Thursday, September 27, 2007

Skinny Chimichangas

I got this recipe from my friend Laura. It's from a Weight Watcher's book, but I'm not sure which one. Traditionally, chimichangas are meaty deep-fried burritos. This low fat version is really simple, and you still end up with a great tasting, crispy burrito. We usually buy lean ground beef in bulk at Sam's Club, so I just use that in place of the ground turkey, but you can use whichever you'd prefer.

Skinny Chimichangas
from Weight Watcher's

½ pound ground skinless turkey breast
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped mild green chiles (I never have chiles on hand, so I usually substitute 1 tbsp Sambal Oelek Chili Paste)
⅓ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside.

Spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray; set over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and the chiles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven to warm for 10 minutes. Spoon about ½ cup of the filling into the center of each tortilla.

Fold in the sides, then roll to enclose the filling. Place the chimichangas, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops of the tortillas with nonstick spray. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes. Do not turn. You can top these chimichangas with your favorite salsa and 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 chimichanga)
241 Calories
2g Fat
1g Sat. Fat
46mg Cholesterol
613mg Sodium
34g Carbohydrates
3g Fiber
22g Protein
184mg Calcium (makes 4 servings)

6 comments:

  1. oh wow! that looks so good. now i'm craving mexican.

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  2. These look delicious!

    Though one tiny question. By tomato sauce I'm guessing you don't mean ketchup?

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  3. ruth - nope, not ketchup. just regular canned tomato sauce. you should be able to find it near all the other canned tomato products, i.e. diced tomatoes, tomato paste, etc.

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  4. Hey Jaime I was reading your blog :::swoon::: and thought this recipe sounds great ... how do you think they would reheat? I usually have to eat at work.

    Hope you're doing well!

    Jenn

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  5. hi jenn! thanks :)

    these do reheat ok but they aren't as crunchy as when you've just taken them out of the oven. so - would make a good lunch time meal but not great. if you prep the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it, then when you get home from work you can just roll them up and pop them in the oven for a quick meal :)

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