Mom's "Zero Fat" Spanish Rice

Definitely authentic is the best way I can describe my Spanish rice recipe.  

My mother taught me how to make this several years ago - without any measurements of course, because true chefs cook without any type of measuring instrument, LOL.  But I've managed to get as close, if not better than her recipe, Love you mom - don't hate. (smiling).

In either case, I've included videos instead of the normal picture by picture guides I usually use, but the fourth video's sound was way off.  Also, I was using my iPhone when recording and forgot to turn the phone sideways, so the landscape is vertical instead of horizontal, but you can still enlarge the video if you like.

Mom's "Zero Fat" Spanish Rice

Cocina De Don Pedro © 2013

Pedro R. Flores, Jr.. All Rights Reserved.

Makes 8 Servings, 1 Cup each

Ingredients:

- Non-Stick Cooking Spray, Butter-Flavored
- 2 C Long Grain Enriched White Rice

- 1 Medium Bell Pepper, diced

- 1 Small or 1/2 medium-large Onion, diced
- 1 Small or Medium Tomato, diced
- 4 C Hot Water
- Small 8 oz. can of Tomato Sauce, any brand
- 2 tbsp Chicken-Flavored Bouillon (Knorr Caldo Con Sabor De Pollo or any brand)

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1 tsp Ground Cumin (Comino)
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Kitchenware:

- Large Frying Pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Kitchen Knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Cutting Board

Preparation:

If you've read my other recipes you will notice that I use non-stick cooking spray quite a bit.  That is because I don't use butter or margarine for cooking.  I feel it's unnecessary fat added to your foods.  So when I say, "spray generously", spray generously. :-)

- Using non-stick cooking spray, spray your pan generously and allow pan to get very hot. (not smoking).  Reduce to medium-high and spray some more cooking spray then add your rice, bell peppers and onions.  You will stir-fry this until you start to notice the rice turning brown.  Don't buy brown-rice, it doesn't turn out the same.

- Once the rice is a brown and toasted as seen in the video, you will throw in your tomatoes and stir-fry those for about a minute.

- Reduce to low-medium and "slowly" add hot water to pan.  DO THIS CAREFULLY, because it can start to boil over.

- Add your tomato sauce, stir-in remaining ingredients (the spices).  Continue to stir thoroughly, increase heat and bring to a boil.  Once the broth starts to boil, reduce to low and cover.

- Let rice simmer for 10-12 minutes, remove cover and stir rice a few times, not much.  You don't want a hot sticky mess.

- Replace cover and let simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off burner.  Leave on stove-top until ready to serve.

Tips:
- For an even richer and robust flavor, substitute any chicken broth you have stored from previously cooked chicken instead of the bouillon. Keep in mind, substitute the amount of broth in place of the water, i.e. 2 cups water = 2 cups broth.  Fat content will change slightly.

- Cooking with Bell Peppers and Onions are what make the Spanish Rice flavorful.  If you don't like the taste of these two ingredients, simply cut them larger as I did in this recipe and remove them after the rice is done.

Uses:

- Great with Enchiladas, Beans, Burritos, Tacos, or just by itself.

Nutritional Facts:

Serving Size = 1 Cup Cooked

Calories	186	Sodium	956 mg
Total Fat	0 g	Potassium	172 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	40 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	2 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	2 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	4 g
Cholesterol	0 mg

Healthy 12-Inch Thin Crust Pizza Extravaganza

4 slices, 500 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 24 carbohydrates!  What more could you ask for in a quick and easy pizza to make at home.

I like to use Joseph's Lavash Flax Bread from the bakery section at Wal-mart.  I tried other stores, but haven't found a thin bread or anything similar where a 12-inch sheet of Flatbread is only 8 carbs.

I hope you like this recipe - it's one I will truly enjoy making for Ryan and myself.
 

Healthy 12-Inch Thin Crust Pizza Extravaganza

Cocina De Don Pedro © 2013

Pedro R. Flores, Jr.. All Rights Reserved.

Makes 8 Servings, 1 Pizza slice each

Preheat Oven: 380 degrees

Ingredients:

- 1/2 Cup Onions, chopped

- 1 Cup Bell Peppers, chopped

- 1-1/2 Cup Tomatoes, chopped

- 1-1/2 Cup Great Value Fat Free Turkey Slices, cut into squares

- 1-12 inch Joseph's Flax Oat Bran & Wheat Lavash Bread

- 1/2  Cup Hunt's Garlic & Herb Pasta Sauce

- 1 Cup Kraft Fat Free Cheddar Cheese, shredded

- 1/2 Cup Kraft or Great Value Low-Moisture/Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Kitchenware:

- Wooden Spoon

- Knife for chopping, slicing

- Baker's Pan or Baking Sheeting

- Small Bowl

Preparation:

- Begin by prepping all your vegetables - slicing and chopping the ingredients listed and set aside.

- Pour spaghetti sauce on the Flax bread and spread in a circular motion over entire surface.

- You will be using a partial recipe of the cheeses.  

- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/4 mozzarella cheeses, mix and sprinkle over spaghetti sauce.  You will do the same after you've added all the toppings to the pizza.

- Add your meat preference - in this case I'm using a fat free deli meat, your vegetables and the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/4 mozzarella cheeses.

- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, watching over it periodically.  - Allow pizza to cool for a minute or two, cut in half, and both halves in fourths.

Uses:  
- Parties, Dinner, Just Because

Tips:  
- The nutritional facts were calculated using the ingredients listed.  You can use mushrooms anchovies or jalapenos without altering too much of the nutrients.  But items like sausage, ham, bacon or pepperoni will alter them significantly.

- I recommend using a flat baking sheet or pizza stone instead of deep dish pan - It will make it easier to remove and cut. 

Nutritional Facts:

Serving Size = 1/8th of Whole Pizza

Calories	99	Sodium	554 mg
Total Fat	2 g	Potassium	320 mg
Saturated	1 g	Total Carbs	8 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	2 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	3 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	13 g
Cholesterol	18 mg

Yummy Low-Fat Deviled Eggs

A healthy delicious deviled egg, who knew?

I'm so excited to share this recipe, because it took me months and months to perfect. In just the last month alone I used over 150 eggs.

With only 1.5 grams of fat, 2.5 mg of cholesterol, and only 1.5 grams of carbohydrates, I'd have to say it is one of my greatest achievements yet.  And it tastes like the real thing!!!  I tried every online recipe I could find, and they were not good - None. Zilch. Nada. Believe me, I tried countless of recipes. You'll love this one :-)

Yummy Low-Fat Deviled Eggs

Cocina De Don Pedro © 2013

Pedro R. Flores, Jr.. All Rights Reserved.

Makes 12 Servings, 1 Deviled Egg Each

Ingredients:

- 6 Eggs

- 1 -1/2 oz. Fat Free Cream Cheese

- 1/3 C Miracle Whip Light

- 1 tsp Mustard

- 1/8 tsp Onion Powder

- 1/8 tsp Pepper

- 2 Ritz Reduced Fat Crackers, pulverized

- 2 drops Yellow Food Coloring

Garnish Ingredients Optional:

- Paprika

- Chives

- Bac-O's

- Green Onion

- Pimientos

Kitchenware:

- Zip-loc Bag

- Meat Tenderizer

- Small Bowl

- Cake Spatula or spreader

- Wire Whisk

Preparation:

- Boil eggs in a small pot, cool & peel.  [while eggs are boiling, take your two Ritz crackers and place them in a ziploc bag to pulverize them] see image.   Hammer the hell out of the crackers until it turns to a powder. Make sure to use the flat side of the tenderizer, not the teeth side.

- Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolk (Feed as a treat to your cat or dog).

- To make egg filling, add cream cheese to a small bowl and using the back of your spatula, or spoon, cream the cheese by pressing down inside the bowl, you don't want any clumps.  And do not attempt to heat the cheese. 

- Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and using a wire whisk, whip until a creamy texture appears.

- Fill your egg whites, and garnish by sprinkling with Paprika. [I also like to garnish with chives and "Bac-o's"]

Uses:

Party Trays, Appetizers, Social Gatherings or Just Because :-)

Nutritional Facts:

Serving Size = 1 Deviled Egg

Calories	32	Sodium	101 mg
Total Fat	1.5 g	Potassium	33 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	1.6 g
Polyunsaturated	1 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	1 g	Sugars	1 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	2 g
Cholesterol	2.5 mg

Oven-Baked Corn Tortilla Chips

Baking corn tortillas chips is one of my favorite things to do.  It's fast, easy and healthy.  If you've never tried it, now's your chance.  Why buy bags of unhealthy Tostitos when you can make your own at home?

I use Extra Thin Yellow Corn Tortillas by Mission, because they have a lower fat and carb count than most tortillas, and they bake well.

Oven-Baked Corn Tortilla Chips

Cocina De Don Pedro © 2013
Pedro R. Flores, Jr.. All Rights Reserved.

Makes 4 servings, 16 Chips Each

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:
- 8 Mission Yellow Corn Tortillas, Extra Thin
- Non-Stick Cooking Spray, Butter Flavored
- 1/4 tsp salt or choice of seasoning, optional

Kitchenware:
- Baking Sheet
- Pizza Cutter or Knife
- Aluminum Foil

Preparation:

Place 4 corn tortillas on a cutting board and cut your tortillas into triangles by first cutting in half, turning and cutting in half again. At this point you should have 4 big triangles.  Cut these in half diagonally and you will have 8 triangles, 32 in total with all 4 tortillas.

You can definitely cut them by 1/6ths, but I prefer 1/8ths - whichever you prefer.  Just remember your serving will be 12 chips instead of 16. 

Lay your chips on a baking sheet covered with foil.  Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, and allow to cool before serving.

You don't have to use cooking spray, but if you desire to use salt or your own special seasoning, spray the top of the chips with non-stick cooking spray so that the seasoning sticks to the chips.






Uses:
Snacks, Guacamole, Salsa, King Ranch Chicken, and much more!

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size = 16 chips (1/8 cut) or 12 chips (1/6 cut)

Calories	80	Sodium	10 mg
Total Fat	1 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	16 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	2 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	2 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	2 g
Cholesterol	0 mg

Turkey Sausage

I've always wanted to make sausage, but without the piggy!  You can buy low-fat sausage, but you're still talking about 8 to 9 grams of fat per serving and that's for Turkey or Chicken Sausage.  

So, I took it upon myself to make some Italian Turkey Sausage that hardly has a gram of fat, and it's absolutely delicious!  All you need is some Ground Turkey, a few spices and TA-DA!  You have the perfect sausage!  Oh, but the possibilities are endless!

Turkey Sausage 
Cocina De Don Pedro © 2013
Pedro R. Flores, Jr.. All Rights Reserved.

Makes 10 servings, 2oz. Each

Ingredients:
20 oz. Pkg. Ground Turkey (Honeysuckle 99% Fat Free)
1 tbsp Parsley Flakes
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt 

Kitchenware:
- Medium Bowl
- Breville Mixer or KitchenAid Mixer (optional)

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a bowl or mixer and knead really well.  You want the turkey to absorb all those spices.  If using your hand, this should take you about 3 minutes.  If using the mixer about 1 -1/2 minutes.  The turkey should come out sticky and gooey like sausage. 

Uses:
Breakfast Sausage, Burgers, Meatballs, Lasagna, and much, much more!!! 

Storage:
I like to make my sausage a day or two before I use it, because the turkey has absorbed the spices and the flavor is much more robust.  I store them in the freezer sometimes in a Gladware plastic container like this one.

 

Nutrition Facts:
2 oz. Serving

Calories	68	Sodium	417 mg
Total Fat	1 g	Potassium	15 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	1 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	14 g
Cholesterol	35 mg

Seasoned Grilled Chicken

Several of the recipes I make consist of my seasoned grilled chicken, so when you read a recipe that calls for it - this is what I'm talking about.

It's really easy to make and you can make it however you like.  You obviously don't have to do it like I do, but I can't guarantee your food will taste as delicious :-). 






Seasoned Grilled Chicken  
Cocina De Don Pedro © 2013 
Pedro R. Flores, Jr.. All Rights Reserved.  

Makes Multiple servings, 4oz. Each

Preheat Oven: 350 Degrees

Ingredients:

5 lb. "Family Size" bag of frozen Chicken Breasts, Boneless, Skinless (Great Value), thawed
Lawry's Seasoning Salt or Lemon Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Chili Powder
Parsley Flakes
Non-stick Cooking Spray (Butter Flavored)

Kitchenware:
- 2 Sheet Pans
- Aluminum Foil
- Meat Tenderizer
- Clear Plastic Bag or Large Zip-loc bag.
- Turkey Baster 

If you've never seen a meat tenderizer, here's a pic for you.  There's a meat tenderizer in the spices section of the grocery store, that is not what I'm talking about. LOL.

I have cooked chicken many different ways, and I found that the best way for the chicken to absorb the spices - is by pounding them into the bird!  Yep, that's right, pound those spices in!

You don't literally pound them in, but by tenderizing the breasts the spices will fall into each nook and crevice, and the chicken will taste delicious.

Preparation:
Place a chicken breast into a clear plastic bag or Zip-loc - do not close it completely, because you want the air to escape. Proceed by pounding the chicken with your tenderizer until it's about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick.  And do this for all the chicken.  Lay your chicken on a counter-top or table depending on where you'll be seasoning.

 Line your pans with foil, and spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.

You will season your pans the same way you will season your chicken.

Sprinkle with Seasoning Salt or Lemon Pepper (not both), garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and parsley flakes. I didn't give measurements for these, because the amount varies - so the best way to tell you is - to sprinkle the entire pan lightly.  You DO NOT want a thick layer of spices.  You will sprinkle the entire pan with one ingredient and then the next, and so forth and so forth.  

Place the chicken in your pans, trying not to leave spaces - use as much of the pan that you can.  This time you will season the top-sides of the chicken, but in reverse and spraying them with a generous amount of non-stick cooking spray as your final step. 

Place chicken in the oven and let cook for 25 - 30 minutes.  You will want broth in the pan when you take them out of the oven, if you don't - you've overcooked them.  Make sure to monitor the chicken as you cook.

Using your turkey baster, draw some of the broth into it, and drizzle over the chicken.  There should be plenty of broth for all the chicken.  This returns a lot of the juices that were lost during the cooking process, which helps retain the moisture and delicious flavor. 

Uses:
Fajita Tacos, Chicken Wraps, Pizzas, Enchiladas, Entrees, Salads, and much more!

Nutrition Facts:
4 oz. Serving

Calories	127	Sodium	642 mg
Total Fat	3 g	Potassium	250 mg
Saturated	1 g	Total Carbs	1 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	1 g	Sugars	0 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	23 g
Cholesterol	65 mg

 

Multi-Use Low-Fat Cheese Sauce

Multi-Use Low-Fat & Creamy Cheese Sauce

Cocina De Don Pedro © 2013 Pedro R. Flores, Jr.. All Rights Reserved.

Makes 4 servings, 1/4 C Each

Ingredients:

- 1 cup Fat Free Milk, divided (I prefer to use non-fat instant dry milk)

- 4 tsp Flour

- 1/4 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt or Table Salt

- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

- 1/4 tsp Onion Powder

- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

- 1/4 tsp Parsley Flakes

- 5 drops Yellow food coloring

- 4 slices Veiveeta Original Cheese Slices

Kitchenware:

- Small Sauce Pan

- Wire Whisk

- Measuring Cup

- Measuring Spoons

- Rubber Spatula

Preparation:

- In a small saucepan combine flour and 1/4 c milk.  Mix thoroughly using a wire whisk and add remaining milk. 

- Place milk over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Mixture should be slightly thickened.

- Reduce to low, stir in spices and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.

- Add cheese slices to mixture and remove from heat.  Using the wire whisk, slowly stir the sauce until the cheese is melted and blended in

Tips:

- I use the Non-Fat Instant Dry Milk because it tastes like regular milk.  And there's no fat!  The nutritional facts were calculated using this recipe, so make sure to look at your milk labels before substituting any of the ingredients.

Uses:

- Nacho Cheese, Enchilada Cheese, King Ranch Cheese, or any recipe that calls for a creamy cheese.  Throw in a can of Rotel or chopped onions and/or Jalapenos - hell throw a party. It's low-fat!!!

Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size = 1/4 Cup

Calories	64	Sodium	468 mg
Total Fat	2 g	Potassium	102 mg
Saturated	1 g	Total Carbs	8 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	5 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	5 g
Cholesterol	6 mg