Taco Skillet Dinner

This has got to be one of the simplest things I've made in ages and it's got a nice, simple Mexican flavor. It's a little bit carb-ey with all the tortillas - I prefer more veggies to help fill me up. But, with the taste and simplicity, it's definitely worth a shot on a weeknight.

• 1 lb. ground turkey breast, 99% fat free
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can Campbell's Healthy Request tomato soup
• 1/2 c. salsa
• 4 medium La Fuerza or La Tortilla fat free tortillas, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 c. (1 can) black beans
• 1/2 c. Kraft fat free shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c. water (or broth from beans)
• optional (Tostitos Scoops baked tortilla chips)

Brown turkey and chopped onion in a large skillet or pan. Add soup, tortilla pieces, salsa, beans, water, and half of the cheese. When liquid begins to bubble, lower heat slightly and cover for 5-10 minutes. Add remaining cheese on top. Serve with Scoops tortilla chips.

Special Notes
Thickens upon standing. Tortilla pieces have a doughy, flat dumpling taste when moist and cooked - this would probably work without them but you may need to cut back on liquid.

Yield - 4 servings, 6 points each

Saucy Baked Pork Chops

This is a good recipe I just got from the Weight Watchers community recipe swap. It's really nice and tangy, and easy to prepare, although it needs to cook for a while. I added a lot more onions than are called for here, and it worked really well. Leftovers were good as well.

• 4 pork chops
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 oz. chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3 tbsp low fat ranch dresing
• 2 tbsp spicy deli mustard

heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heatsalt and pepper chops, brown both sides in skillet

Remove chops and place in a baking dish sprayed with pam. To the hot skillet add onions and mushrooms, stirring till onions are brown and just tender. Add chicken broth along wih mustard ranch dressing mix to the skillet. Let the mixture boil for one minute then add contents of skillet to the baking dish over the chops. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hr.

Catfish Sandwiches with Creole Mayonnaise

For something that sounds (and looks) so fancy, this recipe is surprisingly easy to make. And, the leftovers are not bad, as long as you eat them within a day or two of cooking it, so the fish doesn't turn. It is a teensy bit point-heavy, especially if you decide to cook the catfish in olive oil to get a bit of healthy fat in. And, best of all, catfish is usually pretty cheap. I got all the fish for this recipe at my local grocery store for $5.99. Can't beat that.

• 4 (6-ounce) catfish fillets
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
• 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallots
• 1 1/4 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 curly leaf lettuce leaves
• 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
• 8 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
  

Heat a grill or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle fillets evenly with seasoning. Add fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes. Turn over; cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
Place buns, cut sides down, in pan; cook 1 minute or until toasted (or just put them in the toaster). Remove from pan.
Combine mayonnaise, shallots, mustard, and juice, stirring well. Line bottom half of each bun with 1 lettuce leaf; top each serving with 1 fillet and 1 tomato slice. Spoon 2 teaspoons relish on top of each tomato. Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture over cut side of each top half of buns; place on top of each sandwich.

Yield: 4 servings, 7 points each

Calories: 319 (30% from fat)
Fat: 11.6g (sat 2.7g,mono 5.1g,poly 2.9g)
Protein: 24.5g
Carbohydrate: 28.4g
Fiber: 1.3g
Cholesterol: 60mg
Iron: 2.3mg

Barbecue Turkey Joes

This is a very simple recipe that - I think - tastes way better than Manwich, doesn't involve much more work, and saves a whole lot on calories. It's very filling, very easy, and not too heavy on the points. It pretty much rocks the house. Oh, and my husband loves it, and it's cheap to make. I've had this one for quite a long time, it's an old favorite, but I hadn't made it for a while until last week, and I realized I'd never posted it. Shame on me.

• 1lb lean ground turkey
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 medium mixed-grain hamburger rolls

Coat a pan with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions, cook until tender. Add turkey, cook until browned. Drain off excess liquid. Add barbecue sauce and cayenne, heat for 2 minutes until flavors are combined. Divide into 4 portions, and serve on buns (your option to toast buns or not).

Yield: 4 servings, 6 points each

300 cal, 10g fat, 90mg cholesterol, 3g fiber

Chicken Tamale Casserole

AWESOME new recipe! This is one of the simplest things I've made in ages and it makes tons of food that tastes delicious. It's a little like the taste of a tamale, without all the work. This makes for a great weeknight dinner, and leaves lots of leftovers.

• 1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• Cooking spray
• 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings, 8 points each
Calories: 354

Fat: 14.1g
Protein: 18.9g
Carbohydrate: 36.3g
Fiber: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 58mg

Rotkohl (Sweet & Sour Braised Cabbage)

This is a dish I ate many times while living in Germany and I loved it. Now that I'm trying to eat more veggies, this is a delicious way to get more fiber. It's not too difficult to make and has a great flavor. It makes tons, though, beware of too many leftovers, and it does have to cook for a while.

• 4 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
• 2 cups thinly vertically sliced onion (about 1 large)
• 3 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 medium)
• 10 cup thinly sliced red cabbage (about 2 pounds)
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add onion to drippings in pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add apple to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add cabbage to pan; sauté 2 minutes. Add cider and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally. Discard cloves and bay leaf. Sprinkle with bacon.

Yield: 8 servings (3/4 cup), 2 points each
Calories: 139
Fat: 3.9g
Protein: 3.1g
Carbohydrate: 24.4g
Fiber: 3.4g
Cholesterol: 7mg