Tag: new years resolution
Halibut with Tomatoes & Olives
Another super healthy recipe! I made it with halibut as it is a nice, meaty fish but it can be substituted with another fish or shrimp or even scallops. It is simply marinated in smoked paprika- which gives anything super flavor without any calories. The fish is then browned briefly and cooked in a delicious mixture of tomatoes and olives. I served this with couscous with roasted butternut squash and cranberries. The meal was delicious…
- 2 to 3 halibut filets, 4 to 6 ounces each
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Sprinkle the fish filets with salt and smoked paprika.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup olives, sliced (any kind you like)
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Juice of half a lemon
Heat a non-stick frying pan with the olive oil. Brown the fish filets briefly on both sides on high heat. Take them out and keep aside. Add cherry tomatoes, garlic and olives to the same pan. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cilantro and the fish. Cook the filets for another few minutes (depending on the thickness). Check for seasonings and serve.
Pasta with Turkey and Spinach
This is a healthy one! My daughter’s friend was coming over on a Sunday and was going to stay for lunch. Kids love pasta- we all know that. It is always hard to come up with new and interesting dishes to serve them.
I had ground turkey in the fridge and decided to make a quick meat sauce. I also had a big container of freshly made marinara sauce. Instead of serving vegetables on the side, I added it into the sauce. I love making one pot meals- especially for kids. I have also noticed they tend to eat the veggies if they are incorporated into the dish.
I sauteed an onion and garlic with the meat- added the tomato sauce and spinach. That was it- so simple and delicious.
- 1 pound ground turkey meat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 cups chopped frozen spinach, thawed
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- Salt
Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the turkey meat and separate meat with a wooden spoon. Cook on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the two cups marinara sauce and mix well. Add salt and check for seasonings. Cook, covered for 10 minutes. Serve with pasta.
Healthy Chicken Tikkas
I usually make chicken tikkas out of thighs. I love the tender pieces of thighs and they are very forgiving- with the cooking time that it.
I decided to use chicken breast and marinated the pieces in an aromatic mix. I simply blended ginger, garlic, cilantro and dried mint. I mixed it with a bit of non-fat Greek yogurt.
I think the trick is to marinate the pieces for a few hours if not over night. The flavor will get stronger and that is what you need when you are trying to cook with less fat and use meats that are very low in fat.
Instead of cooking the pieces in the oven, I decided to use my non-stick frying pan. Cooking it on the stove top gave a bit more control over the cooking time. I kept checking on the chicken to make sure it doesn’t over dry- that is the worst thing- you don’t want chicken breast tasting like cardboard.
Enjoy this dish but make sure to watch the chicken- closely… enjoy!
- 1½ pounds chicken breast, skinless
Marinade
- 2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ cup cilantro
- Juice of one lemon
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 3 teaspoons oil
Process ginger, garlic and cilantro till smooth. Add the mixture in a small bowl. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, salt and dried mint. Spread the mixture all over the chicken pieces and marinate for at least 4 to 5 hours or over night.
Drizzle 2 teaspoons oil into a non-stick pan. Heat on medium and add the chicken pieces. Lower and cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the pieces). Turn the pieces and drizzle the remaining one teaspoon oil and cook till done. Serve hot.
Healthy Vegetable Scramble
I like starting my day with a healthy breakfast.
I bought a carton of egg whites and decided to pair some up with a regular egg.
I sauteed up some veggies as well. My fridge is filled with peppers, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, and sprouts. I decided to use some mushrooms, peppers and spinach. I cooked them with a tiny bit of oil. I used the non-stick pan so it doesn’t take too much fat to cook the vegetables. I mixed up the egg whites and egg with salt and added it to the non-stick pan.
It is a delicious breakfast with a very large cup of coffee- perfect way to start the day…
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup egg whites
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup yellow or red pepper, sliced
- 3 to 4 cremini mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup low fat, shredded cheese
- 1 teaspoon extra light olive oil
Beat the egg and egg white in a small bowl. Add the salt and cheese and mix well. In the meantime, heat a non-stick frying pan and add the oil. Add the spinach, peppers and mushrooms. Saute on medium heat till the mushrooms have cooked down- about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the egg mixture. Mix well and turn the heat off as soon as the mixture begins to set. Serve immediately.
Brown Rice with Minted Green Peas
I served this super healthy rice dish with the lentils I made yesterday. I love when I am able to make very flavorful dishes that are good for you. Especially when I am feeding my daughter and husband. As the cook in the family, I feel responsible for feeding them delicious and healthy food. I want to make sure my daughter grows up learning healthy eating habits.
This takes absolutely no time at all. I had cooked brown rice in the fridge so it didn’t take me long at all. You can also use the frozen brown rice available at Trader Joes. I always have some on hand. It is great for a quick meal.
For this dish, all I did was saute a shallot in some olive oil. I then added some sweet, frozen peas and chopped mint. The rice came next with a bit of salt. That it- all done. It was delicious with the brown lentils. It was a healthy meal we all enjoyed…
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Mushroom and Spinach Quesadilla
This is a great way to transform your left overs and create a wonderful, quick lunch. I made this for myself with the leftover mushroom mixture from the enchilada dinner.
Smoked salmon is always in my fridge. I try to eat it as much as possible especially since the other two people in my family don’t care for the fish at all.
I wanted to make a substantial yet healthy lunch for myself. I took out the mushroom filling and the salmon. I decided to add some spicy low fat cheese- just a few, very thin slices to add some creaminess to the dish. I also always have whole-wheat tortillas in the fridge- and that was it- a quesadilla was born. I added the mushroom filling, salmon, cheese and baby spinach- also, always in my fridge. It was a well-balanced, quick and delicious lunch. Best of all, I ate it with some delicious homemade salsa.
Try the quesadilla next time you run out of ideas for a healthy lunch…
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Alaskan Cod with Spaghetti and Arugula
This meal is ideal to if you are trying to be healthy for the new year. I recently wrote and article for the New York Times Local blog and featured this recipe. I was trying to follow a few new eating habits for the New Year and this recipe was a fabulous way to begin.
I tried using brown rice pasta for the first time and it was a big hit. The consistency is a bit different- it is much softer, mushier and so you have to be careful while cooking. You need to use ample water when cooking the pasta. My husband and daughter were thrilled to eat this spaghetti. I thought the taste was different and I have to say, I missed the ‘pasta’ taste but since I had covered the pasta with some delicious homemade tomato sauce- it was just fine.
The mound of pesto covered arugula was a genius idea- yes I am not very modest… Anyway, the greens on top of the pasta looked beautiful and tasted even better. Since arugula is tough enough to be cooked, I placed the simply cooked piece of fish right on top. It looked like a fancy meal served at an expensive restaurant.
I was very pleased with myself. The best part was that I didn’t feel grossly full after eating the meal. I skipped the wine and had a glass of water.
Try the sauteed cod with the brown rice pasta with healthy arugula on top- it is outstanding.
- 3 to 4 cod fillets, about 5 ounces each
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a wide, non-stick frying pan. Add the fish filets and sprinkle salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side on high heat or, till the fish is opaque and flaky. Keep warm.
- Half pound brown rice spaghetti, cooked al dente
- 2 cups fresh or store bought tomato sauce
- Heat the tomato sauce in a wide saucepan. Add the cooked pasta in the sauce and mix well. Keep warm.
- 3 to 4 cups fresh arugula (depending on how many fish filets you have)
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated (with a vegetable peeler)
Add the arugula in medium bowl. Add the pesto and mix well. Sprinkle with the cheese.
Serve the dish by placing a serving of spaghetti in a wide bowl. Top the pasta with a cup of arugula mixed with pesto and cheese. Then, top with the cod fillet.