Food, Glorious Food!

Just thought I'd post a few recipes that we've enjoyed in the past week. The food has been yummy. It would be so much easier to be thin if I didn't like food! Sorry, no great food pics this time. I'm on vacation and I was too busy to stop and take a picture after making some of these!

Here's a pesto sauce from Weight Watchers that has lots of flavor but is lower points than most pestos. I like to freeze it in 1 tablespoon portions in an ice cube tray and then use it as a sandwich spread or add it to a marinara or something else for a little kick. The 1 T. portions are 1 point each.

Pesto Sauce

• 2 cups packed fresh basil
• 2 T. toasted pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan
• 1/2 t. kosher salt

Put basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and chicken broth in food processor and process until pureed completely. Add salt and parmesan cheese and process again, for about 30 seconds. Yields 8 Tablespoons at 1 point each.
I made some cheese tortellini and tossed it in 1/4 c. pesto, then added a chopped tomato and served with Caesar Salad, crusty bread, and this eggplant:

Almost Breaded Eggplant

Slice one medium eggplant in 1/4 inch thick disks. Place disks side by side on baking sheet and spray liberally with olive oil spray. Sprinkle each with kosher salt, fresh ed pepper, about 1 T. Italian seasoned bread crumbs, and 1/2 T. shredded Parmesan Cheese. Bake in 400 degree oven until tops are crispy. I count three disks as one point. It 's a yummy way to have eggplant!

This next dish is great because it is easy to throw together and make a few. I made three pans last week to share with friends and it hardly took longer than making one. Serve with pinto beans (or S&W Pinquitos, my favorite canned beans), fruit salad, and the cilanto lime rice recipe later in this post.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas (Casserole Style)

• 10-12 corn tortillas, each sliced in 6 pie shaped pieces
• 3 large chicken , grilled or baked (seasoned with cumin, salt, pepper, and onion powder) (or the meat from a large rotisserie chicken, shredded)
  
• 1 cup diced onion
  
• 1 small can diced green chiles
• 2 1/2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
  
• 1 can green enchilada sauce

Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350.
In small saute pan, saute diced onion in 1 tsp. olive oil until soft. Set aside
Layer ingredients like a lasagne in the pan. Put tortilla wedges down first, to nearly cover the bottom of the pan. Next, add 1/2 the chicken, onion, and chiles, spreading them out over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1 cup of the jack cheese over entire pan. Repeat the layers. Finish with a top layer of tortilla wedges. Pour enchilada sauce over entire pan, pressing tortillas down with a wooden spoon if necessary to soak in. Nothing should be dry. Top casserole with remaining 1/2 cup of jack cheese and 1/2 c. cheddar cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese begins to brown. Remove from oven and let sit 10-15 minutes before serving. Garnish with some sour cream.

Cilantro Lime Rice

I originally had this at Erin's (see my July 10th post) and have since made it a family staple. We even served it at my brother Tyler's wedding Open House a few years ago (what a great party that was.) Anyway, Erin may have morphed her recipe over the years but this was it back then.

• 2 c. long grain rice, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1 c. onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 2 c. salsa verde (I like Herdez)
• 1 can chopped green chiles (I omit these in deference to my hubby)
• juice of 2 limes, plus some zest
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
  
• Fresh cilantro

Melt butter in large saucepan pan. Add onion and garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add rice and continue to saute, stirring constantly, until rice begins to brown. Add chicken broth, 1 c. salsa verde, and the green chiles. Stir to combine. Add salt and a few sprigs of cilantro (you don't need to chop them--you'll pull them out later.) Put lid on pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked, about 30 minutes.
When rice is done, remove lid and add the juice of two limes, zest to taste, and about 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro. Fluff with a fork and serve. Yummy.
By the way, Ian is not exactly my favorite, but he is currently our most photogenic. Don't tell the others!