Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas

Okay so there's a chance I have a preoccupation with fajitas.  Those who know me well would probably argue its more of a "what can I make that I can put sour cream on top of" thing.  I will let you decide that one... in the meantime here is a good and easy recipe for some chicken fajitas that don't go in a crock-pot. Obviously the final calorie count will again depend upon the toppings you choose.

Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas
1 tsp. minced garlic (the dried kind you find in the spice aisle is what was used but of course fresh garlic would be wonderful.
1 tsp. minced onions (again, the spice aisle, on this one I would stick with that kind since it's a marinade)
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. cilantro leaves (again, the dried variety)
1/2 tsp. coarse/freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium red or green pepper (I personally used one of each, they make it even more tasty looking!)
8 flour tortillas (8 inch)
Next time I would probably also throw in a little chipotle chili powder or some Mrs. Dash southwest blend, just to give it a little extra kick.


Mix juices, oil, all of the spices, and salt in a small bowl.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and set aside.  Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag or glass dish.  Add the remaining marinade; turn to coat well.  Refrigerate for at least 30 mins, longer for more flavor.

Yum, raw chicken in a bag :)

Cook and stir chicken in large heated skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes or until lightly browned. (This is the point in most recipes where I scoff and say 3 minutes? yeah, right.  I must not have small enough pieces because it never cooks through in this amount of time.  Probably took closer to 10 mins.)

Remove from skillet.  Add bell pepper, onion, and reserved 1/4 cup of marinade; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. (this was much more accurate than the chicken)  

veggies are gorgeous!

Return chicken to skillet.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.

Spoon chicken mixture into warmed tortillas.  Serve with assorted toppings and enjoy!

Servings : 8

Nutrition (including an 8 inch whole wheat flour tortilla heated w/no oil) :  Calories 294; Total Fat 10 grams; Sat. Fat 2 grams; Cholesterol 60 mg; Sodium 520 mg; Carbohydrates 26 grams; Dietary Fiber 4 grams; Sugars 2 grams; Protein 26 grams, Plus Vitamins A, B6, and C.  Calcium, and Iron.

Baked Ziti

Yes, a pan full of cheesy pasta is in fact under 500 calories for a rather generous portion size.  Hooray!!  It's actually kind of like a lasagna minus the meat and the squiggly noodles that are hard to cut.

1 box whole wheat/fiber enriched ziti or penne
1 (15oz) container of fat-free ricotta cheese (I couldn't find fat free but I did get the low fat part skim variety, oh walmart you are such a non-grocery grocery store.)
2 large egg whites
4 cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
3 1/2 cups low-fat, low sodium marinara or the following recipe for you own sauce.  (takes a little time to make but at only 63 calories a serving is worth it)
2 Tablespoons grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese


Marinara Sauce:
1 cup minced yellow or white onion
2 Tablespoon freshly minced garlic (or more!)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tsps honey
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil (I personally just used the always handy mixed italian seasonings instead of oregano and basil and dumped a bunch in... I'm not huge on the whole "measuring" thing.  Besides, it's hard to have too much seasoning!)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt, to taste, optional


Put a little olive oil in a non-stick skillet and heat over medium.  Add the onion and garlice and cook until just becoming tender (4-6 mins) Reduce the heat to low and stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, honey, and seasonings.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour.  Season with salt, if needed.
Makes 7 (1/2 cup) servings or 3 1/2 cups of sauce
Nutrition: 63 calories, 3 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, less than 1 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 156 mg sodium.


For the Baked Ziti:
Preheat oven to 400* and mist a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
Cook the ziti according to package directions and drain.
IN a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, egg whites, and all but one cup of the mozzarella until well combined. Add the garlic powder and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined.  (This would also be a good place to throw in some more Italian seasoning if you'd like)
Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish.  Add half the past in an even layer over the sauce.  Top with another 1 cup of the sauce.  Layer the remaining pasta over the sauce and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sauce should be spooned over that.  Sprinkle the reserved cup of cheese and the Parmesan over the top.
Cover with foil and bake 20 mins.  Remove foil and bake 10 mins longer or until the mozzarella is melted.  Let stand five minutes.
Makes 8 Servings
Nutrition (including sauce recipe above):
350 calories, 22 g protein, 57 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat (3g saturated), 20 mg cholesterol, 8 g fiber, 429 mg sodium


I thought this was pretty tasty and easy to make.  I will say, however, that I will put more sauce in next time. I have always been a more sauce less cheese type of person, but if you are opposite like my husband then this recipe works just fine.  I also added a little freshly grated Romano cheese on top because I have some in the fridge I want to use before it goes bad.  (those Italians think alot of their cheese!! $$) And that was tasty.  If you aren't watching calories you could always throw some pepperoni in the layers as well which would be pretty tasty.