Delicious Latin recipes with a healthy twist

Celebrity chef Ingrid Hoffmann is cooking light!

Adobo-grilled chicken salad in tortilla bowls

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed, and patted dry

1 tablespoon Delicioso Adobo Seasoning (page 8)

canola oil cooking spray

Salad ingredients

4 10-inch whole-wheat or multigrain tortillas

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

? medium yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped

? cup water

2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

5 cups baby spinach leaves or mixed mesclun greens

? cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat feta, crumbled

? cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Lime wedges, for serving

Method

1. Season chicken breasts with the adobo seasoning. Spray a ridged grill pan with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning halfway through cooking, until lightly browned and barely opaque when pierced with the tip of a knife in the thickest part, about 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let stand until cooled. Cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick strips.

2. To prepare the bowls, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a small dish of water next to your work surface. To make the tortilla bowls, place four empty 15-ounce cans, open side down, on a baking pan. Using a pastry brush, soften the tortillas by brushing both sides with a little water, and then brush them with 1 tablespoon of oil. Drape the tortillas over the cans and bake until firm, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, turn the tortilla bowls right side up, discard the cans, and continue to bake until golden and crisp, another 4 minutes.

3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, water, and chipotles with adobo sauce. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. Place the tortilla bowls right side up on plates and fill each with a handful of greens. Divide the bean mixture among the tortilla bowls and top with a sprinkle of feta. Fan the sliced chicken on top and garnish with chopped cilantro. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve with lime wedges.

Pisto Manchego

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large Roma (plum) tomatoes, cut into ½-inch dice

1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and ribbed, cut into ½-inch dice

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and ribbed, cut into ½-inch dice

3 garlic cloves, minced

? teaspoon kosher salt

? teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, chopped, for serving

Method

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cover.

2. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Cool slightly. Sprinkle with the basil and serve warm or room temperature.

Mini mango-lemongrass-passion fruit trifles

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Ingredients

1 lemongrass stalk, hard outer layers removed, and soft center crushed

1 cup water

? cup sugar

? cup frozen passion fruit pulp, thawed

1 cup 2% low-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 .035-ounce packets stevia or your preferred sweetener

1 store-bought angel food cake

2 mangoes (not too ripe), peeled, pitted, and cut into ¼-inch cubes

Zest of 1 lime, for garnish

Method

1. To prepare the syrup, start by trimming the lemongrass. Cut off the tough bottom tip and top of the stalk where it meets the more tender bulbous part. Slice a lengthwise slit in the lemongrass, and remove the tough outer layers until you reach the softer inner bulb. On the cutting board, smash the lemongrass underneath the flat side of a chef's knife; then chop it finely.

2. Bring the lemongrass, water, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil briskly for 5 minutes; then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the syrup has thickened lightly, about 5 minutes. Let cool and add passion fruit pulp.

3. Mix the yogurt and stevia in a small bowl until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. Cut the cake into 1-inch-thick slices. Using a 3-inch-diameter metal biscuit cutter or ring mold, cut out 16 rounds.

5. Have ready 8 small dessert dishes about 3 inches wide. For each trifle, place a cake round in a glass. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the syrup, a few mango cubes, and 1 tablespoon of yogurt. Repeat. Grate the lime zest over the top of each trifle. Cover each glass with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.