Zesty salsa chicken

Approx. 300 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 2 servings.

I was going to make chicken fajitas for dinner tonight, but I didn't have any tortillas and really didn't feel like cooking the chicken in oil tonight. Instead, I decided to basically use the same ingredients (minus the oil) and use the salsa as a sauce to coat the entire dish, rather than as a condiment. If you don't like how the chicken tastes when you poach it, add a bit of oil and stir fry it instead.

Ingredients

• 6 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 small avocado
• 1 cup zucchini
• 1 cup bell pepper (mix of red, green, and yellow)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/8 cup green onion
• crushed red pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Chop vegetables.
2. Add water and chicken to a skillet.
3. Poach chicken until cooked and then cut into bite size pieces.
4. Add onions, bell peppers, and crushed red peppers.
5. Cook until almost tender.
6. Add zucchini. Cook until zucchini, onions, and peppers are tender, but not mushy.
7. Add tomatoes and salsa.
8. Cook until tomatoes soften.
9. Serve and garnish with cilantro, green onion, and avocado.

Tortellini with red pepper and artichoke pesto

Approx. 400 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 1 serving.

I had a partial package of cheese tortellini in the freezer that was starting to look a little too frosty, so I decided to make a dent in it. I also wanted to use up some arugula but wasn't in the mood for a salad. This recipe was a great way to combine the two. Now, I just need to figure out what to do with the rest of the pesto I made.


Ingredients

1. 1 cup cheese tortellini (I used Buitoni brand)
2. 1 cup arugula
3. 1 medium tomato (approx. 1 cup chopped)
4. 2 Tbs red pepper and artichoke pesto

Ingredients for red pepper and artichoke pesto
(makes 1/2 cup of pesto)

• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers (I bought them in a jar - Safeway brand)
• 1/4 cup canned artichoke hearts
• 2 tsp olive oil
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

1. Add pasta to a pot of boiling water. Boil until tender.
2. While pasta is boiling, put all ingredients for pesto in a food processor and chop/mix.
3. Add pesto and chopped tomato to a skillet.
4. Cook until warm and tomatoes start to get soft.
5. Add arugula and cook until wilted.
6. Add cooked and drained pasta.
7. Toss until mixed and serve.
   

Garbanzo bean and zucchini curry

Approx. 190 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 2 servings.

While out running errands, I remembered that I ate the last piece of fruit in the house for lunch today. I was driving past Trader Joe's and decided to run in and grab a couple of apples to last until the farmer's market this weekend. As a general rule, I'm not a Trader Joe's fan. I just don't "get it" when it comes to the love that some people have for that place. Their produce usually isn't that fresh, and their other products are just bland, Bland, BLAND!! to me. But I just needed a couple of apples, so in I went.

While I was in there, I remembered that I had some pretty slim pickings in the fridge at home for dinner. I had planned to make a curry with the half can of garbanzo beans and the zucchini I had. Since my last attempt at making a homemade curry didn't turn out all that well, I decided to see if they had a ready-made curry. I spotted a jar of their curry simmer sauce, and as I picked it up, a really cute guy said "Oh, that sauce is sooooo good. I love it!" Into the basket with the apples it went.

I wish I had put the cute guy into my basket instead of the curry sauce. I confess that I still don't get the Trader Joe's love. I thought the curry was bland and tasted like an overly sweet spaghetti sauce with a trace of curry powder thrown in. I haven't decided whether to toss the rest of it or try to salvage it by adding spices the next time I use it. Anyway, I think this recipe would be good if you make/use a good curry sauce instead of Trader Joe's.

Ingredients

• 1 cup garbanzo beans (canned)
• 2 cups zucchini, cubed
• 1/2 cup curry sauce (I used Trader Joe's curry simmer sauce)
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Add all ingredients into a skillet.
2. Simmer until sauce is warm and zucchini is tender.
3. Serve.
   

Beef fajitas

Approx. 260 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 2 servings.

I needed to use up the rest of the beef strips I bought, so I made beef fajitas. I had planned to put it on a tortilla, but the package was a little too old (and green!) so I had to pass on that. I also didn't have any salsa, so I just ended up eating it as shown on the plate.

Ingredients

• 4.5 oz beef (top round steak)
• 2 cups bell pepper (green and yellow)
• 2/3 cup onion
• 1/4 cup green onion
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs worcestershire sauce
• crushed red pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Wash and cut vegetables.
2. Heat oil in a skillet.
3. Add beef and cook until pink.
4. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes.
5. Add bell pepper and cook until tender but not mushy.
6. Add crushed red pepper and Worcestershire sauce -coat meat and vegetables.
7. Garnish with green onions.

Steak and blue cheese salad

Approx. 400 Calories per serving. Recipe makes 1 (large) serving.

Because I don't like to handle raw meat, I bought some precut "stir fry" steak strips (top round) at the grocery store. I was debating whether to make a stir fry or fajitas, when I remembered that I still had some arugula that I wanted to use up. I decided to just toss a few strips of beef on my George Foreman grill and make a quick and easy salad.

Ingredients

• 4 oz top round steak (or your favorite cut)
• 2 cups green leaf lettuce
• 1 cup arugula
• 1 cup bell pepper (red and yellow)
• 1/3 cup red onion
• 2 Tbs blue cheese
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar (or your favorite dressing)

Directions

1. Wash and chop vegetables.
2. Grill steak.
3. Arrange all ingredients on a plate to make the salad.