Making the Cut (13 page)

2. Return pan to medium-high heat; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add bell pepper and onion; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining ¼ cup vinegar; cook 1 minute or until vinegar is syrupy.

3. Arrange chicken mixture evenly over bottom halves of bread; top with bell pepper mixture. Arrange cheese over pepper mixture, and sprinkle with black pepper. Top with top halves of bread. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; let stand 5 minutes. Cut each sandwich into 6 wedges.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

This recipe is a great way to get kids to enjoy eating healthily.

1 tablespoon olive oil

¾ pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

½ cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup bottled Carb Solutions barbecue sauce

1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium black beans, drained

½ cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

4 (10-inch) La Tortilla Factory low-carb tortillas

¼ cup low-fat sour cream

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, onion, and garlic; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring constantly.

2. Stir in barbecue sauce and beans. Sprinkle with cheese; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about ½ cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; top each with 1 tablespoon sour cream, and roll up.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

½ cup low-fat sour cream

1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium fat-free black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided in half

4 (8-inch) La Tortilla Factory low-carb tortillas

cooking spray

1 cup low-sodium bottled salsa

½ cup (2 ounces) fat-free shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Remove one chile from can. Chop chile. Reserve remaining adobo sauce and chiles for another use. Combine sour cream and chile in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes.

3. Place half of beans in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add chopped beans and remaining beans to sour cream mixture.

4. Spoon ½ cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in an 11 × 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

This salad is quick to make and can be adapted to include other vegetables you may already have on hand. Vary the seasonings to suit your taste. Try it inside a pita pocket for a tasty sandwich.

Salad

1 cup chopped plum tomato

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

½ cup chopped red onion

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

1 (19-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained

1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

Dressing

¼ cup (1 ounce) reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1½ teaspoons spicy brown mustard

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 garlic clove, minced

1. To prepare salad, combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

2. To prepare the dressing, whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Pour dressing over salad; toss gently, cover, and chill for 1 hour.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

¾ cup broccoli florets

¼ cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese

2 tablespoons fat-free Italian dressing

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

6 slices (about 6 ounces) low-sodium turkey breast, thinly sliced

1/3 cup bottled roasted red peppers, chopped

4 round lavash wraps

1. Steam broccoli, covered, for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.

2. While the broccoli cooks, combine cream cheese, dressing, and Italian seasoning in a bowl.

3. Combine broccoli, cream cheese mixture, turkey, and bell peppers in a medium nonstick skillet; cook turkey mixture over medium-high heat until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.

4. Spread turkey mixture evenly over lavash wraps; roll up into 4 wraps.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

2 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided in thirds

1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

cooking spray (olive or canola oil)

3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise

2 tablespoons reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon anchovy paste

½ teaspoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 (1.2-ounce) slices low-sodium sprouted-grain bread

2 romaine lettuce leaves

4 (¼-inch-thick) slices tomato

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Combine chicken, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and soy sauce in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 10 minutes, turning bag once. Remove chicken from bag. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes on each side or until done. Cool; shred chicken with 2 forks.

3. Combine chicken with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and the next 6 ingredients (mayonnaise through black pepper). Spread 1 cup chicken mixture over each of 2 bread slices. Top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices, and 1 bread slice. Store sandwiches in small zip-top bags in refrigerator.

NUTRITION PER SERVING