Dear Jeanne: I need help with my recipe for Shredded Beef Enchiladas. It is easy and tasty but has way too much cheese. How can I lighten it up without losing the flavor?
- Elizabeth Penning, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Dear Elizabeth: I reduced the amount of cheese called for in your recipe (12 ounces instead of three cups) and found that a combination of low-fat and non-fat cheese provided a better texture than just the non-fat cheese alone. I also reduced the amount of olives. The resulting dish is tasty, not too spicy, and a breeze to throw together - especially if you use sliced roast beef from the deli section of your market.
Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe: 699 calories; 143 mg cholesterol; 40 gm fat; 1,510 mg sodium. Revised Recipe: 475 calories; 83 mg cholesterol; 17 gm fat; 1,414 mg sodium.
Dear Readers: If you're looking for an easier, faster and more unusual alternative to the traditional Christmas turkey this year, tasty Herbed Pork Paillards are a perfect solution. They can be made ahead of time, placed on baking sheets and refrigerated until you're ready to serve them. To reheat, place them in a 375 F oven for about 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Pork is delicious served with all of your favorite holiday condiments, such as cranberry sauce, dressing and sweet potatoes. You may want to make a few extra paillards for those members of the family who look forward to feasting on holiday leftovers the day after Christmas. They make wonderful sandwiches and are great chopped up in salads, soups and pasta sauces.
Lovers of Mexican food who are trying to lighten up their meals might like to try the Mexican Spaghetti recipe in my booklet, "Pasta - Everyone's Favorite Food." Order it and try this and other healthful pasta recipes. Include $3 and a stamped (52 cents), self-addressed, No.10 envelope and send to Pasta, PO Box 5541, Riverton, NJ 08077-5541.
Jeanne Jones is a consultant on menu planning, recipes and new-product development for major hotels and spas. She is also the author of 23 cookbooks, most recently "Light and Hearty" (Crown Trade Paperbacks, $24).
Send your recipe for revision to:
Cook It Light
(Deseret News)
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Please include a stamped (52 cents), self-addressed envelope.
*****
RECIPES
BREEZY SHREDDED BEEF ENCHILADAS
12 ounces cooked lean beef, shredded (3 cups)
1 can (28 ounces) green enchilada sauce, divided use
8 ounces non-fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 cups), divided use
4 ounces low-fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup), divided use
1 can (21/4 ounces) sliced black olives, drained
10 corn tortillas
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with a non-stick vegetable coating; set aside. In a large bowl, combine beef, 11/2 cups sauce, 1 cup non-fat cheese, 1/2 cup low-fat cheese and olives.
Dip each tortilla into remaining sauce. Place 1/2 cup beef filling mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll up and place in baking pan. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Combine remaining cheese and sprinkle over the top. Bake 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
HERBED PAILLARD OF PORK
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork tenderloin, all fat removed, cut into 4-ounce pieces
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 cups fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Place a piece of pork in a plastic bag. Using the flat side of a meat cleaver, pound it to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Repeat until all 6 of the pieces have been pounded into paillards.
Combine the flour, pepper, salt, sage, thyme and rosemary on a plate and mix well. Put the egg whites on another plate. Combine the bread crumbs and parsley on a third plate.
Heat a non-stick skillet until a drop of water will dance on the surface before evaporating. Dredge a paillard of pork in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess. Dip it in the egg whites, allowing any excess to drip off, and then coat it with the bread crumbs. Spray each coated paillard lightly with a non-stick vegetable spray and cook in hot skillet for about 3 minutes per side, or until browned and firm to the touch.
Makes six servings. Each serving contains approximately 304 calories; 81 mg cholesterol; 6 gm fat; 460 mg sodium.