Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

This recipe, from Amy Goldman’s “The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits, and History of the World’s Most Beautiful Fruit,” is reprinted with permission from Bloomsbury USA.

It’s easy to see why salsa is one of America’s favorite condiments. Its fresh, crisp, tangy flavor adds a refreshing touch to a meal without a lot of sugar or fat.

This bright pineapple salsa brings out the flavors of grilled fresh fish, and aromatic cumin gives it a distinctive taste.

The poblano peppers, called ancho peppers when dried, that give the rice dish its zing, are medium-hot. Jalapeno peppers can be used instead. Use 2 tablespoons jalapeno peppers.

Use any fresh, non-oily fish fillets.

Short cut tip: Use a bought tomato salsa and add diced, fresh pineapple instead of making the salsa recipe.

Helpful Hints:

-To time length of cooking for fish fillet, count 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

-The poblano pepper is used in both recipes. Chop at one time and divide accordingly.

Countdown:

-Start rice.

-Make salsa.

-Finish rice.

-Cook fish.

Wine suggestion: the predominant flavor here is the sweet-hot-pineapple salsa rather than the fish. So I’d try a big, fruity, opulent California chardonnay to match it.

This meal contains 508 calories with 21 percent of calories from fat.

FISH WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA

For pineapple salsa:

1/2 cup diced tomato

1 tablespoon diced red onion

1 tablespoon seeded, chopped poblano pepper

1 cup finely diced fresh pineapple

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For fish:

1 tablespoon canola oil

3/4 pound fish fillets

Combine the tomato, onion, poblano pepper, pineapple, cilantro, sugar and cumin together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Set aside.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and saute 5 minutes. Turn and saute 3 minutes, or according to size of fish. Fish is cooked when it is opaque and not translucent. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place on individual plates and serve some of the salsa on top and the rest on the side. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 282 calories (33 percent from fat), 10.2 g fat (1.9 g saturated, 5.5 g monounsaturated), 84 mg cholesterol, 35.1 g protein, 14.5 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 96 mg sodium.

POBLANO RICE

1/4 cup seeded, chopped poblano pepper

1 package microwave brown rice

2 teaspoon canola oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place poblano pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Place rice package and poblano pepper in microwave oven and cook according to rice package timing.

Measure 1 1/2-cup rice and reserve remaining rice for another time. Add the rice to the poblano pepper. Add the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 226 calories (11 percent from fat), 1.7 g fat (no saturated, no monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 6.1 g protein, 49.8 g carbohydrates, 3.0 g fiber, 8 mg sodium.

SHOPPING LIST

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Dinner in Minutes.

To buy: 1 tomato, 1 small container fresh pineapple cubes, 1 poblano pepper, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 bottle ground cumin, 3/4 pound fish fillets,1 package microwave brown rice

Staples: Canola oil, red onion, sugar, salt and black peppercorns.

(Linda Gassenheimer is the author of 14 cookbooks including her newest, “Mix ‘n Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes,” and “Prevention’s Fit and Fast Meals in Minutes.” Visit Linda on her web page at www.DinnerInMinutes.com or email her at Linda@DinnerInMinutes.com.)

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves 4 to 8

Recipe from Anna Getty’s “Easy Green Organic.”

INGREDIENTS

For the salsa:

5 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch chunks

5 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

For the chicken:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Salt and ground black pepper

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets, pounded until 1/2-inch thick

Grapeseed or canola oil

2 to 3 lemons, halved

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the salsa, in a medium bowl combine all ingredients. Mix well, then set aside.

To make the chicken, in a wide, shallow bowl, mix together the flour, lemon zest and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken fillet through the flour mixture, coating both sides. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium, heat just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken in batches, cooking until each side is lightly golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Before removing the chicken from the pan, squeeze generous amounts of lemon juice over each piece. Serve topped with salsa.

Per serving based on 8 servings: 374 cal.; 56 g pro.; 12 g carb.; 10 g fat (2 sat., 6 monounsat., 2 polyunsat.); 137 mg chol.; 303 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 25 percent calories from fat.

On a trip to Mexico City, I watched restaurateur Maricarmen Ramirez make melt-in-your mouth sopes – little corn tortillas filled with a spicy black bean spread, roasted chicken, lettuce and cheese.

“It’s a one of the dishes I use for the altar for the Day of the Dead,” Maricarmen said as she made the sopes with lightning speed.

As we celebrate Halloween, Mexicans look forward to their feast of the Day of the Dead. On Sunday and Monday, the spirits of the dead are expected to pay a visit, and food is prepared to sustain them on the journey.

“We build altars and fill them with the favorite foods of our departed loved ones and place “calaberitas,” sugar skulls with their names on the forehead, near the food.

“For us it is a happy holiday celebrating the dead. It has also grown into a time when we go to visit friends and loved ones and take them sugar skulls to say that we are thinking of them and wish them good health.”

Although sopes are usually served as appetizers, I’ve adapted Maricarmen’s recipe to make this simple, tasty Mexican dinner. This meal contains 489 calories per serving with 21 percent of calories from fat.

-Wine suggestion: I’d like a soft red wine, maybe a shiraz.

HELPFUL HINTS

-Any type of salsa can be used.

-If four tortillas don’t fit into your skillet, cook them in batches.

-Any type of hard cheese such as Cheddar can be used.

-Black bean dip or pate can be found in most markets. Canned, reduced-fat refried beans can be used instead.

COUNTDOWN

-Prepare all ingredients.

-Make sopes.

SHOPPING LIST

To buy: 1 jar/can black bean dip, four 6-inch corn tortillas, 1 bag ready-to-eat shredded lettuce, 1 small package reduced-fat Monterey jack cheese, 1/2 pound roasted or rotisserie chicken breast, 1 small jar tomato salsa.

Staples: red onion and canola oil.

MEXICAN SOPES (Layered Open Tortilla Sandwiches)

2 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 cup diced red onion

4 (6-inch) corn tortillas

1/2 cup black bean dip

1 cup ready-to-eat, shredded lettuce

1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey jack cheese

3/4 pound roasted or rotisserie chicken breast, skin and bones removed

1 cup tomato salsa

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the diced onion until it starts to shrivel, about 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

Return the skillet to the burner over medium heat. Add the tortillas and warm for half a minute. Turn them over and spread with the black bean mixture. Sprinkle each with onion, then layer with lettuce, cheese and chicken. Remove to dinner plates. Spoon salsa on top or serve on the side. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 489 calories (21 percent from fat), 11.3 g fat (3.2 g saturated, 4.5 g monounsaturated), 105 mg cholesterol, 52.8 g protein, 44.1 g carbohydrates, 10.2 g fiber, 1,210 mg sodium.

(Linda Gassenheimer is the author of “The Portion Plan: How to Eat the Foods You Love and Still Lose Weight.” Her Web site is dinnerinminutes.com.)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as an appetizer

This lasagna is a quick way to satisfy a craving for Mexican flavors. It’s a snap to prepare using store-bought salsa and black beans. From “The New Lasagna Cookbook.”

INGREDIENTS

2 cups tomato salsa

One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Four 7-inch flour tortillas

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for topping

Salsa, sour cream and guacamole for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread a thin layer of salsa on bottom of dish. Place one tortilla over salsa.

Top tortilla with one-third of the salsa and a little less than one-third of the black beans and cheese. Top with second tortilla. Continue to layer with remaining beans, salsa and cheese, using about 2 heaping tablespoons of each for each layer of filling.

Repeat layers until all filling and tortillas are used up – four layers. Cover top tortilla with a generous layer of salsa and Cheddar.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven. Using a large spatula, remove lasagna from the baking dish and place on a serving dish or serve on individual plates. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Serve with additional salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Per serving based on 2 main dish servings: 707 cal.; 35 g pro.; 91 g carb.; 25 g fat (14 sat., 6 monounsat., 1 polyunsat., 4 other); 59 mg chol.; 2784 mg sod.; 11 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 31 percent calories from fat