| Don�t Sinko your diet on Cinco de Mayo Hola Edieters! How can you not love a holiday centered around spicy foods? As a transplanted Texan from Louisiana I love learning about this state and all of its cultures. The Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo approaching us on May 5th has a lot of history, and is a great reason to learn a little, live a little, and cook a lot. Here�s my holiday plan. I hope it inspires you to spice up your weekend as well. My sons are 2, 8 and 15 years old. We have quite a variety of personalities and levels of education. So I have to put on my creative oven mitts for this type of event. I want to review the history of this holiday with them and teach them a little Mexican as well. So we�ll learn to count to 10 in Spanish, and I�ll tell them about Cinco de Mayo. (Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is often, wrongly called Mexican Independence Day since Mexico actually declared its independence on September 16, 1810, nearly fifty years earlier. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more by Mexican descendants in the United States (mostly in Texas and southern California) than in Mexico.) If I was truly creative, we�d make Pinata�s and have our own little parade, but my energy level is a little low for that, this first HOT week of our Texas summer heat. My menu consists of chips and dip, quesadillas, and a spicy chicken breast dish as well. I�m giving you an entire festive meal below 500 calories per serving. At least an edieter-sized serving. The portion size ignorers are on thier own. Chips: About 1 pita�s worth of calories and fat grams per serving.. check package labeling. 1 package of 6 wheat or white pitas. Use a pizza cutter and cut each one into strips or trianbles large enough to hold some dip. Spray them with fat free cooking spray and sprinkle with a little garlic salt if desired. You can microwave about 1 handful at a time for about 6 minutes. Or you can bake at 400 for about 5 minutes on a cookie sheet. This will create crispy, tasty strips for dipping. Guacamole Dip (of course) Zero FAT and about 20 calories per Tablespoon I must admit that guacamole is one of my biggest weaknesses in forbidden foods. I have no idea why, but I sure love this stuff. It could be that I usually on eat it on dates, in a restaurant, without kids or hassles. (Especially if he�s paying for it.) So when I found a way to make this a zero fat food, I was elated. The avacado is the only vegetable that has fat, though it is at least the nonsaturated version. But this version is made with peas, and only you will know the difference. 2 pounds frozen peas, thawed 1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and trimmed 2 cloves garlic 1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste) Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. For a chunky version of guacamole, stir in one chopped tomato and four chopped scallions. Or do what I do � Just add some salsa! Smooshed Black Bean Quesadillas (It�s my kids� word, not mine) 160 calories per quesadilla (This recipe makes 4 quesadillas) 2 grams of fat per quesadilla, if you choose your ingredients wisely. 6 flour tortillas (try to get fat free or low fat varieties) 1 9oz. Can of fatfree black bean dip, or more 4 oz. Shredded nonfat Cheddare Cheese 2 Tablespoons chopped green onions 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 cup lettuce, your choice, sliced thin 1 handful of chopped tomatoes.. I like the grape tomatoes � cup or more of fresh salsa (or bottled) Heat oven to 375. Place tortillas on ungreased cookie sheets. Spread each with 1/4 of bean dip. Sprinkle with cheese and onions. Bake at 375 for 4 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle cilantro and lettuce over cheese; top with chopped tomatoes. Fold each tortilla in half, then cut in half to form 2 rounded triangles. Serve with salsa. Salsa Chicken (This is so easy, you�ll want to serve it all of the time.) 190 Calories per serving 5 grams of fat 4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts 1 cup Salsa (buy it or make it) 1 cup shredded fat free Cheddar Cheese 1 clove of garlic 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp cumin Mash the garlic slightly and rub all over chicken pieces. Season with salt, pepper and cumin and refridgerate until ready to cook. At least an hour. Spray a nonstick skillet with fat free cooking spray and brown the breasts about 6-8 minutes per side. Spray a 9x13� baking pan and place the breasts in the pan. Cover with the salsa and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Watch so the cheese does not burn. Serve plain or over noodles. I prefer to serve this over Spanish rice. |