Sweet Potatoes....

We had some cubed sweet potatoes with our chicken the other night that were yummy. I cut them up into small cubes, grilled them in a pan of olive oil, salt, and pepper. It took about 30 minutes to get them tender. They were outstanding!

Cilantro Burgers with Garlic Fries

Tonight I made two recipes from Cooking Light, which is quite possibly the best magazine ever! I don't ever use buns for these burgers, they are good just to eat by themselves.
Here are the recipes....

GARLIC FRIES

Tossing the fries in butter and garlic after cooking makes them unbelievably rich.


3 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter
8 garlic cloves, minced (about 5 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, tossing to coat.
Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning after 20 minutes.
Place butter and garlic in a large nonstick skillet; cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add potatoes, parsley, and cheese to pan; toss to coat. Serve immediately.


Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 256 (27% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 3.3g,mono 2g,poly 2g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 55mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.3g; SODIUM 386mg; PROTEIN 5.9g; FIBER 3.5g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2002


CILANTRO BURGERS

1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup (1 ounce) preshredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground turkey
Cooking spray

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/3-inch-thick patty.

Heat a large grill pan or large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add turkey patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

This was a delicious dinner, thanks Kristen!

Tonight I made a couple of recipes my friend (whom I miss dearly) Kristen sent me. Well, I finally got all the stuff and tried them tonight. WOW, they were both so good and I wanted to share the recipes!


Crispy Pan Fried Chciken with Summer Sauce
Sauce ingredients:
2 cups fresh cilantro
3 garlic gloves, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 cup mayonnaise (I used light)

Chicken ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup panko (find these by the breadcrumbs) or crushed tortilla chips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the sauce:
Process the cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, and water in a blender or food processor until pureed. Pour the misture into a bowl and whick in the mayop. chill, covered in the fridge.

For the chicken:
pound the chicken to 1/2 inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap with a meat mallet. Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken lightly with the flour mixture, shake off excess. Dip in the eggs and coat with panko.

Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the chicken. Cook over med/high heat about 5 minutes on each side or golden brown and cooked through. Serve immediately with the sauce.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Artichokes
Ingredients:
2 lbs. small red potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-2 cans artichokes, quartered. Drain first.
1 yellow onion chopped
1/2 cup crmbled feta cheese
paprika to taste

Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil, spray with nonstick spray. Combine the potatoes, olive oil, thyme and pepper in a ziploc bag, seal tightly and turn to coat. Pour the potato mixture into the prepared pan.

Roast at 425 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until they are tender. Add the artichokes and onions during the last 20 minutes of the baking time. When done, toss the potatoes with the feta cheese in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with paprika.

P.S. Don't be intimidated by the amount of work......it's so worth it!

Mac and Cheese.....the hard way.

I made the mac and cheese from Cooking Light tonight. It was good but not as cheesy as the Martha Stewart version. But I'm sure the calories are not the same. The kids all liked it which counts for me! Good for when you're craving it and don't want the boxed kind....which by the way is not good for you. I also added turkey polish sausage with it and then some berries on the side too.

Recipe:
Creamy Four-Cheese Macaroni


1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3 ounces light processed cheese (such as light Velveeta)
6 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/3 cup crushed onion melba toasts (about 12 pieces)
1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine, softened


Preheat oven to 375°.

Place flour in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add cheeses; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in macaroni and salt.

Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine crushed toasts and margarine in a small bowl; stir until well-blended. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Three-Pepper Variation: add these ingredients for a spicier version of our Creamy Four-Cheese Macaroni. Add 1 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped seeded pickled jalapeño pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper at the same time the macaroni and salt are added.



Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 350 (29% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 6.3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.9g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 32mg; CALCIUM 306mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.4g; SODIUM 497mg; PROTEIN 18g; FIBER 2.1g