Salsa Month!

May is National Salsa Month!  I will celebrate with the easiest salsa recipe ever!

(Bonus: Salsa is usually low in fat and calories, and half a cup can sometimes count as a veggie serving!)

Amy's Super Easy Salsa
1 Can Chunk Ro-Tel
1 lime, halved
Cilantro to taste, thinly chopped

Drain Ro-Tel well, squeeze lime juice over Ro-tel and top with cilantro.  Stir. Chill or heat to liking. Enjoy.

Jen's Super Easy Salsa
1 can Mexican Festival Ro-Tel (sometimes labeld Mexican: Lime and Cilantro)

Drain well and enjoy!

Honestly, I'm not a big Cilantro fan, so I like to open one can of Chunky Rotel and one can of Mexican Festival Rotel and mix them.  It's enough for a group of friends to enjoy and not so cilantro laden.  Also, if you don't like chunky salsa, just stick this in a food processor!

Ro-Tel is wonderful because it tastes fresh and 1/2 a cup averages about 30 calories,0 fat, less than 5 carbs, less than 600 mg of salt.

Got a salsa recipe?  Share it!

Cinco de Mayo

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I am pleased to share my Easy Peasy Gaucamole Dip.

Jen's Easy Guac
2 large, ripe avocados (peeled and cut into chunks or mashed)
1 small - med tomato, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 lemon or lime, halved
Cilantro, optional
Salt and pepper to taste

Just combine everything in a bowl, except lemon or lime.  Juice citrus fruit over bowl, stir, chill if desired, and enjoy.

Jen's Even Easier Guacamole
2-3 large, ripe avocados (peeled and mashed)
1 can regular Ro-Tel or Mexican Festival Rotel, drained well
optional: 1 small onion, chopped
1 lemon or lime, halved.

Combine avocados, Ro-Tel, and onion.  Juice lemon/lime over bowl.  Enjoy.

***********************************

I love guacamole!  Avocados are a good fat and about half a cup is a fruit or veggie serving.  I know they pack a bit more of a calorie punch than salsa, but this meets my need for creamy goodness in a way salsa can't...and keeps me from reaching for the cheese dip.

Make your own gaucamole?  Share the recipe!

Chicken and Green Bean Casserole

Chicken and Green Bean Casserole
1 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloins
2 cans cut green beans, well drained OR 18 oz frozen green beans, thawed
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup OR 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
3/4 cup milk
Black pepper, to taste
1 and 1/3 cup french fried onions
Garlic and seasonings, to taste

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most people have had Green Bean Casserole during the holiday season.  I'm here to insist that this is a four season food!

C'mon, people, it's a cheap and easy comfort food!!  Why hide it away for just Christmas and Thanksgiving?

Okay, so Baked Chicken is easy and Green Bean Casserole is easy.  Combining these great foods, super easy!

The Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  In a lightly greased (sprayed with Pam, lined with foil, whatever you do to keep things from sticken) 9x13 baking dish, place your chicken.  Season to taste.

Combine soup, milk and pepper in a bowl; stir until blended. Stir in beans and 1/2 to 2/3 cups of French Fried Onions.

Pour soup combination over chicken.  Top with remaining French Fried Onions. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.  Let sit for about 5 minutes before eating.

Variations and Tips

• Check out the French's site for more Green Bean Casserole ideas!
• Use cooked chicken that's been shredded, cubed, or cut into strips instead of chicken breasts.
• Try adding 1/3 cup of sour cream to the soup mixture.  Yummy.
• If using Campbell's Healthy Request Soups to cut down on fat, calories, and MSG, use less milk.  Healthy Request soups are usually "soupier" than their original counterparts.

Got your own Green Bean Casserole dinner idea? Share it!

Fiesta Rice

Fiesta Rice

Fiesta Rice is really easy. Pair with a black beans and you've got the perfect side dishes for your Mexican meal.

Brown rice works best for texture (and is healthier anyway). Because there are only two people in my home, I like to use 1 tub of Minute Ready to Serve Rice . It says it's only 1 serving but I find for this recipe it's perfect for 2.

The two recipes below use ingredients that are probably sitting in our fridge or pantry when preparing for a Mexican dish!

Recipe 1
1 tub Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice, fixed according to directions
1 jar chunky salsa

Pour rice into bowl. Mix a few of tablespoons of salsa into the rice and reheat. You'll be surprised by how good it is.

Recipe 2
1 tub Minute Ready to Serve Brown Rice, fixed according to directions
2-3 tablespoons of tomato sauce
1/4 (or so) teaspoon of Taco Seasoning
a pinch of garlic salt

Pour rice into bowl. Add all ingredients, mix well, and reheat.

This recipe tastes a lot like Applebee's fiesta rice that comes with Fiesta Lime Chicken. To make it more authentic, shop up some red and green bell pepper, add a little oil to a pan, and heat until veggies are slightly soft. Then add a spoonful or two of sweet kernel corn.


Got your own Fiesta Rice recipe or other Mexican sidedish? Share with me.

Easy Pasta Salad

Super Easy Pasta Salad
1/2 lb uncooked pasta
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 large bottle Italian Dressing
vegetables of choice (broccoli, bell pepper, olives, etc), chopped

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cooked ten minutes, or until tender. Drain and pour into a large dish. Let cool. Add tomatoes and other vegetables. Pour half bottle of Italian Dressing. Stir to coat noodles and veggies. Let sit in fridge at least 2 hours.

After two hours, do a taste test. If everything tastes fine, then this is ready to serve. It may, however, need more salad dressing. Add as much salad dressing as needed, stirring to coat. Serve chilled. May be refrigerator overnight before serving.

Variations

• Use Your Noodle. I like using spiral noodles, plain or tri-colored for this recipes because they "grab" the dressing, but any kind of noodle will do. Penne pasta is also a good grabber, and I've seen this done with fettuccine noodles.
  
• Going low carb? Who needs noodles anyway?!? Do this same recipe with just the veggies! Use tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, and bell peppers mixed with Italian Dressing for a crunchy, zesty side dish.
  
• Don't like plain Italian Dressing? Whisk 1/2 cup of mayonnaise in with the salad dressing before coating the noodles for a creamier salad. Or try Zesty Italian or a vinaigrette.
• Try adding cubed cheese or Parmesan cheese to the mix.
  
• Class it up! Serve on a bed of lettuce, with sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and capers.
  

Got a different Pasta Salad recipe? Share it with me!