Double-Post Thursday

Besides being Diabetic Thursday, it's also Double-Post Thursday. Here are six recipes to help you through the day, including Crockpot Maple BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and Enchiladas Con Carne. Enjoy!

HUMMUS

Several years ago, one of my sons had a medical incident that convinced him (and the rest of the family) that maybe it would be best to really eat healthy. Isn't that how it goes, though? Most of us need something to smack us up side the head to get our attention.

Years ago, I found an online bunch of vegetarian recipes, called Healthy Heart Handbook. This recipe, as well as the next two (Potato Pearls and Kool Kim Chee) are from the Healthy Heart Handbook.

This recipe begins, “A Mediterranean spread for dips, sandwiches & hors d'oevres.”

4 C (or 2 cans) cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1/4 C fat-free no-egg mayonnaise (see note)

1/2 t ground cumin

juice of one lemon

2 t Dijon mustard

The following are optional and reflect the various preferences of different Mediterranean cultures. Add any or all to your taste:

1/8 C fresh parsley or cilantro

2 T sweet pickle relish

2 green onions

cayenne pepper or hot sauce

pinch of salt (omit for sodium restricted diets)

Drain and reserve liquid from canned beans, if used, and mix in a blender or food processor, adding reserved liquid or water to the desired consistency, a little thinner than peanut butter. Flavor improves if refrigerated in a closed container for a few hours or overnight. Makes about 4 cups.

8 servings, each 195 calories: 10% from fat (2.5 g), 69% from carbohydrates (34.2 g), 21% from protein (10.4 g). Sodium 154 mg, Fiber 0.1 g.

Healing Heart Hint:

Hummus is traditionally made with tahini (sesame seed paste), which is very high fat. For a hummus closest to traditional, a few drops of dark sesame oil or a 1/4 t of tahini can be added, although this will raise the fat content slightly.

If using canned beans, be sure to use the ones with no salt added.

Note: My favorite is Nayonnaise brand. This, as well as other vegetarian mayo substitutes can be found in health food stores. The taste is a little different, so my advice is to buy the smallest jar until you find one that you like.

POTATO PEARLS

These tasty appetizers can be prepared in advance, frozen, and baked later

1 pound potatoes

1/2 C chives or green onions, finely chopped

1/2 C wheat germ

1/2 t paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375° F. Cover potatoes with water and boil until soft. Peel and mash, adding onions, salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch balls. Mix the paprika and wheat germ together in a dish and roll potato balls in mixture until coated. Coat baking sheet with 1 second of a non-stick spray and spread with a paper towel. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve hot, a toothpick in each.

10 servings, each: Calories 54, Fat: 0.64 g, Carbohydrate 10.02 g, Protein 2.46 g (18%)

Healing Heart Hint:

Many foods that were formerly fried can be baked or broiled. Vegetables can be coated with a savory coating and heated till golden brown. For an easy shake-bake coating mix 1/2 C corn flakes. finely crumbled, 1 t light seasoned salt, 1/2 t each: paprika, sage, onion powder, 1/4 t each: garlic powder, thyme, pepper. The foods to be coated can be moistened or dipped a mixture of 4 T EnerG egg replacer and 8 T water, beaten to a foam. Bake at 375° F. for 15 minutes or until browned and crispy. Serve and eat immediately.

KOOL KIM CHEE

Less spicy and lower sodium version of Korean cabbage slaw

6 C Napa or Won Bok (Chinese) cabbage, shredded

1 t salt

3 T ginger, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (see Hint below)

1/2 C cilantro (Chinese parsley), chopped

2 T vinegar

In a large ceramic or plastic bowl, add cabbage and sprinkle on salt, tossing well. Place a weight on the cabbage (a bowl or plate with anything heavy on it) and let sit a half hour. Drain. Add all other ingredients except the vinegar and mix well. Add vinegar and mix thoroughly. Let sit 30 minutes (overnight in refrigerator is better) before serving.

4 servings, each 38.7 calories: 4% from fat (0.2 g), 74% from carbohydrates (8.5 g), 22% from protein (2.5 g). Sodium 138 mg, Fiber 2.8 g.

Healing Heart Hint

Red jalapeno pepper adds color, but green will work as well. Remove stem and seeds before using. If fresh jalapeno is not available, canned will work, or use an Asian hot sauce, starting with 1/2 t and increasing to the hotness you prefer.

When working with hot peppers we recommend wearing rubber gloves and to be careful not to touch near one's eyes.

CROCKPOT MAPLE BBQ CHICKEN SANDWICHES

This is from the Weight Watchers crockpot email list from several years ago. The plan has changed several times since I got this recipe in that email, but this recipe is still one that's good to try. The recipe had 5 points per serving; 4 servings = 225 calories, 4g fat, 1g fiber.

1/2 C. maple flavored syrup

2 T. prepared mustard

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 t. lemon juice

1/2 t. chili powder

1/4 t. garlic powder

4 boneless, skinned chicken breasts

Place all ingredients in crockpot & cook on LOW for about 7 to 8 hours or until chicken is done.

You can either eat the breasts whole or shred them on buns or rice for more points.

ENCHILADAS CON CARNE

O.M.G.! This recipe looks good enough to make a vegetarian temporarily eat meat! Fortunately, there are plenty of good meat substitutes (my favorite being Boca Veggie Ground Crumbles, followed by MorningStar Farms Grillers® Crumbles™) to make this recipe do-able without meat.

(Note to self: Try this recipe with the crumbles and veggie stock.)

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “There are a few cool tricks to this recipe, one of which I picked up from an old issue of Bon Appétit, one I learned from Robb Walsh, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur who runs El Real Tex-Mex in Houston, and a final one I learned by happenstance. First, for the thickening agent in the chile sauce, toast raw all-purpose flour in a pan until it is nutty and golden brown, then reserve it to stir in with the browned beef later in the recipe. Second, if you like truly melty cheese in the classic Tex-Mex tradition, use a mixture of American cheese, like Velveeta, with the Cheddar you use inside and on top of the finished enchiladas. Finally, if you’re fearful that a casserole of cheese, chili and fried tortillas may be a little rich for dinner, serve it with a bowl of tomatillo pineapple salsa on the side. The acidity provides a nice balance. (Note also that as with all recipes, but particularly this one, some planning and practice can get the preparation down to 60 minutes.)” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 1/ 2 hours.

Sam, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re cool with the idea of my tinkering with the recipe for vegetarians. If not, zap me a comment…or even just to say “hi”. And anyone else who wants to leave a comment on this - or any other blog posting of mine - feel free to.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Chili Con Carne:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola

1 pound ground chuck beef, ideally 20 percent fat

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño pepper or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and chopped

1 cup chopped or canned crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, ideally Mexican

2 cups chicken stock, ideally homemade or low-sodium if store-bought

For the Enchiladas:

1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola

12 yellow corn tortillas

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, or a mixture of 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and 1 1/2 cups American cheese, like Velveeta

1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)

Preparation

Prepare the chili con carne: Put flour in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden brown and smell nutty, then pour it onto a plate to cool.

Wipe out sauté pan and return it to high heat with 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add ground beef to pan, and cook, breaking it up with a fork and stirring, until it is well browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then use a slotted spoon to remove meat to a bowl, leaving drippings behind.

Add onion, garlic and jalapeño to pan and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of meat, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook until their liquid has evaporated, then add chile powder, cumin and oregano and stir to combine. After a minute or so, when mixture begins to turn fragrant, return browned meat to pan, along with toasted flour, and stir well to combine.

Lower heat to medium-high and slowly stir in chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture has thickened and started to simmer. Lower heat again and allow chili to cook slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is tender. Add more stock or water if needed. Use immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a few days.

When you are ready to cook the enchiladas, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 cup neutral oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.

Assemble the enchiladas: Using a ladle, put about 1/2 cup chili in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of cheese into each tortilla, along with a tablespoon or so of chili, then place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle remaining chili over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chopped onions over the top, if using, and serve immediately.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE

This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. For this one, Sam wrote, “Don’t let the one-hour prep time on these enchiladas scare you. Use some leftover roast chicken, or buy a roast chicken at the market on the way home, and you’ll save at least 20 minutes, making the dish a terrific weeknight feed, alongside a green salad. (At El Real Tex-Mex restaurant, in Houston, the great Tex-Mex scholar and restaurateur Robb Walsh serves his version with lightly smoked chicken, which if you can find or make is superb.) The salsa verde is dead simple to make and the rest is assembly — a task that grows markedly easier each time you do it.” Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Chicken (or use 1 1/4 pounds leftover or store-bought roast chicken):

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or breasts, or a mixture

1 small white onion, cut in half

4 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon kosher salt

For the Salsa Verde:

1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into quarters (use canned if you can't find fresh)

1 small white onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped

2 serrano chiles or more to taste, seeds removed if you want it less spicy, stemmed and roughly chopped

4 to 5 tender stems of fresh cilantro, with leaves, roughly chopped

Salt to taste

For the Enchiladas:

1/2 cup neutral oil, like canola

12 yellow corn tortillas

1 cup crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese

1 cup Mexican crema, or use crème fraîche or sour cream

1 medium-size white onion, peeled and chopped (optional)

Preparation

Prepare the chicken: Place chicken parts in a large saucepan with onion, garlic and salt, and cover with water. Heat pan over high heat until liquid comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving stock for another use. Using your fingers or two forks, shred meat from chicken and reserve, discarding skin and bones. (Alternatively, shred meat from leftover or store-bought roast chicken and set aside.)

Meanwhile, heat oven to 375, and make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, onion, garlic, serranos and cilantro in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth, adding water as needed to thin it out a little. Season with salt to taste.

Prepare the tortillas: In medium sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Using tongs or a wide spatula, place a tortilla in the hot fat; it should start to bubble immediately. Heat tortilla for about 10 seconds a side, until soft and lightly browned. Remove tortilla and set on a rack set over a baking pan, or just on a baking pan if you don’t have a rack. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.

Assemble the enchiladas: Use a ladle to put about 1/2 cup salsa verde in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and spread it out a little. Roll a few tablespoons of shredded chicken into each tortilla with a teaspoon or so of salsa verde and place it seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. Ladle salsa verde over top of rolled tortillas and sprinkle with about half the crumbled cheese.

Transfer to oven and bake until sauce bubbles and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Dot with crema, sprinkle with remaining cheese and, if using, chopped onion, then serve immediately.