Barbeque Sauce and Green Bean Medley (double post!)

Barbeque Sauce:
I have never made barbeque sauce before, so this was certainly an adventure. It had a little more of a vinegar taste to it than I prefer, and not as spicy as I expected, but I put it on a steak and it was awesome! So easy too. If you know how to chop and onion and measure, you can make barbeque sauce! Next time (because I’m DEFINITELY making it again), I’m going to use it as I grill meat – slathering it on as it cooks. Mm Mm Mm!

Shopping List:
Onion (only about a third of it or ½ cup finely chopped)
8oz Tomato sauce
3 Tbs brown sugar (I used dark)
2 Tsp chili powder
1/3 Cup cider vinegar
1/8 Tsp Tabasco (I didn’t really measure, I kind of just shook it in till it looked good)

First, chop the onion finely (I didn’t do it too fine, but I should have). Combine tomato sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, cider vinegar and Tabasco in a small sauce pan. Heat on medium high, and as it starts to boil, add onion. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for about 7 minutes.
Makes about 1 ¼ cups of sauce

Nutrition facts (per tablespoon)
Cal – 15 Fat – < 1 Pro – < 1 Carb – 4 Fib – < 1 Sod – 6

Difficulty – Easy Peasy! If you know how to chop, you can make this.
Yumminess - * * * (Like I said, it was a little more vinegary than I would have liked)
Healthy-ness – Nice low sodium, low carbs, and low cals! Compared to most bbq sauces with 75 cals per tbs, and over 100g sodium.

Total Time: about 20 mins (includes onion chopping time)

Green Bean Medley:
Sorry, no picture, I forgot. This wasn’t bad! And again, super easy. I would have liked more bacon flavor, so I think next time I would sauté the bacon and the onions together before adding the green beans. Also, I might lower the heat and put a lid on it so that all the flavors meld together nicely.

Shopping list:
1/3 Cup finely chopped onion (about a third of an onion)
1 Tsp soft tub margarine (I accidentally started melting a tbs! So I quickly corrected myself)
2 Strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (Lazy Chef Tip: Most stores sell pre-cooked and crumbled real bacon bits. One tablespoon equals one slice of bacon – that’s what I used. Saved time!)
16oz can of Green beans (Fancy cut, not sliced)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Have at it with that onion! Chop chop chop, then cook in margarine in a non-stick skillet about five or six minutes. Drain green beans, and add to onion, then add bacon. Salt and pepper to your fancy, cook until heated (about another seven minutes), stirring frequently.
Makes 4 fairly large servings

Nutrition Facts (per serving):
Cal – 67 Fat – 3 Pro –3 Carb – 9 Fib – 2 Sod – 362

Difficulty – Easy Peasy! Pretty much just heat and serve.
Yumminess - * * * (Like I said, I’d like more bacon flavor)
Healthy-ness – Sodium is a little high, but everything else is nice and low! Makes a great side.

Chicken Fajitas

Tonight, the ever anticipated first night, I decided to make Chicken Fajitas. Not too complicated in terms of number of ingredients and effort in preparation, but it felt like a lot of steps. Mostly the amount of slicing of the bell peppers and onions – and boy oh boy did those onions make me cry – but I got through it injury free. In actuality, it wasn’t all that complicated, and I’d make it again with a few adjustments. First, I’d make sure I have enough lime juice! And be sure to add chili powder to give the chicken a kick. I added avocado (because I LOVE them!) which was nice, but I’m not sure I’d keep it. Maybe if it were mixed in some homemade salsa.

Shopping List:
4 Chicken breast halves (I used 1.64 pounds of chicken breast tenders because I’m lazy, and didn’t want to debone the breast halves)
2 Garlic cloves, chopped fine
¼ Cup lime juice
1Tablespoon olive oil
¼ Teaspoon paprika
½ Red Pepper
½ Green Pepper
2 Onions
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut chicken into strips (however suits your fancy really; mine was kind of chunked). In a medium bowl, mix garlic and lime juice. Add chicken, toss to coat, and allow to marinate for about 45 minutes. When ready, drain liquid; cook in a non-stick pan sprayed with vegetable cooking spray until lightly browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, slice bell pepper halves and onion (separate onion rings!). Heat olive oil in a large (and I mean large! I had to switch pans because the onions were too much) skillet, then stir in paprika. Add onions and allow to cook slightly before adding pepper. Continue to cook over medium heat, until vegetables are just crisp tender.

If you so desire, place tortillas – wrapped in foil – in the oven at 350 until warm. I (The Lazy Chef) popped mine in the microwave.

Chicken and veggies make enough for 8 fajitas, 2 with two fajitas per serving (i.e. 4 servings)

Nutritional Info (Chicken and Veggies)
Calories – 249 Fat – 4 Carbs – 9 Protein – 43 Sodium – 201

Ratings:
Difficulty – Some Skill Required (slicing veggies, watching two skillets at once and time for marinating)
Yumminess - * * * (Out of five, would have liked chicken to have a little more pizzazz)
Healthy-ness – Very low in fat (awesome!) and a small amount of cals. Overall, pretty good for any diet you may be on, just make sure the rest of your toppings (like sour cream or avocado) don’t set you over the edge!

Total Time: One Hour and Fifteen Minutes (Includes 40 minutes of marinating time for chicken - during which I had a snack)