The Good Life Center: April Showers bring May Flowers, more Farmers’ Markets, and a crowd of Holidays to boot!

Well for some reason, the last few weeks of April felt more like the normal temperatures for March, unlike the March temperature which soared into the 80's and even the 90's on more than one occasion! Nevertheless, our flowers are blooming and thankfully we’ve gotten some very much needed rain over the last few weeks.

Back in March, I listed for you all of the Farmers’ Markets that opened up in April. A few were left off that list, so I’m including them all for you now. Just in time for the First of May! Check out this link here for all of Richmond’s Farmers Markets. There’s bound to be fresh, local produce near you!

What about some other exciting events in May?

How about Cinco de Mayo!

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Translated as the Fifth of May, this holiday is a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is actually celebrated on September 16.

In any case, I’m a huge fan of Mexican cuisine so in celebration of this Saturday, here are a few tasty (and healthier) versions of some classic Cinco de Mayo recipes...

Recipe Makeover #1 – Mexican Casserole

The classic one-dish combination of ground beef, refried beans, fried tortillas, and lots of melty cheese is a crowd-pleaser, no question. But a single serving of most versions of Mexican Casserole can add up to nearly an entire day's worth of both saturated fat and sodium!

The best way to lighten this monster is to create a base of familiar flavors, starting with a homemade salsa and traditional corn tortillas. Swap in lean chicken breast, nutrient-rich veggies, and some lower-fat cheese in place of the ground beef, refried beans and high-fat cheddar. This remade casserole has less than one-third of the original's calories, saturated fat, and sodium. (Perhaps leaving some extra calories for a Skinny Girl Margarita?)

Mexican Chicken Casserole with Charred Tomato Salsa

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Yield: 8 servings Total:1 Hour, 10 Minutes

Ingredients

Salsa:

· 8 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded

· 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

· 1 small onion, peeled and chopped

· 1 seeded jalapeño pepper, quartered

· Cooking spray

· 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

· 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

· 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Casserole:

· 1 cup chopped onion

· 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

· 1 cup diced zucchini

· 1 cup chopped red bell pepper

· 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

· 1 tablespoon minced garlic

· 2 teaspoons chili powder

· 1 teaspoon ground cumin

· 1 (10-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce

· 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles

· 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

· 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

· 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat broiler.

2. To prepare salsa, combine first 4 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes or until charred, stirring once. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro, lime juice, and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350°.

4. To prepare casserole, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 cup onion, corn, zucchini, and bell pepper; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through green chiles); sauté 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.

5. Spread 1/2 cup salsa over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of tortillas over salsa. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with 3/4 cup salsa. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of each cheese. Repeat layers, starting with remaining tortillas and ending with remaining cheeses. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes until bubbly.

Recipes Side-By-Side

ORIGINAL RECIPE 1,084 calories per serving / 28 grams saturated fat / 2,075 milligrams sodium

LIGHTENED RECIPE 331 calories per serving / 6.1 grams saturated fat / 535 milligrams sodium

ancient Mexican artwork

Recipe Makeover #2 – Nachos

A plate of nachos―with heaps of ground beef, cheese sauce, lard-refried beans, guacamole, and sour cream over fried and salted tortilla chips―satisfies a comfort-food craving. A lot less comforting: That nacho serving exceeds daily needs for sodium, saturated fat, and calories for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

We could see the good-for-you potential in the meat, veggies, and avocados, but didn’t want to skimp on the crunchy-salty-cheesy deliciousness in our lighter version. So our recipe features regular tortilla chips covered with bacon-studded beans. We shred roasted lean pork tenderloin and scatter the bits over the bean layer. A bit of finely shaved low-fat cheese and a salsa with avocado top the dish in place of mounds of guacamole, sour cream, and cheese sauce. Serve with a cool margarita… and don’t feel bad about taking a nice siesta afterward.

Pork and Pinto Bean Nachos

Yield: 6 servings

(serving size: 1 ounce chips, 1/2 cup beans, 1/3 cup pork, and 1/2 cup topping)

Ingredients

Meat:

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· 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed

· 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

· 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

· 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

· Cooking spray

· 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

· 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Beans:

· 1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

· 2 tablespoons water

· 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

· 1 teaspoon chili powder

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

· 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

· 4 applewood-smoked bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Topping:

· 1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato

· 1 cup diced avocado

· 1/2 cup chopped jicama

· 1/3 cup chopped onion

· 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

· 1 tablespoon olive oil

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients:

· 6 ounces sturdy tortilla chips (8 cups)

· 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Colby and Monterey Jack cheese

· 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

· 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 500°.

2. For meat, rub pork with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Place pork in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 500° for 23 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Remove from pan; cool 10 minutes. Shred pork with two forks to measure 2 cups; place in a small bowl. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons juice, and garlic.

3. For beans, remove 2 chipotle chiles and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can; reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Drop chiles through food chute with food processor on; pulse 3 times or until coarsely chopped. Add adobo sauce, water, and next 4 ingredients (through beans); process 5 seconds or until smooth. Stir in bacon.

4. Preheat broiler.

5. For topping, combine plum tomato and the next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt); toss well to coat.

6. Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Top evenly with bean mixture; top with meat mixture, and sprinkle with cheese. Broil 4 minutes or until cheese melts. Top evenly with topping, cilantro, and jalapeño. Serve immediately.

p.s. Thank you to all my readers who have boosted my page views past 1000! Go Good Life!

Recipes Side-By-Side

ORIGINAL RECIPE 1,258 calories per serving / 74.6 grams total fat / 29 grams saturated fat / 2,199 milligrams sodium

LIGHTER RECIPE 517 calories per serving / 26.9 grams total fat / 6.8 grams saturated fat / 991 milligrams sodium

Note: Key Ingredients that Build Smoky Flavors

Commercial chili powder typically includes a blend of cumin, oregano, garlic, and ground chiles. The cumin brings an earthiness that works well with the beans and other spices.

Then come the chipotle chiles― smoked jalapeño peppers that we love canned in adobo sauce: They’re easy to puree or chop. And you can add the sauce to the beans, too.

Just a few slices of applewood-smoked bacon dial up the nachos’ smokehouse flavor.

ancient Mexican artwork

Recipe Makeover #3 – Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

The Dilemma: Plenty of cheese and sour cream, as well as canned cream of chicken soup, contributed to the hefty 773 calories per serving of this filling entrée. Plus, the soup and abundant 2 pounds of cheese added to the dish’s sodium content.

The Solution:

Cheese: Using half the amount of cheese and opting for a reduced-fat Mexican blend in the filling cut 149 calories, 13.4 grams of fat (8.4 grams saturated), and 126 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Topping: We topped the casserole with one-fourth the original amount of cheese and employed a sharp reduced-fat cheddar to trim 97 calories, 8.3 grams of fat (5.2 grams saturated), and 134 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Sour cream: In place of 2 cups of the full-fat sour cream, we used a combination of 1 2/3 cups low-fat plain yogurt and 1/3 cup butter to shave 29 calories and about 4 grams of fat (2.4 grams saturated) per serving.

Canned soup: We substituted a reduced-fat, reduced-sodium version of canned cream of chicken soup for a savings of 1.5 grams of fat and 102 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Tortillas: Instead of frying the tortillas in oil, we brushed them with a prudent 1 tablespoon canola oil to keep fat and calories in check and pan-toasted them.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 enchilada)

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Ingredients

· 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

· 2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese

· 1 2/3 cups plain low-fat yogurt

· 1/3 cup butter, melted

· 1/4 cup chopped onion

· 1 teaspoon minced garlic

· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

· 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup (such as Healthy Request), undiluted

· 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

· 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas

· 1 tablespoon canola oil

· Cooking spray

· 1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

· 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Remove 1 cup chicken mixture; set mixture aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, brush oil over both sides of tortilla. Add tortilla to pan; cook 5 seconds on each side or until toasted and soft. Remove from pan; arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla. Roll jelly-roll style; place filled tortilla, seam side down, in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 7 tortillas, remaining oil, and remaining chicken mixture. Spread reserved 1 cup chicken mixture evenly over enchiladas. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese and green onions; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Recipes Side-By-Side

ORIGINAL RECIPE: per 1 Enchilada / Calories 783 / Fat 54.2g / 62% of total calories

LIGHTER RECIPE per 1 Enchilada / Calories 419 / Fat 13.2g / 28% of total calories

Pairing Note: Any of these recipe makeovers would go splendidly with a crunchy green salad and mango salsa. Check out a great recipe for that here: