Cinco de Mayo Chopped Salad

Adding spice is a great way to keep food low calorie but have lots of flavor. I love a good chop salad, I always get one if it is on the menu. This would be a great low calorie Cinco de Mayo meal. This is another recipe from Self Magazine, I added the chicken breast. You would have a lot of protien anyway from the beans if you didn't want to bother with it.

2 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 sliced cooked chicken breast,I love to cook chicken breasts in the low sodium taco seasoning

1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and well drained

3/4 cup chopped seeded tomato

3/4 cup chopped peeled jicama

3/4 cup fresh corn kernels

3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes

Half a ripe avocado, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
Honey-Lime Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil2 tbsp

2tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (or more to taste)

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mexican that will keep you skinny:Enchiladas Suizas

Cinco de Mayo is a big deal in Arizona, so I thought it would be fun to have some Mexican recipes. The problem with one Mexican meal is it can un-do your diet efforts, this recipe is low in fat with lots of protein. Typically when we want Mexican I substitute low fat cheese & sour cream for their full fat versions, or chicken for beef. This recipe came from Self Magazine. Self is a great source for fitness tips, nutrition & recipes.

1 1/2 lb bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed

2 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic

5 peppercorns

1 lb tomatillos (about 8), husked

2 serrano chiles

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup nonfat sour cream

8 corn tortillas (6" each)

1 1/2 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Place chicken in a large saucepan. Add 6 cups water, 1 tsp of the salt, 2 of the garlic cloves and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove chicken from liquid. Pull meat from bones and shred; set aside. Place tomatillos and chiles in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and boil over medium-high heat about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Transfer tomatillos and chiles to a blender. Add cilantro and remaining 2 cloves garlic; blend until smooth, adding reserved liquid if necessary. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo-chile puree; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring constantly, 10 minutes or until sauce reduces to about 1 cup. Reduce heat, add sour cream and remaining 1 tsp salt. Stir about 1 minute. Set aside. Heat oven to 350°. Heat a large skillet over medium heat; warm tortillas 10 seconds per side. Divide shredded chicken evenly among tortillas; roll up. Spread 1/3 of the sauce in a 9" baking dish. Arrange enchiladas in a layer, seam side down. Cover with remaining sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese starts to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Buffalo Shrimp

The Suns played on Sunday, they were down 3 games to the Spurs. I was worried Matt wouldn't be able to take a loss! I decided the thing to do would be to make some Rally hors d'oeuvers. My first thought was hot wings, get it hot like the sun. But we didn't have any chicken, so I thought why not make Buffalo Shrimp. It turns out that Buffalo Shrimp are delicious! And not to brag but they did win...Now everyone needs to make a batch tomorrow night for Matt's Suns!
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons Cavender's
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 pound medium shrimp peeled
4-6 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup Crystal or Frank's Louisiana hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter
On the side: bleu cheese dressing (for dipping)
Combine flour, salt, peppers and paprika in a medium bowl.
In another small bowl, whisk together egg and milk.
Preheat 4-6 cups of vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
A small handful of shrimp at a time, dip them into the egg mixture, then into the breading blend; When all shrimp have been breaded, arrange them on a plate and chill for 15 minutes.
When the shrimp is done resting, drop each piece into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes or until each piece is browned.
Combine the hot sauce and butter in a small bowl. Microwave sauce for 20-30 seconds or just until the butter is melted, then stir to combine. You can also use a small saucepan for this step. Just combine the hot sauce and butter in the saucepan over low heat and stir until butter is melted and ingredients are blended.
When shrimp are done frying, remove them to a plate lined with a couple paper towels. Place the shrimp into a covered container such as a large jar with a lid. Pour the sauce over the shrimp in the container, cover, and then shake gently until each shrimp is coated with sauce.Pour the shrimp onto a plate and serve the dish with bleu cheese dressing and sliced celery on the side. Serves 2-4 as an appetizer.

Wine & Cheese

At the risk of sounding like a wino, one of my favorite things to eat is wine & cheese. I am completely content having a dinner of crusty bread, yummy cheese some fruit & a glass of wine. There are a few wine bars in the Scottsdale area that we like to go to with our friends. This is fun because they will expertly pair your wine with the cheeses. I was excited when I came across these pairings to share with you.

1. Parmigiano or Romano styled cheeses with almost any wine, a particular favorite being Champagne. This is the match to use if one is selling wine because average wine seems to taste better in tandem with the nutty flavors. The old French expression is to sell wine with cheese and buy wine with bread, because the richness of the cheese can hide faults and soften bitter edges to the wine.

2. Stilton, or other high quality blue-veined cheeses, dance elegantly with Port. The best match is a vintage or LBV (late bottled vintage) Port, as opposed to a tawny. The assertive flavors and higher alcohol levels of the Port are brought into submission by the rich and salty cheese. This pairing rivals the classic match-up of peanut butter with chocolate. (Off the cheese note for a moment, personally I love a dark chocolate truffle with a glass of port)

3. Roquefort, not unlike the Stilton with Port marriage, is magical with a French Sauternes. A poorer man's version of this would be to substitute a late harvest Muscat, such as the Bonny Doon "Vin De Glacière" from California, or a late-harvest Australian Semillon.

4. Goat cheese is fantastic, the fresher the better, served with the "king" of Sauvignon Blancs, Sancerre from the Loire Valley of France. Some domestic Sauvignon Blancs that would rise to this occasion include Honig, Matanzas Creek, Groth, Cakebread, as well as the more affordable Wente, Concannon and Chateau St. Michelle's "Horse Heaven Vineyard".

5. Brie is miraculous with Champagne. Opt for even more decadence by serving the Brie warmed, or even in a baked flour crust, and expect applause from your dining companions. Some noteworthy domestic Brut sparkling wines to substitute include the Mumm Napa, Domaine Chandon, and the Gruet from New Mexico.

These are some very fancy pairings, I am sure your guests would be impressed, but remember if you don't want to put that much thought into it, my guests are always happy with the old stand bys of Alloette & Port Wine Cheddar!

Chicken Souvlaki

Real Simple is one of my favorite places to look for recipe inspiration. They offer faster versions of classic recipes. I love Greek food & always think souvlaki sounds amazing but I am not a lamb fan. Real Simple offers a version with chicken. I think this would be totally fun to make when you have friends over, simple but seems like a fancy dish.

4 pieces flat bread or pitas

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

3/4 cup crumbled Feta

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 small cucumber, diced

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Heat oven to 200° F. Wrap the bread in foil and place in oven.In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, Feta, and olives.In a large bowl, combine the oregano, thyme, pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vinegar, and the lemon juice. Slowly add 4 tablespoons of the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until incorporated. Pour 2 1/2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the tomato mixture, toss, and set aside. Add the chicken to the remaining vinaigrette, toss, and set aside.Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the chicken but not the liquid to the skillet and heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, dill, and the remaining vinegar. Spread the bread with some of the yogurt sauce and top with the chicken. Add the tomato salad and fold.

Lobster con Queso

Last night I went out with my girlfriends to Blue Adobe, Jodi has been talking about the Mesa location as long as I have known her. We are enough to have a lot of good Mexican food in Scottsdale, but this was really great. I had the enchilada stack, which was huge & delicious. Matt really enjoyed the leftovers. For me the stand out was the lobster queso dip, here is a copy cat recipe for you.

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic, minced

1 can mild green chilies, chopped

1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1-3 tbsp. evaporated milk

paprika

6 ounces lobster meat
Melt butter; saute onions until translucent. Add garlic, salt, chilies and tomatoes.
Cut up cheese; add evaporated milk until consistency resembles thick gravy.
Cook slowly, adding milk a little at a time. Add lobster. Stir often.
Hot chilies may be added if hotter than mild Con Queso is desired. You could serve with corn chips. Blue Adobe served with flour tortilla chips which were awesome, cut flour tortillas into 6 preshaped wedges and fry in hot vegetable oil until crisp.

Eating Green for Earth Day

Today is Earth Day so I wanted to write something that would inspire you to help. When we think about food & the environment you tend to think of eating organic. While I do buy organic foods when avalible, according to my mom (who by the way is a very smart environmentalist & horticulturalist) you help the environment more by buying your food locally. This also works with the philosophy in French Women Don't Get Fat, that you should eat foods that are in season. If you shop at the farmers market produce is almost always what's in season. So for the same reasons that shopping local is eco-sound, sticking to your region's growing season is, too. When you buy foods that are out of season they are often imported from places as far away as Australia and China. That takes a lot of oil to get them here. Except in summer, the produce in your supermarket probably has more frequent flyer miles than you do! If you don't know what is in season think of the traditional foods for seasons, who doesn't love strawberry shortcake in the summer, or a fall pumpkin pie. All this being said it is hard to give up winter strawberries or year round tomatoes, but every little bit helps. Click here for a link of what fruits & veggies are in season in your state. And here to locate a local farmers market.

Tomorrow a recipe, I promise!