Healthy (er) Options

In this post I'm sharing several recipes that I would consider healthy options.  I like my food to taste good though, so hopefully you will see a healthy balance (pun intended) of both with these recipes.

Mango Flounder


1. Salt and pepper each side of your flounder fillets and lightly dredge (cover) with flour, fry in a small amount of hot oil on each side until lightly crisp and flaky.
2. For the Mango Salsa: dice sweet pepper (or jalapeno if you like a kick), onion, mango and cilantro. Combine in a bowl with lime juice and salt to taste.

Cilantro Lime Couscous
1. Make couscous according to package instructions
2. Add lime zest, lime juice and chopped cilantro
3. Stir to combine



Raspberry Pork 
1. Salt and pepper both sides of each pork chop and saute in a skillet until lightly browned.
2. Allow pork chops to rest 10 min before serving
3. For raspberry sauce: in a saucepan place 1 package of fresh or frozen raspberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 1 tsp sage.  Turn on medium and allow to simmer until reduced to a thick syrup
4. Strain seeds and pour over pork chops
**Substitute fresh raspberries for seedless raspberry jam to avoid straining seeds

Lemon Rosemary Quinoa
1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions
2. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and rosemary
3. Stir to combine

Bakes Zucchini and Tomatoes
1. Thinly slice zucchini, tomatoes and onions
2. Place in an oiled baking dish with lemon zest, lemon juice and salt
3. Bake at 350 for 30 min. (if you prefer roasted bake at 425 for 20 min)

What the Kale Salad
1. Rinse and remove kale leaves from center stem, shop into bite size pieces and add to bowl
2. Rinse and chop romaine lettuce and add to bowl
3. Add: chopped broccoli, broccoli slaw, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries
4 For dressing combine the following ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 sec.
       1/4 cup water
       1/4 cup white vinegar
       3/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
       1 tsp garlic powder
       1 tsp salt
       1/4 tsp pepper
       1 tsp celery seed
       1/2 tsp celery salt
       (pinch of onion powder for added flavor)
       2/3 cup sugar
       2 tsp horseradish

Pearled Couscous salad
1. Make basil and herb pearled couscous according to package instructions
2. Saute diced zucchini and onions until tender
3. Add to couscous and refrigerate until chilled
4. Add diced cherry tomatoes and Italian salad dressing
5. Stir and serve chilled

Lunch/Dinners on the Go!

Homemade Sandwich Pockets. 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Defrost 16 Rhodes frozen Texas rolls, but don’t allow to rise.  
• Roll each out with a rolling pin until flat
• Add whatever fixings you like 
• Fold and seal dough around the fillings
• Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 min
• Serve immediately or allow to cool completely and store in the freezer in a zip-lock bag.
• Heat in microwave for 45 sec 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps

• Assemble romaine lettuce, cooked chicken, ranch dressing, chopped tomatoes, bacon bits, cheddar cheese on a large spinach tortilla
• Roll up, slice and eat

Thai Spring Rolls

• Dip a rice paper wrapper in warm water
• Assemble: Lettuce, cucumber, avocado, shredded carrots, crab meat
• Roll up and double wrap in another rice paper
• Serve with sweet chili sauce. 

Corn Chowder

 I love soup, but I find that when I make a pot a lot of it goes to waste.  I have discovered these great silicone soup freezers and now I can have a different soup each day of the week! You can purchase them on Amazon.  I have a soup making week and then I'm set for months of lunches!

Directions and Ingredients: 

1. Dice 1/2 cup onion and 2 celery stalks and saute (in butter or oil) in a heavy bottom pot until tender. 

2. Add 1/3 cup bacon bits or cooked crumbled bacon

3. Add 2 cups vegetable stock and 2 cups milk

4. Add 3 cups frozen, canned or fresh corn, 1 can of potatoes, diced, 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers and 2 tsp Mrs Dash (salt free seasoning)

5. Heat over medium heat (careful not to curdle the milk) 

6. To thicken mix 1/3 cup flour or corn starch with 1/2 cup water and add to pot, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Heat until desired thickness is reached. 

7. To freeze for later, pour 1 cup of each in each section of the silicone soup freezers.  Freeze until solid and the pop them out of the molds.  Store in a labeled ziplock bag in the freezer for individual servings. 

 

Soup, There It Is-Soups! - Roasted Kale Potato Soup

 

Ingredients

 1 bunch fresh Kale leaves

5 golden potatoes

2 cups milk

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt

2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)

1/4 cup bacon bits

1 tsp onion powder

4 slices  or 1 cup smoked gouda cheese

Directions

1. Remove kale from stems and coat with vegetable oil.  Spread out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Roast kale at 425 for 10-15 min (until crisp) Cut into small pieces for the soup. 

2. Meanwhile, peel and dice 5 golden potatoes.  Boil until soft.  Drain water and mashed in the bottom of the pot. 

3. Add milk, butter, stock, onion powder, salt and flour and stir

5. Add bacon bit, kale and cheese and stir until cheese has melted.  Serve and enjoy. 

Soup, There It Is! - Broccoli Cheese Soup

1. Finely chop 3 stalks of celery and between 1/2 and 1 onion (depending on how much you like onions)

2. Saute in the bottom of a dutch oven or stock pot in 1/4 cup butter until tender (5-10 min) over medium heat. 

3. Add 1 carton of either chicken broth or chicken stock and 2 bunches of broccoli heads cut into small pieces (or 1 bag of frozen broccoli). Cover and cook until broccoli is soft (about 10 min)

4. Add 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of half-n-half.  

5. Cut 16 oz of Velveeta cheese into small cubes and add to the pot, stir until all the cheese is melted. 

6. To thicken the soup remove about 1/2 cup of the liquid and mix in 2 Tbsp flour then stir back into the pot. This is supposed to keep lumps from forming but it they do just whisk away ;)

7. Let thicken and serve with sourdough bread. 

Soup, There It Is! - Chicken and Noodles

Chicken and Noodles

Your favorite cut of bone-in skin on chicken (I used a 1/2 chicken)

A couple stalks of celery with leaves attached

a couple of un-peeled carrots

1/2 large dice onion

1 cup water 

1 chicken bullion cube

1 package of your favorite egg noodles

Seasoned salt

Extra chicken stock (if needed)

Directions

1. Add chicken (sprinkled with seasoned salt) vegetables,  water and bullion cube to a crock pot and cook for 6 hours on low. 

2. Strain liquid into a stock pot

3. Discard the vegetables 

4. Remove all the bones from the chicken and shred chicken with a fork

5. Bring your liquid up to a boil and add the noodles, boil for about 20 mins

6. Add the chicken and more stock if needed. 

Serve and enjoy!

You say tomato, I say tomato: Canned Tomato Recipes

Courtney's Chili

1. Brown 1/2 lb ground beef (remove and discard grease) and add 1 Tbsp steak seasoning

2. In a dutch oven saute 3 sweet peppers and 1/2 small onion until tender

3. Add 1 can pork-n-beans, 1 can of red kidney beans, 1 jar of tomatoes and the ground beef. 

4. Stir in the following spices: 

2 Tbsp Chili Powder, 1/2 Tbsp season salt, 1 tsp cumin, 1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp oregano

5. Cover and let simmer for at least 10 min. 

6. Then serve with your favorite fixin's 

Chicken and Tomatoes

1. Using your choice of bone-in/skin-on chicken place in a glass baking dish, dot with butter and sprinkle with season salt. Bake at 275 degrees for an hour or until the internal temp reaches 165 degree. 

2. Remove the skin and remove bones. Dice chicken

3. In a dutch oven add 1 package of dry onion soup mix and 2 cups of water

4. Add 1 can of home canned tomatoes and 1 can of store bought canned tomatoes

1 tsp basil and the diced chicken

5. Cover and simmer for about 45 min or until the liquid reduces to form a stew consistency

6. Serve over rice. 

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

1. Cut 1 lb or more of round steak into portion size piece, salt and pepper each side. 

2. Dredge in flour and brown for a couple of min on each side in hot oil. 

3. Thinly slice 1 medium onion and 2 bell peppers. 

4. In a crock pot layer steak, peppers, onions and tomatoes until all in in the pot. Salt and pepper

5. Allow to cook for 6-8 hours

6. Serve over mashed potatoes 

For a how to video on Mashed Potatoes see my Easter Feaster video

here

 Hats (Aka Macaroni and Tomatoes) 

1. Cook 1/2 lb of pasta to al dente, drain and put back in the pot

2. Add 1/4 cup butter and stir until melted

3. Add 1 jar of canned tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste

4. Can be served with or without shredded mozzarella cheese