Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus

People seem to either love hummus or hate it.  Personally, I’m not a fan of plain hummus, but I LOVE the flavored ones.  I make my own at home a lot.  My favorite variation, up to now, has been my Roasted Garlic Hummus.  A while back, I created this new flavor for a Cinco de Mayo cookout, and have made it several times since.  It’s been a hit every time… even with my husband who doesn’t usually love hummus.  It’s a totally different flavor variation from my Roasted Garlic Hummus, and just as good.  I paired it with homemade, air-fried tortilla chips, but store-bought would be just as good.  Let us know if you try it!  ~Erin

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas

2 T. chopped cilantro

1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced

½ a fresh jalapeno, seeded, veins removed, & finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tablespoons)

½ tsp. salt

1 T. water

2 T. avocado oil

Tortilla chips or veggies, for serving

Drain, rinse and remove the skins from the chickpeas.  Removing the skins will make finished hummus smooth and creamy.  The best way to remove them is to pinch each one between your fingers, and they will pop right out.  

Add all ingredients, except the water and avocado oil to  a food processor; blend until smooth. Finally, add the olive oil and water (stream in while the food processor is running, if possible) and blend until smooth.

Serve with tortilla chips or veggies.  

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Mexican street corn (elote) is all the rage.   It’s basically been the epitome of summer cuisine this year. Everywhere I turn, it’s offered. Restaurants, farmers markets, food trucks — you name it. For those of you that have not been introduced to it yet, you have been missing out.  It combines a wild variety of Tex-Mex flavors to transport you to another not-so-far-away land…hopefully one that includes a beach. ☺

Anything that is this popular and all the buzz must be sticking around.  This salad (off the cob) version is equally spectacular. I scribbled down this recipe one day on my lunch break and knew I had to make it soon.  When I mixed this together, even I was surprised how good it was. It has all the flavor you want in traditional street corn plus some tasty twists of my own.  Try it while corn season is HOT!!  ~Kathy

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Salad Ingredients:

  • 6 ears of corn, husks and silks removed; cooked and cut off the cob (about 4.5 cups of corn depending on size of ears)
  • 2 T. cilantro, chopped
  • 1 to 2 T. jalapeno, finely chopped (seeds and ribs removed)
  • 1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped
  • ¾ c. queso fresco, crumbled fine

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/3 c. light miracle whip
  • 1/4 c. plain non-fat Greek yogurt*
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 T. lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 tsp. lime zest
  • salt & pepper to taste

Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix well and set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine salad ingredients, except cheese.  Stir in sauce ingredients.  Add cheese, fold together and serve.

WW Info.:  Makes 6 one-cup servings at just 2 points each.

*May use low fat sour cream instead of non-fat Greek yogurt; it’s 3 points per cup with this substitution.

Creamy Cilantro Sauce

One thing I have missed since I started eating healthy (most of the time) is sauces.  Sauces – especially creamy ones – are often high in calories/Weight Watcher points.  When you have a tight points budget each day, you don’t want to waste points on things like sauces.  For this reason, I have started creating my own sauces.  I can make them in small batches, instead of having a large bottle sitting around until after its expiration date; I can make them as rich or as low-fat as I choose; and I can avoid all the preservatives and additives that are often present in bottled/jarred sauces.

This Creamy Cilantro Sauce is one of my favorite sauce concoctions.  It can be used a veggie or chip dip, a sauce for Mexican dishes (it’s great on tacos!), or a dip for something like these Chicken Fajita Meatballs (photo below)!  The possibilities are endless!  If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen dipping everything in this sauce.  Best part is, I can enjoy this with NO guilt.  Check out the stats at the end of this post!  Dip, dip, hooray for zero WW point sauce!  ~Erin

Ingredients: 

  • 1 (8 oz.) pkg. fat-free cream cheese
  • 1 (7 oz.) can salsa verde (I use Herdez brand.)
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. celery salt
  • ½ tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • ½ a bunch of cilantro, stems removed
  • The zest of one lime (optional)
  • 2 T. fresh lime juice – about one squeezed lime

Blend all ingredients in a blender, scraping down the sides occasionally, until smooth.

WW Freestyle Info:  Makes 2 cups of sauce.  Up to 2 Tablespoons is zero points.  3-6 tablespoons is 1 point.  7-10 tablespoons is 2 points.

Watermelon Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

I had a watermelon salad in a bistro several years ago while on vacation, and I could not believe how much I loved it (I’m normally not the biggest lover of watermelon). In this salad, though, the chilled watermelon and vinaigrette dressing were exactly what I needed on an unusually hot day in the mountains, and the sweetness of the melon is balanced by the saltiness of the pepitas and feta.  And it had such a gourmet feel to it, as it was absolutely gorgeous.  Impress your summertime guests with this wonderful salad I recreated with my very own, easy peasy vinaigrette that has a bright and beautiful honey citrus flavor.  ~Robin

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Ingredients for dressing:
  • ⅛ c. extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅛ c. lime juice (usually 2 limes)
  • ⅛ c. honey
  • 1 T. balsamic vinegar
Ingredients for salad:
  • 5 oz. bag of spring mix salad
  • heaping ½ c. chopped red onion
  • 2 oz. fat free feta cheese, crumbled
  • ¼ c. salted, roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 10 oz. cubed watermelon
  • 1/4 c. minced cilantro (optional)

Instructions: 

  1. Chill salad mix, watermelon, and limes before you begin to make this recipe nice and cool upon serving.
  2. Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, and balsamic vinegar. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine salad mix, chopped red onion, pepitas, feta, and cilantro (if desired).
  4. Gently lay cubed watermelon on top of salad mix.
  5. Whisk dressing once more and drizzle dressing over salad (I start with about a 1/3 and gradually add a little more…if you over-pour you can be left with a pool of dressing in the bottom. You’ll typically only need about half the dressing or a little less). Points are figured for a little over half the dressing to be on the safe side.
  6. Then gently toss together to coat salad and mix in watermelon.
  7. Serve immediately.

WW Freestyle Info.: Serves 4 and is 4 points per heaping cup.

Chipotle Chicken Wontons

I worked at El Chico the summer after college, and I have quite a few stories I could tell you about working there. The manager let me off work on short-notice the night my first nephew Hayden was born, so I’ll always appreciate that.

A less enjoyable day: when the walk-in floor was slick — and I bit it while holding a 5 gallon bucket of salsa when my feet slipped out from under me. The salsa vat went directly up into the air above my head and landed just next to me (not on my head or I would have officially felt like a Loony Tunes character). What didn’t land next to me was all the salsa. After it coated the ceiling and a good 5 meter radius in the kitchen, the biggest portion of it splashed directly on my head and all over my body. You will never know the speed with which you can undress until you’ve driven home before your evening shift (luckily I happened to be finishing my lunch shift) completely coated in salsa. I have a high tolerance for spicy food…when I’m eating it. Apparently it’s quite different when you’re wearing it, in case you were considering this as some strange form of bath-time aromatherapy. Don’t.

That’s all the wisdom I have to share today. 😉 Also maybe some more practical advice: make sure your shoes are grippier than mine were if you ever find yourself working in a restaurant!

Anywho, one thing I did love about working there was the free meal during my break on each shift. My favorite was a chipotle chicken breast – it was smothered in a chipotle pepper sauce, and I absolutely loved it. This was the first time I had tried anything chipotle flavored – this was ages before “chipotle” was being mispronounced by 60% of people in a zillion fast food restaurants. To this day, I crave that dish.

I tried out this chipotle chicken mixture at home as a quick dish on its own, and we really loved it all by itself with some sides. But when I decided to try it in wontons…that’s when it became a super fun and delicious recipe! And it makes these little beauties a handy appetizer too if you have a different entrée in mind. ~Robin

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Ingredients:

10 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed into bite sized pieces

2 oz. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I use La Costena; there is a little heat to these, so you might cut back to 1 oz. if you’re not sure about the heat)

¾ c. canned black beans, rinsed

1 c. white onion, diced

½ tsp. garlic salt

5 oz. egg roll wraps (12 wraps, trimmed down as instructed below to about half of their original size by cutting across the corners; I use Twin Dragon)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ c. green onions, chopped (optional, though I think something colorful on top is pretty essential)

¼ c. cilantro, minced (optional)

2 medium jalapeños, sliced (optional)

1 or 2 T. fresh squeezed lime juice (I just squeeze directly from the lime so amount is approximate), optional for serving

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Rinse black beans and set aside.

Measure 2 oz. of the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce; chop well and add to a medium mixing bowl, sauce included. Mince garlic (you can also use jarred minced garlic) and add to bowl. Chop white onion and add it to this bowl as well. Chop chicken breast into bite sized pieces and add to the mixing bowl. Add garlic salt. Stir all together; then set aside.

With a clean knife, chop green onion; set aside. Mince cilantro if desired; set aside. Slice jalapeños if desired; set aside.

Trim egg roll wrappers (what I’ll call wontons from here on) down to about half their size, cutting across the corners with kitchen shears as shown in the video below. (I’m working on my video editing skills so, yes, you can hear my husband say “go” as it starts–oops! I think he just needs to work on his videography skills — who says “go” after they start recording?!)

Very lightly spray a muffin tin (12 cups) with cooking spray, and place trimmed wontons in cups. You may need to press some folded portions against the wall of the muffin tin so that there will be room for filling later (do not adding filling yet or you’ll have soggy wontons). Cook wontons until crisp as shown in this below video (8 ½ -10 minutes). (Before testing wontons to see if cooked enough, make sure you’ve given them a few minutes so they are cool enough to touch.)

The bottoms of each wonton should make a clicking sound when you tap it with your fingernail, and there should be no flexibility in the wonton. If it will bend when the sides are squeezed, it isn’t quite done. Keep an eye on wontons and cover with foil if edges begin to brown too much.

While the wontons are cooking, on medium heat, cook chicken mixture in a nonstick skillet until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. You do not need additional oil; the chipotle peppers provide just enough to cook the mixture. When the chicken is nearly cooked, add the black beans and gently stir them into this mixture in your pan. Remove from heat when chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F in the middle of the largest pieces).

If you follow the recipe by prepping your parts of the recipe ahead of time as it’s noted here, the wontons and chicken should be done at about the same time, and your food won’t get cold.

Add the hot chicken mixture to the wontons in the muffin tins as soon as they’re ready (chicken will likely be ready a minute or two before the wontons but not long enough to get cold), topping with green onions, as well as the cilantro and jalapeños if desired.

I squeeze fresh lime juice onto mine when serving, though they’re great without this too if you’re not a big fan of lime – or just want to savor that awesome chipotle flavor.

Weight Watchers Info.: Each filled wonton is precisely 1 Freestyle SmartPoint each, so it’s easy to make a meal out of these tasty treats. And all the garnishes are free, so play with those — or not — to your heart’s desire! (Note: Be sure to trim wontons to about half the size — that’s not only for looks; it also really reduces the points.)

Cranberry Salsa

Our cranberry salsa is just the tart treat you’ve been craving as the holidays approach. But beware, if you set it out as an appetizer, it’s usually all gone before the meal.  Consider a double batch if you have a crowd. And it pairs perfectly next to some turkey and stuffing (I eat it by itself with a spoon that way).

I snagged this recipe from a former colleague who already knew the recipe was such a hit that she brought copies of the recipe with her (she’d taken it to other events and had so many requests she learned her lesson & knew to come prepared)! And it was that fantastic and more.  So if you stumble across this sometime, Julie T., a huge thanks from my family (and I mean my entire massive God-bless-us-every-one extended family as seen in our brownie post) to yours.

I’ve tweaked it a titch to make it just right for us, so I hope you’ll share it with those you love as well – and save the paper by telling them to visit Four Sisters Dish of course. Do it for the rainforest and for the Moore sisters! ~Robin

CranberrySalsa

Ingredients:

  • 1 16 oz. bag of cranberries
  • ¼ c. cilantro
  • 2 – 3 T. of fresh lime juice (one lime or a little more)
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
  • ¾ c. sugar
  • Tortilla or pita chips for dipping
  • Cream cheese (optional)

Directions:  

Place cranberries and cilantro in a food processor; pulse until cranberries are to the desired chopped size.  You want small chunks but not to liquefy them. You need some texture.

I then hand-mince my jalapeños because I don’t trust the processor not to pulverize them a bit too much.

Fold in jalapeños and sugar until well combined.  Serve over cream cheese if desired (I love it by itself on a chip, but cream cheese just adds some richness).

WW Freestyle Info.: Makes ten ¼ cup servings at 4 points each.  Note:  If you use sugar substitutes (I don’t, so I can’t advise on amount needed; use to taste), this recipe could be ZERO points.

Taco Slaw Bowls

Posted by Erin

Did you try our most popular recipe, Egg Roll in a Bowl? This Mexican version was inspired by that dish, and you will love it!

I’m one busy woman, as pretty much all moms (and dads!) are. We are always rushing to get kids to their extra-curricular activities, get homework done, etc. so I try to come up with recipes that don’t require a lot of time-consuming chopping and prep-work. This one fits the bill. 

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Another bonus to this recipe, for those of us with picky kids, is that it somewhat disguises the veggies. I don’t know about your kids, but mine won’t eat raw shredded lettuce and chopped tomato on a taco. They will, however, eat the tomatoes & shredded cabbage cooked with this taco meat. The flavors blend so well, they don’t even detect the veggies. I serve theirs in a taco shell, topped with cheese, but I like mine over rice. Either way, it’s delicious!  

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 (1 oz.) packet low sodium taco seasoning
  • 1 (1 oz.) packet ranch dip mix, dry
  • 1 (14 oz.) bag classic slaw/chopped cabbage with carrots
  • 1 (10 oz.) can mild Ro-tel, undrained
  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lime, plus more for serving
  • 1 tsp. each:  chili powder, cumin, paprika
  • ½ a bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • Chopped green onion for garnish
  • Other optional garnishes & serving ideas:  rice, taco shells, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, salsa

Instructions:

Brown the beef in a large skillet with the diced onions, garlic, taco seasoning, and ranch seasoning; set aside onto a paper towel-covered plate to remove any residual oil from beef.  

Heat olive oil in the skillet over medium heat; add the slaw, Ro-tel, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and paprika.  

Stir and cook until cabbage is wilted and tender.  

Add the beef mixture back to the skillet; stir and heat through.  

Serve over rice with lime wedges, chopped green onions, etc.

WW Freestyle Info.:  This makes 5 servings of about 1 cup each; 6 points per serving (not including rice or optional garnishes).