Sweet Potato, Kale and Black Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 smaller sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped, boiled and mashed



• 1 onion, chopped



• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed



• 8 c. Kale, removed from stalks and chopped (this seems like a lot, but it really shrinks!)



• 1 tbsp of fresh garlic (or 1 tsp of garlic powder)



• 1 tbsp chili powder



• 1-1.5 tsp cumin



• 1 tsp paprika



• 1 tsp oregano



• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicey)



• salt and pepper



• 1 can of enchilada sauce (with mexican or international food at grocery store)



• Shredded cheddar cheese



• green onion for garnish



• Tortillas (5-8, depending on how much filling you use)

Directions:

1. Cook and mash sweet potatoes.



2. In a skillet, soften the onion.



3. Add black beans and seasoning, stirring to coat. Heat black beans through.



4. Add kale about two cups at a time and fold it in. It will wilt as you do this.



5. Spray a pan. Pour a little enchilada sauce into the bottom and swirl it around until the bottom is coated.



6. Put a little bit of shredded cheddar and a scoop of filling in a tortilla, fold it up and place in the pan.



7. When the tortillas are all rolled up an in the pan, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with more cheese and the green onion.



8. Bake for 25 mins at 350 covered in foil. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes.



9. Serve garnished with sour cream, salsa and/or guac.

Comments:

My husband was skeptical of these, but OH WOW. They are seriously delicious. They feel sinful, but with low carb wraps, they are really quite healthy and diet friendly. My parents are pretty meat-and-potatoes type folks and even they really enjoyed them.

Serve with a side salad or some spanish rice for a complete meal.

Sole in Ginger Sauce and Cilantro Slaw

SOLE IN GINGER SAUCE
Source: South Beach Diet Book

Ingredients:

• Sole (we used 6 thin filets)
• 2/3 c. sherry
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 2 tsp fresh garlic
• 2 tsp fresh ginger
• 1/3 c. green onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Whisk sherry, soy, garlic, ginger, onion and pepper in a bowl. Spray a glass baking dish and pour sauce over fish. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until fish flakes with a fork.

Comments:

This was a nice way to prepare sole. The original recipe called for orange roughy, but to be quite honest, I don't know what the hell that is. The recipe you could use sole, cod or flounder instead, so basically any white fish will do. This didn't have overwhelming flavour, but it was tastey! I served it with snap peas in the skillet with garlic and soy and some cilantro slaw (see below).

CILANTRO COLESLAW
Source: A combination of the South Beach Diet Book and Me :)

Ingredients:

• Cilantro mayo
• 1 bag of coleslaw mix
• 2 stalks of green onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. of fresh cilantro, loosely packed

Cilantro mayo:

• 3/4 c. reduced fat mayo (I used Hellman's with olive oil light)
• 3/4 c. cup of loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fresh garlic

Combine ingredients in a food processor and blend until quite smooth.

Directions:

Make the cilantro mayo. Mix the mayo with the other salad ingredients.

Comments:

You definitely have to be a cilantro lover to enjoy this salad, which thankfully, I am! It was very fresh tasting a nice compliment to the fish.

Marinated Chicken and Grilled Veggies

MARINATED CHICKEN
Source: Kalyn's Kitchen Blog

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. white wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp low-fat mayo (not miracle whip)
• 1 tbsp Worchestire Sauce
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp thyme
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Instructions:

Mix the marinade ingredients together. Marinate chicken all day. Grill, continuously brushing marinade over chicken.

GRILLED VEGGIES
Source: Me

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" cube pieces
• 1 8 ounce package of mushrooms, cut in half
• 1 red pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 green pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• 1/2 red onion, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh group pepper
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp vegetable spice

Instructions:

Mix olive oil and spices together. Toss vegetables in the mixture until they are all coated. Grill in a grill basket while the chicken is cooking.

Comments:

We each had a chicken breast, with veggies and a spinach salad. It was a TON of food and such a good way to get in a lot of vegetables. I had never cooked an eggplant before and was pleasantly surprised that it just took on the flavour of the other ingredients. Also, I was a bit skeptical of the chicken when I saw the marinade but OMG it was so, so good. The chicken was really moist and by continuously brushing it with the marinade while it was grilling, so flavourful!

Stuffed Mushrooms

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg of crimini mushrooms
• 1/4 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 c. frozen spinach, thawed and chopped
• 1 tsp of precrushed and minced garlic (or 2 cloves)
• 1 wedge of herb and garlic laughing cow light cheese
• 1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Wash mushrooms and carefully remove stems. Finely chop stems.
2. Place mushroom caps, cap up whole down on a plate. Microwave for about 30 seconds. Press the liquid out of the mushrooms with a paper towel. Set aside. (You can do this in the skillet too, but you might need to use more EVOO.)
3. In a skillet, sauté the mushroom stems, spinach, onion and garlic in a little oil until the mushrooms are cooked down and the onion is translucent.
4. Mix the spinach mixture with the laughing cow cheese wedge. Stuff mushrooms. Bake for about 10 mins on 375 or nuke in the microwave if you are bringing them in your lunch.

Comments:

These are really, really good! I was inspired by a recipe in my South Beach Diet book, that didn't include the cheese, but it is a nice addition of protein that gives a good flavour and consistency. They are also super healthy and a very tasty way to get in lots of vegetables!