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Tag Archives: Friday Food Fight

Cinco de Mayo Menu

PhotobucketI had a bit of blogger failure.  With Cinco de Mayo on the horizon, I forgot to create and plan a Mexican inspired dish to share for Friday Food Fight.

Then, it dawned on me.  I don’t need to share anything new.  I’ll spotlight some of my favorite Mexican dishes I’ve already shared for a Cinco de Mayo menu. Yes! That’s the ticket!

Of course, every good Cinco de Mayo fiesta needs to keep the margaritas flowing.  Iron chef Allan’s Better Than Margaritaville Margaritas will definitely put the ole’ in your day.

Better Than Margaritaville Margaritas

Most Cinco de Mayo menus offer very little vegetarian options.  Serve this tasty Roasted Vegetable Mexican Lasagna and you will please everyone.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Wholly Diablo Shrimp served Skinnytaste’s Skinnytaste’s Southwest Black Bean, Quinoa and Mango Medley would make a mucho bueno combo.

Wholly Diablo Shrimp

Skinnytaste’s Southwest Black Bean, Quinoa and Mango Medley

If you feel Mexican food needs meat, but want to keep things relatively low fat, how about a ground turkey Mexican Lasagna?  This dish will please a whole crowd of carnivores.

Mexican Lasagna

Chicken-Mushroom {and Spinach} Quesadillas adds some healthy greens to your fiesta.

Chicken-Mushroom {and Spinach} Quesadillas

If your Cinco de Mayo can’t be complete without tacos, then try these Ground Turkey Tacos.

Ground Turkey Tacos

For an undersea Cinco de Mayo inspired taco selection, serve Banging Baked Fish Tacos or Blackened Baja-Style Talapia served in a corn tortilla.

Banging Baked Fish Tacos

Blackened Baja-Style Talapia

If more plato needs more pollo, try Pollo Relleno or Chicken Veracruz served with Spanish Rice.

Pollo Relleno

Chicken Veracruz

Spanish Rics

For dessert, the obvious choice would be Mexican Wedding Cakes for Cinco de Mayo, but you prefer something a bit more festive and decorative, try these Piña Colada Cupcakes.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Piña Colada Cupcakes

What’s on your Cinco de Mayo Menu?

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!



*Also submitted at*

Chicken Veracruz

Goya sent me an assortment of goods and their recently released cookbook: Healthy, Tasty, Affordable Latin Cooking to try.

Goya’s cookbook, Healthy, Tasty, Affordable Latin Cooking, features 30 healthy recipes from Latin America and Spain as well as a healthy Latin twists to American favorites.  The MyPlate/MiPlato bilingual approach focuses on the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative to help promote healthy eating in the Hispanic community.  All the Healthy, Tasty, Affordable Latin Cooking recipes are simple to follow and offer nutritional information.

I typically buy organic canned goods and rice and tend to stay away from packaged spices.  However, I was surprised to learn about the assortment of organic Goya foods available, which were spotlighted in the cookbook after the recipes.

Although many of these items are not available at my supermarket just yet, the organic Goya products can be found online at the Goya e-store.  Thankfully, Goya sent me their Quinoa to try, which I shared last week.

All the recipes featured in Goya’s Healthy Tasty Affordable Latin Cooking can be found at Goya.com and to make their healthy, tasty meals even more affordable, Goya coupons are available online too.

I tried a few recipes, but I’ll share the most recent recipe that was kid-approved (and Iron Chef Allan) approved.  Although Goya’s Chicken Veracruz recipe calls for GOYA® Adobo Light All-Purpose Seasoning with Pepper, I prefer to make my own mixture of “adobo” by adding garlic powder, oregano and turmeric.  I also added a fresh jalapeño rather than a canned pickled one.  This Goya’s Healthy Tasty Affordable Latin Cooking – Chicken Veracruz recipe can be found here, but I’m sharing my adaptation.  This dish can also can be prepared with turkey or fish.

Chicken Veracuz
5.0 from 1 reviews

Print
Recipe type: Chicken, Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
A tender, tangy Mexican-style chicken
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. GOYA® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 1 cup Pomi Strained Tomatoes
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • GOYA® Manzanilla Olives Stuffed with Minced Pimientos, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp GOYA® Capers
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
  1. Using a meat mallet, pound out chicken breast to approximately ½ inch thickness.
  2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until light golden brown on both sides, flipping once, about 5 minutes; set aside.
  3. Stir in onions, cooking until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add jalapeño and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
  4. Add turmeric and oregano to pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, 1 cup water, salt, pepper, olives, jalapeño, capers and bay leaf. Bring tomato mixture to boil.
  5. Return chicken to pan. Cook, flipping once, until coated in sauce and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
  6. To serve, divide chicken and sauce evenly among serving dishes; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with rice.

 Photobucket

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!


*Also submitted at*

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

PhotobucketI love chicken pot pie, but ironically we never ate it growing up.  It’s one of those comfort foods I learned to love in my college days, although it was probably a Healthy Choice version that I loved and lived on during my university years.

During my teaching days, I would pack Amy’s Kitchen Vegetable Pocket Sandwich in my lunch.  These days, its Sweet Tomatoes Chicken Pot Pie Soup served over a warm buttermilk biscuit that I can’t resist for lunch.

So when I stumbled upon Skinnytaste’s Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe, I was thrilled to find a low fat way to enjoy my favorite comfort food without all the calories and fat.  Unfortunately, I am sad to report this was another Skinnytaste dish that didn’t quite do it for me.  But I desperately wanted it to work!  Therefore, I decided to revamp Skinnytaste’s recipe with my own touches and flair, but still keeping it a low fat recipe.

I used some of her techniques, like the flour slurry, but I made some basic changes beginning with the vegetables.  I sautéed the onions and celery to create a base for the soup.  Once the veggies were soft and translucent, I added sliced white mushrooms instead of bella and cooked them until soft.

In another pan, I prepared chunks of chicken breasts by sautéing them in some olive oil, garlic and thyme.

I omitted the bouillons cubes and replaced it with 2 cups of chicken stock.  I also  omitted the potatoes and replaced it with gnocchi for a thicker, chunkier comfort food soup.  And for some extra body, I added a splash of sherry to give the soup a bit more body.

And with that, we have a winner!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup
5.0 from 1 reviews

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Recipe type: soup
Cuisine: comfort food, soup
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8-10
A low fat version of a favorite comfort food.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1” chunks
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup cold water
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 medium chopped onion
  • 1 pint sliced mushrooms
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
  • ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 4 cups fat free milk
  • 2 Tbsp sherry
  • 1 package gnocchi
Instructions
  1. Create a slurry by combining ½ cup cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
  2. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute. Add chicken breast chunks and salt, pepper and a pinch of thyme. Sauté for about minutes or until no longer pink. Set aside while preparing soup.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Add chopped celery and onions and sauté until soft and translucent. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft.
  4. Add chicken stock, thyme, pepper, salt and frozen vegetables and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on a low heat until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
  5. Add 2 Tbsp sherry, milk and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well. Slowly return to boil. Then, add chicken and gnocchi. Cook until gnocchi floats, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Serve with warm drop biscuits.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!


*Also submitted at*

Roasted Vegetable Mexican Lasagna

PhotobucketThe first time I made this dish, I impressed my MIL, which is never easy given her natural talent with food.  It’s in the blood, though.  That’s why I call my husband Iron Chef Allan.  Give him an ingredient, any ingredient and he will whip up something amazing.

I happened to serve this dish the evening my MIL flew back into town after visiting her family in Scotland.  She popped in for a quick cup of a tea before for the final leg of her journey back home.  Well, tea became tea (in the British sense of the word) and she stayed for a quick bite too.

Since I hadn’t made the dish before, I didn’t know how it would turn out or taste.  Admittedly, I was a little nervous to serve a new dish to my MIL and Iron Chef Allan.  Years ago, I wore a horrible scarlet letter of cooking shame for the atrocities I performed to poor unsuspecting foods and the loved ones I forced to eat them.  Over the years, I thankfully shed that bad cook persona and I didn’t want this dish to shame me into hanging up my apron now.

What if this dish tasted horrible?  The anticipated feedback played in my head as I cut the casserole into squares to serve it.  “You know what this needs?  A little (fill in blank) would really finish this dish off.”

Time slowed down as Allan and his mom took their first bite.  “Wow,” my MIL exclaimed.  “This is delicious!”

“Hon, you’ve out done yourself with this one,” Allan added.  ”I could eat this whole tray.”

I demonstrated my mad culinary skills for them once again and could retain my position in the kitchen.  Phew.

Since that fateful first night, I’ve made this Roasted Vegetable Mexican Lasagna twice and it works well an entrée or as a side dish.  Not all the roasted vegetables fit in the stacked casserole, so I snack on them while it bakes in the oven.  You could also serve the extra veggies on the side.

You could also add a dollop Greek yogurt or sour cream on top (My kids love everything topped with sour cream.), but honestly, it doesn’t need it.  No matter how you serve it, there are rarely any leftovers.

Roasted Vegetable Mexican Lasagna
4.5 from 2 reviews

Print
Recipe type: Entree, side dish
Cuisine: Tex Mex, Vegetarian
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
A wonderful mix of deliciously roasted vegetables stacked with tortillas, salsa, baby spinach and cheese.
Ingredients
  • 1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks
  • 2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 medium onion, sliced Asian style
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 16 oz store bought refrigerated salsa (Found in produce aisle.)
  • 10z bag baby spinach
  • 10 ct medium size flour tortillas
  • 7 oz Kraft Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Toss sliced poblano chile, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn in a large bowl with olive oil, cumin, minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Toss vegetables until well coated.
  3. Spread the vegetables evenly over baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. At the halfway point, stir or shake the pan to roast veggies evenly. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
  4. Prepare an 8×8 inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, combine the chopped cilantro with the salsa and stir. Spread ⅓ cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan and covering the bottom well. Add one tortilla over salsa. Cover with about a cup roasted vegetables, a handful of spinach, and about a ¼ cup cheese. Then, make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Repeat steps once more for a third layer of salsa, vegetables, spinach and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.
  6. Let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting casserole into squares.

 

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!

*Also submitted at*

Leeky, Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup

PhotobucketWhen I planned this week’s menu, I was craving this soup. Maybe with all the icky, sick germs in my house, my body needed the immune-building homemade penicillin that chicken soup always seems to provide.

I first found this ridiculous easy recipe in Rachel Ray Every Day, but over the years, I’ve tweaked it a bit by finding a way to reduce the fat without losing all the creaminess.  I also use less gnocchi than the original recipe.

It’s been a while since I last made it, but one taste and I remembered how much I love it and it’s always a hit with the family too.

With the nasty cold weather expected this weekend, bundle up and stay warm and then get this soup started for dinner tonight.  With this soup, you can prepare it ahead of time and then throw the gnocchi in just before you serve it.  The leftovers reheat and freeze nicely too, so you’ll have it for another cold, winter day.

Leeky, Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup
(Adapted from Rachel Ray)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 leeks, white and tender green parts split lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
5 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup non-fat milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into small chunks
1 package gnocchi
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3 Tbsp dry sherry
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the leeks, celery and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the cream and milk, lower the heat and simmer until the soup bubbles at the edges.

Add cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste.  Add the chicken and gnocchi and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the parsley and sherry.  Serve hot.

Makes  4-6 servings.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!

While here, don’t forget to toss some cookies at The Ultimate Virtual Christmas Cookie Swap!



*Also submitted at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Everything But The… Cookies

PhotobucketEither my oldest daughter is obsessed with food as I am or she is one very creative kid.  We’ll go with the latter.  Either way, she does have some delicious and ingenious ideas when it comes to cookies.

We’re huge ice cream fans, especially Ben & Jerry’s, however, we only splurge on the Cadillac of ice cream when it’s on BOGO at our local supermarket.  Thankfully, that hasn’t happened in a while.  Though my taste buds miss the ice cold delicacy, my thighs can do without it.

Then, one day in a sad we-miss-Ben & Jerry’s moment, Allana says, “You know what would be really good?  An Everything But The… cookie.”

“Oh my God.  That’s genius!”  I felt a twinge in my thighs when I said it.

Then in like an ironic twist of fate, I woke up in the middle of the night with a Charlie horse in my right quad.  My thigh was already Jonesing for the chocolaty goodness.

These ice cream inspired cookies came out better than Allana and I imagined.  I just hope my thighs don’t beg for them in the middle of the night again.

Everything But The… Cookies
Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, cold
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup chopped almonds
½ cup pretzel sticks
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup Heath English Toffee Bits
½ cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Minis

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.

Using a standing electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Then add eggs one at a time and beat until well blended.  Mix in vanilla.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  Add flour to wet ingredients a little at a time and mix on a low speed until well combined.  Mix in pretzel sticks and almonds.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in chocolate chips, Heath bits and mini peanut butter cups.

Drop about a tablespoon amount of dough onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for five minutes.  Then, move cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately three dozen.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!

And while here, don’t forget to toss some cookies at The Ultimate Virtual Christmas Cookie Swap!



*Also submitted at*

Sweet Tooth Friday

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

PhotobucketThis week I was a sneaky chef.  When I made Skinnytaste’s Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili, I didn’t tell my kids there was pumpkin in the chili.  I added sour cream to hide the evidence and watched my kids stir the condiment into their bowls happily without a clue.  After all, we always add sour cream to the kids’ chili to mask the heat.

“This is really good, but it tastes different,” my oldest observed when she tasted it.

“You like it?”

She nodded.

Good.  And then like clockwork, my youngest daughter bolted off to the restroom, because she always needs to pee right in the middle of dinner.

Once she left the table, I asked my oldest again, “Do you really like it?”

“Yes, why?”

“I just want to make sure you really like it.”

“I do, but why?”

“Because there’s pumpkin in the chili.  Not like pumpkin pie pumpkin, but a pumpkin puree like a mashed up pumpkin.”

“Really?  Because this is good!”

“It is, isn’t it?  But don’t tell Emmalynn!”

Allana relished in our little secret.  Once Emmalynn returned to the table, Allana questioned her about the chili.  “This chili is really good, isn’t it Emma?”  She asked with devilish grin.

“Yes, it is really good!  We need to eat this every week!”

Sounds like a plan to me.

Actually, I was pretty surprised as to how good this chili turned out to be.  I had my doubts, but deep down inside, I knew my Gina (a.k.a. Skinnytaste) wouldn’t let me down.

Besides being chock full of vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, C, E, and K, magnesium and potassium), it’s the perfect fall comfort food that’s so simple from start to finish.  And because it’s a crock pot meal, it’s the perfect quick healthy dinner to have prepared and ready to serve before a long night of trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili
(Adapted from Skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb 99% lean ground turkey
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder, to taste
1 bay leaf
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
2 (15 oz cans) of white beans (northern, navy beans or cannellini), rinsed and drained
15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
4.5 oz canned chopped green chile
2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
Sour cream for topping (optional)
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat a large heavy sauté pan and 2 Tbsp olive oil over high heat. Add meat and cook, breaking it up until white, about 5 minutes.  Add to crock pot.

If needed, add another tablespoon of olive oil to the sauté pan. Then add onions and garlic and sauté about 3 – 4 minutes. Add cumin and sauté another minute.

Add onion mixture to crock pot along with beans, pumpkin puree, green chilis, broth, chili powder, oregano and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Adjust seasoning to taste before serving. Top with a dollup of sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!



*Also submitted at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Blackened Baja-Style Tilapia

Photobucket“This is needs to be in the regular menu rotation.”

Score!

Whenever Iron Chef Allana declares a dish to be in the regular rotation, I know I’ve made a winner dinner.

This Iron Chef Allan approved meal, Blacked Baja-Style Talapia, was a Pinterest find.  Overall, the recipe looked and sounded good, except I thought the blackening spices needed a full teaspoon of cumin.

And the onion sauce needed a little salt and black pepper.

I sautéed the fish in canola oil, which surprised Allan, but I thought sautéing would bring out the blackening spices better than baking the fish.

The recipe recommends serving the fish in corn tortillas, but we don’t like the texture or taste of corn tortillas.  Therefore, I served the fish on a bed of shredded romaine lettuce in flour tortillas, but the meal was missing something: texture.  Ironically, the corn tortillas would offer that desired texture.

Allan suggested serving the tilapia on a bed of rice instead of a soft taco, like a Baja bowl.  Brilliant!  See this is why I keep Iron Chef Allan around.

Blackened Baja-Style Talapia
(Adapted from myrecipes.com via Cooking Light)

Ingredients
¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of one lime
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced white onion
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp brown sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground red pepper (or cayenne pepper)
1 lb tilapia
Canola oil
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
Shredded romaine lettuce
Lime wedges

Directions
Add sour cream, cilantro, lime juice and jalapeño to a food processor and process until smooth. Combine jalapeño sauce and onion in a small bowl.  Salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, salt and red pepper until well combined.  Then, sprinkle evenly over fish.

Heat oil in an electric skillet set to 325 degrees F or a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add fish to skillet and cook 3 minutes on each side.

Serve tilapia on a bed of romaine lettuce over rice or a warmed corn tortilla. Top with onion mixture, avocado slices and a wedge of lime.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!



*Also submitted at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

Saag Aloo and Kachumber Salad

PhotobucketIt’s no secret that Allan and I love Indian cuisine, but for whatever reason, it’s so hard for us to replicate in our home.  That was true until we discovered some of our favorite dishes on Pinterest and then we realized they weren’t really that difficult to do.

One of our favorite vegetarian dishes, Saag Aloo (Potato and Spinach), packs all the wonderful aromatic flavors and heat of Indian cuisine without all the clarified butter and fat. The potatoes add heartiness to the dish which also makes it rich and filling.

I submitted the recipe and all its secret ingredients to Iron Chef Allan for approval.  Then, while he prepared the Saag Aloo, I worked diligently as his sous chef by preparing the Kachumber Salad to accompany the main entrée.

The meal was like eating Indian take-away without having to leave our home.  Of course, our kids wouldn’t eat it, but at least we didn’t have to pick up fast food on the way to the Indian restaurant, like we normally do.  The kids ate loaded baked potatoes as Iron Chef Allan and I dined on our own five star Indian cuisine in the comfort of our kitchen.

Saag Aloo
(Adapted from Quick Indian Cooking)
Ingredients
4 medium waxy potatoes (Yukon Gold or red)
1 – 10 oz package of frozen leafy spinach, defrosted and completely drained
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green or red chili pepper, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

Directions
Par boil the potatoes until still firm, about 10 minutes.  Drain and set aside to cool.  Once cooled, slice the potatoes into small one square inch cubes.

Mix the chili pepper, spinach lemon juice and leave to sit in a bowl.

Heat oil in a medium-sized pan.   Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until onions are soft. Then add the potatoes, cumin and coriander and stir for five minutes.  If the spices stick to the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon of hot water.

Add hot (not boiling) water to the pan until it covers the potatoes halfway. Lower the heat and cook the potatoes until soft are done, about ten minutes.  Stir often.

When you can easily insert a fork through the potatoes without breaking them, add the spinach mixture. Add salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Finally stir in the garam masala.

Kachumber Salad
(Adapted from Chef in You)
Ingredients
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 green or red chili
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
Juice of 1 lemon and 1/2 tsp zest
Dash of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Few sprigs of cilantro for garnish

Directions
Mix lemon juice, spices and sugar in one bowl.  Toss in all the vegetables and combine until well coated.  Cover and chill for about 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what everyone is flinging this week!



*Also submitted at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+;

Skinnytaste’s Chicken Tikka Masala

PhotobucketI am a Skinnytaste stalker fan.

I follow her on Pinterest and I love clicking through the recipe box on her blog.  Her photos and recipes are truly outstanding and drool-inducing.

On Skinnytaste.com, you will uncover tons of low calorie, low fat recipes that don’t compromise taste for caloric content.  All recipes I’ve tried so far (like this one or this one) have been a hit in my house and that’s no easy task.

Skinnytaste’s Chicken Tikka Masala was the most recent to pass Iron Chef Allan’s palate.  After one taste, he gave this dish two forks up and remarked, “This is really, really good.”  That is a HUGE compliment.

Iron Chef Allan also said he wouldn’t change a thing other than maybe adding cream, but then it wouldn’t be “skinny” now would it?

In this dish, you will find all the full, earthy and aromatic flavors that make Indian cuisine so unique but often difficult to replicate at home.  Not anymore.  Skinnytaste has discovered the right balance of spices as well as simplified a complex dish.

Seriously, this dish is perfect as is.  If you love Indian cuisine as much as we do, but don’t love all the fat, then you have to try your hand at this.

You can find Skinnytaste’s Chicken Tikka Masala here.  For the chili powder, I used my own concoction, which you can find here. Enjoy!

Honestly, I am so impressed with Skinnytaste’s recipes that I’ve made it my mission to try a new one every week.  I challenge you to do the same.

For next week’s Friday Food Fight, let’s all attempt a Skinnytaste recipe, review it and share it.  Give us a real rundown.  What did you think?  Would you add anything?  Does it need some tweaking?  Then, swing back to Run DMT to link up the Skinnytaste recipe you tried.

Will you take on Run DMT’s Skinnytaste test challenge?  Who’s in?

***Let’s have fun, but avoid a lawsuit or a blogging war.  Please note when sharing a recipe on your blog, you should not repost the recipe unless you’ve tweaked it by adding new ingredients.  It’s bad blogging etiquette to repost a recipe without permission or credit to the original post.***

Thanks for joining our weekly Friday Food Fight! Can’t wait to see what yummy food everyone is flinging this week!



*Also submitted at*

Denise Mestanza-Taylor+

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