Enchilada Sacue

Once again, this is a recipe from my sister-in-law Tara. It's far better than any canned stuff I've used before. I have to post it here before my copy gets lost.

2 TBS margarine
1/3 c flour
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 TBS Chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt 
1/4 tsp. pepper 
(Tara says she just seasons to taste, and is not much of a stickler about measuring any of the spices in this.)

In a medium saucepan melt margarine and blend in flour. Add tomato sauce, water and seasonings; mix well with wire whip. Simmer until mixture thickens.

Makes 4 cups

Pico de Gallo

My sister-in-law, Tara makes really good Pico de Gallo. She can probably make it in her sleep but this is what she told me to do. I like to add a jalepeno pepper when I'm feeling spicy.

1/2-1 onion, chopped
1/2-1 green bell pepper, chopped
2-5 Roma tomatoes or 1-2 large tomatoes
garlic to taste
salt to taste
cilantro to taste
lime juice to taste

Chop and combine everything.

I've found it best to let it sit for a while in the fridge before serving. If you don't want it as juicy, de-seed the tomatoes.

Taco Soup

This soup is one that I make regularly when I'm trying to shed a few pounds. It's low fat, filling and full of fiber. But, it does make a really big batch so it's a good to make for a crowd or to freeze part for later. It's also good with Monterrey Jack cheese or with broken chips sprinkled on to.

1 large onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning mix
2 cups corn (frozen or canned)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can white kidney beans, not drained
1 can black beans, not drained
1 can fat free refried beans
1 can chicken broth
(All cans are approx. 14-16 oz.)

Mix all ingredients together and simmer covered for 1 hour.

Makes 15 cups. May be frozen.
Serving size = 1 cup

Tabasco Shrimp

Yet another recipe found from Cooking Light that I love. The original added chili powder and hot sauce to the sour cream but I usually end up skipping that step to simplify. We serve the shrimp wrapped in a fat burrito using fresh cooked tortillas, rice, beans, Monterrey Jack cheese, sour cream and Herdez Salsa Verde (a must have at all times in our pantry). This is another recipe that I use the frozen shrimp from Costco. We also love the uncooked tortillas that you can make fresh before serving - it makes all the difference in a good burrito. But, I sometimes do skip the tortilla and have a burrito bowl when I'm trying to cut out some fat/calories.

For those of you that are a little wary of spicy - this is probably about medium but it's hard for me to rate since I love spicy. In other words, I skip the shrimp and make a plain burrito for my son because it's too hot for him.

Ingredients:
3/4 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and salt in a large bowl. Add shrimp; toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp mixture; sauté until done. Stir in hot pepper sauce and juice. Remove from heat.

Turkey Taco Salad

I found this one on Better Homes and Gardens years ago, modified it a tiny bit and it's become one of my regular standbys. In fact, if you ever need to drop-off dinner to someone, this is a great recipe (pack it up and leave the assembly to the recipient).


Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 15-oz. can pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can corn
1 cup salsa
4-6 cups romaine lettuce, torn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 small tomatoes, chopped
1 bag of tortilla chips (I prefer Tostitos Hint of Lime Tortilla chips)

Directions:
1. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Cook ground turkey on medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain off any fat. Stir in beans, corn, salsa and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, covered for 2-3 minutes.

2. Line four salad bowls with lettuce. Top with turkey mixture. Sprinkle with cheese, tomatoes and chips. Serve immediately.

Pork Barbacoa

Here is another to go along with the Cafe Rio bunch. I started this before bed and it was ready for dinner the next day. I know it sounds like a serious time commitment but honestly, it is so easy. The meat just falls apart when it comes time to shred. You'll love it.

Ingredients:

5-6 lb roast
1 tbs cumin
1 c brown sugar
12 oz bottle taco sauce (not salsa)
24 oz bottle of Coca Cola or Dr. Pepper


Cook roast on low 12 hours in crock pot with water added half way up roast. After 12 hours drain water off roast and add remaining ingredients. Continue cooking 4 more hours. Shred the meat and cook 1-2 more hours.

Cafe Rio Rice

The recipe I found called for minute rice but I just used normal rice with the amount of water that the rice called for. It also is cooked by putting it in the water and bringing to a boil (rather than after the water boils). It turned out perfectly so feel alter the recipe based on the rice that you use.

Ingredients
3 cups Minute rice
3 cups water
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
1/2 onion

Chop cilantro, green chiles and onion together in a food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.

Cafe Rio Chicken

I somehow ended up with a copy of this recipe and I finally tried it. It is really good whether or not it tastes like the real Cafe Rio chicken. I can't judge since I don't ever get the chicken at Cafe Rio. Anyway, it makes a ton so make sure to either plan on inviting over some people or an unreal amount of leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot on high for 4 hours. Shred chicken and return to crock pot for an additional hour.

Salsa Chicken

OK, so I like to make up recipes, so my measurements are never specific, so I will try my best to give an accurate account on this one. This has become Brett's favorite of the moment.

It can be done in the crock pot on low for 8 hours or in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour, depending on how much chicken you put in.

Ingredients:
Chicken- I use the tenders from Costco and put about 8 or 10 pieces in
1 can - cream of chicken soup - I use the healthy request kind
1 cup (or so) - salsa
1 pkg - taco seasoning

Mix it all up in the crock pot or casserole dish and bake!

Mix in fat free sour cream once it's cooked and serve over rice.

Chicken Enchilada Pie

Here's another fabulous recipe from my sister-in-law (thanks, Tara). It is so easy and it's quick to memorize. Oh, and it's so good! I serve it with Spanish rice and black beans. I think the most important part about this recipe is to make sure you use delicious tortillas. If you have good tortillas, you can use low-fat sour cream to lower the fat content.

Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 lb. chicken breast
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 small can of Salsa Verde (Herdez brand, if you can find it)
1 small can diced green chilies
4-6 tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions:
Boil chicken and shred. Mix with soup, sour cream, 3/4 can of Salsa Verde and 1/2 can of chilies. In casserole dish, layer ripped up tortillas and chicken mixture. Top with remaining Salsa Verde, chilies and remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.