Green Enchilada Sauce

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites & is supposed to be a knock off of the sauce at Cafe Rio.  We use it to cover enchiladas, or dump it in the slow cooker with some chicken breasts & serve over rice.  It would also really pop as the sauce for a Mexican Pizza.

This recipe makes a HUGE batch, so plan a few meals that can use it the week you make it, or freeze half for later.

Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe by Our Best Bites (slightly altered to fit my preferences)

• 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (or some cooking spray)
•  1 large onion, minced (I used a sweet onion)
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and membranes removed if desired (mine was HOT, so I only used half, next time I might omit it completely since we do things mild around here)
• 1 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and quartered or halved
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
• 2-3 Tbsp. sugar (optional and to taste; the sauce Cafe Rio uses seems to be slightly sweet, so taste & decide for yourself)

In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat olive oil or cooking spray over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender and fragrant.

While onions are sauteeing, combine tomatillos, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, cilantro & about half the broth in your blender. Process until smooth; you may have to do it in batches.

Pour the tomatillo mixture over the onions and garlic and add remaining broth, salt, pepper, and cumin. Simmer 15 minutes-1 hour, depending on the consistency you want. I let it boil uncovered until it thickened up considerably.

Imitation Coconut Milk

We love foods with coconut milk, but it is a terrible food on the cholesterol/saturated fat front. I found this imitation alternative so we can still enjoy some of our favorite dishes without feeling like we're giving into a major indulgence.

1 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp imitation coconut flavor (found in the baking aisle)

Honey Garlic Stir Fry Sauce

This is a wonderful alternative to super sugary Teriyaki Sauces. I'll be making this again for a marinade or just to put over steamed veggies and rice. YUM!

Honey Garlic Stir Fry Sauce (adapted from blogchef.net)

• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tablespoons canola
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

If making the sauce alone, put all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer until thickened, stirring constantly.

If making a marinade (like in the pic), prep meat, mix sauce, put them together in a sealable container and refrigerate for a few hours. Scoop out meat, cook in a sauce pan until almost cooked through, then add the rest of the sauce.  Cook until bubbly and thickened.

Vegan Alfredo Sauce

I'm not going to say that this is a perfect match to the cream laced alfredo sauce that we all know, but I will say that it is:

Dairy Free

Packed with protein and fiber

YUMMY!

We made ours into a Baked Penne Florentine, but it would also be wonderful with any noodle or baked with layers of potatoes like an au gratin dish.  If you experiment with it, let me know how it goes. : )

Vegan Alfredo Sauce (adapted from hearthealthyonline.com)

• 1/4  cup vegetable or chicken (if you aren't going strictly vegan) broth
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 4  cloves garlic, minced (plus more to taste)
• 1/2  cup raw cashews
• 3/4  cups water
• 1  15- to 16-ounce can white beans, any variety, rinsed and drained
• 2  teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/4  teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine broth, onion, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add more broth if needed to keep veggies moist during the cooking process. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place cashews in a food processor. Cover and process until finely ground. Add the water; blend until smooth. Add onion mixture, beans, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Taste your sauce.  When I did, I felt there was too much nut flavor so I added 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and 1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings and blended again.  If you think your sauce is too thick, you can add up to 1 cup more water and blend at this point as well.  Next time I plan to add some sun dried tomatoes as well for a bit of punch.

At this point I added my sauce to whole wheat pasta and about 1/2 bag of chopped baby spinach.  I mixed them together and baked them for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Benito Bean Dip (AKA No Avocado Guacamole)

Such a great dip for a snack with chips or veggies, or work it into a Mexican meal. I'd call this no-avocado guacamole since it's green and I really want my dad to try it. YUM!

Benito Bean Dip (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

• 1 1/2  cups  cooked edamame (these are soy beans, can be found in the frozen veggie section in most grocery stores)
• 1/3  cup  fresh salsa or pico de gallo
• 1    Tbs red or green onion
• 2  tablespoons  fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4  teaspoon  Zippy Zonya Mexi Mix 
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional)*

Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

* I added salt since I was using an unprocessed frozen bean. If you use a canned bean (pintos can be subbed) or a very salt salsa, then this shouldn't be added.

Zippy Zonya Mexi Mix

A simple blend for at-home taco seasoning.

Zippy Zonya Mexi Mix (lots of internet sites all say the same)

• 5 teaspoons  chili powder
• 4 teaspoons  ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon  cumin seed (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon  dried minced onion
• 1/8 teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon  cayenne pepper (optional)

Mix the ingredients in an air tight container.

Cranberry Vinaigrette

LOVE this dressing! Makes tons, but lasts quite awhile in the fridge.

I’m putting up the dressing recipe, but the salad recipe itself can be whatever you like – suggestions follow…

Cranberry Vinaigrette

• 8 oz whole berry cranberry sauce (about half a normal can, or one small can if you can find it)
• 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbs. honey dijon mustard
• 3 Tbs. water

Add all ingredients to your blender and liquefy.  Store in an air tight contain in the fridge until ready to serve.  Can store for several days.

The pictured salad is made of:

• Sweet baby lettuces
• Spinach
• red onion
• cheese
• cucumber
• candied almonds*
• tomatoes

Next time I’m absolutely adding fresh berries and dried cranberries too.

*Rather than buying tons of candied almonds which I knew I’d eat by the truck load, I bought natural almonds, chopped them, and then sauteed them with only a little cooking spray, sugar and cinnamon.  Wonderful taste, wonderful crunch, no butter and no commitment to eat a million candied nuts.

Honey Soy Salmon

I'm not a fish person, but sometimes you just have to eat what you know is good for you. With this easy marinade, even I can get on board with a piece of fish!

Honey Soy Salmon (from myrecipes.com)

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3-4 salmon fillets
• Cooking spray

To prepare salmon, combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; seal. Marinate 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

Heat grill pan or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from bag, discarding marinade. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish, and cook 3 minutes on each side, flipping to avoid burning until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Garam Masala Blend

Garam Masala is a spice blend used often in Indian food. It can be hard to find, so to make a substitute using more common North American spices mix the following:

2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon black pepper
3 teaspoon ground cumin
3 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves 

Pizza Sauce

I love pizza.  It is my great vice in this world.  According to most cooking forums the key to pizza sauce is tomato sauce, tomato paste, a dash of sugar and then any other italian-y spices you can think of.  After looking over lots of ideas, I came up with this:

When Hubby got home, I told him to try the pizza and tell me what he thought of the sauce:
Him: I really like your sauce.
Me: Really?
Him: Yes.
Me: Enough to keep me around?
Him: Yes.
Me: Enough to buy me a great present?
Him: Yes.
Me: Enough to father my offspring?
Him: I already did that.
Me: And all future offs that I may spring?
Him: Yes.

It’s the positive feedback I get that keeps me going. : )

Homemade Pizza Sauce

• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1/2 Tbs. oregano
• 1/2 Tbs. basil
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder

Put both tomato products in a mixing bowl, blend together till you have an even consistency.  Add spices one at a time, stirring at each addition.

Kim’s notes:  This recipe makes enough sauce for 2 normal homemade pizzas, with a little left over. If you don’t use lots of sauce on your pizza it might even stretch to three pizzas. If you’re only making one pizza at a time, the sauce can be stored in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for longer.  Also would make a great dip for bread sticks.

Ideas for making pizza healthier:
Homemade pizza is a great way to get the flavor we love, while controlling some of the fat/calories.  I used turkey pepperoni and was so impressed with it that I may never go back.   The flavor was great and there were no pools of grease sitting on top after baking.  I will say that the texture wasn’t like normal pepperoni, but it wasn’t bad either.  It also helps to use a very fine shredded cheese – it covers the pizza but with lots of holes so it isn’t as thick of a cheese layer.

Fiesta Salad

The only reason I can think to call this Fiesta Salad is because it’s a party in your mouth. : )  The flavor is tangy, but not overpowering when used sparingly, and is a healthy, oil free, blend of awesome veggies and flavors.


Lime-Honey Dressing:

• ¼ c. lime juice
• ¼ c. applesauce
• ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 Tbs cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced very fine

Meat Mixture:

• 3 small chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 small onion, cut into thin rings
• ½ red pepper, chopped to small pieces
• 1 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro

Salad:

• Romaine lettuce
• black beans,  drained, rinsed
• corn, drained
• cucumbers
• cilantro
• avocado chunks
• tortilla chip crumbles
• cheese, if desired

Mix together all dressing ingredients until well blended making about 1 cup of dressing (I didn’t use nearly that much, so this can be halved if you aren’t feeding a big crowd). Refrigerate until needed.

Sauté chicken, onion, and pepper chunks in about ¼ c. dressing mixture.  Add fresh cilantro.

When the meat is ready build your salad master piece!

Fajita Sauce

Hubby and I LOVE fajitas.  Love, not like, not want to hold hands at summer camp then part ways never to see each other again.

We’re talking the BIG L.

So when we moved to TX we were kind of surprised to find that just about anything can pass for a fajita down here as long as there is meat in a tortilla.  Sadness – meat is good, but I love the flavorful slightly burnt onions and pops of peppers.

I took it upon myself to make fajitas at home and had a wonderful success!  I was surprised by some of the non-Mexican flavors that went into the original recipe that I found, but with a few tweaks of my own I ended up with a perky (but not spicy) Mexican delight.  I used chicken this first time, but will give it a whirl with other meats in the future.

Fajita Sauce

• 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 dash cumin
• 4-5 drops of lime juice (more can be squeezed on the finished food, but this is just what goes in the sauce)

Mix all ingredients together in an air-tight container.  Add trimmed meat, seal and marinate for at least an hour.  Dump container out into a warm fry pan and saute until meat is partially cooked then add onion and peppers and cook until softened and meat is fully cooked.  Serve in tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, beans, cheese, sour cream, whatever you like.

Mongolian Sauce (from PF Chang's)

We tried this tonight and I was just too excited to wait to post it.  Hubby and I love the Mongolian dish from Pei Wei (PF Chang’s) and I was lucky enough to stumble upon the copycat version of their sauce online this week.  It seemed like all of the copy-catters were agreeing on what made the sauce so amazing, so I thought it would be worth a try.  I did cut some oil, and smudged a few ingredients to work with what I had at home, but the end results were awesome!

I didn’t think it was an exact match, but after a bite Hubby said to me, “Wow, this really does taste like the Mongolian chicken I get.”

This one is definitely a keeper at our house!

PF Chang’s Mongolian Sauce (with Kim twists)

• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 c. soy sauce (lite or low sodium works well)
• 1/2 c. water
• 3/4 c. brown sugar (the recipe calls for dark, but I used the normal kind with good results)

Warm oil in sauce pan, add ginger and garlic, stirring quickly to avoid scorching.  Add water, soy sauce, and sugar allowing sugar to dissolve.  Bring sauce to a boil then reduce heat to med-med/low.  Continue to stir sauce until it reduces and thickens slightly.

Sauce goes well with veggies and rice, but if you’re doing a meat dish:
Slice meat (chicken, steak, pork) into bite size pieces.  Coat lightly with corn starch and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes for the corn starch to do its thing (my chicken sat like that in my fridge for most of the afternoon and it worked out well).  When ready to cook, warm a frying pan over medium high heat and prepare pan with cooking spray or a little oil.  Cook meat until browned on edges, then add the sauce to the meat.  Allow sauce to boil and thicken around meat until meat is cooked through.  Serve over rice.

*Kim’s hint:  I did a veggie rice with this dish much like what you’d get at Pei Wei.  I added carrot strings to the rice water, and then when it was done cooking I tore fresh spinach into the rice and stirred it in until wilted.  Delicious!

Cilantro Ranch Salad Dressing

This salad is versatile, you can make this as lean or as fatty as you want (I went lean – imagine that?!), but either way it is a taste KNOCK OUT. 

The first time around we went fancy with the lime chicken, but for the week after I made quick salads with lettuce, beans and corn which were also amazing.


Thanks to The Double Dipped Life who gave me the idea for this (thought I did make the occasional tweak here and there).

Cilantro Ranch Salad Dressing

• 1 packet of Buttermilk Ranch Dressing mix
• 1 c. mayo (I used fat free)
• 1/2 c. buttermilk (to make this fat free, simply take one Tbs of lemon juice, then add enough skim milk to it to make one cup)
• juice of one lime (about 2 Tbs, add zest for extra kick if desired)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 c. rough chopped cilantro
• 1/4 c. green salsa

Toss everything in a blender and blend it until everything is pureed.  Store in the fridge until ready to use. (For best results make the dressing early in the day so that it is chilled for serving.)

Kim’s note:  This dressing is THICK and this recipe makes TONS!  Adjust accordingly for texture and amount preferences (I might try adding a bit extra milk the next time I make it).

Balsamic Honey Mustard Marinade

Amazing marinade, A-mazing!  It has a great blend of herb flavors and just a little touch of sweet-tartiness. I took the original recipe, made a few alterations to the portions and then cut WAY back on the oil.  I did leave a bit, which for me is monumental, but I thought that just a little would help lubricate the cooking surface and it did just that perfectly!  I baked chicken with this recipe, but this would be great on the grill or with other meats too – I can’t wait to try it on pork chops!

Balsamic Honey-Mustard Marinade

• 6 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbs. honey-dijon mustard
• 3 garlic cloves, minced fine
• 1 Tbs. dried basil
• 1 ½ Tbs. honey
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¾ tsp. black pepper
• ¾ tsp. dried oregano
• 3 tsp. olive oil

Combine all ingredients, mixing until well blended.  Place meat in an air tight container, cover with marinade, shaking container until coated.  Allow meat to marinade in the refrigerator for at least an hour (I let mine for about 6 hours and it was fantastic).  Cook meat as desired, and discard left over marinade.  The pictured chicken was baked in a glass dish at 375 degrees for a half hour.
Makes enough marinade for about 6 chicken breasts.

Homemade Egg Beaters

As part of our goal for healthier living, we are trying to avoid bad cholesterol.  Buying Egg Beaters seemed out of our budget, especially since I use eggs so rarely in cooking, and I worried I'd end up throwing half of the very expensive carton away.

Finding this recipe was just the miracle I was waiting for!

Homemade Egg Beaters (found at cooks.com)

For a one egg equivalent combine:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1 Tbs non-fat powdered milk
• 4 drops of yellow food coloring (if the color matters to you, I never use this).

Note: The powdered milk can be clumpy, so I try to whisk these together to make a good consistency before adding it to my recipe.

Creamy Honey Dijon Dressing

I'm really not a mustard person - I won't touch the plain stuff, but a little honey dijon, put in the right places and diluted properly, can really do wonders.

Like this salad dressing for example.  I cannot sing its praises enough.  Sweet and tangy, but no fat to worry about.  Jay said it had a bit too much kick for him, but I think that may have more to do with the brand of honey dijon that I was using (French's, the store was out of the Jack Daniel's that I usually get) than with the dressing itself.


Works great for traditional salads, sweeter salads, or as a broccoli slaw dressing.

Creamy Honey Dijon Dressing (fat-free)
adapted from AllRecipes.com

• 1 (6 oz) container of plain yogurt (fat-free, or normal if you don't care about that kind of thing)
• 1 Tbs honey dijon mustard
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4 tsp. celery seed

Blend all ingredients together with wisk or spoon.  Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Happy Cooking!

Caesar Dressing (without the fat)

Doing salad bars for dinner is fun and it pleases everyone since they get to pick what they like. Tonight we went for Chicken Cesar wraps, with homemade dressing. This is lactose-free, fat free, and has a lot of tang, but I was pleasantly surprised to see both of my boys gobble it up.

Homemade Cesar Dressing

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp mustard (I used a honey dijon)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 c. natural apple sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3 Tbs lemon juice (I think I might reduce this the next time to 2 and taste it)
• 1/4 c. fat-free mayo

Combine all ingredients and mix well until there is an even, creamy consistency.

Helpful hint: Make the dressing in the morning allowing it to sit and chill in fridge for most of the day for the flavors to really blend.

Kim's note: Use dressing sparingly since it has plenty of kick.