Tips and Recipes

Chicken and Rice with Salsa

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups instant brown rice
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups salsa
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Spread uncooked rice in bottom of dish. Lay chicken breasts on top of rice.
4. Combine salsa and water. Pour over chicken and rice.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and rice is tender.
6. Sprinkle with cheese and re-cover with foil until cheese melts.

Chicken and Broccoli Crustless Quiche

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 10 ounces frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed
• 1/4 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well.
4. Layer chicken, vegetables, and cheddar cheese in baking dish. Pour egg mixture over the ingredients.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until top is browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Southwestern Turkey Casserole

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 8 ounces canned, low-sodium tomatoes
• 10 ounces frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 3/4 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large skillet, sauté onion and pepper in vegetable oil for approximately 3 minutes.
3. Add ground turkey to skillet and cook until browned. Drain excess fat from turkey.
4. Pour tomatoes, corn, and milk into the skillet. Stir well and heat through. Stir in cornmeal, garlic powder, and chili powder.
5. Pour into well-greased 2-quart casserole pan and cover with aluminum foil.
6. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more.
7. For the last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle cheese over the dish. It’s ready when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Recipe from: Kidshealth.org 

Chicken Quesadillas

Makes 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 quesadilla

Ingredients

• 1 cup skinless chicken, precooked and shredded
• 2 tablespoons chunky tomato salsa
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 4 whole-wheat tortillas

Directions

1. Mix chicken, salsa, onion, and green pepper.
2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and place it on stove on medium heat until hot.
3. Place 1/4 of the chicken mixture on the bottom half of a tortilla and top it with 1/4 of the cheese.
4. Fold tortilla in half, top to bottom, covering filling.
5. Place tortilla in heated pan and brown for approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Turn tortilla over and brown other side.
6. Cut folded tortilla into 3-4 wedges.
7. Repeat steps 2-6 for remaining tortillas.

Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 head broccoli
• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Combine pineapple juice, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Chop the broccoli into bite-size pieces of flowers and stalk, removing tough parts. Rinse well and set aside. Do the same with the cauliflower.
3. Wash carrots and slice into thin slices.
4. Wash celery stalks and cut off both ends. Cut into small slices.
5. Wash the red pepper and slice in half. Remove the seeds and white membranes. Slice into thin strips.
6. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and celery; cook for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.
7. Stir sauce well and add sauce to skillet, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Stir to distribute sauce over vegetables. Serve over brown rice.