Chimichurri Sauce

To go along with its collection of taco recipes, Southern Living shared some sauce recipes that you can use with many other recipes as well.

Chimichurri

Prep: 10 min., Cook: 45 sec., Stand: 5 min. This sauce is nothing like Maria's fiery version. We toned down the heat, but we loved her method of soaking the pepper flakes. The bright green will eventually darken if you make it ahead, but it's just as good. Serve with any taco or on grilled meats.

Yield: Makes 3/4 cup (serving size: 1 tbsp.)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon dried crushed red pepper
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 large bunches fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Microwave 1/4 cup water at HIGH 45 seconds. Add crushed red pepper, and let stand 5 minutes. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding liquid.

2. Process vinegar, next 5 ingredients, and 2 Tbsp. water in a food processor 5 to 10 seconds or until cilantro is finely chopped. Stir in crushed red pepper. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

44

Fat:

4.8g (sat 0.7g,mono 1g,poly 3g)

Protein:

0.2g

Carbohydrate:

0.6g

Fiber:

0.4g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

0.3mg

Sodium:

51mg

Calcium:

8mg

Maria Corbalan, Taco Xpress, Austin, Texas, Southern Living, JUNE 2009

Tilapia with a real kick

Eating the same old chicken for dinner gets really boring really quickly. Mixing in fish as the main protein of a meal might be just what you need to get out of a food rut. If you're a fan of fish and spice, you will probably like this recipe. I found it on Dr. Oz's site and it looked too good to pass up.

Nathan’s Spicy Tilapia Recipe

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

One or Two Frozen Tilapia Filets
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Ground Cayenne Pepper
Ground Black Pepper
Hot Sauce
Sliced Almonds
Apple Juice
Spinach
Lemon Slice

Directions
Thaw the filets in warm water and strain. Wash spinach and drain (or spin it out.) Warm a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and fish. Lightly dust the fish with garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Add a few dashes of the hot sauce to both fish and pan.

When the fish is cooked on one side (half way through the filet), flip it, add sliced almonds, and dust very lightly with powdered/ground spices again. Add enough apple juice to the pan (not fish) to get it simmering and reduce.

When fish is cooked though (flakey with fork), add it to a bed of fresh spinach and pour sauce over fish.

Salsa Meat Loaves

I love meatloaf (and turkey loaf) and spicy foods, and healthy foods that still taste legit...haven't tried this one yet but it's definitely looking good to me...found it on Cooking Light

Salsa Meat Loaves

Making meat loaf in single-serving portions reduces the cooking time by half and keeps the meat juicy.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 meat loaf)

Ingredients

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/3 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chipotle salsa, divided
• 1/4 cup ketchup, divided
• 1 pound ground beef, extra lean
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine egg whites in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in oats, 1/2 cup salsa, and 2 tablespoons ketchup. Add beef; mix well. Divide beef mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into an oval-shaped loaf. Coat a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place loaves on prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until done.

4. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons salsa and remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup in a small bowl; spread mixture evenly over loaves.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

190 (26% from fat)

Fat:

6g (sat 2.1g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:

25g

Carbohydrate:

10.9g

Fiber:

1.7g

Cholesterol:

60mg

Iron:

2.2mg

Sodium:

548mg

Calcium:

7mg