Craving mexican food...

I like to make this quinoa salad: http://ibuyflour.blogspot.com/2010/06/quinoa-salad.html

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water (or chicken broth)
1-2 avocados, diced into cubes (depending on taste or availability)
6-10 scallions, thinly sliced
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can Rotel (I used the kind with cilantro and lime juice)
lime juice (however much tastes good to you, it also helps stop the avocado from browning)
cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper
To cook the quinoa: bring 2 cups of water (or broth) to a boil. Add the quinoa. Turn heat to medium and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Let it cool for a while before you add all of the other ingredients.
Add all of the ingredients to the quinoa. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill and enjoy!

Also, what about a taco salad of some sort? Not the kind with the big shell, but some lettuce topped with salsa, some fat free sour cream, low fat cheese, and black beans?

I posted this on another reply, but if you buy plain yogurt (not vanilla) it tastes just like sour cream. Really!

I make Tilapia tacos all the time. Sprinkle Tilapia with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne....anything you want, really. Bake in oven (you can also saute with a little PAM). Flake the Tilapia into bite size pieces.

Salsa - mango, red onion, avocado, lime juice - mix together.

Using low carb, small flour tortillas, add tilapia, black beans, shredded cabbage, mango salsa and a little Cotija cheese if you like.

Super good. If you have calories to spare, you can also lightly bread the fish with Panko (japanese bread crumbs). In this case, I season the bread crumbs with lime zest, and whatever seasonings I like. Dip in egg white, then crumbs and bake in oven.

Oh YUM! I love fish tacos but always afraid to order them out b/c you know they can't be too good for you. Going to try this, thanks!

I make Tilapia tacos all the time. Sprinkle Tilapia with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne....anything you want, really. Bake in oven (you can also saute with a little PAM). Flake the Tilapia into bite size pieces.

Salsa - mango, red onion, avocado, lime juice - mix together.

Using low carb, small flour tortillas, add tilapia, black beans, shredded cabbage, mango salsa and a little Cotija cheese if you like.

Super good. If you have calories to spare, you can also lightly bread the fish with Panko (japanese bread crumbs). In this case, I season the bread crumbs with lime zest, and whatever seasonings I like. Dip in egg white, then crumbs and bake in oven.

What a great idea! No tilapia on hand, but I've got a bag of salmon in the freezer, and fresh peaches on the counter. THIS is what's for dinner! Thanks for the recipe! :drinker:

Yesterday I posted my vegan taco recipe in the 'Recipes' section under 'Holly's Vegan Tacos'. You don't have to be vegan to eat them & you can alter it any way you'd like that suits you. I turn that same recipe into nachos or just a taco like salad.
Also, homemade salsa can add a great, almost zero calorie boost to any food for a Latin flare!

My friend gave this recipe to me and it's the best enchilada's i've EVER had!.... all i did was change all the ingredients to low cal! Be warned this makes a lot of enchiladas though!

Chicken enchilada recipe

What you need:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (diced)
8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tbs chili powder (i just use as much as i want. more for spicy less for not spicy)
salt and pepper
1 jar taco sauce

Directions:
Cook chicken breast. Season with chili powder and salt and pepper. Mix soup and sour cream together in separate bowl. Grease 9x13 baking pan. When chicken is cooked fill flour tortillas with 1tbs soup mixture and 1 spoon chicken. ( i dont use exact measurements with this cause some people like more soup mixture less chicken or vise versa. its gunna look like not alot of chicken but it is just enough.) Fold shell side over side and place in baking pan; continue until all chicken is used. With remaining soup mixture (1/2 should have been used) mix 1/2 cup milk to thin the mixture. Pour over rolled tortillas in dish. Drizzle taco sauce and spread cheese on top. (the whole bottle of taco sauce is needed.) Bake at 350 degrees covered with foil for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook until cheese is golden brown (about another 30 minutes). And whala!!! your finished! ENJOY!

One of my favorite slow cooker recipes (from Allrecipes.com if you want to see the full nutritional info)

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
Directions
1.Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4.Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Makes 8 servings

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 262 | Total Fat: 10.8g | Cholesterol: 46mg

Simmer canned chicken on the stovetop with salsa....toss in some black beans. Heat through. Eat just like that or over a half a cup of brown rice, or a half a cup of refried beans. Sprinkle on a bit of part-skim low moisture mozzarella shredded cheese, and you've got a rounded, tasty, "mexican" alternative for under 400 calories.

Can't wait to try some of these recipes. Here's my home made avocado guacamole:

2 large avocados
1 clove of garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
tablespoon of lime juice

Mash together to desired consistency. If you like it thinner/smoother, add more lime juice.

Hungry Girl's Nacho-rific chicken!! )

1/2 cup fat-free refried beans
4 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
16 low-fat baked tortilla chips (like the kind by Guiltless Gourmet)
1 tsp. dry taco seasoning mix
Four 5-oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast cutlets, pounded to 1/3-inch thickness
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup taco sauce, divided
Optional toppings: fat-free sour cream, salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.

To make the filling, combine beans, cheese wedges, and shredded cheese in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Put chips in a sealable plastic bag and crush with your hands or a rolling pin. Add taco seasoning and give it a good shake to mix. Set aside.

Place cutlets flat on a clean, dry surface, and season with salt and black pepper. Spoon filling onto the centers of the cutlets, evenly dividing it among them (about 2 tbsp. each). Carefully roll each cutlet up over the filling (which may ooze a little, but don't worry!) and secure with toothpicks, if needed. Transfer to the baking sheet.

Cover each stuffed cutlet with 1 tbsp. taco sauce, using the back of the spoon or your fingers to coat. Coat cutlets with crumb mixture. Cover the baking sheet with foil, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil. Bake until chicken is cooked through and outsides are crispy, about 15 additional minutes.

Let cool slightly and remove toothpicks (if using). If you like, top with sour cream and salsa. Enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

I love Mexican food as well and have not given it up. When eating out I make healthy choices like corn not flour, black beans not refried, and so on. When I am at home my husband and I both LOVE cooking from the Hungery Girl Cookbooks and from her emails. She has lots of great swaps on all the classic craving food, even Starbuck swaps.... Who can say no to that?

I had marvelous tacos just last week. Used the Stand and Stuff shells, with drained lean beef (sometimes we do it with ground turkey), fiesta blend cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and our own, homemade spice mix. Everything measured and counted so I knew exactly what I was having and could track it. I had FOUR tacos, with a side of home-spiced beans. It was heavenly, and the calories and carbs weren't out of control for me.

You can do it, just measure, weigh, and make sure you've got the calories/carbs/room left on your daily intake.

Kris

i used "flatout" flat bread and lightly sprayed both sides with olive oil spray and put it in the oven for about 6 mins.. made it perfectly crunchy.. (not falling apart) and added toppings.. most mexican food is relatively low in fat.. just watch the cheese and sour cream!!(i use fat free) hope that helps!!

corn tortillas. try turkey tenderloin pieced up. shredded lettuce, salsa, fat free refried beans, skim motz. cheese. , these are delicious!!

Oh, and a fun, sort of Mexican dish? An omelet or scrambled eggs (no milk) with a third of a cup of fiesta blend cheese and a few tablespoons of salsa or picante over the top--delicious!

Kris