the black bean soup recipe is a slight variation on a recipe my dear friend Lisa showed me a few years back which has become a staple in my cooking arsenal. she usually adds frozen corn at the end of the cooking process which is totally delicious, but i leave it out to save a few points. this time when i made the soup i also rinsed & drained the beans to get rid of the bean liquor which makes for a distinctly lighter soup. one more piece of advice: make sure you use the jalapeno in your crisper drawer and not the serrano pepper. one is much hotter than the other and makes for a borderline unpleasant eating experience. not that i would know or anything...
i always struggle to find a healthy something to eat with this soup because my mind can usually only go to a quesadilla place and i don't think i need to explain to you why that doesn't work... so the chicken for this tostada is sort of inspired by enchiladas suizas and i think it might be a winner.
_______________________________________________
 |
| Black Bean Soup & Tequila Lime Chicken Tostada |
Black Bean Soup
servings: 4
points per serving: 4
2 14.5 oz cans black beans, rinsed & drained
1 14.5 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno (with seeds and ribs, minced
1/2 medium sized red onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 bullion cube
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
22oz water (1 & 1/2 empty cans full)
salt - to taste
pepper - to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
heat olive oil in heavy bottom pot. add onion and bell peppers, season with salt and pepper and cook until wilted. add garlic and jalapeno and cook for approx. 2 minutes, BE SURE NOT TO BURN GARLIC. add tomato paste, bullion cube, cumin and crushed red pepper and cook until incorporated. add beans and tomatoes and season again with salt and pepper. stir to combine everything. add water, cover pot and bring to a vigorous simmer for 1/2 hour. after 1/2 hour remove lid and check seasoning. cook until soup reaches your preferred soup consistency. enjoy!
________________________________________
Tequila Lima Chicken Tostada
serves: 1
points per serving: 8
1 whole wheat tortilla, toasted
1 tablespoon shredded Mexican cheese
chicken topping:
5.25 oz boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips
1/4 red onion very thinly sliced
1 wedge light original flavor laughing cow cheese
1 oz tequila
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
water (if needed)
salad:
1 cup mixed greens
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
squeeze of lime juice
for chicken:
season chicken with salt, pepper and half of adobo seasoning. heat non-stick skillet over medium high heat and spray with Pam. brown chicken on both sides. add onion, tequila (don't light yourself or your home on fire), agave, lime juice and cook until slight reduced. add laughing cow cheese and season with salt, pepper and remaining adobo seasoning. cook until cheese has melted and made a creamy sauce for the chicken.
for salad:
toss greens with olive oil and lime juice. duh.
to assemble:
place toasted tortilla on a plate. top with chicken mixture, place salad on top of chicken. top salad with shredded cheese. eat
_______________________________________________
i have to say, this is one of my favorite meals i've made in a while. it was light yet filling, super flavorful and pretty well rounded. you should make it before it stops being summer and you don't want light summery food anymore.
-V
No comments:
Post a Comment