The Peanut Butter Boy

Ring ring! We've got a double winner here! I was reading someone's blog a few weeks ago and they mentioned that they had entered a contest at chow.com. The contest was called the Share Your Discovery Contest, inviting you to describe a memorable food encounter. I saved the website and decided to write my most memorable experience later on if time permitted. A few days later I had a few hours in the evening with nothing to do. I remembered the contest and spent about an hour writing up a short essay on my food experience. I'm sure it's of no surprise, my fellow readers, that the experience contained peanut butter. For a few weeks I forgot about it until I received an email announcing that the grand prize winner was selected. I almost deleted the email because I thought it was spam, but opened it and realized it wasn't an email to all the contest participants, only me: I won the grand prize! You can read my entry and see the prize here: Share Your Discovery Contest.

I find it funny that one of the judging criteria was "writing skills". I've never been a good writer and the GRE's confirmed that: I took them twice and couldn't get better than a 3.5 out of 6 on the writing section, which is apparently a pretty bad score. But, I won, so take that GRE's!

The other winner here? These tacos of course. Nothing fancy, nothing gourmet, no peanut butter but somehow still delicious. I used a vegetarian soy-based taco filling, but ground beef with seasoning would work just as well. Nothing homemade here, but a perfect light and fresh taco, the real winner here being the salsa.

Ingredients:

2 soft whole wheat or corn tortillas
1/2 cup vegetarian taco filling (or ground beef)
1/3 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup pineapple-mango salsa
5 canned black olives, sliced in half

Instructions:

1. Heat the tortillas in a warm skillet until lightly toasted on each side. Remove the tortillas and heat up the taco filling in the skillet.

2. Place the tortillas on a plate and pile on the taco filling. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed, roll up and enjoy!

Additional Info:

I buy the pineapple-mango salsa from Costco, it costs about $5 for a 2lb jug. I ate the first pound in one sitting with Homemade Tortilla Chips, but saved the rest for tacos. This salsa is deadly, but any fresh and fruity salsa will compliment these tacos beautifully.

Labels: dinner, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jun 14, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

I love Mexican food. I can't get enough of it. Other than peanut butter, Mexican food is what keeps me going. The savory meats, refried beans, tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, onions, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives... Perhaps not all of those are authentic, but they certainly manage to make their way into my Mexican-inspired dishes. The one ingredient that hasn't yet made it into my Mexican cooking is peanut butter. I don't want to simply throw in peanut butter for the sake of adding peanut butter, I want it to work and complement the dish. So for now, this dish is peanut butterless, but don't let that deter you!

If you didn't already know, on the right side of the screen you can click "More Categories" in the "Categories" menu block and click on "Mexican Dishes" at the bottom. Recipes there include my famous & super healthy Enchiladas, Mexican Bean Pie, a recently updated 7-layer Bean Dip and of course, Homemade Tortilla Chips.

This recipe is a little different. I never had a good chile verde, only a bite of some fatty pork in a "chile verde taco" once. After exploring the Mexican recipes on Elise's outstanding blog, Simply Recipes, I stumbled upon her version of Chile Verde and immediately fell in love with the picture. The recipe was enticing, but tomatillos are difficult to find around here. If you've got the time and the means, I suggest following her method for the homemade tomatillo salsa, but it came out delicious with the store-bought salsa and it was much faster. To create this recipe, I combined what I thought was the best of several different recipes to make a healthy, quick and delicious chile verde while trying to maintain authenticity. This dish is very spicy (depending upon the salsa you get), but my Dad and I were raving for days about this one.

I've already made this dish twice in a week's time, once with a slow cooker and once without. There wasn't much of a difference between the two, but if you've got a slow cooker (crockpot) then I don't see a good reason not to use it. Pork is more traditional in this recipe, but turkey was just as delicious and a touch healthier.

Ingredients:

20oz (1.25 lbs) pork or turkey tenderloins, chopped into small cubes
16oz jar salsa verde (Mrs. Refreno's is excellent, but any will do)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 large onion, chopped (~1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1t oregano
pinch cloves
fat free sour cream
Tortilla Chips

Instructions:

1. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a large pot on high heat. Add diced meat and brown on all sides as shown below, about 4-5 minutes - it's fine if the meat isn't fully cooked inside. Pour off excess grease and place the meat in a bowl on the side.


2. Return the pot to the stove and add the onions and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until onions are translucent. At least point you have two options:

Stovetop method: Add the meat and oregano to the pot and cook for another minute. Dump in the jar of salsa, chicken broth and cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat begins to fall apart. I used 2 turkey tenderloins and the meat began to fall apart after 1 1/2 hours, so I stopped cooking and ate!

Crockpot method: Add all ingredients to the crockpot and stir until mixed. Cook on high for 3-4 hours and then on low for an additional 2-3 hours.


3. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and Homemade Tortilla Chips, for dipping.

Additional Info:

This dish is very spicy and you may not be able to eat a huge bowl of it. I suggest serving it with a nice side of homemade refried beans, a recipe I'll be sharing next.

Labels: dinner, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Apr 11, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

¡Es una fiesta! Nothing says party like chips & salsa! The tortilla chip is a versatile creature and a necessity with favorites like guacamole, chili, stews and dips. And why stop there? Be it salty or sweet, savory or succulent, nothing complements a dish like tortilla chips. The last two times I made tortilla chips were for stuffed peppers and Peanut Butter & Jelly Dip.

Store brand tortilla chips are problematic. They contain way too much fat and are sometimes made from regular old white flour. Not to mention they are never simultaneously warm, crispy, chewy and perfectly salted are they? I thought not. I propose a delicious, healthy, whole-grain and cheap method to make your own. Do yourself a favor and throw out that $4 bag o' junk and keep reading...

Ingredients:

Regular 4" corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Salt (large grain preferred)
Seasoning (cumin, paprika, lime juice, etc...)

Variations:

- Top with fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
- Use cinnamon & sugar instead

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the top of each tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle salt and spices or cinnamon & sugar on top.

2. Stack the tortillas into one pile. Cut into 8 triangle-shaped segments. Spread out on baking sheet to form one layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until beautifully browned like so:



Additional Info:

My favorite seasoning to use is kosher salt because the grain size is between that of table salt and sea salt. Sometimes I add chipotle chili powder for a nice smoky kick. I've made the cinnamon and sugar variety several times, they go great with sweet dishes like my peanut butter dip or even with ice cream or creme brulee.

Labels: mexican, peanut butter, peanut butterless, snack

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Posted by Nick on Mar 27, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

The enchilada. Nothing could be more delectable than a combination of meat, sauce and cheese in a steaming pile of mush. Tasty? Absolutely. Nutritious? Far from it. However, my love for Mexican cuisine coupled with my desire to increase my lifespan led to an enchilada recipe nutritious enough to consume on a daily basis, if you so desired (and I often do). This recipe is simple, versatile, quick and a huge crowd pleaser (one of my father's favorite meals). My most recent batch of enchiladas used the leftover filling from the Mexican Tortilla Pie with enough for 6 full enchiladas. The basic recipe is a staple in my house but lots of customizations are listed below. For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with a can of black beans.

Ingredients:

12-16oz cooked pork tenderloin, shredded
1 can (16oz) fat-free refried beans, preferably spicy (or homemade)
1 (8oz) container fat-free sour cream
1 (8oz) package fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
10 (8") soft whole wheat tortillas (Mission Carb Balance - Fajita Size)
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 onion, chopped

optional:

different meat (turkey tenderloin, ground beef/turkey, chicken breast)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, de-ribbed and chopped
hot sauce
salsa

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Over medium-high heat, spray a skillet with cooking spray and saute onions for 2-3 minutes. If meat is not cooked, add to skillet and cook until done. Drain the mixture if the meat produces grease.

2. Combine the refried beans, any optional ingredients and 2T enchilada sauce to the skillet, mix well and heat thoroughly. Add a few spoonfuls of sour cream to the mixture to thin it out. Spray 2 9x13 baking dishes with cooking spray and coat with a thin layer of enchilada sauce.

3. Place about 1/2 cup of the mixture down the center of a tortilla and fold the sides over (you can stuff them pretty full). Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat until mixture is gone, tortillas are gone, or you run out of space to put them (you can compact them in the dish).

4. Coat the enchiladas with enchilada sauce until no dry spots remain. Generously cover cheese.

5. Cover with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Additional Info:

Once the enchilada reaches my plate, I routinely dress it in the following fashion: sour cream, hot sauce and salsa. We are now ready for consumption:

Labels: dinner, fiber, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Feb 1, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Here's a great quick and easy recipe made mostly from cans! If you wish, you can omit the sour cream, red pepper and chives (the tortillas and unopened bag of cheese will stay good for a while in the fridge) and have this recipe on hand for a rainy night. I realize it doesn't contain peanut butter (yet) but it sure is delicious (the family and E agree). Like all my Mexican-inspired dishes, the same basic ingredients are simply rehashed into a different form.

There will be a good amount of leftover filling. You can either stack the pie higher or make a second pie. What I did was use the extra filling for enchiladas, a simple recipe I'll be divulging soon.

Ingredients:

4 (8") low-carb whole wheat tortillas (Mission Carb Balance fajita size)
1 can no-fat refried beans, spicy preferred
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1/2 jar salsa (as needed)
2 (10oz) cans chicken or turkey breast, broken-up into shreds
1-2 cups frozen sweet corn (to liking)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream, stirred until creamy
2 cups fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4oz) can sliced black olives (optional)
3T chopped chives (optional)
1.5T cumin
1T chili powder
dash salt/pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot over medium heat, mix together refried beans, black beans, pinto beans, corn, red pepper and the chicken/turkey. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, cayenne (if using) and a few tablespoons of salsa.

2. Find a deep 9" pie dish or 9x13 baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Place one tortilla into the dish.

3. While the mixture is being heated, it will begin to thin out. You want the heated mixture to remain fairly thick, so only add more salsa as needed. If the mixture is too thin, it will creep out the sides (mine did a bit).

4. Once the mixture is heated through, plop it onto the first tortilla about 1/2"-3/4" thick and about a 1/4" from the edges. Use about 2T sour cream to spread a thin layer on top of the mixture. Next, sprinkle about 1/2 cup cheese on top. Place another tortilla on the top and repeat, making three full layers.

5. Top with the 4th tortilla. Cover the whole pie with the rest of the salsa (extra is fine). Sprinkle with chives and place olives on top. Cover with the remaining cheese.

6. Cover with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Slice like a pie and indulge. Freezes well.

Additional Info:

I used a spicy green salsa that happened to be very thin, which caused the pie to leak into the dish a little bit. Hot sauce and extra sour cream go great on top.

A note for the tortillas: I do no promote the low-carb diet as it also suggests that bacon is "healthy" because it is low in carbs. However, in many cases low-carb products have a significant health benefit over their traditional counterparts. In order to make these tortillas low-carb, the manufacturer has included extra fiber and used protein to replace some of carbohydrates. In addition, these are some of the softest tortillas I have ever had. Other brands of low-carb tortillas break easily and can be very dry but the Mission Carb Balance tortillas are incredible. They also have a white flour version which is equally as good, just not whole grain. Look for them wherever regular tortillas are found in your grocery store which is sometimes located in the refrigerated section.

I'll cover this again when I post about nutrition in general soon.

Labels: dinner, fiber, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jan 29, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

April 2008 Update: I've made this dish on numerous occasions and play with the recipe a little bit each time. I've experimented with a few different combinations and believe this to be the ultimate taco dip.

This is a great appetizer to serve to lots of people (or lunch for 4). Everyone will give a hoot (or toot) when you serve this delectable dish. It is very easy to make and highly addicting. Be sure to serve with Homemade Tortilla Chips. You will need the following items:

Ingredients:

2 cups (16oz can) can fat-free refried beans (or homemade)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 (8oz) package fat-free cream cheese
1 cup (8oz) fat-free sour cream
1 jar salsa (Green Mountain Gringo is a personal favorite)
3 leafs lettuce or cabbage, chopped
2 cups (8oz package) fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
1 (2oz) can of sliced black olives
1 medium ripe tomato, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup chopped red onions (optional)
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper (optional)
cilantro, chopped (optional)
7 green onion stems, chopped
Tortilla Chips or celery sticks, for dipping

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, stir the taco seasoning into the refried beans and spread along the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. In another bowl, whip the cream cheese and sour cream together until creamy and spread on top of the beans.

2. Spread salsa on top and sprinkle cilantro, red onions, bell pepper and tomato, if using (I recommend cilantro at least). Top with lettuce/cabbage, cheddar cheese and black olives. Dollop with extra sour cream if desired and sprinkle green onions on top.

Additional Info:

For some variations, add the cheese after the beans and heat up in the oven. Once the cheese melts, remove from oven and continue to add the ingredients. Adding some lean ground meat to the bean layer adds flavor and boosts the protein. Sometimes fat-free refried beans are very dry and you may want to opt for a brand with a small amount of fat but beware of ones that contain lard. I found an excellent brand of refried beans called Kuner's, both varieties are delicious. If you like it spicy, add some cayenne pepper to the beans. You can also substitute 1 lb lean ground beef/turkey or 16oz fat free cream cheese for the refried beans, and mix it with the taco seasoning. Enjoy!

Labels: fiber, mexican, peanut butterless, protein, snack

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Posted by Nick on Nov 13, 2007 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post