A healthful Mexican style menu

[DebLynn]

I have company coming for Sunday dinner. We all love Mexican, but we're also all on resolutions to eat healthy. I don't want to make a typical restaurant style meal with fried stuff and cheese and sour cream, etc. I know Mexican/southwest can be healthy, but what would you put together for this meal?

I'm wanting an app, an entree, side and salad? Maybe fruit for dessert? no allergies.

Any suggestions? In the meantime I'll search through threads.

Thanks!

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by DebLynn

I have company coming for Sunday dinner. We all love Mexican, but we're also all on resolutions to eat healthy. I don't want to make a typical restaurant style meal with fried stuff and cheese and sour cream, etc. I know Mexican/southwest can be healthy, but what would you put together for this meal?

I'm wanting an app, an entree, side and salad? Maybe fruit for dessert? no allergies.

Any suggestions? In the meantime I'll search through threads.

Thanks!

A salad with a Pesto/Taco sauce dressing, and fish tacos would be healthy.

[GLC]

Shrimp make a good appetizer, in a salsa, which can also be a fruit salsa. They can also be wrapped in poblano strips and broiled on skewers, separated by lime slices. And you can string jalapenos on there, too, as they are better roasted. Shrimp ceviche, too, if folks like that.

Beans make a good side. You can do refied, just leave out the fat, or serve black beans with corn salsa. You can also toss potato cubes with all sorts of things, sort of a potato salad without mayo. Garlic, red onion, chipotle. Pine nuts. A touch of olive oil to slick it up won't hurt anyone.

Chicken is a good entree. Lots of options. Mango salsa. In adobo. Or red sauce. Or green chili sauce. Con mole, if you make your own mole so you can control the fat and nuts. A big Mexican omelet with lots of sauteed slices of pepper, onion, etc. is real low calorie, as is Hevos Rancheros. Same with fish. It does real well blackened and Mexicanized.

You might also consider a low calorie chiles rellenos. Not traditionally fried, but stuffed with vegetable mix, lightly topped with bread crumbs and fresh white cheese and baked. The stuffing is where you have to shine. Go for texture, like diced zucchini, corn, etc. and seasoning that springs.

And remember that a lot of dishes can get by okay with plain yogurt instead of sour cream.

You can base a salad on corn salsa, adding greens, etc.

Ices and sorbets go well after Mexican. Watermelon. Papaya. Lime.

[Chef Munky]

Chicken lettuce wraps. Anything that you can shred or slice thin will work. Chicken, skirt steak..

Crock Pot Chorizo & Lentil Soup
That one is easy, can be started the night before.

My spatchcocked grilled chicken recipe is always welcomed around here. Chicken breasts can be subbed for the whole.
1 whole fairly large chicken.Rinsed well dried.
1/4 Cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of crushed chili flakes
2 lemons,if you don' have any,bottle lemon juice will do.
Dash of black pepper

In a medium sized bowl-add olive oil,lemon juice,chili flakes,pepper.Mix it well set the marinade aside.


Grilled corn on the cob, left whole.
Really easy, takes 10-15 minutes from start to finish to make. Cook the corn long enough to leave grill marks on them.

I make the brush on sauce the night before. Have it ready at room temp to make it easier to spread on the hot cobs.

1/4 C mayo
1/4 C sour cream
1 Tsp chili powder
Parmesan cheese
Have a few fresh lemons or limes quartered, ready for squeezing.

Mix the mayo, sour cream and chili powder together.
Wrap and refrigerate.
When the cobs are finished grilling brush on the sauce.
Squeeze on the lemon or limes.
Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese.


Munky.

[Dawgluver]

Baked corn chips and several different salsas and guacamole. Fajitas. Fish or shrimp tacos, the Mexican way, maybe with some refried beans on soft corn tortillas with salsa cruda, lime wedges, extra cilantro on the side. They aren't served with cheese or sour cream where we go in Mexico. Tostadas, shredded meat with salsa and a pickled salad atop a corn tortilla, with or without cheese. Avocado chunks to mix with anything. Maybe put out a "bar" with all the fixin's for everyone to make their own.

A very popular corn soup, esquito (sp?) with boiled corn kernals, lime juice, crema, chili powder, it's a street food dipped from a big pot of corn in water, other stuff then added.

[Zhizara]

Like GLC said shrimp in salsa with horseradish as in shrimp coctail.

[SharonT]

Here's a suggestion for starters:

Spinach Quesadillas With Roasted Sweet Peppers
10 ounces fresh spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 green onions; chopped
6 ounces Mexican blend cheese
8 flour tortillas; soft taco size
1 cup corn
4 roasted sweet red peppers

Roast peppers; peel, seed and chop.
Wash and remove stems from spinach; tear into pieces. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in spinach and green onions. Sauté until spinach begins to wilt.
Transfer to a large bowl; stir in corn, roasted peppers and cheese. Spread mixture evenly over 4 tortillas; top with remaining tortillas. Place on foil-lined baking sheets and bake at 375º for 7 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Slice into wedges and serve hot.

[4meandthem]

chili and lime roasted peanuts
A few shrimp rolled in some mild chili powder and some daicon or cucumber rolled too. Just the first 1/4 - 1/3 rolled

Slad with a dressing of lime and orange juice and a little sri hacha
Some orange segments and some thin avacado slices in it too. A little oil is optional as a little cilantro leaves.

make your own chicken or steak or fish tacos.
Garnished with onion,cilantro,tomato and a little crumbled salty cheese like enchilado or cotija. You need just a little cheese. The meat is the star so find a good marinade and let it sit or got to a mexican market and get some already done.

whole pinto beans-make them yourself for the smell alone!

barbecued or sauted bananas for desert with a few berries

Another side would be cramelized skillet corn with red onion,cilantro and nice medium to hot chili powder. I like a little habenero powder for the citus notes but be careful. I like to dice hard cheese rind if I have any into this one too. A little goes a long way.

Grilled pineapple would be another good ending.

Sangria would be a good beverage. That would leave the Tequila for me!

[PattY1]

Originally Posted by DebLynn

I have company coming for Sunday dinner. We all love Mexican, but we're also all on resolutions to eat healthy. I don't want to make a typical restaurant style meal with fried stuff and cheese and sour cream, etc. I know Mexican/southwest can be healthy, but what would you put together for this meal?

I'm wanting an app, an entree, side and salad? Maybe fruit for dessert? no allergies.

Any suggestions? In the meantime I'll search through threads.

Thanks!

I would just go with the old time favorites and just use low fat cheese, 93% fat free ground beef, trans fat free tortillas, vegetarian refried beans. low fat sour cream or plain fat free Greek Yoguart. Salsa is always fat free, just get (if you can) get a low salt one. Mexican fat free rice. And a fat free Mexican Veggie side dish. Google low fat or fat free Mexican dessert recipes, or just modify one you have in mind.If you choose to make something that is fried use Canola Oil. I hope this helps.

[buckytom]

i would start with a scallop and shrimp ceviche: Javi's Really Real Mexican Ceviche Recipe - Allrecipes.com

next, you could go with an ensalada de nopales, or cactus salad: Ensalado de Nopales: Cactus Salad (Mexico City) @ Mexican Recipe Box
just leave of the queso and add a pinch of salt to reduce fat and calories.


for an entree, i'd serve huachinango al mojo de ajo (red snapper in garlic sauce): Huachinango Al Mojo de Ajo


if you don't want something fried, you could go with huachinango a la veracruzana (red snapper in tomato sauce): Huachinango a la Veracruzana- Red Snapper with a Spicy Red Sauce

i've made all of these courses and they are fresh, delicious, and so easy.

desserts aren't supposed to be healthy, so i'd go with flan. but if you must, make dulce de leche (caramel from sweetened condensed milk) and serve sliced fruit for dipping.
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2005/11/dulce-de-lechec/