Gettin' Jiggly

Just got back from our WONDERFUL trip to South Carolina to visit old friends and familiar places. I expect to write about it soon, but I'll save that for a time when I can do it justice.

Right now, I've just sent the boys out to ride their scooters up and down the alley behind our house. (Finley is next to me, dangling in the door jumper that he's really too little to use, but he seems to like it anyway.)

So, with the few minutes I have in front of the computer, I just wanted to let you know that the Better Halves are still doin' their thing. We got home yesterday afternoon from our trip, and--lo and behold--a delicious beef stew arrived on our back porch in time for dinner. As one who did not have the energy or the inclination to think of a meal (or to shop for it) after such a long road trip, let me just say that I was greatly relieved by this delivery.

Given the fact that we usually meet every Friday to discuss who is going to make what and when, and there was no meeting this past week, I was kind of wondering if we'd be doing the co-op this week. --I shouldn't have worried. Apparently, we are so well trained by now that the menu has come together as if by magic.

Furthermore, it appears we are all feeling a little jiggly after a whirlwind season of holiday eating, because there's talk about adding a little exercise to our weekly routine--as well as a little less butter in our dinners. (At least through the month of January. Then we'll probably toss those resolutions aside like old pants that don't fit any more.)

I, myself, am planning on making Chiles Rellenos Casserole from an old Cooking Light recipe. And this time, I plan to actually follow the parts of the recipe that make it light. No more doubling the cheese or adding extra meat. I'm going to follow in the instructions! (And I think it might still turn out delicious--I'll let you know...)

Here it is:


Chiles Rellenos Casserole

Ingredients


1/2 pound ground turkey (yes, I actually bought ground TURKEY...first time for everything, I guess)
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
2 (4-ounce) cans whole green chiles, drained and cut lengthwise into quarters (I just got diced...)
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded colby-Jack cheese
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and drained
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups skim milk (Yeah...I'm using 2%.)
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg whites

Preparation

Cook turkey  in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Combine turkey, cumin, and next 5 ingredients in a bowl. Stir well, and set aside.

Arrange half of green chile strips in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; top with half of cheese. Spoon mounds of bean mixture onto cheese, and spread gently, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge of dish; top with corn. Arrange remaining chile strips over corn; top with remaining cheese. Set aside.

Combine flour and salt in a bowl; gradually add milk and hot sauce, stirring with a wire whisk until blended. Stir in eggs and egg whites; pour over casserole. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until set; let stand 5 minutes.

And--not that any of this makes any sense to me--but here is the nutritional info:

Calories: 292 (29% from fat)
Fat: 9.5g (sat 4.6g,mono 2.9g,poly 1g)
Protein: 23.3g
Carbohydrate: 29.3g
Fiber: 5.2g
Cholesterol: 118mg
Iron: 3.7mg
Sodium: 640mg
Calcium: 242mg

All I know is that it's usually a tasty dish (at least with ground beef, extra cheese and eggs). We'll see if the dietary version works as well.

Happy New Year, you crazies!