Low cal recipe ideas

barkerc2015

I will try and post to this with new ideas and recipes as often as I can. I was a firehouse chef for 15+ years and in a house of 13 hungry men and women who enjoyed eating healthy. I hope these recipes and ideas can help some of you out in doing meal prep or just making a good healthy meal. I create and find great recipes all the time. I will slowly share with you all the 150+ recipes that I have created or acquired.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the recipes I post.

barkerc2015

Sweet Potatoe and Black Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients
Quickie Green Chile Sauce
1. 1 cup light vegetable broth
2. 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch dissolved in a little cold water
3. 1 generous cup chopped roasted green chiles, hot or mild
4. 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
5. 1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder, hot or mild, to taste
Enchilada Filling
1. 1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
2. 4 cloves garlic, minced
3. Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
4. 2 heaping cups cooked diced sweet potatoes
5. 1/2 cup chopped roasted mild green chiles
6. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
7. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder mild or spicy
8. Sea salt and black pepper to taste
9. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Assembly
1. 2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, as needed
2. 8 white or yellow corn tortillas
3. 4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Choose a baking dish that would hold 8 rolled enchiladas. Make your Quickie Green Chile Sauce by combining the broth, dissolved arrowroot, green chiles, garlic and spices in a sauce pan and heating over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer. Simmer until thickened. Taste test and adjust seasonings. Set aside.
In the meantime, for the Enchilada Filling, using a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the cooked sweet potatoes with the chopped green chiles; add the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the Quickie Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.
To assemble the enchiladas, grab a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them, one at a time, as you stuff each one.
Lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the sauce. Spoon 1/8 of the sweet potato mixture down the center. Top with 1/8 of the black beans. Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce. Top with a sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

barkerc2015

Beach Side Chicken

Ingredients

• TO SERVE 12
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 6 lbs. boned chicken cutlets
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pepper
• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 5 boxes frozen leaf spinach

• TO SERVE 4
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic clove,chopped ( I like garlic)
• 4 or 5 boneless chicken cutlets
• 1 cup water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• pepper
• 1 pkg. sliced mushrooms
• 2 boxes frozen spinach
• Have used fresh spinach also


1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan
2. Saute' garlic in oil
3. flour chicken and lightly fry in same oil, then place in a roasting pan.
4. Strain oil, save 1/3 of a cup
5. Pour oil back into saucepan and add water, bouillon cubes, thyme, salt and pepper.
6. Cook on high until water has almost boiled away
7. Add mushrooms, saute' over a low flame for 10 minutes
8. Thaw spinach, drain well and put over chicken in roasting pan.
9. If using fresh spinach, just spread over chicken, the hot mushrooms and sauce will wilt the spinach enough.
10. Pour mushrooms and sauce over chicken.
11. Place roasting pan in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
12. Serve it over rice.
13. IT WILL LOOK LIKE LOW TIDE ON THE BEACH IF DONE CORRECTLY.

barkerc2015

Cedar Plank Salmon

INGREDIENTS
DRESSING
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tbsp Honey
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Chives, minced
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Granulated Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cayenne
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
SALMON
• 1 Large Salmon Fillet (with skin), 2 1/2 - 3 lbs, about 16“ long and 3/4” thick
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1 Untreated Cedar Plank (about 16“ x 8” and at least 3/4" thick), submerged in water for at least 1 hour
DIRECTIONS
DRESSING
In a blender, combine the dressing ingredients except the oil. Mix until well blended. With the blender still running, slowly pour in the oil to make a smooth dressing.
SALMON
Place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet. Using needle nose pliers, remove and discard any pin bones from the salmon. Season the flesh side of the salmon with the salt and pepper. Pour about half of the dressing over the flesh and use a brush to distribute it evenly.
Remove the soaked plank from the water and immediately place it over Direct High heat until the edges start to smoke and char, 3 - 10 minutes (watch carefully so it doesn’t flame).
Move the plank over Indirect High heat an place the salmon, skin side down, on the plank. Grill until the salmon is just slightly pink in the center and brown on the edges, 20 - 25 minutes. Remove the plank and salmon to a heatproof surface.
Serve warm with the remaining dressing.