Open-Faced Mexican Lasagna

This is a healthy recipe for a delicious Mexican lasagna casserole that is loaded fiber.  The dish is made with ground turkey, onions, Poblano peppers, tomatoes, corn, black beans, salsa, a blend of seasonings and topped with a reduced fat Mexican cheese blend.  I called it an open-faced lasagna, because to reduce the carbs I left off the traditional top third layer of tortillas.

I took a little help from the store and used a 40% lower sodium taco seasoning packet and a store bought salsa.  Homemade salsa would work well in this dish, as well.

 

Enjoy!

Open-Faced Mexican Lasagna

Makes 8 Servings

2 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil

1 Lb. Ground turkey
½ Cup Chopped sweet onion; ¼-inch dice
2 Poblano peppers, stem, seeds and membrane removed and diced into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
3 Garlic cloves, minced fine
1 ½ Tbls. Ground cumin
1 Tsp. Ground Ancho Chili pepper (or ground chili powder)
1 Can (14.5-ounce) Diced tomatoes, unsalted variety
1 Packet (1.25-ounce) low-sodium taco seasoning
½ Cup Hot water
½ Cup Frozen corn kernels (or fresh when in season)
1 Can (15-ounce) Black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ Cup Fresh salsa, either store bought or homemade (see recipe - Fresh Tomato Salsa)
8 (6-inch Fajita size) Corn tortillas
1 Cup Shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese blend
3 Scallions, sliced
1 Container (6-ounce) Greek fat-free plain yogurt
 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray the bottom and the sides of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil; swirl to coat.  Add the turkey in the skillet, break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned.  Add to the skillet, the onions, Poblano peppers and garlic; cook for about 5 minutes or until the pepper is just tender.  Add the cumin, chili pepper, taco seasoning; mix to incorporate.  Then add the canned tomatoes, corn, black beans, and water; continue to cook until it bubbles, then remove from the heat.

Spread ½ cup of the salsa on the bottom of the baking dish.  Lay 2 tortillas in the bottom of the dish, along the long side.  Cut 2 tortillas in half and fill in on the sides.  Top the tortillas with the meat mixture, spreading evenly.  Dot the meat mixture with ¼ cup of salsa and spread lightly to cover the meat mixture.  Sprinkle ¼ cup cheese over the entire top.  Make a second layer with the last 4 tortillas, meat mixture and remaining salsa; layering the same as the last.  Top everything with the remaining cheese.

 

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 5 – 10 minutes, or until everything is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned.

Remove the dish from the oven and top with the scallions.  Let the dish rest for about 5 minutes.  Cut and serve with the yogurt on the side.

Black Bean Quesadilla

One afternoon I was searching for something to eat for lunch and could not find exactly what I was looking for.  I thought of my daughter and one of her favorite snacks so I made this quick and easy meatless quesadilla.  This is ready in less than 10 minutes from start to finish. Serve this for lunch, or make a batch and serve for dinner.

Note: Make these your own by adding additional ingredients such as diced tomatoes, tomato salsa, jalapenos, etc..

Black Bean Quesadilla

Ingredients:

Flour tortilla

Canned Black Beans; drained and rinsed

Shredded low fat cheddar cheese

Sliced avocado, sprinkled with a bit of lemon or lime juice

Fage Total 0% Greek Strained Yogurt

Place the tortilla in a heated 10-inch non-stick skillet.  Heat tortilla for about 2 minutes on medium high.  Turn the heat down to medium,  flip the tortilla over on its other side.  Add about 2 tablespoons beans and about 2 tablespoons of cheese.  Fold the entire tortilla in half, and cover the skillet.  When tortilla is lightly browned on one half, flip it over, cover and lightly brown on other half.  Unfold the tortilla and add 3 slices of avocados on one half, top will 2 dollops of yogurt.  And...add your diced tomatoes or salsa.  Fold in half and enjoy!

Turkey Tacos

Looking for a quick and healthy taco meal – try these turkey tacos. This is a great alternative to a ground beef taco. I add my own seasonings, and very little store bought taco seasoning. I use canned diced chilies and their sauce, as they add an extra tang and not too much heat. If you like it on the spicy side, add a fine diced jalapeno pepper, but do not skip the canned chilies. You can serve this with a side of cooked brown rice for a complete meal.

Turkey Tacos

Makes 12 Hard Shell Tacos

1 Tbls. Canola oil

1 Lb. Lean ground turkey

1 Small Onion, diced fine

1 Tbls. Ground cumin

1Tsp. Garlic powder

1 Packet Herb ox Sodium Free Beef Bouillon

1 ½ Tbls. Taco Seasoning – 40% lower sodium variety

1 Tsp. Whole wheat flour

1 Can (4.5-ounce) Diced chilies

1 Can (15-ounce) Black beans, rinsed and drained

½ Can (14.5-ounce) Diced tomatoes – no salt added

½ Cup Cold water

Place a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add turkey and onions, fry for about 5 minutes, and then add the cumin, garlic powder, beef bouillon, and taco seasoning, stir to combine. Continue to fry until turkey is browned. Once the mixture has browned (about another 10 minutes), add the flour; stir to combine.

Add the chilies, beans, tomatoes and water. Continue cooking over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce bubbles and thickens slightly.

Serve in your favorite taco shell or whole wheat tortilla with a variety of toppings.

Topping Suggestions:

• Fage Total 0% Greek yogurt
• Reduced fat shredded cheese
• Shredded lettuce
• Diced fresh tomatoes
• Chopped scallions
• Sliced black olives
• Diced avocado, sprinkled with lime juice