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Simple recipes
Simple recipes
I am looking for easy recipes for healthy meals. My husband and I both want to start eating healthier - we are not calling it a diet:)
Would appreciate receiving any tips, recipes, etc.
Thanks.
Would appreciate receiving any tips, recipes, etc.
Thanks.
If you can't pronounce a component to an ingredient, use less of it
If it's a food not in the form it's found in nature, eat less of it
If it's a vegetable, eat more of it
If it comes in a grease-stained paper bag, eat none of it
I'm not a farm to table, holier than thou food snob, but I do believe in cooking and using real food to do so. We eat as little processed food as possible in our house. We don't eliminate it, because that's just more effort than it's worth, but that seasoned rice mix can be made a lot more healthier by making rice and finding a spice mix that suits your need.
It's summer...light up that grill and grill your veggies. Eat more of them and less of more filling foods. I've found that cutting down on the non-veg and (eek) the wine, made a huge difference.
A typical summer meal for us is a piece of meat (chicken, fish, pork, beef), a side of grilled veg (I've used my grill wok a lot in the past 6 weeks) and a simply-dressed starch (cous cous is a fave). A salad on the side fills me up and cuts down on the heavy stuff that makes my ass look fat.
That, and more regular exercise, led me to be 90% of the man I was 5 moths ago.
If it's a food not in the form it's found in nature, eat less of it
If it's a vegetable, eat more of it
If it comes in a grease-stained paper bag, eat none of it
I'm not a farm to table, holier than thou food snob, but I do believe in cooking and using real food to do so. We eat as little processed food as possible in our house. We don't eliminate it, because that's just more effort than it's worth, but that seasoned rice mix can be made a lot more healthier by making rice and finding a spice mix that suits your need.
It's summer...light up that grill and grill your veggies. Eat more of them and less of more filling foods. I've found that cutting down on the non-veg and (eek) the wine, made a huge difference.
A typical summer meal for us is a piece of meat (chicken, fish, pork, beef), a side of grilled veg (I've used my grill wok a lot in the past 6 weeks) and a simply-dressed starch (cous cous is a fave). A salad on the side fills me up and cuts down on the heavy stuff that makes my ass look fat.
That, and more regular exercise, led me to be 90% of the man I was 5 moths ago.
Thanks for the tips Pip.
I should point out that we are not actually trying to lose weight - just eat healthier.
I agree that exercise is very important - we both exercise daily. My husband is a runner and I like to walk/run:)
I would love to hear suggestions on how you actually prepare that chicken, fish, meat you mention.
And the best way to grill vegetables - what spices to use, etc.
I am not a very creative cook but I am good at following a recipe!
I should point out that we are not actually trying to lose weight - just eat healthier.
I agree that exercise is very important - we both exercise daily. My husband is a runner and I like to walk/run:)
I would love to hear suggestions on how you actually prepare that chicken, fish, meat you mention.
And the best way to grill vegetables - what spices to use, etc.
I am not a very creative cook but I am good at following a recipe!
We try to follow pip's basic guidelines too.
One of my go to meals, 4 frozen chicken breasts, put them in the crockpot and top with 1 package taco seasoning and 1 cup salsa. Let cook on low for 8 hours. I then shred it and either serve in tacos, on a salad or with black beans and rice. It's one of my favorites!
I also have a marinade that I use on chicken and veggies for the grill.
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS lemon juice
1/2-1 tsp garlic salt
cracked black papper to taste
2TBS Italian Seasoning
Mix all together and microwave for 1 minute. I usually let the chicken marinate for about 15 minutes, but I just barely let the veggies marinate for a couple of minutes.
I also love grilled veggies with just lemon juice and pepper on them!
One of my go to meals, 4 frozen chicken breasts, put them in the crockpot and top with 1 package taco seasoning and 1 cup salsa. Let cook on low for 8 hours. I then shred it and either serve in tacos, on a salad or with black beans and rice. It's one of my favorites!
I also have a marinade that I use on chicken and veggies for the grill.
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS lemon juice
1/2-1 tsp garlic salt
cracked black papper to taste
2TBS Italian Seasoning
Mix all together and microwave for 1 minute. I usually let the chicken marinate for about 15 minutes, but I just barely let the veggies marinate for a couple of minutes.
I also love grilled veggies with just lemon juice and pepper on them!
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Greenskeeper
- Posts: 390
- Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:07 pm
- Location: Cape Cod, MA
I agree with grilling. Great way to reduce fat. For veggies we just brush them with olive oil, a little salt, pepper and garlic powder and good go go. I grew up on vinegar and oil dressings and still prefer them to the heavy cream dressings. 2 parts oil to 1 part acid (vinegar, lemon juice etc) is a good rule of thumb. Dress it up with different herbs and spices, shallots, some dijon mustard....let your imagination run wild. There are so many different vinegars out there all with their own distinct flavor. Check out Trader Joe's and believe it or not Home Goods and TJ Maxx often have specialty vinegars at a fraction of the price of a gourmet store. Great way to try something new on the cheap. Add fruits, veggies, nuts, edamame to salads to change them up. I use the same dressing recipe to marinate boneless chicken breasts or pork tenderloin (both are great on the grill and a healthy protein option). I usually just add some more fresh herbs to amp up the flavor. I have 2 window boxes on my deck planted with herbs for summer grilling. Eat fish. We do not eat farm raised but salmon is super healthy with lots of omegas. Again, keep it simple- forget the buttery ritz cracker crumbs etc. Olive oil, lemon and some herbs on the grill.....yum. Finally, whole grains, whole grains whole grains. So many great choices out there now that all whole grain breads do not taste like cardboard.
As for seasoning...I open up my gallon ziploc bag that contains all of my seasonings from St John Spice. Then, I determine what mood I'm in and liberally season whatever I'm grilling.
Corn and veg on the left, meat on the right. The Compensator (my name for my too-large grill) does the rest of the work.
It comes down to eating less processed crap. Start with an ingredient in the form from which it comes out of the ground.
I know it's easier for us; I work from home and my wife is at home with the kids. so, we have time to do food prep and cooking that others may not have.
Corn and veg on the left, meat on the right. The Compensator (my name for my too-large grill) does the rest of the work.
It comes down to eating less processed crap. Start with an ingredient in the form from which it comes out of the ground.
I know it's easier for us; I work from home and my wife is at home with the kids. so, we have time to do food prep and cooking that others may not have.
In the last 6 months I have really cut way down on processed food also. I try to buy at farmer's markets or avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store. Here are some random ideas:
I try to add in spinach or kale whenever possible and I hide lots of veggies in my meals.
Veggie lasagne (the key is to roast the veggies first to keep it from getting watery) with eggplant, zuchini, spinach (mixed in with either the ricotta or sauce). I will buy jarred marinara sauce and use the no boil noodles. The kids love it. I won't make my own marinara unless I happen to see some great tomatos, otherwise I am ok with a nice jarred sauce.
I make lots of crustless quiches, swapping out some of the whole eggs with egg whites, putting in tons of spinach. Using diced potatos as a crust or no crust at all. Serve with fruit or a salad, the kids love it too.
We make oven roasted sweet potato french fries instead of regular fries.
Tons of grilling too, but my husband travels and I really don't like using the grill, so I just cook.
I will cut up chicken, cook in garlic, a little olive oil, add cut broccolini (not brocolli, although I am sure that would be good too), add white wine and lemon juice and toss in angel hair pasta-to die for. I love broccolini.
Same with chicken marsala with lots of mushrooms.
Lots of days I will make a light sour cream dip and set out before dinner for the kids with carrots and celery. They will eat it if it is there.
Slice tomatoes and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese and cook under broiler- yum.
Sautee kale in olive oil and a little diced red onion, add about 2 tablespoons of anchovy paste. Or kale and sautee in sesame oil, very good. Both great with grilled meats. I'll mix it in with rice and beans too.
I bought my first Cruz Bay grill rub last year (finally) and love it on roasted fingerling potatoes or roasted veggies.
We have almost stopped buying store bought cereal and I make granola and the kids and I love it on yogurt with berries.
Ok those are my ideas, anyone else?
I try to add in spinach or kale whenever possible and I hide lots of veggies in my meals.
Veggie lasagne (the key is to roast the veggies first to keep it from getting watery) with eggplant, zuchini, spinach (mixed in with either the ricotta or sauce). I will buy jarred marinara sauce and use the no boil noodles. The kids love it. I won't make my own marinara unless I happen to see some great tomatos, otherwise I am ok with a nice jarred sauce.
I make lots of crustless quiches, swapping out some of the whole eggs with egg whites, putting in tons of spinach. Using diced potatos as a crust or no crust at all. Serve with fruit or a salad, the kids love it too.
We make oven roasted sweet potato french fries instead of regular fries.
Tons of grilling too, but my husband travels and I really don't like using the grill, so I just cook.
I will cut up chicken, cook in garlic, a little olive oil, add cut broccolini (not brocolli, although I am sure that would be good too), add white wine and lemon juice and toss in angel hair pasta-to die for. I love broccolini.
Same with chicken marsala with lots of mushrooms.
Lots of days I will make a light sour cream dip and set out before dinner for the kids with carrots and celery. They will eat it if it is there.
Slice tomatoes and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese and cook under broiler- yum.
Sautee kale in olive oil and a little diced red onion, add about 2 tablespoons of anchovy paste. Or kale and sautee in sesame oil, very good. Both great with grilled meats. I'll mix it in with rice and beans too.
I bought my first Cruz Bay grill rub last year (finally) and love it on roasted fingerling potatoes or roasted veggies.
We have almost stopped buying store bought cereal and I make granola and the kids and I love it on yogurt with berries.
Ok those are my ideas, anyone else?
"Sponges grow in the ocean...I wonder how much deeper it would be if that didn't happen."
One very important thing we overlook here in the USA is portion size. Bigger portions = bigger people.
This was recently published in the NYT and we've been using or riffing on some of these lately with what looks best that day in the fish and produce department, all some very good and simple ideas for fish.
Broiled, Sautéed, Roasted, Poached
If you’re serious about eating sustainable fish, you may have given up on the most fundamental of all: the white fillet. After nearly exhausting cod stocks 20 years ago, we have gone through a dozen or more alternatives, from red snapper to orange roughy to so-called Chilean sea bass, and fished them all practically out of existence.
Now it seems difficult to know which fish are managed well enough to eat without guilt. (As it happens, cod, of all things, isn’t bad right now, as long as it isn’t caught by a trawler.)
But if you buy from a reliable store, like Target, Wegmans, Trader Joes, or Whole Foods, which have adopted seafood-sustainability practices far more effectively than many other major retailers, or consult online sources like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, you can eat white-fleshed fish without guilt.
The next problem is that you may wind up buying a fish with which you’re unfamiliar. Is it cod, catfish, sea bass, halibut, grouper, tilefish, haddock, some form of snapper — or what?
The good news is that it barely makes any difference. You can cook any white fillet the same way you cook any other white fillet: broiled, sautéed, roasted or poached, and teamed with just about any seasoning you can think of, from the obvious, like tomatoes and capers, to the semiexotic, like sugar and fish sauce. (In this recipe chart, I’m assuming you’ll always use salt and pepper.) And this isn’t just me giving you permission or a barely acceptable compromise. It works.
The chart on the following page provides ideas for cooking 1½ pounds of white fillet, whether whole or cut into individual portions. None of these recipes take more than half an hour from start to finish; thicker pieces of fish will cook in 15 minutes or less, thinner pieces in under 10. You can tell that any fillet is done when it’s opaque and a thin-bladed knife meets little resistance when you use it to poke the thickest part of the fish.
Cooking white fish is easy. The hard part — besides figuring out what’s sustainable — is choosing the recipe.
1. BROILED
With Tomatoes and Capers
Set rack 4 inches from heat source. Spread a broiler-safe pan with olive oil. Add fish. Mix 1 pound sliced tomatoes with oil and 2 tablespoons each capers and chopped red onion. Spread over and around fish; broil. Garnish: Chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Tacos
Skip tomatoes and capers. Rub fish with vegetable oil and a mild chili powder; broil. Meanwhile combine 2 chopped cucumbers, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1 minced hot chili and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Flake fish and serve in warm corn tortillas with cucumber salsa.
Caramelized Fish
Skip tomatoes and capers. Heat a little vegetable oil in pan; dredge fish in a mixture of brown sugar and (lots of) coarse black pepper. Broil carefully; fish will brown quickly. Drizzle with fish sauce. Garnish: Mint (lots), minced chili (optional).
2. SAUTÉED
Cornmeal-Crisped
Cut fish into 4 pieces and soak in 1½ cups buttermilk. Combine 1 cup cornmeal with 1 tablespoon chili powder. Put a large skillet over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter. Pull half the fish from buttermilk; drain, then dredge in cornmeal; cook until golden, turning once. Wipe skillet clean, then repeat. Garnish: Lemon and parsley or cilantro.
Classic Sautéed
Skip buttermilk, cornmeal and chili powder. Beat 2 eggs with ¼ cup chopped parsley. Dredge the fish lightly in all-purpose flour, then in egg mixture; cook in butter and oil in two batches. Garnish: Chopped parsley, lemon wedges.
Prosciutto-Wrapped
Skip buttermilk, cornmeal and chili powder. Lay 2 slices of prosciutto, slightly overlapping, on work surface; top with basil leaves. Wrap each piece of fish in prosciutto/basil, then repeat. Cook in oil only in two batches. Garnish: More basil.
3. ROASTED
With Herbs
Heat oven to 475. Put 4 tablespoons butter in an ovenproof pan and place in oven to melt. Add 4 tablespoons chopped herbs (a combo is best — parsley, dill, basil, tarragon, thyme, etc.), then add fish. Roast, turning once. Garnish: The pan juices.
With Potatoes
Skip butter and herbs. Heat oven to 425. Toss 2 pounds sliced new potatoes with ¼ cup olive oil. Roast, turning occasionally, until brown. Add 1 tablespoon chopped sage and 1 teaspoon (or more) minced garlic. Top with fish and 2 tablespoons oil. Roast until fish is done. Garnish: Pan juices.
With Leeks and Bacon
Skip butter and herbs. Toss 4 sliced leeks and 2 ounces chopped bacon (optional) with ¼ cup olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon thyme leaves and ½ cup white wine. Roast 20 minutes, then top with fish and 2 tablespoons oil and roast until fish is done. Garnish: More thyme.
4. POACHED
With Ginger and Soy
Put a large, deep skillet over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon minced ginger; cook until sizzling. Add fish, ½ cup soy sauce, 1½ cups water, ½ cup chopped scallions, ½ cup chopped cilantro and a teaspoon rice vinegar. Boil, cover and turn off heat. Fish will be done in about 10 minutes. Garnish: Chopped scallions.
Curried With Zucchini
Sauté 1 chopped onion and 2 chunked zucchini in oil for 5 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon ginger and 1 tablespoon curry powder (or to taste). Cook for a minute, then add fish. Substitute 1 cup coconut milk for soy sauce and use 1 cup water. Skip scallions and vinegar. Garnish: Cilantro.
In Tomato-Fennel Broth
Skip ginger; use olive oil. When oil is hot, add 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped fennel bulbs; cook 5 minutes. Add the fish, a pinch of saffron and 1 tablespoon fennel seeds. Substitute 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned are fine) for soy sauce; use 1 cup water. Skip scallions, cilantro and rice vinegar. Garnish: Chopped fennel fronds.
This was recently published in the NYT and we've been using or riffing on some of these lately with what looks best that day in the fish and produce department, all some very good and simple ideas for fish.
Broiled, Sautéed, Roasted, Poached
If you’re serious about eating sustainable fish, you may have given up on the most fundamental of all: the white fillet. After nearly exhausting cod stocks 20 years ago, we have gone through a dozen or more alternatives, from red snapper to orange roughy to so-called Chilean sea bass, and fished them all practically out of existence.
Now it seems difficult to know which fish are managed well enough to eat without guilt. (As it happens, cod, of all things, isn’t bad right now, as long as it isn’t caught by a trawler.)
But if you buy from a reliable store, like Target, Wegmans, Trader Joes, or Whole Foods, which have adopted seafood-sustainability practices far more effectively than many other major retailers, or consult online sources like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, you can eat white-fleshed fish without guilt.
The next problem is that you may wind up buying a fish with which you’re unfamiliar. Is it cod, catfish, sea bass, halibut, grouper, tilefish, haddock, some form of snapper — or what?
The good news is that it barely makes any difference. You can cook any white fillet the same way you cook any other white fillet: broiled, sautéed, roasted or poached, and teamed with just about any seasoning you can think of, from the obvious, like tomatoes and capers, to the semiexotic, like sugar and fish sauce. (In this recipe chart, I’m assuming you’ll always use salt and pepper.) And this isn’t just me giving you permission or a barely acceptable compromise. It works.
The chart on the following page provides ideas for cooking 1½ pounds of white fillet, whether whole or cut into individual portions. None of these recipes take more than half an hour from start to finish; thicker pieces of fish will cook in 15 minutes or less, thinner pieces in under 10. You can tell that any fillet is done when it’s opaque and a thin-bladed knife meets little resistance when you use it to poke the thickest part of the fish.
Cooking white fish is easy. The hard part — besides figuring out what’s sustainable — is choosing the recipe.
1. BROILED
With Tomatoes and Capers
Set rack 4 inches from heat source. Spread a broiler-safe pan with olive oil. Add fish. Mix 1 pound sliced tomatoes with oil and 2 tablespoons each capers and chopped red onion. Spread over and around fish; broil. Garnish: Chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
Tacos
Skip tomatoes and capers. Rub fish with vegetable oil and a mild chili powder; broil. Meanwhile combine 2 chopped cucumbers, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1 minced hot chili and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Flake fish and serve in warm corn tortillas with cucumber salsa.
Caramelized Fish
Skip tomatoes and capers. Heat a little vegetable oil in pan; dredge fish in a mixture of brown sugar and (lots of) coarse black pepper. Broil carefully; fish will brown quickly. Drizzle with fish sauce. Garnish: Mint (lots), minced chili (optional).
2. SAUTÉED
Cornmeal-Crisped
Cut fish into 4 pieces and soak in 1½ cups buttermilk. Combine 1 cup cornmeal with 1 tablespoon chili powder. Put a large skillet over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter. Pull half the fish from buttermilk; drain, then dredge in cornmeal; cook until golden, turning once. Wipe skillet clean, then repeat. Garnish: Lemon and parsley or cilantro.
Classic Sautéed
Skip buttermilk, cornmeal and chili powder. Beat 2 eggs with ¼ cup chopped parsley. Dredge the fish lightly in all-purpose flour, then in egg mixture; cook in butter and oil in two batches. Garnish: Chopped parsley, lemon wedges.
Prosciutto-Wrapped
Skip buttermilk, cornmeal and chili powder. Lay 2 slices of prosciutto, slightly overlapping, on work surface; top with basil leaves. Wrap each piece of fish in prosciutto/basil, then repeat. Cook in oil only in two batches. Garnish: More basil.
3. ROASTED
With Herbs
Heat oven to 475. Put 4 tablespoons butter in an ovenproof pan and place in oven to melt. Add 4 tablespoons chopped herbs (a combo is best — parsley, dill, basil, tarragon, thyme, etc.), then add fish. Roast, turning once. Garnish: The pan juices.
With Potatoes
Skip butter and herbs. Heat oven to 425. Toss 2 pounds sliced new potatoes with ¼ cup olive oil. Roast, turning occasionally, until brown. Add 1 tablespoon chopped sage and 1 teaspoon (or more) minced garlic. Top with fish and 2 tablespoons oil. Roast until fish is done. Garnish: Pan juices.
With Leeks and Bacon
Skip butter and herbs. Toss 4 sliced leeks and 2 ounces chopped bacon (optional) with ¼ cup olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon thyme leaves and ½ cup white wine. Roast 20 minutes, then top with fish and 2 tablespoons oil and roast until fish is done. Garnish: More thyme.
4. POACHED
With Ginger and Soy
Put a large, deep skillet over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon minced ginger; cook until sizzling. Add fish, ½ cup soy sauce, 1½ cups water, ½ cup chopped scallions, ½ cup chopped cilantro and a teaspoon rice vinegar. Boil, cover and turn off heat. Fish will be done in about 10 minutes. Garnish: Chopped scallions.
Curried With Zucchini
Sauté 1 chopped onion and 2 chunked zucchini in oil for 5 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon ginger and 1 tablespoon curry powder (or to taste). Cook for a minute, then add fish. Substitute 1 cup coconut milk for soy sauce and use 1 cup water. Skip scallions and vinegar. Garnish: Cilantro.
In Tomato-Fennel Broth
Skip ginger; use olive oil. When oil is hot, add 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped fennel bulbs; cook 5 minutes. Add the fish, a pinch of saffron and 1 tablespoon fennel seeds. Substitute 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned are fine) for soy sauce; use 1 cup water. Skip scallions, cilantro and rice vinegar. Garnish: Chopped fennel fronds.
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
You may want to consider a subscription to Cooking Light magazine. They have some very nice recipes--flavorful, lots of vegetables and lean proteins. Many of them can be made in 30 minutes or less, and all have nutrition information and suggested portion sizes included. The front part of the magazine has exercise techniques too. I usually make 4-5 recipes from that magazine a month.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Xislandgirl
- Posts: 4163
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:03 pm
- Location: Slightly left of center
Not sure if it has been mentioned but be sure to include whole grains into your diet.
Things we do not keep in the house:
white pasta
white Rice
white bread
There are great options out there now, we use SmartTaste pasta that is white but it is very high in Fiber, brown rice only, and the bread choices are overwhelming when it comes to healthy choices.
The portion size is important and what we have done is to reduce our protein portion and increase te veggies. I can have 4 oz of chicken and a mess of vegetables.
One of my favorite healthy recipe blogs is www.skinnytaste.com
Things we do not keep in the house:
white pasta
white Rice
white bread
There are great options out there now, we use SmartTaste pasta that is white but it is very high in Fiber, brown rice only, and the bread choices are overwhelming when it comes to healthy choices.
The portion size is important and what we have done is to reduce our protein portion and increase te veggies. I can have 4 oz of chicken and a mess of vegetables.
One of my favorite healthy recipe blogs is www.skinnytaste.com