And the official, inaugural dish cooked in my maaahvelous Le Creuset is…

…Chicken Tortilla Soup!   I love a good bowl of soup in the winter time, and when you live in one of the most frigid places in the country, soup can not only be a meal, but also a supplementary heating device.  Seriously, I can keep our thermostat 5 degrees lower when soup’s on the dinner menu.  Gus and I fell in love with Chicken Tortilla Soup after spending 2 weeks in Nuevo Vallarta for our honeymoon, so I decided it would not only be a great winter meal, but also kinda romantic too.  One big collective, “awwwww”.  The substitutions to make this healthy and Daniella-ified were pretty simple and easy, yet still left us with a very flavorful, filling soup.  Sure, the honeymoon version was better but that’s due to a number or reasons… 1.) Full fat cheese, sour cream, and fried tortilla strips served on top…you have to indulge on the honeymoon right?!, 2.) Those Mexican chefs definitely know a lot more than me when it comes to authentic Mexican cooking, 3.) Piquillo Peppers.  They’re everywhere in Mexico, but I can’t find one stinking Piquillo Pepper in the 3rd largest city in America to save my life, and 4.) Everything just tastes better when you’re enjoying it with your brand spanking new husband.  Time for another “awwwww”.  Alright, alright, enough of the schmoopie talk. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy (and romantic!) Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 1 lb. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 cans of Black Beans, drained
• 2 cans of Green Chilies, drained
• 1 can of Enchilada Sauce (I used hot, but if you’re a big ole wimp, then mild will suffice)
• 1 can of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups of Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 2 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Ideas for Toppings:

• Dollop of fat-free Greek Yogurt
• Chopped Scallions
• Handful of Whole-Wheat Tortilla Strips (Don’t reach for those evil Tostito’s!  Take 1 Whole-Wheat tortilla, cut into strips, lay flat on baking sheet, spray lightly with olive oil, bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes until they crisp up)
• Sprinkle of low-fat Cheese
• Slice of Avocado
• Squeeze of fresh Lime (sounds funny, but this is how they served it in Mexico and it was shockingly delish)

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil and lay the chicken breasts in the pan.  Season to taste and roast the chicken for 30-35 minutes, or until the juices run clear.  Once the roasted chicken has cooled, shred with two forks and set aside.
2. Coat the bottom of a stock pot or dutch oven (why helloooo, my lovely Le Creuset!) with olive oil and sweat the onions and garlic over medium heat.  Next, add in the green chilies and sweat those for about 30 seconds before turning the heat down to low. 
3. To the veggies, add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and enchilada sauce.  Stir to incorporate the liquids then add the beans, shredded chicken, cilantro, and seasoning to the pot.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour, while stirring occasionally. 
4. Serve with your favorite assorted toppings…mine happen to include a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt (I know I sound like a broken record, but this stuff makes healthy stuff taste oh-so-naughty), a sprinkling of diced scallions, toasted whole-wheat tortilla strips and a squeeze of fresh lime.  Ahhh, it’s *almost* like being back on the honeymoon.  Minus that whole it’s-negative-thirty-outside-and-we-have-a-foot-of-snow-on-the-ground part.

Something that Paula Dean would love…Hillbilly Dip!

That’s right.  This recipe gets it’s name from it’s high class, gourmet ingredients…but I’ve got no shame in cooking with a good ole’ pasteurized cheese brick, Jimmy Dean sausage, and a can of Rotel (gotta get your veggies in there)!  This one comes straight from my “Southern” roots.  When I was in High School just outside Atlanta, this was always a staple at any social gathering.  It’s basically a Chile con Queso dip and you could always fancy it up by adding some diced fresh jalapeno, sauteed onions, or a garnish of cilantro…but really the beauty of it is the hillbilly-ness of it, so I would just leave it alone.  Get yourself some tortilla chips and some warm flour tortillas for dipping and you’ve got yourself a simple, Southern snack.  Enjoy Y’all!  (I really just needed to say “Y’all” at least once in this post or else my Hillbilly Dip wouldn’t be authentic.)

 

 

Hillbilly Dip (or Chile con Queso if you find the word “hillbilly” offensive)

• 2lb loaf of Velveeta Cheese, cut into 1 inch squares
• 1lb package of Jimmy Dean Hot Breakfast Sausage (You could use Mild, but Mild is for wimps.)
• 1 can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles

 

1. In a large skillet, brown the breakfast sausage over medium high heat.  Once fully cooked, drain the excess fat from the pan.  (Hey, I’m trying to make this dip a *little* healthy for ya!) 
2. Add Velveeta cubes to the skillet and melt over medium low heat.  Also add the can of Rotel, undrained. 
3. Stir occasionnaly until all the cheese is melted. 
4. Serve with tortilla chips and warm flour tortillas, cut into triangles.  Also, during serving, you must keep the dip warm in either a crockpot or fondue pot.  (No one likes cold, congealed cheese dip.)

The key to great salsa is marrying my husband.

Marriage definitely has a lot of perks…but I didn’t realize one of them included a really delicious salsa recipe, until I met Gus’ Aunt Carol.  The past couple summers, we have enjoyed spending a day at their beautiful lakehouse and lucky for us, each year Aunt Carol makes the tastiest Black Bean Salsa for us to enjoy.  If you know my husband at all, you know that he could live off of chips and salsa, so he was quite thrilled this year when Aunt Carol was generous enough to share her famous salsa recipe with me.  I have made it for several parties already and it’s always quite the hit…so much so that now Gus makes me hide a bowl of it in the back of the fridge for him, so that he has his own stash after the party has ended!  It’s a really fresh tasting dip, yet heartier than regular salsa and it has a nice kick to it.  If you are a wimp and can’t handle the heat, then just leave the jalapeno out.  Or if you are a rockstar, then double it.  We are always rockstars in my house. 

 

 

Aunt Carol’s Famous Black Bean Salsa (that’s the official name…and don’t let me catch you trying to take credit for Aunt Carol’s masterpiece.)

• 15 oz. can of Bush’s Black Beans (Don’t try to save a few cents and buy the generic brand.  Bush’s beans are firmer and hold up better in the dip.)
• 1 Tomato, diced
• 2 Green Onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup Corn (Fresh is always best, but barely steamed frozen corn will work too.)
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper, diced with seeds and membrane removed
• 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed Lime Juice
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 2 tsp. Olive Oil

 

1. Rinse the black beans under cold water.  
2. Combine all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  
3. Serve with “scoop” chips, as it makes it easier to pick up the mixture and enjoy in large quantities.
4. If you have leftovers or are just trying to hide some for your salsa loving hubby, then store in Tupperware for up to 3 days. 

Healthy Mexican Food?!? Yes, please.

I know that it doesn’t sound possible, but this dish is quite healthy while still being spicy, cheesy, refried beany, sour creamy and meaty (without the beef, of course)!   I kinda just made up this Mexican Lasagna while trying to think of healthy dishes that are still satisfying.  It’s low in carbs and fat, but high in fiber and protein, and it tackles my monthly Mexican craving without having to hit up a Taco Bell drive through. 

 

Mexican Lasagna

• 20 oz. Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast
• Salt/Pepper/Chili Powder/Paprika/Garlic/Onion Powder to taste
• 1 can Fat Free Re-fried Beans
• 4 Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas (I use the smaller Soft Taco size ones, rather than the huge burrito size ones) 
• Your favorite jar of salsa or taco sauce (I love using the bottled Taco Bell brand Mild and Hot sauce.  It’s low in calories and it tastes just like the stuff in the little packets.)
• 1/4 cup Reduced Fat Mexican Cheese
• A dollop of Non-fat Greek Yogurt for the topping (This stuff is amazing…It’s just as creamy and tangy as Sour Cream and yet it’s fat free and full of protein and calcium.)

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Brown the turkey in a large skillet and season to taste. 
2. Drain the grease from the meat and remove from the pan. 
3. In a small round baking dish, layer one tortilla and spread with a layer of beans.  Sprinkle the ground turkey and a bit of cheese over the bean layer.  Pour a layer of taco sauce/salsa on next and then layer with another tortilla.  Repeat the layers of beans, turkey, cheese, sauce into 3 layers.  Top the last layer with a tortilla, cover with sauce and the remaining cheese. 
4. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Cut into 4 quarters and serve with a dollop of fat free Greek Yogurt.