Mexican Family Meal

Mexican family dinner night.  Our family loves chips and salsa and good hardy meal.  This meal packs in flavor while trimming fat and calories.  I guarantee your family won't even notice that you are providing them with healthy calories.

Mango Salsa Bites:

1 cup each diced mango

1 cup black beans

1/4 cup diced red onion

Add 2 tablespoons each chopped jalapenos

A handful chopped cilantro and lime juice

Season with salt

Serve in tortilla scoops.

Mexican Lasagna:

3 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1 cup shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 cup hot salsa

1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon ground chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat an 11 by 7-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, 3/4 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, 3/4 cup of the Cheddar, salsa, chilies, cilantro, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.  Mix well and set aside.

Arrange half of the tortilla pieces in the bottom of prepared pan, overlapping pieces slightly to cover the surface.  Top with half of the chicken mixture and smooth over with the back of a spoon to even the top.  Layer remaining tortillas over top, and spoon over remaining chicken mixture.  Top with remaining 1/4 cup each of cheese.  Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake 30 more minutes, until top is golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Almond Poppyseed Bread

One of the super easy bread recipes I go to when I need something for a meeting or event.

1 package Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
1 package vanilla instant pudding
1/4 cup poppy seeds
4 eggs
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup Crisco oil
1 1/2 tsp almond flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Well-grease two 9x5 1/2x2 1/2 inch loaf pans.  Mix all ingredients together well. Pour into prepared loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. 

If you desire to add a glaze, here is a simple glaze for the bread:

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Quick appitizer

I love to cook!  I love to keep it simple when I cook!  Here is a quick recipe for dill meatballs.  These yummy little bites are perfect for entertaining or sharing at a potluck.

Meatballs:  I like to make mine from scratch when I have time.... umm, that isn't very often.  So, purchase your favorite plain meatballs from the local grocery store.

Place the meat balls in a crock pot with the sauce, created by mixing the following together:

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 c. hot water

1 beef bouillon cube

1 1/2 tsp. dill weed

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 c. sour cream

Warm completely and enjoy!