Salsa Chicken

I found this recipe in my Cooking Light cookbook & modified it a little bit. It's a really quick & easy weeknight dinner. Serve with Mexican or Spanish rice.

Ingredients:
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tsps taco seasoning
1/4 cup onion, chopped
Cooking spray
2/3 cup bottled salsa
2/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 (4 oz) can whole green chiles, drained and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 (small can) sliced black olives

Preparation
Preheat oven to 475°
Combine chicken and seasoning in a medium bowl, tossing to coat
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat
Add chicken & chopped onion; cook for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally
Arrange chicken in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with salsa, cheese, chiles, & olives
Bake at 475° for 8 minutes or until chicken is done & cheese is melted
Top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream

Yield: 4 servings

Spaghetti & Meatballs

I found this recipe in Cooking Light & it's very good! I don't make spaghetti very often (that's my husband's forte) but when we want spaghetti & meatballs, this is the go-to recipe I use.

Ingredients
Sauce:
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsps tomato paste
1/4 tsp salt
1 (14 oz) can less-sodium beef broth
2 (28 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes, undrained and chopped

Meatballs:
1 slice white bread
2 (4 oz) links sweet turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsps egg substitute
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1 lb ground sirloin

Remaining ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 lb hot cooked spaghetti
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano
Fresh parsley sprigs (optional)

To prepare sauce, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat
Coat pan with cooking spray
Add 1 cup onion; sauté for 3 minutes
Add 3 garlic cloves, and sauté 1 minute
Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute
Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and broth; cook 4 minutes
Stir in the tomatoes. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally
Preheat broiler
To prepare meatballs, place bread in a food processor, and process until fine crumbs measure 1/2 cup
Combine the breadcrumbs, sausage, 1/2 cup onion, and next 8 ingredients (through sirloin) in a bowl
With wet hands, shape sirloin mixture into 32 meatballs
Place meatballs on a broiler pan
Broil 15 minutes or until done
Add meatballs to sauce; simmer 15 minutes
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup parsley and 1/3 cup basil; serve over spaghetti
Sprinkle with cheese; garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup spaghetti, about 1/2 cup sauce, 4 meatballs, and 1 tablespoon cheese)