egg kick for the past few months. I tried my first one just this year and I don't know where they have been all my life. As much and I can, I try to make myself a delicious runny egg in the mornings. For some reason I have always thought that fried eggs made dishes look pretty, I know weird thought. So after I found out how yummy they are, I just had to find a recipe to use them in. I found this recipe and I couldn't wait to make it. 

Not only was this recipe simple, but it was full of flavor. You have the cilantro, lime, onions, beans, cheese...what more could you ask for in a dish. I made this for brunch the day my husband came home for leave, and I didn't want something that would keep me in the kitchen all afternoon. While you have the cheese melting in the oven, you have your eggs getting beautiful and yummy on your skillet. You will have to work your multi-tasking skills with this one, but it is worth it! 

Lightened Huevos Rancheros
Adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 scallion, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, divided
1 15oz can pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 cup prepared green salsa
8-6 inch corn tortillas
3/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mexican blend..etc)
4 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Combine lettuce, scallion, cilantro, 1 teaspoon oil, lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; set aside. Combine beans and salsa in another bowl.
3. Coat both sides of each tortilla with cooking spray. Place tortillas on a large baking sheet in 4 sets of overlapping pairs. (Each pair should over lap by about 3 inches). Spread about 1/3 cup of bean mixture on top of each pair of tortillas and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons cheese each. Bake until the beans are hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack each egg into a small bowl and slip them one at a time into the pan, taking care not to break the yolk. Season the eggs with remaining salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook undisturbed for 5-7 minutes for soft-set yolks. (For hard-set yolks, cover the pan after 5 mintes and continue cooking until the yolks are cooking through, 4-6 minutes more.)
5. To assemble, place an egg on top of each pair of tortillas and top with a generous 1/4 cup of the lettuce mixture. 

Serves 4.

Nutrition: (1 pair of tortillas) Calories 396; Fat 18g; Carb 42g; Cholesterol 234mg; Protein 20g; Fiber 8g

Spicy Orange Shrimp Stir-Fry

Today is the hottest day in two years here in the pacific northwest, and yes I am melting! Houses up here in Washington don't naturally come with AC, because you wouldn't use it for more than a week in one year. So I am sitting here chugging a large cup of ice water, and planted directly infront of my fan. As much as I love the sunny weather, I am looking forward to fall and winter very much. My soldier comes home this winter from his tour, and the colder it gets the closer it is till he comes home. If you can't tell, I am very excited for this tour to come a glorious end!

If you are at home enjoying beautiful (or crappy) weather this spicy and tangy dish is perfect for you. It was fast and super simple. I would have loved to get fresh shrimp, but I really can not face the fact that I would have to pull off their little eyes and feet. Besides the fresh shrimp at stores usually come in frozen. So I decided to just go the simple way and use frozen shrimp. The only work I did was thaw them and take off the tails. You are more than welcome to leave the tails on, but I didn't want to worry about them while I was eating. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can control the amount of spice that you want. Put in as much or as little chili paste that you like. While I was reading the reviews for this recipe I saw some people didn't like the amount of chili paste, that it made the dish too spicy. I knew right then that the amount of paste was perfect for me! 

Spicy Orange Shrimp Stir-fry
adapted from CookingLight


Ingredients:
1.5 lbs peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (rice wine vinegar works too)
1 tablespoon chile paste
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves minced
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Place shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss well to coat. Set aside.
2. Combine juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and chile paste, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
3. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger and garlic; stir-fry for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Add shrimp mixture; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add juice mixture and onions; cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens or shrimp is pink, stirring frequently. Serve immediately with cooked pasta or rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: (3/4 cup shrimp) Calories 301; Fat 10g; Protein 35.3g; Carb 16.8g; Cholesterol 259mg; Fiber 0.5g