Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's yummy offerings include Million-Dollar Manicotti and Frozen Strawberry Layer Cake. Enjoy!

20-MINUTE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

This was posted in MyRecipes, and is originally from CookingLight. This begins, “Quick tip: While the sauce cooks, shred the chicken. For a spicy kick, top with chopped jalapeños.”

Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: 2 enchiladas and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 cup prechopped onion

1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (15-ounce) can unsalted tomato sauce

3 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast (about 15 ounces)

1 (15-ounce) can unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Cooking spray

3 ounces preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese (about 3/4 cup)

1 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

6 tablespoons sour cream

Directions

Preheat broiler to high.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Reserve 1 1/2 cups sauce mixture. Add chicken and beans to pan; cook 2 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated.

Stack tortillas; wrap stack in damp paper towels and microwave at HIGH for 25 seconds. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture in center of each tortilla; roll up. Arrange tortillas, seam sides down, in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with reserved sauce and cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and sauce is bubbly. Top with tomato and cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

Chef's Notes

MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

QUESADILLAS

Recipe Yield: Yield: 8 servings (2 wedges)

Source: Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking

Book Title: Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/quesadillas

Ingredients

1 cup shredded Mexican Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or brick cheese

1 green onion, minced

1-3 tablespoons canned chopped green chilies (to taste)

4 8-inch flour tortillas

Chunky salsa, for topping or dip

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss together the cheese, green onion, and chilies; set aside.

Spray a medium skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat.

When hot, add 1 tortilla and sprinkle it with one-fourth of the cheese mixture.

When the cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute, fold the tortilla in half.

Continue cooking until lightly browned and crisp on both sides, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a cutting board.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Cut into 4 wedges with a knife or pizza cutter and serve immediately with the salsa.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 134; Fat: 6 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 211 mg; Cholesterol: 12 mg; Protein: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 14 g; Sugars: 1 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fat

MILLION-DOLLAR MANICOTTI

This is from tbsp. (Tablespoon), and begins, “Cream cheese in the ricotta filling and a splash of cream in the sauce give this classic Italian baked pasta an added richness.”

Prep: 1 hr 5 min; Total: 1 hr 55 min; Servings: 7

View this online here.

Ingredients

1 box (8 oz) manicotti shells (14 shells)

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (12 oz)

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

1 box (10 oz) Cascadian Farm™ frozen organic cut spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 jar (25.5 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato basil pasta sauce

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Cook manicotti as directed on box. Rinse with cool water; drain well.

In large bowl, stir together 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, pepper flakes, garlic and egg.

Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce in bottom of baking dish. Spoon ricotta mixture into manicotti; place in dish.

Heat 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add beef, and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until browned; drain. Stir in remaining pasta sauce and whipping cream. Spoon mixture over filled manicotti. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top.

Cover tightly with foil; bake 28 to 33 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Uncover; bake 12 to 15 minutes longer or until edges of pan are bubbling.

To freeze: Line 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to completely enclose assembled manicotti. Cool sauce completely, covered, 30 to 40 minutes in refrigerator before assembling manicotti. Assemble manicotti in dish, and cover with another layer of plastic wrap. Freeze unbaked manicotti about 8 hours or until completely frozen. Transfer frozen manicotti to labeled 2-gallon resealable freezer plastic bag. Remove air; seal and freeze up to three months.

To bake: Remove plastic wrap; transfer to 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover tightly with foil; thaw completely in refrigerator, up to 48 hours. Heat oven to 375°F. Bake 48 to 55 minutes or until sauce is bubbling; remove foil, and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until bubbly (165°F in center). Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

This was posted in MyRecipes, and is originally from CookingLight. This begins, “Our take saves 446 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 1,260 milligrams of sodium over one serving of a leading chain's sweet and sour chicken.”

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 cup)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

2 large egg whites

4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 tablespoons unsalted ketchup

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

Combine egg whites and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat.

Combine remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ketchup, and next 4 ingredients (through soy sauce) in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bell pepper to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pineapple, ginger, and onions to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer bell pepper mixture to a plate.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add chicken mixture, allowing any excess egg white mixture to drip back into bowl. Stir-fry 6 minutes or until chicken is browned and done. Add ketchup mixture and bell pepper mixture to pan. Bring to a simmer; simmer 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Sprinkle with salt; serve immediately.

FROZEN STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE

This came from an old Weight Watchers' emailing list. The recipe began, “A store-bought angel food cake, some store-bought frozen yogurt and a homemade strawberry sauce - all together, it adds up to a fabulous summer dessert, ready for your next barbecue.”

The POINTS® Value when it was posted was: 3; Servings: 12; Prep Time: 10 min; Cooking Time: 20 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 6 cups)

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp table salt

12 oz store bought angel food cake, cut into 1/4-inch slices

4 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt

Directions

To make strawberry sauce, combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan, stirring over medium heat until the sugar melts and the liquid comes to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash about half the berries against the side of the pan. Cool to room temperature and use immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days.

Spoon the frozen yogurt into a large bowl and mash it with the back of a wooden spoon until soft and spreadable.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with one third of the cake slices, cutting any slices to fit the shape of the pan. Top with half the frozen yogurt, spreading it to the sides. Spread 2/3 cup strawberry sauce over the frozen yogurt, then top with half the remaining cake slices, again cutting any to fit. Spread the remainder of the frozen yogurt over the cake, top with 2/3 cup strawberry sauce, and finally seal the top with the remaining cake slices. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 6 hours or up to 3 days. Let the cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes before unmolding. Slice into 12 pieces and serve.

SWEET PEAR BREAD

This came from an old Weight Watchers' emailing list. It began, “Sugar-free, diet cola adds calorie-free moisture and sweetness to this savory cake. Perfect with a cup of hot cider.”

POINTS® Value: 2; Servings: 16; Preparation Time: 18 min; Cooking Time: 25 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 sprays cooking spray

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-grain wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp table salt

1 large egg(s), beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

7 Tbsp dark brown sugar

15 oz unsweetened canned pears, drained and sliced (packed in water)

1/2 cup RC Cola Diet Cola, or other brand

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.

Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Combine egg, oil and brown sugar in a large bowl. Finely chop pears and add to egg mixture. Stir in soda.

Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just enough to wet batter; do not beat.

Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Slice into 16 pieces and serve warm.