Tacos

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

Monterey Whole Wheat Pastas

A delicious meal that requires very little work is Monterey whole wheat pasta. Monterey Pasta Company makes a variety of good pastas, many of them being all natural and / or whole wheat.

My favorite is the whole wheat ravioli with chicken and sundried tomatoes. This pasta is so good that I do not put ANYTHING on it. I don't even cook it with anything aside from a little canola oil to keep it from sticking to the pot. My fiancee might prefer it with a light butter sauce or oil, and that is fine too. Still extremely easy and quick! The only bad thing about this pasta is that I like it so much that I want to eat the entire package by myself in one sitting...that makes it no longer healthy!

Monterey pastas are found in most grocery stores. In my grocery store, they are located by the gourmet refrigerated cheese and meats.

http://www.montereygourmetfoods.com/index.cfm/monterey_pasta_company.htm

Easy Vegetables

When I'm really tight on time, one of my fallback meals is grilled chicken or fish, and lemon pepper asparagus. My mom taught me how to make the asparagus and I love it because it is the easiest, fastest, healthy side!

All you do for the asparagus is place it in a microwaveable dish where it can lay flat. (Rows on top of each other are ok, just make sure that both ends fit in - I use a square Pyrex dish.) Then you put water into the dish until the bottom is covered (about an inch high, not enough to cover the asparagus.) Sprinkle lemon pepper on top. Cover, and microwave for 7 minutes or until desired texture. That's it! Drain any remaining water and serve.

The wonderful thing about this "recipe" (if you can even call it that!) is that it can be used for just about any type of vegetable, with any type of spice you prefer. I have seen recipes on the web for cauliflower with Cajun seasoning, and broccoli with seasoned salt. Choose whatever vegetables and spices go with your meal, and enjoy!

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.