Barbecued Lime Shrimp and Corn

1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 ears corn, each cut crosswise into 4 pieces
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined




Place lime mixture, corn, and shrimp in baking dish; cover with foil. Place in a 450° oven; cook 10 minutes. Remove foil cover and cook 10 minutes or until shrimp are fully cooked.





--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Bourbon-Ginger Grilled Chicken

4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted


Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Combine bourbon and next 9 ingredients (bourbon through garlic). Reserve 1/3 cup marinade. Pour remaining marinade into a zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat grill to medium-hot using both burners.

Turn left burner off (leave right burner on). Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Coat grill rack with cooking spray. Place chicken on grill rack over right burner; grill 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Move chicken to grill rack over left burner. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until done. Slice each breast diagonally into thin strips; place chicken on a platter. Cover loosely with foil.


Combine water and cornstarch, stirring well with a whisk. Place reserved 1/3 cup marinade in a small saucepan; stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Drizzle sauce over chicken; sprinkle with sesame seeds.






--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Mango salsa:
1 cup chopped peeled mango
1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt


Fish:
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin seed
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray


Remaining ingredients:
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
Lime wedges




To prepare mango salsa, combine mango and next 7 ingredients (through 1/8 teaspoon salt) in a small bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Prepare grill.

To prepare fish, combine 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 teaspoons olive oil, cumin, and garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add fish to bag; seal. Marinate 15 minutes, turning once. Remove fish from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle both sides of fish evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or desired degree of doneness. Flake fish into large chunks.

To prepare tacos, place tortillas on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 seconds on each side. Divide fish and cabbage evenly over one half of each tortilla; top each tortilla with salsa and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Fold tortillas in half. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.





--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Cucumber Margaritas

12 slices fresh cucumber (about 1/3 of a medium cucumber)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
4 ounces (1/2 cup) Cointreau or triple sec
6 ounces (3/4 cup) tequila reposado
6 cups ice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or triple sec
Lime slices

Combine cucumber and next 4 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

Pour into glasses. Top each serving with a tablespoon of Grand Marnier, and garnish with lime.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Enjitomatadas con Crema y Queso Fresco

So that's my fancy title for a very simple dish. This one is superb. Another win from Rick Bayless.


2 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded
1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
12 corn tortillas
salt


Toppings:
shredded cooked chicken/beef/pork
sour cream
green onions
queso fresco
cilantro or parsley



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

With a food processor running, drop in the garlic and chiles, one at a time, letting each piece get finely chopped before adding the next. Drain the tomatoes, reserving their juice. Add the tomatoes, and process until smooth.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the tomato puree and cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the mixture has reduced to the consistency of a thick tomato sauce, about 7 minutes. Add the broth and reserved tomato juice. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, lay out the tortillas on a baking sheet and brush both sides lightly with the oil, then stack them in twos. Slide the tortillas into the oven and bake just enough to make them pliable, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with a towel to keep warm.

Taste and season the sauce with salt. Holding the warm tortillas by the edge, dip most of it into the hot sauce, then lay it on a deep dinner plate, and fold into quarters. Do the same with 2 more tortillas (for a total of 3 per serving). Ladle a generous 1/4 cup of sauce over the tortillas. Garnish liberally with your choice of toppings.

Serve hot.




--Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Huevos Rancheros with Queso Fresco

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Cooking spray
4 large eggs
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese



Combine the tomatoes and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and juice. Set aside.

Place water and beans in a microwave-safe bowl, and partially mash with a fork. Cover and microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until hot.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add eggs; cook 1 minute on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Salt to taste.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spread about 1/3 cup beans over each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1 egg. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce around each egg; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Brandied Berry Milkshake

You can easily substitute 2 cups frozen berries. Don't thaw the berries first, just toss them into the blender frozen.

2 cups vanilla low-fat ice cream
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 cup brandy


Place all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Spiced Salmon with Mustard Sauce

2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
Cooking spray


Preheat broiler.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a fork. Rub mustard mixture evenly over each fillet. Place fillets, skin side down, on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.





--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Bacon-wrapped Turkey Burgers

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup fine dried bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 bacon slices (about 4 oz. total)
4 ounces münster cheese, thinly sliced
4 hamburger buns or rolls (4 in. wide), cut in half horizontally


1. Add mustard, ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, and salt; mix well.

2. Divide turkey mixture into four equal portions; shape each into an evenly thick 4-inch-wide round. Wrap a slice of bacon snugly in a ring around edge of each patty, overlapping ends and securing with a toothpick. If making ahead, lay patties in a single layer on a plate, cover airtight, and chill up to 1 day.

3. Lay turkey patties on a lightly oiled grill over a solid bed of medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds); cover grill and open vents. Cook patties until browned on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn with a wide spatula and continue to cook until patties feel firm when pressed and are no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 4 to 7 minutes longer.

4. Cover meat evenly with cheese and lay buns, cut side down, on grill; cover and cook until cheese is melted and buns are toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.





--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Vanilla Honey-Nut Smoothie

2 cups vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt
1 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup cubed soft silken tofu
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey


Combine the ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Makes 2 servings.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Chicken Georgia

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese



Melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes on each side, or until tender. Transfer chicken to platter and sprinkle with grated cheese. Top with mushroom mixture. Let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.




--Adapted from Paula Deen