Guest Recipe - Healthier Way to Say "Ole!"

Ashley sent me these great recipes for Cinco de Mayo, but they sound too good to wait until May 5th! Ashley says "Going south of the border for a quick dinner doesn’t have to mean greasy fried foods or taco takeouts. Check out these simple, healthy and inexpensive recipes to spice up dinner with a quick trip to your pantry and without the calories associated with typical Mexican fare!" I completely agree. These simple and healthy recipes that make for a quick week-night dinner. Thanks Ashley!

Hickory Smoked Tuna Quesadilla

Ingredients:

1 Pouch (4.5 oz) Starkist Tuna Creations

½ Cup shredded Low Fat Colby-jack cheese blend

2 Green onions, thinly sliced

1 ½ oz. Low Fat Cream Cheese, softened

1/8 Cup roasted red pepper strips

2, 10 inch Flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Mix tuna, cream cheese, shredded cheese, pepper strips and onions until blended.
2. Spread tuna mixture on one tortilla shell, to the edges. Top with the other tortilla shell.
3. Spray a large skillet with vegetable spray and heat. Place filled tortilla in the skillet and heat until brown; approximately 2 -3 minutes per side.
4. Cut into 8 wedges and serve.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 4 – 6 minutes

Servings: 2 or 8 appetizers

Southwest Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

1 (5oz.) pouch StarKist Creations™ Sweet & Spicy Tuna
1 (15-oz.) can Black beans
8 oz. Low fat Ranch dressing
6 oz. (1-1/2 cups) Cheddar cheese, shredded
10 oz. Lettuce, washed and torn
1 (10-oz.) package Frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 (16-oz.) jar Salsa

Directions:

Rinse and drain beans. In a large bowl, layer half of the lettuce, tuna, beans, corn, and ranch dressing. Repeat first five layers; top with salsa; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and chill for 1/2 hour before serving.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 6

Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

This dish is an 'after' Easter tradition for my family. There was always leftover ham and potatoes that needed to be used up. You don't need to wait until Easter to make this, but it is a quick way to make a new dish with leftovers.
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Find more great recipes at the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.
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Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
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2 cups cooked ham, sliced thin
4-5 potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup chopped pimentos
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water*
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice potatoes 1/4 inch thick. In medium saucepan, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, drain reserving 1/2 cup water*. Mix soup, water, milk, pimentos, pepper and salt together. In a 2-quart casserole dish, layer half of potatoes, ham, and soup mixture. Repeat layers ending with soup mixture. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Voodoo Casserole

I have no idea how this easy casserole got its strange name, but it is simply delicious. It's also a great way to use leftover onion and potato slices.
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Voodoo Casserole
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1/2 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound pork sausage
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
6 large potatoes, sliced thin
2 medium onions, sliced
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Durkee Onions
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Season beef and sausage with pepper, garlic powder and salt. Brown over medium heat and drain. In a deep casserole dish, layer one row of meat, a layer of sliced potatoes, and a layer of onions. Pour 1/2 can of mushroom soup on top. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top. Repeat the layers. After you pour the other half of mushroom soup on top, pour 1/2 cup of water over casserole. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 350. Remove cover and sprinkle with Durkee Onions. Bake, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Mom's Chili

My Mom always made the BEST chili! The only problem is she rarely measured the spices. When I was still pretty young she gave me directions on how to make it for dinner one night while she was working. I can still remember the first thing she said to me when she saw my finished product - "Why is it so thick?" What Mom neglected to tell me was that she would fill a quart jar with water, use it to rinse the "good stuff in the bottom" of all the other cans and add it to the pot. A small trick really, but it made a big difference in my chili. Of course, it also included home-canned tomatoes. Now I know everyone has a favorite version - with beans, without beans, ground chuck or a chuck roast. But, I always enjoy seeing new recipes! Since we are experiencing our last cold spell (hopefully) of the season, it seemed a perfect time to cook up a pot. This recipe is pretty spicy, so you can adjust it to suit your taste.
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Check out more great recipes at the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.
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Mom's Chili
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1 pound ground beef, seasoned*

1 large onion, chopped

1 can whole tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
2 cans dark red kidney beans (16 oz)
1 can beef broth (16 oz)
1 cup water
1 can hot chili beans (16 oz)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
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*Season ground beef with a little chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt & pepper. This is not included in the above measurements.
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Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet. Drain. In stock pot, add whole tomatoes. Break them up into smaller pieces. I usually just use my hands, but you could use a spoon or knife. Add beef broth, kidney beans, chili beans, crushed tomatoes, and spices. Pour water into one of the empty cans and continue to move it from one can to the other so that you rinse all the cans thoroughly. Add this mixture to the pot. (You can skip this step if you are trying to lower your sodium content) Bring to a boil, add ground beef mixture, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1-2 hours.

Cube Steak in Mushroom Gravy

Minute or Cube steaks are great for a quick meal. Usually, I'll just use cream of mushroom soup for the gravy. This time I lightly floured the steaks before browning them. I had forgotten how good the gravy could be with flour added to it. If you want a lighter version, omit the flour and just use cream of mushroom soup with a can of water and simmer until the gravy is thick.

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Cube Steak in Mushroom Gravy

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3-4 minute or cube steaks

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 small can sliced mushrooms (4 oz)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup water or beef broth

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Combine flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder & chili powder. Coat each steak with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. When hot, add steaks. Cook approximately 1 minute on each side. Add onion & mushrooms. Cook additional 2-3 minutes or until onions are tender and slightly caramelized. Combine soup and water. Add to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

CranApple Crisp

Apples that needed to be used along with some frozen cranberries combined to make a really tasty crisp. All I'm missing is ice cream! For more great recipes, check out this week's Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.
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CranApple Crisp
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6 medium apples, diced
1/4 cup flour mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Core and dice apples. (I did not peel my apples) Toss apples in flour/sugar mixture and set aside. Bring cranberries and water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add raisins. Continue to cook until cranberries have burst. Combine sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to cranberries and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add apples and set aside. In a small bowl combine oats, butter, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon until well blended. Pour apple mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Top with oat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Coconut Chicken Fingers

There's a little restaurant near my office that serves Coconut Chicken Fingers as an appetizer. I absolutely love them, so I finally decided to try my own version. I didn't use any salt in this, so you might want to add a little when you try the recipe. I keep a big bag of frozen chicken tenderloins in the freezer for use in several different recipes.

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Coconut Chicken Fingers

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10-12 chicken breast tenderloins

2 eggs, beaten

1 & 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup coconut

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup flour

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Soak breast tenderloins in salt water in refrigerator until thawed. Combine 1 & 1/2 cups flour, coconut and cinnamon in shallow bowl. Place beaten eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Place 1/2 cup flour in shallow bowl. After rinsing, dip chicken in plain flour, then in egg, and finish in flour/coconut combo. Pre-heat oil in your skillet over medium-hot heat. You want about 1/4 inch of oil in the skillet. Fry chicken until golden brown, turning once- about 10-15 minutes. Drain on paper towels. I like this plain, but it is also good served with honey-mustard dressing for dipping.