Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Filling:


3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here)

Sauce:


2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside. 

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream. 

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan). 

Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Grilled Chicken and Tapenade Sandwiches

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 1 1/2 cups diced seeded tomato 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 5 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil, divided 
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese 
• 4 (2-ounce) ciabatta sandwich rolls, halved
• 
  
• 
  

• Preparation

  1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Add 2 teaspoons oil; toss gently to combine. Let stand 15 minutes.
  2. Prepare grill.
  3. Brush chicken evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove from grill. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing thinly.
  4. Add cheese and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to tomato mixture; stir gently to combine. Arrange sliced chicken evenly on bottom halves of rolls. Top each serving with one-fourth of tomato mixture, and cover with top halves of rolls. Serve immediately.
  .

Basic Marinara

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium)
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves) 
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added crushed tomatoes

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
2. To store in the freezer: Ladle room-temperature or chilled sauce into plastic containers or zip-top plastic bags. Seal and freeze for up to four months. Consider freezing the sauce in one-cup increments (two servings' worth). That way, you can pull out exactly as much as you want for future meals.
3. To thaw sauce: Try one of three methods.
4. 1. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
5. 2. Place frozen blocks in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
6. 3. Place frozen blocks in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave at HIGH one minute at a time, stirring after each increment until thawed.
7. To boost taste: Long stints in the freezer can dull the taste of tomatoes. To perk up thawed sauce, add one-half teaspoon finely grated lemon rind or one teaspoon balsamic vinegar while reheating.

Balsamic & Shallot Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 6 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped 
• 1 chopped seeded plum tomato 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions 

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 2. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with pepper and salt. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to pan. Add chicken, meat-side down; cook 7 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 3 minutes. Place chicken on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until done.
3. 3. Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining oil, shallots, and garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomato and tomato paste; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add vinegar; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 20 minutes or until reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce with chicken. Sprinkle with green onions.

Zinfandel-Braised Beef Brisket with Onions and Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups zinfandel or other fruity dry red wine
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 (2 1/2-pound) beef brisket, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 8 cups sliced Walla Walla or other sweet onion (about 4 medium) 
• 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme, divided
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices 
• 2 celery stalks, cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices 
• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, cut into quarters 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; cook for 8 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan; cover and set aside.
4. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, onion, sugar, and 1 teaspoon thyme to pan. Cook 20 minutes or until onions are tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, carrots, and celery; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place beef on top of onion mixture; pour wine mixture over beef. Cover and place in oven.
5. Bake at 325° for 1 3/4 hours.
6. While beef mixture cooks, place potatoes in a large bowl. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, oil, oregano, and red pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray.
7. Remove beef from oven; turn beef over. Place potatoes on lower rack in oven. Cover beef; return to oven. Bake potatoes and beef at 325° for 45 minutes or until beef is tender. Remove beef from oven; cover and keep warm. Increase oven temperature to 425°. Place potatoes on middle rack in oven; bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until crisp and edges are browned.
8. Remove beef from pan; cut across the grain into thin slices. Serve with onion mixture and potatoes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Chicken Piccata with Summer Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients:


1 cup strips red bell pepper (1 medium)
3/4 cup thinly sliced onion (about 1/2 large onion)
1 1/2 cups matchstick cut zucchini
1 1/4 cups matchstick cut yellow squash
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
3/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced basil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers

1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell pepper and onion; sauté 8 minutes or until tender and beginning to brown. Place onion mixture in a large bowl; keep warm. Return pan to medium-high heat. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add squash mixture to reserved onion mixture. Keep warm.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Add pasta and reserved cooking liquid to vegetable mixture, stirring to combine. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and basil; toss to combine. Keep warm.
3. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.
5. Add broth, juice, and capers to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add green onions, butter, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; stir until butter melts.
6. Arrange about 1 cup pasta mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 chicken breast half, 1/4 cup sauce, and 1 tablespoon remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

Sauteed Pork Medallions with Lemon Garlic Sauce

• 1 lb pork tenderloin, lean only, trimmed
• 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp black pepper, divided
• 1/4 tsp salt, divided
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, (for a non-alcoholic recipe, substitute low-sodium chicken broth)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth, low-sodium
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley or 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh sage or rosemary*

Instructions

1. Cut pork into 12 slices, about 1-inch-thick each. Sprinkle pork on all sides with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, turning once, until pork is well-browned and internal temperature reaches 145°F, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer pork to a serving platter and cover to keep warm.
2. Add remaining teaspoon oil to skillet. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and broth. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring to scrape up browned bits from bottom of skillet, until liquid is reduced by two thirds, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley. Serve pork drizzled with sauce.

• *To substitute fresh herbs with dried herbs, use 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley or 3/4 teaspoon dried sage, or 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary