Tag: healthy meals
Healthy Chili Lime Dressing
So, you made the delicious tacos, guacamole and salsa. You have a bit of everything left over the next day- what are you going to do with them?? Well, why don’t you make a delicious taco salad. To keep with the healthy theme, I present to you my favorite, healthy dressing. I have this in my fridge. I hardly ever use bottled salad dressings any more. I do have them in the fridge in case I run out of mine but I prefer the ones I make. Salad dressing are super easy to make. The great thing about making your own is that you can adjust the oil and sugar. I like mine without a lot of oil. I like more citrus and flavor- you can adjust your’s according to taste. I make a batch that lasts me a week. This particular one is great to use with the Latin style taco filling, guacamole and salsa. Try this dressing- you will never want a bottled one again!
- Juice of 2 large limes
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1-2 tablespoons agave
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
Add the lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, water, agave, garlic, cilantro, cayenne pepper, salt and cumin powder to a small container with an air-tight lid. Mix well until the dressing is incorporated. Taste and adjust accordingly.
Dover Sole With Brown Butter
This is one of my favorite white fish to cook. My husband and daughter who don’t care for salmon because of it’s strong flavor, love mild, white fish. I buy Dover sole very often- the catch is that it is a very delicate fish, so I try to do very little to it. Cooking it in brown butter is perfect. It gives the dish almost a sweet nutty flavor which complements the fish really well…
- 1 pound Dover Sole, cut into filets
- 3 to 5 tablespoons butter
- Salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- Lemon juice
Heat a large frying pan with the butter on a simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the butter starts to turn golden brown- careful not to burn it. Sprinkle filets with salt generously. Dredge with flour and sauté on a medium heat in the butter- a minute on each side. Add the lemon juice and serve immediately.
Cardamom Fennel Chicken Tikkas
This is a great recipe for the summer- who doesn’t like chicken tikkas??? The only trick is to give the marinade some time to do its work.. the rest is easy…
- 1 pound chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
Marinade
- ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground to a powder
- 4 to 6 cardamom pods, ground to a powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of one lime
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
Mix the yogurt, half and half, ginger, fennel, cardamom, salt and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and mix well. Marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours, preferably 24 hours.
Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade. Place on to a line cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken pieces. Place into a high broiler and broil both sides until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve hot and with cilantro chutney.
Shrimp and Spinach Risotto- Latin Style
A Latin style risotto, you ask? Well, why not?? Risotto is one of our favorite things to eat and I am always trying to make it in new and different ways incorporating new ingredients every time. Risotto is made with Arborio rice which is a thick grained rice. It is white rice and thus processed- the key is to use the best ingredients one can find while making risotto and eat it in moderation. Usually risotto is finished with cream, butter and cheese making it quite heavy. It can be made lighter and healthier by using good olive oil and a moderate amounts of cheese.
This risotto is a bit different from the Italian variety. I decided to use some Latin flavors… so, I marinated the shrimp with some smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt. I then sautéed some shallots and garlic. I added the rice, kidney beans. I cooked the risotto with chicken broth and added fresh baby spinach. The addition of all these yummy ingredients make this risotto quite light and very delicious. The key to making light dishes is to boost the flavor factor- in this case, it is the delicious marinated shrimp.
Try this dish next time you want to have a delicious, healthy and different risotto- try this one..
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Chinese Broccoli and Chicken Stir Fry
I am sticking with the Asian theme so here is another delicious dish. One of our favorite Asian greens is Chinese broccoli. I love it! We make it a point to order it every time we go for dim sum. They usually steam it and serve a delicious hoisin sauce which is equivalent to a barbecue sauce. I love the earthy leaves with the crunchy stems.
A trip to the Asian store resulted in a big bunch of the greens and some of the tofu noodles. I realize once I get obsessed with an ingredient- I use it all the time. This dish can be served with any starch including white or brown rice- but we just love the tofu noodles. I also bought one ponzu sauce from the store. Ponzu soy sauce is a savory sauce with citrus notes- very yummy. I used it to marinate the chicken to give it a delicious flavor and I used it in a yummy sauce as well. The sauce also includes tamari, agave and orange juice- to mimic the ponzu flavors.
Overall it was a very easy and quick dish to make. It is super healthy and great for a weeknight meal…
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Sausage with Zucchini
I would save this recipe for when one has had a crazy busy day but one still wants to serve a healthy, home cooked meal to ones family. This hardly takes any time- of course the key is to have the ingredients in the fridge and the pantry- that being said- any kind of vegetable or meat can be substituted for the zucchini and the sausage.
I like combining the two especially because of the way they look cut into perfect rounds. I sauteed up the sausage and added the onion and garlic. Some tomatoes, thyme and chicken broth later, I had a delicious dish. I simply served it with whole wheat couscous- which take all of five minutes and voila- I had a delicious meal…
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Orange Pork Chops with Smoked Paprika
It is smoked paprika week.. all the recipes have the delicious spice. I have decided on taking the spice with me if I ever get stranded on a deserted island.
I bought some center cut, thin pork chops. I don’t like making them too often since they tend to dry out very quickly- but then I realized if I brine them, they come out super juicy.
For the brine, I mixed orange juice, apricot jam, vinegar and of course smoked paprika. The liquid has a delicious sweet, savory and tangy component- perfect for a sauce for the pork chops.
I marinated them for a few hours in the liquid. I then browned them and added the liquid back. I realized, cooking them in the liquid keeps them soft and tender. The chops came out delicious. I roasted potatoes on the side with some garlic powder, salt and of course, smoked paprika. I also roasted asparagus on the side and I had a perfectly balanced meal.
Everyone enjoyed the meal with a yummy glass of red wine…
- 4 to 5 center cup pork chops
- ¼ cup apricot jam, softened in microwave
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix the jam, juice, garlic, vinegar, paprika and salt in a small bowl. Add the chops and mixture to a zip lock bag and marinate for 4 to 5 hours. Save the marinade for later.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat a non-stick pan with the oil. Brown the pork chops on both sides on high heat. Take out of the pan and add the marinade. Bring to a boil and add the pork chops. Cook for a few minutes till the chops are done (careful not to overcook). Serve the chops with the sauce, potatoes and asparagus.