Tonight we are having some of our best friends over for dinner and are having Mexican food. Mexican food is quite possibly my favorite kind of food. The problem with it is that Mexican food tends to be very high in fat and calories, so I try to make it at home rather than going somewhere to eat it. For dinner, I am serving salad, homemade salsa with baked tortilla chips, and mexican lasagna. The homemade salsa recipe I use if from a friend, Paige Wilson. She brought it to a baby shower a while back and I fell in love with it. I make it a lot!
Homemade Salsa Recipe
3 cans, petite diced tomatoes
3 bunches green onions (all the white and a little bit of the green) - chopped finely
3 cloves garlic - chopped finely
2 jalapenos (remove the seeds before chopping) - chopped finely
1 bunch cilantro (mainly use the stems, and just a few of the leaves) - chopped finely
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
I make this salsa the day before I am going to serve it because it tastes so much better after it sits in the refrigerator for a while.
*I don't change much from the original recipe. There are 3 things I alter in this recipe. I use 3 jalapenos, instead of 2, because we like it a little spicier. I add about 1 1/2 tsp cumin, because I love cumin. I only use about 1/2 a bunch of cilantro. I find that if you use the whole bunch, the cilantro sort of takes over the entire salsa flavor.
*You can use fresh tomatoes instead of canned. You would probably need 7 or 8 larger tomatoes. I have done this before and it tastes amazing.
Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips
corn tortillas (how many depends on how many tortilla chips you want to make) 1 corn tortilla makes 8 wedges or chips.
olive oil
cumin
chili powder
Fresh lime juice - 1 lime
Cut 8 wedges from corn tortillas
Combine 1 tbsp olive oil and juice of the lime in a bowl.
Use a pastry brush to brush the olive oil mixture on top of all the corn tortilla wedges.
Sprinkle chili powder and cumin on top of the tortilla wedges.
You can use the seasonings sparingly or add to your taste.
Use a nonstick pan with cooking spray on it.
Cook tortilla wedges at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes.
Make sure you watch closely. You do not want to overcook the tortilla wedges. You just want them a golden brown.
*While these don't taste like the original, fried tortilla chips most are used to, they are a healthier option and are quite tasty.
*I use extra thin yellow corn tortillas by Mission.
Mexican Lasagna
Makes 12 servings
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can black beans (low sodium kind) - drained (we buy organic)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (low sodium kind)
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion - diced
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
1 packet of taco seasoning (low sodium kind) or you can make your own taco seasoning from scratch (see recipe below)
1/2 cup of light ricotta cheese
2 eggs, or 3 egg whites, or 1/2 cup of egg substitute
12 corn tortillas
2 cups of mexican blend shredded cheese (made with skim or 2% milk)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
For the meat mixture:
Season and brown hamburger meat in a large skillet.
Once the meat is fully cooked, drain and return to pan.
Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, green chiles, onion, black beans, and taco seasoning to the meat and stir together well.
Egg mixture:
Combine the ricotta cheese and eggs together and stir well.
In a 13x9 greased pan, spread 1/2 the meat mixture on the bottom of the pan.
Place 6 of the corn tortillas on top of the mixture.
Spread 1/2 of the egg mixture on top of the tortillas.
Sprinkle 1cup of cheese on top of that.
Repeat the process one more time.
Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes and enjoy! :)
*There are so many ways to make this dish your own. You can add or omit any of the mix ins with the ground beef. I have used pinto beans drained and I have also made the recipe with no beans. Beans are a very nutritious addition to your diet though, so I try to use them whenever possible.
*I use 3 egg whites to lower the cholesterol of this dish.
*I try to use fat free shredded cheese, as it is much healthier than your full fat cheeses.
*We use organic, grass-fed beef, which is lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol and has a higher omega count, but you can use any kind of ground beef.
Nutritional Information for mexican lasagna:
1 pound lean ground beef - approx 875 calories
1 can black beans (low sodium kind) - drained (we buy organic) - 350 calories
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (low sodium kind) - 55 calories
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes - 110 calories
1/2 yellow onion - diced - 35 calories
1 4-ounce can diced green chiles - 20 calories
1 packet of taco seasoning (low sodium kind) or you can make your own taco seasoning from scratch (see recipe below) - 120 calories
1/2 cup of light ricotta cheese - 120 calories
3 egg whites - 50 calories
12 corn tortillas - 400 calories
2 cups of fat free shredded cheese - 320 calories
= 2455 total calories divided by 12 servings = 204.58 calories per serving
Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
*homemade taco seasoning is so much better for you than the prepackaged kind at the store. If you ever stop to look at the ingredients in the prepackaged seasoning packets, you would realize you probably can't pronounce some of the ingredients. This is not good! Homemade taco seasoning is simple to make and tastes great on many Mexican dishes.
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