Healthier Dinner Recipes 

by Eileen Majors

[media-credit name=”bigstockphoto” align=”alignleft” width=”300″]chicken soft taco[/media-credit]

  • My Favorite Recipes for Dinner
  • – Most evenings dinner consisted of:
  •     • 3-4 oz. barbecue grilled or baked, boneless, skinless chicken breast or fresh white fish. I like Ling cod!
  •     • 2 cups of steamed vegetables, any except corn and potatoes.
  • • 1 – 2 cups salad – mixed greens and veggies except avocado. 
  •     • half slice of whole grain bread. (I love Dave’s Killer Bread. It’s filling, organic, low fat and 110 calories per slice.) with 1 tsp. whipped butter.
  •     • 1 cup nonfat milk (in a frozen mug!)
  • I felt like I was cheating with these
  • FILLING ENCHILADAS!
  • HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE
  •    •    2 tsp olive oil or canola 
  • 1/2 cup diced white onion
  • 1 clove garlic; minced
  • 1 28-oz. can tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 bay leaf

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil till soft. Add remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

 

OR use your favorite enchilada sauce – 28 oz. can

 

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts – remove all fat, cut in 1″ cubes.

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup water

8 corn tortillas

1/2 white onion diced (optional)

Enchilada sauce (recipe above or 28 oz. can enchilada sauce)

 

Cook chicken in crock pot with 1/2 cup water and seasonings: (ground cumin, chili powder) for 4-6 hours on low, until it shreds easily.

 

Shred chicken. Add 1/2 cup chopped, raw onion and half the sauce. Mix well to absorb sauce into chicken. Dip tortilla in the plain sauce for a about 30 seconds to soften it before rolling to prevent the tortilla from breaking.

   Roll up each tortilla with chicken mixture and place in glass baking dish. (use a heavy glass to hold enchiladas in place until you fill the pan).

 

Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until bubbly hot. Cut and serve. Optional: Add a dollop of low fat sour cream to each (2 enchilada) serving and enjoy. 

 

NUTRITION FACTS:  

 

Calories per 2 enchilada’s 454 

Calories from fat 117

Cholesterol 101mg

Carbs 47.8g

Protein 39.7

 

Vitamin A 33%

Vitamin C 44%

Calcium 10%

Iron 34%

*Based on a 2000 calorie diet

 

High in niacin

High in phosphorus

High in selenium

Very high in Vitamin B6

 

Calculate calories for your own recipes at caloriecount.about.com

 

CHICKEN SOFT TACOS•   (makes 10 tacos)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast 

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup water

10 corn tortillas

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 cup shredded lettuce (slice in thin strips)

4 oz. low fat cheddar

1 lime – cut in wedges

1 cup Pico de Gallo 1/3 cup white onion diced, 1/3 cup diced tomatoes, ¼ cup 

diced jalapenos (omit seeds unless you like it hot!)

Taco sauce (optional)

 

Cut chicken in cubes. Add water and spices. Cover and cook in crock pot or over low heat, stirring occasionally, adding water if needed. Cook 1 – 2 hours or until chicken flakes apart with a fork. (I keep the mixture in the fridge and make tacos as I want them.) Heat tortillas in a dry pan over medium heat, flipping until reaching desired texture and temperature. (Heating a little longer will make tortilla a little crispier.) Fold tortilla and add about 1/10 of the chicken mixture to each taco. Garnish with shredded cabbage, shredded lettuce, light cheese and Pico de Gallo. Squeeze lime over and add taco sauce if desired.