Tacos are a meal that most people like, and can be made very healthy and quick. They can also be made with a variety of ingredients depending on what's in your refrigerator.
I usually skip the tortillas and make a taco salad, with lean ground turkey, lettuce, fat free sour cream, black beans, black olives, diced tomatoes, and a little bit of fat free shredded cheese. You can add some spice by cooking the turkey with taco seasoning and adding a few drops of Tabasco or similar sauce.
I have heard good things about the Boca soy crumbles, but have yet to try them. Everyone I know that uses them loves them! That will be next on my list to experiment with.
http://www.bocaburger.com/products/crumbles.aspx
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Showing posts with label easy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easy. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Another Easy Side - Salad
Another easy and quick side is a salad. I make mine with only a few ingredients because I don't want to buy a lot that will go bad, and I don't want to have salad for a week straight.
My favorite easy combo is lettuce (any kind you like,) cucumbers, dried cranberries, pine nuts, and light cucumber ranch dressing. The cranberries and pine nuts have a long shelf life and don't need to be refrigerated. I was surprised to find when looking at the nutritional information on some salad dressings, that the light cucumber ranch was lower in calories than all of the light balsamic vinegar dressings I saw. Shows that foods aren't always what you think and you need to read labels!
Since this salad requires a little bit of prep work (cutting the cucumber and pulling the lettuce,) I tend to make it with very basic entrees, like a marinated chicken breast.
My favorite easy combo is lettuce (any kind you like,) cucumbers, dried cranberries, pine nuts, and light cucumber ranch dressing. The cranberries and pine nuts have a long shelf life and don't need to be refrigerated. I was surprised to find when looking at the nutritional information on some salad dressings, that the light cucumber ranch was lower in calories than all of the light balsamic vinegar dressings I saw. Shows that foods aren't always what you think and you need to read labels!
Since this salad requires a little bit of prep work (cutting the cucumber and pulling the lettuce,) I tend to make it with very basic entrees, like a marinated chicken breast.
Penne Arrabiata
Another one of my go-to meals from allrecipes.com!
This is for those who like it spicy! I love this recipe because it cures my pasta craving without being too unhealthy.
I will put the link for the web recipe at the bottom, but I make a modified version so I will put my recipe here.
Ingredients:
-1/4 cup canola oil
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tbsp crushed red pepper
-2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano
-1 bunch fresh basil, shredded
-1 12 oz package whole wheat penne pasta
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp oregano
Instructions:
-Put penne pasta in a large pot filled with water and a tbsp of oil, turn heat to high and cook until desired texture.
-Meanwhile, heat rest of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes.
-Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute.
-Pour in the diced tomatoes and basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Drain pasta, mix together and serve!
This recipe would be good with a lot of variations, so feel free to customize. I made it last night with garbanzo beans and that was really good. Black olives would also be good.
This is for those who like it spicy! I love this recipe because it cures my pasta craving without being too unhealthy.
I will put the link for the web recipe at the bottom, but I make a modified version so I will put my recipe here.
Ingredients:
-1/4 cup canola oil
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tbsp crushed red pepper
-2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes with garlic and oregano
-1 bunch fresh basil, shredded
-1 12 oz package whole wheat penne pasta
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp oregano
Instructions:
-Put penne pasta in a large pot filled with water and a tbsp of oil, turn heat to high and cook until desired texture.
-Meanwhile, heat rest of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes.
-Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute.
-Pour in the diced tomatoes and basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Drain pasta, mix together and serve!
This recipe would be good with a lot of variations, so feel free to customize. I made it last night with garbanzo beans and that was really good. Black olives would also be good.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Recipes from Mom: Tilapia and Spinach
This recipe is another one of my favorites from my mom. It is a great recipe because it is super easy, quick, and highly adaptable. You can create many variations of this dish based on what you have available in your kitchen. The recipe I am going to post is for tilapia, but it also works well with chicken, substituting orzo for meat, or a variety of vegetables and spices. Just make sure to adjust cook times accordingly.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
4 tilapia filets
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Cooking Instructions:
-In a 10 inch skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic.
-Add tilapia filets and red onion. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned; approximately 3 minutes per side.
-Add 1 tbsp of vinegar, then alternate adding spinach and the rest of the vinegar until spinach is wilted. (3-4 minutes.)
-Sprinkle with feta cheese while still hot, and serve.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
4 tilapia filets
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Cooking Instructions:
-In a 10 inch skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic.
-Add tilapia filets and red onion. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned; approximately 3 minutes per side.
-Add 1 tbsp of vinegar, then alternate adding spinach and the rest of the vinegar until spinach is wilted. (3-4 minutes.)
-Sprinkle with feta cheese while still hot, and serve.
Recipes from Mom: Zucchini "Boats"
This recipe starts a new series of posts that will be mixed in with the recipes I find in my research...recipes from my mom! My mom has been a working woman all of my life and is also an amazing cook. She has a lot of quick, easy, healthy meals that I can't wait to steal!
This first one is called "Zucchini Boats." I have made this before and I love it because it is so easy, and also healthy.
The ingredients you will need are:
-1 lb ground turkey
-1 medium-sized onion, diced
-1 tbsp minced garlic
-2 medium-sized tomatoes, diced
-2 medium-sized zucchini
-4 oz. reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
-a couple pinches of oregano
I sized these ingredients for four servings because my fiancee and I like to have leftovers to bring for lunch the next day. You can adjust the servings pretty easily with this recipe based on how many people you want to feed.
Cooking Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Place the ground turkey, onions, and garlic in a frying pan. Cook until browned. Add tomatoes to mixture once finished cooking.
-Slice zucchini in half, lengthwise. Cut out the soft interior portion, creating a boat-like exterior piece.
-Place zucchini "boats" on a cookie sheet. Fill them with the turkey and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and oregano.
-Bake in the oven until zucchini is soft, about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!!
Thanks Mom. :)
This first one is called "Zucchini Boats." I have made this before and I love it because it is so easy, and also healthy.
The ingredients you will need are:
-1 lb ground turkey
-1 medium-sized onion, diced
-1 tbsp minced garlic
-2 medium-sized tomatoes, diced
-2 medium-sized zucchini
-4 oz. reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
-a couple pinches of oregano
I sized these ingredients for four servings because my fiancee and I like to have leftovers to bring for lunch the next day. You can adjust the servings pretty easily with this recipe based on how many people you want to feed.
Cooking Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Place the ground turkey, onions, and garlic in a frying pan. Cook until browned. Add tomatoes to mixture once finished cooking.
-Slice zucchini in half, lengthwise. Cut out the soft interior portion, creating a boat-like exterior piece.
-Place zucchini "boats" on a cookie sheet. Fill them with the turkey and tomato mixture. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and oregano.
-Bake in the oven until zucchini is soft, about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!!
Thanks Mom. :)
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