Thursday, May 9, 2013

What are some easy, but healthy dinner ideas for my husband and I?

Q. My husband and I are newlyweds, trying to stay healthy. We both work full time jobs, so it's hard to plan ahead or make meals that take alot of prep and cook time.
So basically, I'm looking for quick & easy dinners that are healthy or low in calories/fat.
Please dont give me websites for recipes. I dont have time to browse them. Just shoot me some good recipes. Thanks =)!!
Come on people, I need more recipes!!!

A. Sesame Chicken
This recipe really satisfies my craving for Chinese food. I serve it over rice and steamed vegetables on the side. I usually double the sauce to make it especially decadent.
6 servings 21 min 5 min prep

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Cut chicken breast into 1 inch strips.
Heat a large non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with Pam, over medium-high heat.
Cook chicken strips for about 6 minutes until no longer pink.
Mix together honey, soy sauce, water, corn starch, ginger and red pepper flakes.
Whisk until no corn starch lumps appear.
Pour sauce mixture into skillet with chicken.
Cook until sauce thickens slightly.
You can add more water if sauce is too thick.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken starts to soak up the sauce.

Easy and Tasty Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches in the Crock Pot
This is almost too easy to be called a recipe, but I had to share it anyway. I came up with it one night when I wanted a nice meal but wasn't feeling too motivated. I love crock pot cooking!
4-6 servings ½ day 10 min prep

1-2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (18 ounce) jar of your favorite barbecue sauce (I love K.C. Masterpiece!)
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
4-6 hamburger buns

Remove all visible fat from the chicken and toss it in the crock pot.
Place the onion slices on top of the chicken.
Pour the barbecue sauce over top.
You may not need the entire jar, just enough to cover the chicken.
Cook it on LOW for 8 hours or until the chicken is nice and tender.
Shred the chicken with a fork and knife; scoop the mixture onto the bottom buns and top it with the top buns.
Or, if you're like my dad, you might prefer leaving the breasts whole and eating it that way.
Voila!
An easy weeknight meal that doesn't heat up your kitchen in the summertime!
I love this with potato chips and a carrot and raisin salad.

Chicken Scaloppine With Lemon Sauce (Low Fat)
This is a wonderful lower-fat restaurant-quality dish that is easy to make, I have served this many times in the past at my dinner parties and always receive rave reviews, the chicken alone even by itself is very good, the capers are only optional if you are a lover of capers then add them in as it really adds to the flavour of this dish, I would strongly suggest to double the sauce I most always do and please be certain to use only dry breadcrumbs as fresh will not stick to the chicken as well --- this is very good!
4 servings 35 min 25 min prep

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded to about 1/3-inch thickness)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 eggs
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
seasoning salt
olive oil (for frying)
2 tablespoons butter (optional)
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers (or to taste) (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt (can use more to taste)
4-5 thin lemon slices
fresh parsley, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard and eggs; set aside.
Combine the dry bread crumbs, poultry seasoning, garlic powder and seasoning salt; spread on a piece of waxed paper.
Dip the breasts in egg/mustard mixture (shake off any excess egg).
Then coat well with the crumb mixture.
Heat the oil with 2 tablespoons butter(if using) in a frypan.
Saute the chicken for 5 minutes on each side, or until it is no longer pink inside. Remove and transfer to a plate to keep warm.
In the same pan add in the broth, lemon juice, capers (if using) and 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste) bring to a boil, scraping brown bits from the pan.
Add in lemon slices and parsley; mix to combine for about 1 minute.
Spoon the glaze/sauce over chicken.
Delicious!

Black Bean and Tortilla Bake
6 servings 35 min 5 min prep

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
salt and pepper
12 soft corn tortillas
8 ounces low-fat cheddar cheese, shredded, reserve 2 tablespoons (I used fat free)

Preheat oven to 350* F.
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray.
Add garlic, onions, tomato, green onion, cumin, and chili powder.
Cook on medium heat until onion is tender.
Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes more.
Stir in beans, cilantro, salt and pepper.
Spray a 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Layer 4 tortillas, 1/3 cheese, and 1/3 of the bean mixture; repeat 2 more times.
Top with reserved 2 tablespoons of cheese.
Bake 20 minutes, covered, then 10 minutes uncovered or until bubbly.


What is low in calories that tastes good on celery?
Q. I'm on a low calorie diet and need to eat more celery. But it tastes like fermented pond water! Peanut butter is way too high in fat and calories and I don't know what else tastes good. Preferrably something under 35 calories.

A. If you have an ED and cannot stop munching, you still should not eat something that tastes like fermented pond water.
You can eat lettuce/greens, mushrooms, asparagus, cucumbers, radishes and numerous other foods (if you can stomach anything from the cabbage family).

I used to not like celery either, omitting it in all my recipes. And I like everything with few exceptions, like cinnamon and honey (childhood traumas), spicy food and poultry white meat or skin. White meat is too dry, the skin is too fatty so dark meat is perfect.

Then I stopped smoking and had to munch all day long for 2 weeks on celery/raw carrots feeling like Bunny Rabbit. My natural tan skin turned fake orange tan. With celery, I would end up with a dry ball of fiber in my mouth (like a chewing gum) that I would not swallow so I would spit it out as too much fiber will constipate you. You can spit out a dry fiber ball in your mouth but once it gets in your intestines, you might get an obstruction and constipation.

It never occurred to me that you would need some dip to eat celery.
That is very American, like eating apples or bananas with peanut butter.
Btw, natural peanut butter is very healthy, in moderation, like 2Tbsp, as you need those calories of good protein and good fats to feed your brain and organs (you sound like your brain needs it).
A PB&J sandwich is healthy…peanut butter and jelly spread between 2 slices of whole-wheat bread. You get your carbs, your protein, your fats, your fiber and your vitamins/minerals.
What more can you ask for?

Pea-nuts are not nuts…they’re legumes from the same family as peas. Try Nutella (from Europe, so it does not have crappy additives that Americans still allow in their processed food) and it has true nuts (hazelnuts) and chocolate, to make it yummy, provide antioxidants and act as a natural antidepressant (makes you feel better if you feel bad and makes you feel good if you don’t feel bad).


Now I like celery if I “peel” it (peel away those outside strings) and cook it with soups (the “fermented pond water” taste goes away if cooked in water). I also like raw (peeled) celery, cut tiny, tiny, in my tuna sandwich to add crunchiness. I would guess the strong taste of tuna overwhelms the taste of the 2Tbsp of celery.

When I was a teenager I did not like garlic, onions, Brussels sprouts or raw seafood.
I bet I would have hated broccoli too, if I would have been exposed to it (I was not).
Now I love all of those and I use garlic a lot, I make onion soup, I love Brussels Sprout Parmentier (with garlic and roasted potatoes), and I like sushi.

If you’re a teenager, you do not have adult taste buds yet. Because if you’re a teenager, you don’t get food cravings for low calorie food as you need a lot of calories to grow. You get cravings for meat and potatoes and anything high carbs like cookies/cakes/candies…and bread with chocolate (or Nutella) and lots of milk, cheese and ice-cream.
You should not get craving from veggies from the cabbage family (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, turnips, collard greens, kale…) or celery, asparagus, beets and artichoke.

I went out of my way to make artichokes fun to eat for my kids…fresh artichokes with the prickly ends of the leaves cut off (not artichoke hearts coming from a can that you use for salads), pressure cooked and served with their favorite dip (I used vinaigrette but did not mind if they wanted to use…ketchup). You eat one leaf at a time until you get to the heart and still I miserably failed to make them appreciate artichokes, because they did not have the taste buds for it...yet...as it did not have enough calories for their need (I still love artichokes).

I stay away from hummus for political reason, as some countries fight about some other countries stealing their recipes…trying to find any reason to go to war. They are worse than a daughter-in-law stealing a recipe from her mother-in-law. The Lebanese are like “the Israelis stole our hummus recipe” but then the Israelis recipe tastes better so now the Lebanese are pissed off.
If I want chickpeas, I’ll just make a couscous and if a Berber comes into my kitchen claiming that I stole a couscous recipe, I could mention that my father was Berber so YOU shut up.

I wonder which country made the first bread and could claim “protected status”.



You don’t need some dip to help you swallow some food that tastes crappy to you.
Ditch the celery.
Eat enough to cover your BMR + growth (-21).
Eat enough calories to cover your BMR or your body will adapt to a low caloric intake and lower your metabolism, making it very hard for you to use your body fat. And then, as soon as you would eventually start eating normally again, you would make body fat very easily, because you would have a lower metabolism and therefore regain all the weight you lost and keep going up, unless you exercise A LOT.


What are some cheap, easy and healthy recipes?
Q. I'm a terrible chef, but I'm moving into my own place soon and cannot rely on quick dorm food anymore :(
I don't want to develop unhealthy habits, so I've decided to begin cooking for myself. What are some recipes that are cheap, low-calorie/healthy, easy (around 5 ingredients or less), and fast?
Breakfast, lunches, dinners, desserts, drinks, et cetera: all suggestions welcome!
Thank you!

A. Check out this site to see what you like. http://www.cookinglight.com/
It is one of my favorites. You don't have to add all the ingredients for many recipes like the one below. I leave out the peppers and use any pasta sauce you like. I buy big basil plant at Trader Joe's for a just a couple of bucks. Using fresh ingredients as much as possible really makes a big difference. =)

Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) sun-dried tomato pesto (such as Classico)
* 2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
* 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon olive oil
* 1 (8-ounce) loaf ciabatta
* 12 large basil leaves
* 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cup sliced bottled roasted red bell peppers
* 1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Preparation

Combine pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl, stirring to blend.

Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken to cutting board, and cool slightly. Cut chicken lengthwise into thin slices.

Preheat broiler.

Cut ciabatta in half horizontally. Place bread, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove bread from pan. Spread pesto mixture evenly over cut sides of bread. Arrange the chicken slices evenly over bottom half. Top chicken evenly with basil leaves, and sprinkle cheese over top. Place bottom half on baking sheet, and broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Arrange bell pepper and tomato over cheese, and cover with top half of bread. Cut into 4 equal pieces.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1185367

www.smoothieweb.com is a great site.





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