Quick Lunch - Shredded Chicken Quesadillas

For a quick lunch or a late night snack, I turn to quesadillas. They're easy, fast and satisfying. They can be made with a variety of leftover ingredients pulled from the fridge. This time I used leftover rotisserie chicken and these turned out exceptionally tasty, and took all of 10 minutes to cook. Yum!

RECIPE:

2 whole wheat tortillas

3/4 cup rotisserie chicken, shredded

1/4 avocado, sliced thin

1/2 tomato, sliced thin

1/4 cup low-fat cheese, shredded and divided

spray butter

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Spritz skillet and tortilla with spray butter or cooking spray. Place tortilla on skillet butter side down, then add layers in this order: cheese, chicken tomatoes, avocado, cheese, tortilla. Spritz the top of the second tortilla with butter. Flip after 3-5 minutes or when tortilla is crispy and golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve. (per quesadilla: 588 cals, 19g fat, 50g carbs, 48g protein)

Winter Chili!

Another Cooking Light recipe! It has been freezing the last couple of weeks and hearty chili is the perfect way to combat winter. This was my first attempt at chili and it turned out really great. I made a double batch of this recipe and froze the extra. I only used two jalapenos, so it turned out pretty mild - next time I would use more. A sprinkle of cayenne pepper added some heat.

I couldn't find canned pinto beans in the store, so I bought dried which took some extra prep. First I soaked the beans in water overnight, then had to simmer them for about an hour to cook them prior to adding to the chili.

The recipe said to simmer for 1 1/2 hours, but I had mine on the stove for 4-5, letting the flavors mingle together and making the house smell wonderful. I kept it on low and stirred every once in a while. I would also try this in the slow-cooker to cook while I'm at work all day!

RECIPE:

1 lb boneless chuck roast (I used shoulder roast), trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

3/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp canola oil

2 medium onion, chopped

2 large jalapenos, minced

10 garlic cloves, minced

12 oz beer

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups fat-free, less sodium beef broth

1 (28oz can) whole peeled tomatos, drained and chopped

1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Toppings:

avocado

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

nonfat sour cream or plain yogurt

lime wedges

chopped cilantro

Heat a skillet over high heat and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle beef with salt. Brown beef chunks in pan for 5 minutes. Heat a soup pan over medium-high heat and add canola oil. Sautee onion and jalapeno for 8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and sautee for a few minutes. Pour in beer, bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Stir in paprika, cumin and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes and beans, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer with the lid halfway on 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick and beef is very tender, stirring occasionally. Serve in a bowl with toppings of choice. Makes 6 servings. (per serving: 421cals, 23g fat, 30g carbs, 21g protein)