Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the day, including Spicy Black Bean Empanadas and Vegetable-Chicken Noodle Soup. Enjoy!

CHICKEN FAJITA PASTA

This is from tbsp.com, and begins, “Tex-Mex meets Italian in this awesomely easy weeknight dinner dish.”

Prep: 20 minutes; Total: 40 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb. chicken breast, sliced thin

1 packet Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix chicken

1/4 cup water

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

1/2 red onion, sliced thin

1/2 lb. spaghetti (1/2 of a 16 oz. box)

4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Salt and pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, add olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook, stirring regularly, until chicken is cooked through, around 8 minutes.

Add chicken seasoning to the skillet along with 1/4 cup water and stir together. Add sliced bell peppers and onion and cook until they are softened a bit.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package until al dente. When pasta is cooked through, use tongs to move it directly from the cooking water to the chicken fajita skillet. Stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Top the skillet with grated cheddar cheese and reduce heat to low until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

VEGETABLE-CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Recipe Yield: Servings: 6 (Serving = 1-1/2 cup)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 cups 1/3-less-salt chicken broth, divided

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup thinly sliced leek (white part only)

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup peeled and chopped turnip

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoons fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 ounces uncooked "no-yolk" broad noodles

1 cup diced cooked chicken

Directions

Place 1/3 cup chicken broth, celery, leek, carrot and turnip in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in remaining 5 -2/3 cups chicken broth, parsley, thyme, rosemary, vinegar and black pepper. Bring to a boil; add noodles. Cook until noodles are tender; stir in chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until heated through.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 98; Fat: 2 g; Sodium: 73 mg; Cholesterol: 18 mg; Protein: 10 g; Carbohydrates: 12 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Starch/Bread, 1 Lean Meat, 1/2 Vegetable

SPICY BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

This is from FamilyTime, and begins, “Gather the ingredients for the tasty empanadas and either bake right away or freeze to bake later. You will love having these appetizers on hand for any occasion.”

Serves: 40 pieces; Prep Time: 40 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 packages (17.3 ounces each) Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (4 sheets), thawed

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1/2 pound ground pork

1 small red pepper, diced (about 2/3 cup)

4 medium green onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup sour cream

1 cup guacamole

Directions

Heat the oven to 375°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.

Cook the pork in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it's well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Stir in the diced red pepper, onions and garlic and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and crushed red pepper. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the cheese, 1 cup beans and the cilantro. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle. Cut into 10 (2 1/2-inch) circles. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheets, making 40 in all.

Spoon 1 teaspoon pork mixture on half of each pastry circle. Brush the edges of the pastry with water. Fold the pastry over the filling and crimp with a fork to seal. Place the filled pastries onto baking sheets. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Serve the pastries with the sour cream, guacamole and remaining beans.

Tips: Easy Substitution Tip: Use ground turkey instead of the pork. Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to the skillet while browning the turkey.

Tip: To make ahead, place the unbaked empañadas onto a baking sheet. Cover and freeze until firm. Remove the frozen empañadas from the baking sheet and store in a gallon size resealable plastic bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. Bake the frozen empañadas as directed above.

SPINACH & ARTICHOKE CHICKEN

This comes from Lauren Miyashiro on Delish. The recipe begins, “This creamy skillet chicken dinner will give you life.”

Yields: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

6 chicken breasts

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

3 tbsp. butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 c. baby spinach

1 (13.75-oz.) can artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 c. sliced roasted red peppers

1 c. half-and-half

3/4 c. shredded mozzarella

1/4 c. Parmesan

Directions

Season chicken all over with salt, pepper, and oregano. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add chicken and cook until golden, about 6 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet.

Melt butter in skillet then stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in baby spinach, artichokes and red peppers and cook until spinach starts to wilt. Add half-and-half and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Return chicken to skillet and cook until sauce has thickened slightly and chicken is completely cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.

Serve chicken warm with sauce.

"BETTER THAN THE DELI” MACARONI SALAD

Kathy Kingsley is one of About.com's American Food guides. Kathy wrote, “Take your time, and use your sharpest knife to get a nice fine dice on the veggies in this classic pasta salad. When made right, this is a macaroni salad where every forkful bursts with flavor.” Serves 8; Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes

I couldn't find the original link to this recipe. If/when I do find it, I'll post it.

Ingredients:

1 pound dry elbow macaroni, cooked, rinsed in cold water, and drained well

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/4 cup minced red onion

1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

1/4 finely grated carrot

2 tablespoons finely diced roasted red pepper or pimento

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preparation:

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and add the drained pasta. Toss to combine thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

EAT-YOUR-VEGGIES MEDITERRANEAN MEATBALLS

This comes from the Food Network, and begins, “These meatballs have a secret -- they're packed with spinach. Veggie-shy kids (and adults) won't even notice since they are happily tucked into a warm pita with lettuce and tomato and drizzled with tangy dill yogurt sauce.”

Total: 45 min; Active: 30 min; Yield: 6 servings (half a sandwich per person); Level: Easy

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray, for coating the baking sheet

2 cups frozen spinach (from a 10-ounce package)

1 pound 80 percent ground turkey

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, grated

1 large egg

2 tablespoons fresh dill fronds, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt

Juice of half a lemon

3 pitas with pockets, cut in half and warmed

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat with cooking spray.

Cook the spinach in a large bowl in the microwave according to the package instructions. Let cool slightly.

Add the turkey, breadcrumbs, cumin, garlic, carrot, egg, 1 tablespoon of the dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined. Scoop mounds of the meat mixture (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheet. With damp hands, roll the mounds into balls and space them evenly apart on the baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice and remaining dill in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve 3 meatballs in each pita half. Pack in shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with the yogurt sauce.