Mini Turkey Tostadas

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Ingredients:

Baked Tostitos Scoops
1 lb. extra-lean ground turkey breast
dash of salt
dash of ground black pepper
salsa, to taste
fat-free sour cream, to taste (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese, to taste (optional)

Directions:

Season the ground turkey with salt and pepper, then brown over medium-high heat (lightly spray the pan with olive oil spray first). Once it is no longer pink, stir in the salsa (about 1 cup, give or take), then remove from heat. Scoop the mixture into the scooped chips (which should be arranged on a plate or platter), then top with desired condiments. I dropped a fraction of a teaspoon of fat-free sour cream on each, and a few strands of shredded cheese.

Nutritional Info:

The nutrional info was gather based on how I prepared the meal. If you choose to add more condiments, or leave some out, nutritional content will vary. Nutritional info is per serving, and one serving consists of 10 chips, with about 1/4 of the meat mixture distributed evenly.

~220 calories
~29 g protein
~4 g fat
~1 g fiber
~200 mg sodium

My Opinion:

I thought this meal was delicious! I tried them with and without the cheese and sour cream, but since I'm a lover of both, I definitely preferred them with. Next time, I might try it with a little cilantro mixed in just to see how it tastes. Extra-lean ground turkey can be more expensive than ground beef, but it is definitely a healthier option. If you watch for sales and stock up, then you can save money.

Kiwi-Watermelon Salsa

The recipe that I'm going to highlight for the week is one of my new favorite snacks, Kiwi-Watermelon Salsa!





Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a mini seedless watermelon (about 1 1/2 -2 cups), diced
• 3-4 kiwifruit (depending on the size), peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• 1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced (more or less to taste)
• juice from 1/2 lime
• Dash of salt

Just stir everything together gently. If you want to do it the easy way, and don't really want the chunks, just throw it all in a blender and pulse briefly; that oughta mix it up. This salsa is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy (I like spicy, so I use a whole medium jalapeno). The best part is that when you combine one serving of this salsa (about 1/2 cup) with about a dozen whole wheat pita chips (my new favorite chip!), it's only about 150 calories. A terrific afternoon snack, especially if you have a sweet tooth! It was also fairly inexpensive for me to make. I found a mini seedless watermelon (off season) for $2.50, and the kiwifruits were on sale 8/$1. A whole red onion cost me about $.40, a bunch of cilantro $.50, 1 lime $.20, and I had jalapenos from my garden last summer that I froze. Altogether, two whole batches of this (each lasted me 3-4 days, depending on how frequently I indulged in it), cost me just over $4.50. If I make it again when watermelons are in season and cheaper, it will be even better. So yummy!

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Menu Plan Monday 2.23.09

Wednesday: Mexican Bubble Pizza

Thursday: 7-layer Meatless Tortilla Pie (meatless mania)

Friday: Pork Spare Ribs

Saturday: Eggplant Parmesan (meatless mania)

Sunday: Baked Parmesan Chicken (recipe below)

Monday: Beef Stew

Tuesday: Leftovers!

Baked Parmesan Chicken:

• 4-5 chicken breasts, depending on size
• sour cream (approximately 1 cup)
• 1 tube Ritz crackers, finely crushed
• 1 T. garlic powder
• 3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup melted margarine/butter

Mix the cracker crumbs, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese together. Coat the chicken pieces with sour cream, then dip in the crumb mixture. Make sure the entire chicken breast is coated in sour cream and crumbs. Lay the chicken in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over each piece of chicken. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes to an hour, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

GCC Recipe Swap

For more great recipes, visit The Grocery Cart Challenge.

This is a recipe that my sister-in-law submitted to our family cookbook several years ago. Not only do my kids love it, but my hubby and myself are fans also. In addition, it is a great way to use up some of those FREE tubes of biscuits I got at the store the other day. (This is actually a recipe I will be using early next week).

MEXICAN BUBBLE PIZZA

1.5 lbs ground beef (I have used 1 lb and 2 lbs before, and it will work either way, really).
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 (19 oz) can ready-to-serve tomato soup
1 can Pillsbury Grands biscuits
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
various mexican-food toppings as desired (lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, olives, green onions, sour cream, etc)

Heat oven to 375*. Brown beef, drain grease. Add taco seasoning and tomato soup; mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Separate the biscuits and cut each one into 8 pieces (or just tear them up). Add pieces to ground beef mixture and stir gently. Spoon mixture into ungreased 9x13 pan and bake 18-23 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Sprinkle with desired toppings and enjoy!