Healthy Recipes

[SydneyK]

Due to some recent family medical issues, I'm going to have to drastically alter my recipe repertoire. I was raised on Southern comfort food, and hubby was raised on the same. The change has been difficult for us, and there's only so many salads a person can tolerate. We've both lost quite a bit of weight in the last couple months, and blood-pressure has done nothing but improve, so we're getting there. The biggest draw-back is that we're completely bored with the cuisine.

So, if you have tasty recipes that are low-sodium (or low-fat, or low-cal... heck, anything that's somewhat healthy), please post them here! Please!

[ASTalumna06]

This is my favorite. I saw this on 'The Biggest Loser' and saved the episode so I could get the recipe from it. But here it is online... Rosemary Skewered Chicken with Orange Glaze.

http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser...-chicken.shtml

So easy to make and unbelievably good!

[thetygerlily]

Here's a great breakfast or meal replacement- smoothies. I'm traditionally not a smoothie fan (nor do I have an appreciation for Jamba Juice), but I watched a recent episode of Good Eats talking about how Alton lost weight, and I decided to give it a try. I didn't really follow his recipe, more used it as inspiration- but it turned out great! I have had smoothies for the past couple of nights and this morning for breakfast. I think I'm going to keep doing this for breakfast during the week- it's super filling (for a while) and quite tasty.

His recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/a...ipe/index.html

Mine: not so much of a recipe, but a "dump stuff in the blender" kind of thing. I used frozen blueberries, strawberries, banana, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, pineapple, white peaches, yellow peaches, and honeydew as the fruits. Liquids were pomegranate juice and a bit of milk. I also added blueberry flax seed meal.

The yellow & white peaches, pineapple, strawberries, honeydew, and blueberries come in a "spectrum" blend from Costco. I added more blueberries (love them) and froze my own bananas per AB's instructions. I also bought a pack of red fruits from Trader Joe's that I now love- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cherries. These really help round out the smoothie to me- my first attempt was without these (just the Costco blend + blueberries) and it was way too sweet. The blueberry flax seed meal is also at Trader Joe's- a couple of tablespoons. This also helped tone down the sweet, I think, although I could neither taste nor feel the stuff in the smoothie. I don't really taste the banana in it considering how strong all the other fruits are but it does help the texture.

Basically lots and lots of fiber, anti-oxidents from the purples & reds, lots of different nutrients from the varied fruit colors, and generally just good all around. This type of smoothie can also help with blood pressure, glucose levels, heart disease, and other not-so-fun stuff. My husband is diabetic and I attempted to get him to try it but he doesn't like fruit as much as I do. Oh well. I'm sure you could add lots of other additives, change up the fruits, etc. But yum.

[FSUZeta]

if you have not done so already, be sure to check out Cooking Light magazine and the series cookbooks. many, many tasty recipes and they list the nutritional information for each one. Here is one of my favorite recipes from Cooking Light 1988.

Grecian-grilled Chicken

4 boneless chicken breast halves(1 pound), skinned
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 clove garlics, minced(we like garlic, so i use more about 4 or 6)
1/2 teaspoon dried whole oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Vegetable cooking spray

Trim excess fat from chicken. Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry. Place chicken in glass backing dish and set aside.

Combine lemon juice and next 5 ingredients in a small bowl;stir well. Pour lemon juice mixture over reserved chicken. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade; boil reserved marinade. coat grill with cooking spray. Grill chicken 4 to 5 inches over medium hot coals 15 minutes or until chicken is tender, turning and basting with reserved marinade frequently during grilling. Serves 4.

233 calories per serving. 25.9 protein, 13.1 fat, carbs. 2.0, cholesterol 70, sodium 206, calcium 21, iron 1.0

Congratulations on your weight loss and renewed health.

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

if you have not done so already, be sure to check out Cooking Light magazine and the series cookbooks. many, many tasty recipes and they list the nutritional information for each one. Here is one of my favorite recipes from Cooking Light 1988.

Grecian-grilled Chicken

4 boneless chicken breast halves(1 pound), skinned
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 clove garlics, minced(we like garlic, so i use more about 4 or 6)
1/2 teaspoon dried whole oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Vegetable cooking spray

Trim excess fat from chicken. Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry. Place chicken in glass backing dish and set aside.

Combine lemon juice and next 5 ingredients in a small bowl;stir well. Pour lemon juice mixture over reserved chicken. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade;reserving marinade in baking dish. coat grill with cooking spray. Grill chicken 4 to 5 inches over medium hot coals 15 minutes or until chicken is tender, turning and basting with reserved marinade frequently during grilling. Serves 4.

233 calories per serving. 25.9 protein, 13.1 fat, carbs. 2.0, cholesterol 70, sodium 206, calcium 21, iron 1.0

Congratulations on your weight loss and renewed health.

Oooh that does sound good! And easy, too. I'm with you in the garlic department. One thing I'd change though is to not baste with used marinade- then you're essentially rubbing raw chicken juices on mostly cooked chicken. Most will cook off, but it's an added risk- and if you have health problems that include compromised immune system (like diabetes), better safe than sorry. I'd probably just put some off to the side for the basting.

[FSUZeta]

Good point ! If you boil the marinade it should be safe to use. i just went back and corrected that!

[Gusteau]

I found great tomatoes today in the store and made this recipe for Farfalle with a Tomato Lemon Salsa for dinner that you might like.

1 lb. farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 medium-large sized vine tomatoes, diced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 clove of garlic, crushed (I use a garlic press, but if you don't have one you can use a grater or microplane)
1 tsp. fresh basil, julienned
salt
crushed red pepper
extra virgin olive oil

While pasta boils in salted water, combine diced tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, julienned basil, and garlic in a large bowl. When the pasta is cooked drain, but don't shake - you want to retain some of the starchy cooking water on the pasta. Add the hot pasta to the tomato mixture and add salt, red pepper, and a very liberal pour of olive oil, and combine. Serve topped with grated cheese (I use pecorino romano, parmesean is fine too).

It's really that easy, and its very delicious. You can serve it hot or at room temperature. If the raw garlic is too much for you garlic powder works fine - you could also use garlic infused oil. I hope you enjoy it!

[FSUZeta]

that sounds wonderful! i am going to give it a try.

[SydneyK]

Yum! All of these sound good. We're huge garlic fans, and we recently started to reap the benefits of our new herb garden, so Gusteau, we'll probably give your Farfalle a try soon. Thanks, everybody! Keep 'em coming!

[AGDee]

I love these, if you're a tomato fan and they are in season:
Roasted Tomatoes
Directions:

1.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°. Stem the tomatoes and slice them in half lengthwise. Gently squeeze out the seeds or scoop them out with a spoon.
2.

Lay the tomatoes, cut side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasonings (basil, oregano, parsley.. not a lot, just sprinkled!). Roast for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400° and sprinkle some parmesan and mozzarella cheese over the top. Roast the tomatoes until caramelized, about 20 minutes more.
3.

Turn off the oven and leave the tomatoes inside for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack and let cool completely.

I like them slightly warm, actually.

[thetygerlily]

I've done something kind of similar to Gusteau's dish, but with lemon, grape tomatoes, spinach, and feta. Come to think of it I don't think I use garlic in it... blasphemy!

Okay, just dug up the recipe. I submitted this to a Kappa cookbook... delicious! You could also use farfalle, I know most people haven't heard of campanelle. Oh and I don't really measure when I cook it at home... I just throw things in and call it good. But I tried to measure once to get estimates for the cookbook.

Mediterranean Pasta with Lemon, Spinach, and Tomatoes

Description:
This light and flavorful pasta dish is a great alternative to using canned or heavy sauces. The tangy sauce comes from the tart lemons, sweet grape tomatoes, and salty feta cheese. The campanelle pasta is a surprising twist to typical pasta dishes, and the unique shape holds the sauce well. It is available in most grocery stores, but in a pinch farfalle or rotini can substitute. Add a splash of lemon juice or olive oil before reheating leftovers.

Ingredients:
¾ pound campanelle pasta
2 large (4 small) chicken breasts
2 medium lemons, juiced
6 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
Poultry seasoning to taste
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Boil the pasta according to al dente package instructions (undercook by 1-2 minutes for best results) and drain. While the past is cooking, cut the chicken into bite-sized strips or cubes and season with poultry seasoning. Chop the spinach and quarter the grape tomatoes.

Sautee the chicken in the lemon juice over medium heat until just cooked on the exterior of the pieces (will still be undercooked on the interior). Do not overcook the chicken at this stage as it will continue to cook as other ingredients are added. Stir in the spinach and tomatoes and allow to wilt, about 3-5 minutes. Add the feta cheese, salt, and pepper. Gently toss the pasta into the mixture. Simmer for two more minutes, stirring occasionally to combine ingredients. Serve immediately.

[thetygerlily]

Here's another one I submitted to that cookbook. I have yet to meet someone who didn't love this (other than my husband who doesn't like some of the ingredients), and bring it to a lot of potlucks. I usually make it for game nights or BBQs at our house as well. This one has plenty of garlic... one time that I brought this to work, I had to stash it in the fridge until lunch because my wing of the building could smell this stuff I listed 2 cloves for the cookbook audience but honestly I use around 4-5 most of the time.

Corn & Black Bean Salsa

Description:
This healthy, veggie-rich appetizer is quick to prepare and is a real crowd pleaser. It’s a great potluck item because the flavors intensify as it sits in the fridge, and you can make it a day in advance.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 red bell pepper
3 vine ripe tomatoes
½ red onion
2 cloves garlic
¼ to ½ small bunch of cilantro
2 large limes, juiced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Drain and rinse the black beans. Dice the red bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion to a similar size as the beans and corn kernels. Finely chop the garlic, and roughly chop the cilantro. Combine the beans, corn kernels, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to serve. Let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together and give the corn time to thaw. This can be prepared one day in advance, and leftovers last up to 5 days in the fridge.

Serving Suggestions:
Spoon the salsa into Tostitos Scoops chips and serve a small amount on a platter. Include the bowl of salsa and a container of chips nearby so guests can fill their own Scoops. Alternately, serve as a salsa with classic tortilla chips or as a standalone side salad.

[1stSoon2BePhD]

I like Ellie Krieger from Food Network. She takes foods that we all love and don't want to give up and comes up with healthier versions.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-a...ger/index.html
^ This is her foodnetwork.com website

My dad is overweight and 2 months ago he decided that enough is enough. He walks twice a day, he sees a dietitian who has given him very specific instructions on what to eat and how often, he stopped drinking, he stopped eating fast food, and he stopped eating after 7:30 pm and he has already lost 13 lbs!! I am not overweight but he made me realize that I am too young to be out of shape (I can barely do 25 sit-ups without stopping and forget about push-ups!) and I have been working out right along with him and eating healthier because of him. We have healthy family dinners every week and he is such a big inspiration to me!

Good luck with your healthy cooking!

[Shellfish]

I made FSUZeta's Grecian Grilled Chicken last night, and it really was good and so easy to make. I served with it a Greek-inspired pasta salad with veggies, beans, and herbs: http://www.midwestliving.com/recipe/...eta-and-beans/

How are things going with your dietary changes, SydneyK?

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by Shellfish

How are things going with your dietary changes, SydneyK?

You know, we've been eating this way for so long now that I don't consider it a change anymore - this is normal for us now. Since the majority of our changes stemmed from a need to reduce sodium, most of my changes involved altering sauces and seasonings. I make my own Mexican seasoning now, for instance. And all our salad dressing is homemade instead of store-bought now. It's amazing how much better it tastes and how much healthier it is without all those additives and preservatives.

I'm still always up for a new, good, healthy recipe to add to my collection, so please keep sharing!