Chicken, Mushroom, and Gruyère Quesadillas

Watermelon-jicama salad is a refreshing side dish. Combine 4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed seedless watermelon, 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled jicama, 1 cup chopped English cucumber, and 1/2 cup chopped red onion. Add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon olive oil; toss well.


1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
2 (10-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
Cooking spray


1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms, sliced onion, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and sauté 30 seconds. Add vinegar; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates.

2. Arrange half of mushroom mixture over half of each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 1/2 cup chicken, 1/2 cup arugula, and 1/4 cup cheese; fold tortillas in half.

3. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel. Heat pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add tortillas to pan. Place a heavy skillet on top of tortillas; cook 2 minutes on each side or until crisp.

I would use whole wheat tortillas

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 quesadilla)

CALORIES 270 ; FAT 8.9g (sat 3.7g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g); CHOLESTEROL 64mg; CALCIUM 242mg; CARBOHYDRATE 20.3g; SODIUM 391mg; PROTEIN 25.2g; FIBER 3g; IRON 1.7mg

Cooking Light, JULY 2009

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XI - Michael Jackson Funeral - John Mayer playing 'Human Nature'. Guitar. Memorial in Staples Center

This was my favorite part of MJ's memorial!

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The Ultimate Ratatouille

The Ultimate Ratatouille

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2007
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound small Italian eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound zucchini, cut crosswise into 1-inch sections
3 anchovy fillets, finely minced
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Leaves from 1/2 bunch fresh basil, coarsely chopped
Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 dried chile
Splash balsamic vinegar

Directions
Line a large platter with paper towels. Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the eggplant, season generously with salt and pepper, and let that cook down for 10 to 12 minutes, until the eggplant is soft and wilted. Remove the eggplant from the pan and onto a platter to drain. Next stop, zucchini: cook it the same way in 1/4 cup oil, then add it to the platter with the eggplant.

Add another 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan, then the anchovies, onions, garlic and herbs. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions get nice and caramelized. Add the tomatoes and cook that down for 10 to 12 minutes, until pulpy. Return the eggplant and zucchini to the pan, crack open the chile, and add that too. Season with salt and pepper and let the ratatouille cook slowly for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is soft, mushy and juicy; you want all the flavors to come together. Stir in the vinegar and let cool to room temperature.

I would use much less oil and sub japanese eggplant

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Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (see Note)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 medium carrot, shredded
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
1 ripe avocado
½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced red onion
4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps or tortillas


Instructions

1. Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.
2. Mash beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion.
3. To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.

Tips

Ingredient Note: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they’ll keep at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: 411 calories; 18 g fat (4 g sat, 7 g mono); 15 mg cholesterol; 50 g carbohydrate; 13 g protein; 13 g fiber; 633 mg sodium; 396 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (60% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv).
2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, vegetable, 1 lean meat, 2 fat

Source: Eatingwell

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Turkey Mini Meatloaves

Turkey Mini Meatloaves

Makes 6 servings, 2 loaves each

Ingredients

1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
⅓ cup uncooked whole-wheat couscous
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup barbecue sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously spray a nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. Gently mix turkey, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, couscous, egg, Worcestershire, mustard, pepper and salt in a large bowl, preferably with your hands, without overworking. Equally divide the mixture among the muffin cups. Spread barbecue sauce on top of each loaf, if using.

3. Bake until the meatloaves are cooked through or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees F, about 25 minutes. Let the loaves stand in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: 196 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 0 g mono); 79 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 19 g protein; 3 g fiber; 368 mg sodium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (90% daily value), Selenium (24% dv), Vitamin A (20% dv).

Source: Eating Well

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