Healthy Recipes Healthy Choices

[JustAnotherNut]

Whether for your heart, cholesterol, diabetes, gluten intolerance, cancer fighters, or just plain better food choices.....this thread may be for you. I know it will be for me.

It's not a secret that I'm a big foodie with the belief that 'Let food be your medicine and your medicine be your food'.....the human body was designed to care, support, repair and heal itself, but it can only do so, if we provide the right fuel. Unfortunately, I've gotten pretty lax this winter in my choices and I've been feeling it and it's not good.

I am hoping with this thread, it will help keep me on the straight & narrow. Please share your recipes & ideas so we can all make better choices.


Fajitas

Seasoning Mix...Taco Seasoning I Recipe I did make a few chances as noted. But was very good & just enough kick. I also added a good pinch of kale powder & turmeric for their health benefits.

1 T. chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder (I used double)
1/4 tsp onion powder (also doubled)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I used about half flakes & half cayenne)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt (I skipped it)
1 tsp black pepper


1 lb meat (beef, burger, chicken, pork), sliced thin strips, except burger
1 green pepper, sliced thin strips
1 red pepper, sliced thin strips
1 onion, sliced
2 T. oil (not needed if using burger)
1/4 C water, or chop up some juicy tomatoes.

Cook meat in oil till just about done, then add the peppers & onions and cook a few minutes. Add seasonings & water or tomatoes, and stir to combine. Cook & stir till veggies are tender and all is well combined. Any water or juices should be evaporated.

Top a warm tortilla and enjoy. Use a dab of sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole, if you choose. (use corn tortillas if gluten free).

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Some snack ideas...

Regular pop corn (not microwave), with or without butter, or less butter. For flavor sprinkle on some garlic and/or Parmesan cheese, or ???


Baked tortilla chips...….cut corn tortillas into quarters and bake till lightly brown & crispy. Serve with red or green salsa

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Tonights supper plan.....


Lemon Pepper Chicken

1 lb boneless chicken breast or thighs, either left whole, diced or sliced in 1 inch strips
1 or 2 fresh lemons.....use about a tablespoon of zest and 1/4-1/2 C juice
fresh cracked pepper
1/4 - 1/2 C. chicken broth, optional
couple pats of butter or olive oil

Heat the butter or oil in a skillet, add chicken. Stir & toss till no longer pink. Add lemon zest & juice, then fresh cracked pepper, as much as you like according to your taste. Stir it all well and heat till juice is bubbling. If you want more juices to flavor your pasta and/or veggies, add some broth to the juices & stir till bubbly. Serve over pasta, zoodles or spaghetti squash tendrils.


Zoodles---low carb option of spiral cutting zucchini into thin strips

Spaghetti Squash---another low carb option----just cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds & stringy 'guts', lay squash halves on a cookie sheet with a bit of water & bake till softened. Let cool. Using a fork, scrape the inside meat into spaghetti tendrils & use this for the pasta. Spaghetti squash has little or no flavor of it's own, but provides a great healthy alternative for carby pasta.
Those seeds??? Rinse free of the stringy stuff, & roast in the oven like pumpkin seeds for a snack. Mix with a little oil & seasoning of choice, for variety of flavor options.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Just noticed I forgot to list some minced garlic to the recipe above^^^^^ I did make this for supper tonight, but also added some sliced mushrooms, asparagus and red onion with the chicken. I only prepared 1/2 a squash and it was still too much. That's ok as I'll use it up for something else later.

Even took a pic of the results to show the squash, the plated food and the little cup of seeds, that will get roasted later. There wasn't many seeds in the whole squash

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Tonight will be



Chicken Pot Pie


1lb chicken meat, cut in bite sized pieces
1 C green beans
1 C corn
1 C peas & carrots
2 or 3 medium potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 T oil or butter, to cook meat & veggies
2-3 T oil or butter, for gravy
2-3 T flour
2 or 3 C chicken broth or water
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 pie crust for top, or use 2 for both top & bottom

In large skillet, heat 2 T oil or butter. Add chicken and cook till no longer pink. Add the veggies and about 1/2 C of the broth. Heat to boiling, turn down to simmer till potatoes are tender. Put it all in a large deep pie or casserole dish. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2-3 T butter or oil, whisk in the flour to make roux. Add broth a bit at a time while continuing to whisk, to keep it smooth. You want the gravy on the thin side, as it will thicken further in the oven. Pour the gravy over the meat & veggies. Stir to combine. Roll out crust, cut a few vent holes, then put over the top. Bake at 350 for about an hour or crust is golden and inside is bubbly.



ETA......damn, almost forgot the garlic, onions & celery. Add after the meat is cooked, cook till softened, then add the rest.

 

[Disir]

Sensational Pudding Milkshakes

Makes 1 serving
2/3 cup low-fat milk
1 Tablespoon sugar free instant pudding mix
1/3 cup light, no sugar added ice cream
2/3 cup crushed ice

1. Place all of the ingredients into a blender, except the ice, blend to mix.
2. Add crushed ice and blend on high until the ice is incorporated and the shake is thick and creamy.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 150, Carbohydrates 23g (sugar 10g), Total fat 3.5g (Saturated fat 2.5g), protein 7g, fiber 1g, cholesterol 15mg, sodium 500mg. Food exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 1 low fat milk. Carbohydrate choices: 1 1/2, Weight Watcher Plus Point Comparison: 4.

Banana Cream Pie Milkshake
Prepare the shake using sugar free instant banana cream pudding mix and light, no sugar added vanilla ice cream. Top, if desired, with 2 TBS light whipped topping and garnish with 1 TBS crushed graham cracker crumbs. (Adds 45 calories,. 7 carbs and 1.5 grams of fat)

Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake
Melt 1 TBS sugar free strawberry jam with 1 TBS water in the microwave. Stir. Prepare the shake using sugar free instant cheesecake mix. Pour into glass. Stir in strawberry mixture. (Adds 10 calories and 2 grams of carbs.)

Marvelous Mocha Milkshake
Prepare the shake using sugar free instant chocolate pudding mix and no sugar added coffee ice cream. Top, if desired, with 2 TBS light whipped topping and sprinkle with cocoa powder. (Adds 25 calories, 3g carbs and 1g of fat,)

The above is from Marlene Koch's Eat What you love.

 

[HaShev]

I use soy milk and gravy flour powder to replace cream and milk in recipes.
Heating soymilk helps make it light & creamy while the powder flour thickens it more.
Ground chicken to sometimes replace ground meat in making burgers or fried dumplings, those frozen 1lb logs of ground turkey taco flavor for burritos or italian style for hamburgers and meatballs and faux breakfast sausage used in bisquits and gravy.

Imitation crab meat is healthy, you can make a lobster Numberg with imitation crab and soy milk and imitation butter to make a faux cream then cooking sherry and paprika and salt-Over yolkless wide noodles.
Or sauteed onion and garlic with Spinach, yogurt, mustard powder, curry powder, salt, and imitation lobster-over yolkless wide noodles.

 

[Disir]

Sofrito
2 Tablespoons Annatto Oil or olive oil
3 cups finely chopped onion
3 cups finely chopped red and green peppers
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1. Heat Annatto Oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, saute 1 minute. Add bell peppers and garlic. Cook 10 minutes, stir frequently. Stir in cilantro and remaining ingredients. Yield: 3 cups.

Asopao de Pollo
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 chicken thighs (about 3 lbs.), skinned
2 Tablespoons Annatto Oil or olive oil
1 1/2 cups sofrito
3/4 cup diced plum tomato
1 1/2 cups uncooked medium-grain rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup lean diced ham
1 (4.4-ounce) bottle alcaparrado (such as Goya), drained, or 3/4 cup pitted green olives and 1/4 cup capers
4 cups water
1 (15.75 oz) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with the oregano mixture.
2. Heat Annatto Oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add the chicken, cook 8 minutes, turning once. Reduce heat to medium. Add sofrito and tomato, cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add rice, wine, ham, and alcaparrado, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the water and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for 5 minutes. Yield: 5 servings. Serving size: 2 thighs and 1 3/4 cups rice mixture.

Calories 561 (27% from fat), FAT 17g (sat 3.2g, mono 9.7g, poly 2.8g), Protein 37.3g, Carb 63.2g, Fiber 5.1g, CHOL 118mg, Iron 6.5mg, sodium 999mg, CALC 72mg.
*I don't add peas.

 

[Apparently Lucid]

Sofrito
2 Tablespoons Annatto Oil or olive oil
3 cups finely chopped onion
3 cups finely chopped red and green peppers
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1. Heat Annatto Oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, saute 1 minute. Add bell peppers and garlic. Cook 10 minutes, stir frequently. Stir in cilantro and remaining ingredients. Yield: 3 cups.

Asopao de Pollo
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 chicken thighs (about 3 lbs.), skinned
2 Tablespoons Annatto Oil or olive oil
1 1/2 cups sofrito
3/4 cup diced plum tomato
1 1/2 cups uncooked medium-grain rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup lean diced ham
1 (4.4-ounce) bottle alcaparrado (such as Goya), drained, or 3/4 cup pitted green olives and 1/4 cup capers
4 cups water
1 (15.75 oz) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with the oregano mixture.
2. Heat Annatto Oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add the chicken, cook 8 minutes, turning once. Reduce heat to medium. Add sofrito and tomato, cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add rice, wine, ham, and alcaparrado, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the water and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for 5 minutes. Yield: 5 servings. Serving size: 2 thighs and 1 3/4 cups rice mixture.

Calories 561 (27% from fat), FAT 17g (sat 3.2g, mono 9.7g, poly 2.8g), Protein 37.3g, Carb 63.2g, Fiber 5.1g, CHOL 118mg, Iron 6.5mg, sodium 999mg, CALC 72mg.
*I don't add peas.

That's right up my alley. Including, but not limited to, skinning chicken thighs.

I suspect that shrimp would be a delicious substitute for the ham but that's just me reading and trying to taste a written recipe.

I'm inspired!