Bariatric-Friendly Comfort Food Hacks - Please Add Your Favorite Recipes! MEXICAN

Restaurant Salsa Fat Free Velveeta and Fat Free Crispy Tortilla Chips - 10 minute snack 250 calories . ( usually I can only eat half of this at a time)

Quick Mexican Restaurant Salsa ( this is exactly how they make it too ) One tub fresh grocery store salsa - add one half to a whole med size sweet red onion sliced / chopped into slivers. One or two ripe red tomatoes diced . One half bunch of fresh cilantro cut tiny ( I use scissors) . Use the stems too they add crunch ! I also like to toast some slices garlic and add it .

This keeps fresh in the crisper for at least a week but you'll eat it long before then!

Fat Free Velveeta sauce - 4 slices Fat Free American cheese ( or if you like a little bite substitute one slice of fat free pepper jack ) About 1/2 cup fat free half and half . Melt together in saucepan - stir - put in small dipping bowl

Fat free tortilla chips .- take two fresh corn tortillas and place in air fryer . Fry at highest setting approx two minutes . Should be very crispy and lightly browned on edges and break apart easily . Two tortillas are only 100 calories !

Totals - chips cals 100 carbs 20 fat 1 gram protein 2 grams

cheese sauce - protein 20 grams carbs 14 grams fat O grams calories 140

salsa - fat O protein O calories negligible

Fat Free Low Cal Enchiladas -20 minutes prep time

preheat oven to 350

toast 6 -8!corn tortillas in pan till slightly browned but still soft

place one slice fat free American cheese on each ( can substitute some fat free pepper jack slice if you like a bit of heat ) if you prefer you can include vegetables - red onion diced fresh tomato are good

open one can of fat free refried beans split 6-8 ways fold tortillas in half place in a row in spray-oiled baking dish

open one can green enchilada sauce pour over tortillas ( should completely cover ) you can top with a bit of cotija cheese but it isn't necessary.

Bake till bubbling and edges start to brown approx 10-15 minutes

calories per serving

total carbs 8 servings 54 in beans 24 in cheese 80 in tortillas 18 in enchilada sauce - carbs per enchilada 22

fat - 1/2 gram per enchilada

protein 16 from tortillas 32 from cheese slices 18 from refried beans equals 8 grams protein per enchilada

calories- 400 from tortillas 330 from beans 110 from enchilada sauce 240 from cheese equals 1080 so 135 calories per enchilada

Ceviche - cold fish salad marinated in citrus juice . Zero fat very low call high healthy protein .

This is a Great use for leftover fish . Wash off the sauce cut it up into bite size pieces . For two cups of fish I use approx 3/4 cup lime juice . I also dice 1/2 a red onion very small and add it to the marinade and peel a orange with a seater dice it and add it and refrigerate . Ceviche softens the fish most evenly if you periodically stir the fish into the lime . Some people drown the fish in lime I find it wasteful and the end result often too tangy - it's better to just stir and taste every hour or so . Usually it takes 3-4 hours and the fish is both soft and citrusy in flavor . I pour off the lime when I like it and add tiny pieces of cilantro a diced tomato and Some very mild chili pepper or red pepper diced . Makes 3-4 cups

Calories - approx 100 a cup . Protein approx 25 grams per cup very little carbs and no fat .

Instant Pot Chicken Taco Meat

Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken thighs ( how ever much you need ) Taco seasonings to your liking ( I make my own blend ) 1 cup broth or water.

Season chicken thighs, and slightly season cooking liquid. Add the 1 cup of cooking liquid to Instant Pot insert.

Place thighs on Instant Pot trivet or in an IP friendly steamer basket. Set on manual high pressure, for 6 minutes per pound with a 10 minute natural pressure release. 2.5 lbs, my go-to amount, takes about 25 minutes total, including the NPR.

After they're done, shred for various uses. I use my Kitchen Aid with the paddle attachment; it makes for quick shredding.

I eat this in a bowl sans tortilla and add shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream.

Easy-Peasy and really, really delicious.

My taco seasoning blend is granulated garlic, granulated onion, black pepper, chile powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano or marjoram, chipotle powder, and ancho powder. I add at least 3 x more garlic than the other spices. I don't add salt. I like to salt the food separately.

Edited for formatting hijinks.

I like to add some fat to the bottom of the IP, smear it all over the bottom, so it helps the spices and it is easier to clean after. I use avocado oil, or ghee or coconut oil.

Oh I like that suggestion! I do hate it when the insert doesn't come clean easily. Thanks, Hala!

Me, also...I always add some sort of healthy, REAL fat..,

No fake fat, or "fat free", for me, EVER...yuck!

I guess since I use meat like chicken thighs or chuck roast in the IP, I don't add fat, but I think it's genius to add some though.

No fat free stuff here either. I even buy yogurt that's 5% to mix in with the Light and Fit Greek.

So it's in a basket not sitting in the water?

Yes! The trivet and/or the basket keep it above the liquid line, depending on how much liquid is added, of course. I think it helps keep it from getting too waterlogged. Using the trivet on my model, ( 6 qt Duo, bought in November 2016 ) it may still sit in liquid a little bit if a cup or more of liquid is added.

I recently bought a silicone steamer basket on Amazon, and it even though the basket isn't any higher than the trivet, it seems to keep it out of the liquid better. The brand I bought is "QuickerNest". It's gray, and looks more like a floppy colander than a steamer basket...lol. I love it. It fits in my 6 qt if I fold the handles down.

I do this with all of the meat I put in the IP for shredding purposes.

Hope this clarifies things!