Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Yay! Here are six recipes to help you through the weekend, including Tex-Mex Chicken & Rice Bake and Strawberry Chicken Salad. Enjoy!

APRICOT-MANGO MADNESS

This recipe, as well as the next one (Watermelon Wonder) are from “20 Super Healthy Smoothie Recipes” on the Runner’s World website. They’re originally from The Editors of Prevention.

This one begins, “Fresh lemon juice adds a tangy splash to this sweet smoothie.”

Serves: 2

6 apricots, peeled, pitted, and chopped (about 2 cups)

2 ripe mangoes, 10 to 12 ounces each, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)

1 cup reduced-fat milk or plain low-fat yogurt

4 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

8 ice cubes

Lemon peel twists (garnish)

Place the apricots, mangoes, milk or yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a blender. Process for 8 seconds. Add the ice cubes, and process 6 to 8 seconds longer, or until smooth.

Pour into tall glasses, garnish with lemon twists, if desired, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 252; Protein: 7 g; Carbs: 53 g; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 45.5 g; Total fat: 3.5 g; Saturated fat: 1.5 g; Sodium: 57 mg

WATERMELON WONDER

This recipe begins, “Transform a summer fruit favorite into a delightful healthy smoothie. Just remember to buy seedless watermelon or remove the seeds before you blend!”

Servings: 2

2 cups chopped watermelon

1/4 cup fat-free milk

2 cups ice

Combine the watermelon and milk, and blend for 15 seconds, or until smooth. Add the ice, and blend 20 seconds longer, or to your desired consistency. Add more ice, if needed, and blend for 10 seconds.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 56; Protein: 2 g; Carbs: 13 g; Fiber: 0.5 g; Sugar: 11 g; Total fat: 0.3 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Sodium: 19.5 mg

STRAWBERRY CHICKEN SALAD

This recipe was found in an article on Prevention's website, titled “20 Scrumptious Strawberry Recipes.” Click here to see the article and all twelve recipes.

SERVINGS: 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp vinegar

3/4 lb cubed cooked chicken breast

2 C strawberries, quartered

1 C tender watercress leaves

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Whisk together olive oil and vinegar in medium bowl.

Add chicken, strawberries, watercress leaves, salt, and pepper. Toss gently.

NUTRITION (per serving): 228 cal, 27 g pro, 7 g carb, 2 g fiber, 10 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 286 mg sodium

TEX-MEX CHICKEN & RICE BAKE

This comes from FamilyTime, and begins, “Got 5 minutes? That's all you need to put together this tasty, picante-spiked dish. Then just pop it in the oven, and in less than an hour, you'll have a cheesy, family-friendly dish.”

Serves: 4 servings; Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

1/2 cup water

1 cup whole kernel corn

3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (about 1 pound)

paprika

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Stir the soup, picante sauce, water, corn and rice in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Sprinkle with the paprika. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 375°F. for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Sprinkle with the cheese. Let stand until the cheese is melted.

Flavor Variation: for Picante Chicken & Rice Bake, use 1 jar (16 ounces) Pace® Picante Sauce and omit the soup. Proceed as directed above.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH TOMATOES, PANCETTA AND MOZZARELLA

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “With a topping of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, it’s no wonder that I always think of this easy skillet dish as "pizza chicken." It’s a tangy, milky, gooey, lovable meal that’s somewhat reminiscent of chicken Parmesan, but with succulent bone-in chicken pieces instead of breaded and fried cutlets. Even better, it has pancetta and anchovies for complexity of flavor, and the whole thing comes together in under an hour.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes

This was originally featured in “Skillet Chicken Swimming in Tomato Sauce” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (or use a 31/2 pound chicken cut into 8 pieces)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

5 ounces pancetta, diced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 anchovy fillets

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes

1 large basil sprig, plus more chopped basil for serving

8 ounces bocconcini, halved (or use mozzarella cut into 3/4-inch pieces)

Preparation

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

In a large oven-proof skillet, warm oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Add chicken to skillet. Sear, turning only occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil.

Add garlic, anchovy and red pepper flakes to skillet; fry 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and basil. Cook, breaking up tomatoes with a spatula, until sauce thickens somewhat, about 10 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet. Transfer skillet to oven and cook, uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink, about 30 minutes.

Scatter bocconcini or mozzarella pieces over skillet. Adjust oven temperature to broil. Return skillet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes (watch carefully to see that it does not burn). Garnish with pancetta and chopped basil before serving.

CRISPY CHICKPEAS WITH GROUND MEAT

This is from Mark Bittman, also in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Mark wrote, “Chickpeas have characteristics other legumes don't share. When cooked until tender, they don't turn to mush, and their cooking broth is delicious. This recipe takes advantage of both assets. Related to a classic chili, it combines chickpeas, meat and spices. The cooked chickpeas are sautéed over high heat until browned and slightly crisp, and the pan is deglazed with chickpea cooking liquid.

“This dish works equally well with canned or homecooked chickpeas, and if you like a bit more kick, double or triple the ancho chiles or chile powder. Turmeric or saffron, as a couple of readers suggested, also work well. Don't want to use ground beef? Ground turkey, chicken or pork would sub in well here. For a bit more flavor, add a clove or two of chopped garlic to the browning meat. The point is: Improvise. This recipe begs for it.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes

This was featured in “THE MINIMALIST; Chickpeas, Dressed Up To Show Off’ and can be viewed onlinehere.

Ingredients

1/2 to 1 pound ground beef or other meat

4 cups cooked chickpeas (about 1 28-ounce can), drained (reserve 1 cup liquid)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 ancho or chipotle chile, soaked, stemmed, seeded and minced; or 1 teaspoon good chile powder

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Minced cilantro or parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Turn heat to high under a large, deep skillet, and add meat a little at a time, breaking it into small pieces as you do. Stir and break up meat a bit more, then add chickpeas. Keep heat high, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until chickpeas begin to brown and pop, 5 to 10 minutes. Don't worry if mixture sticks a bit, but if it begins to scorch, lower heat slightly.

Add cumin, chili or chili powder and garlic. Cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add reserved cooking liquid, and stir, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits. Season with salt and pepper, then turn heat to medium-low. Continue to cook until mixture is no longer soupy but not dry.

Stir in olive oil, then taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish if you like, and serve immediately, with rice or pita bread.