Parsley Pesto

I buy a bunch of fresh parsley for one or two recipes, and then am left with a large amount of parsley that I don't know what to do with.  Pesto is a great use for the excess parsley.  The key is to use good olive oil.  I used mostly pecorino-romano cheese instead of all parmesan, which made this extra yummy.

Pesto is lower in saturated fat than cheese, mayo, and butter, so it can be used as a healthy alternative to spread on rolls or use in a sandwich.  I made a chicken pesto sandwich using 1 tbsp pesto, 2 oz chicken, lettuce, onion, and ciabatta bread.  It was delicious!

Parsley Pesto

What you'll need:
- 1 cup parsley leaves
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp shredded pecorino-romano
- 1 tbsp shredded parmesan
- 1 large pinch ground white pepper
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup olive oil

What to do:
Mix all ingredients in a food processor.

Healthy Breakfast Burrito

I have been trying to find some more filling breakfast foods.  For a while I was eating Greek yogurt for breakfast because it was available, but I was always starving by 10am.  Ben is a fan of breakfast burritos, but of course my dietitian conscience frowns up those.  So I decided to make healthy home-made breakfast burritos.

It's quite easy.  I chopped up veggies and sauted them.  Then I added eggs and egg whites.  After cooking that for a while, I added some seasonings, a bit of cheese, salsa, and black beans. I separated the mixture, and added ham to 1 mixture.  This way I had 2 meat and 2 vegetarian burritos.  I let the eggs cool, then portioned the mixture onto 4 separate whole wheat tortillas.  I folded them and wrapped them in plastic wrap.  To reheat I used the microwave for one and the oven (set to low broil) for the other.  Both turned out delicious and good texture.  The one in plastic wrap has a more moist tortilla, but it was not soggy.

Healthy Breakfast Burrito

What you'll need:
- 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 glove garlic, minced
- 3 slices canadian bacon
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1/4 cup black beans
- 1/3 cup mexican cheese
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp paprika

Cereal for Lunch

The first step to following a healthy meal plan is to actually have a meal plan.  The next step is to follow it.   I usually plan out meals once or twice per week.  This helps limit my trips to the grocery store.  And when I get home from work, I know what I am going to start cooking.

But this ideal habit does not always work out.  Sometimes you are busy, or are forgetful.  The bad part about not having a plan is that when people are hungry and don't know what to eat, they are likely to make  bad choices.

This cereal mix is a good back up if you don't have something else planned.  Cereal can often be high in simple carbohydrates.  This cereal mix focuses on using high-fiber carbs and getting plenty of protein.  Fiber and protein help to fill you up and keep you full.  You can make bags of the dry mix ahead of time, and then make a to-go cup of milk and a bag of fruit in the morning.

What you'll need:
- 1/4 cup wheat chex original cereal
- 1/4 cup Special K Protein Plus
- 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds
- 1/2 packet instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal
- 1/3 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 tbsp nonfat milk

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

Nutrition Info:
Per recipe: 440 calories, 22g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 45g CHO, 10g fiber, 14g protein

Healthy Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

I really wasn't sure what to call this.  It is kind of like beef stroganoff, but with chicken; and no pickles.  It is kind of like Chicken Marsala, but with Sherry instead of Marsala. Either way, it was delicious.

First, and most importantly, cook the mushroom in a hot pain withOUT any oil or butter.  Do not crowd the mushrooms.  You want to make sure the steam escapes from the mushrooms.  Stir frequently 6 - 8 minutes.

This creamy sauce is healthier than regular cream sauce because it is a combination of half-and-half, nonfat milk, and beef broth, instead of all cream.   Be careful not to boil the liquid mixture.

Health Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

- 2 chicken breasts, cut into large bite-sized pieces

- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 Shitake mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp buttery spread
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 1/3 cup beef broth
- pinch salt and pepper

What to do:
1.  In a large saute pan, heat olive oil.  When oil is hot, cook chicken pieces over medium-high heat stirring frequently for ~8 minutes, until chicken is lightly browned.  Remove from heat, set aside.

2.  Cook egg noodles according to package directions.

3.  In a large saute pan, cook the mushrooms over medium-high heat stirring frequently 6 -8 minutes, until mushrooms are no longer sweating.  Add onion, garlic, paprika, and parsley and saute 4 more minutes.  Add buttery spread. When buttery spread is melted, add flour and stir 1 1/2 minutes.  Add half-and-half, milk, and broth.  Bring to a simmer.  Decrease heat slightly.  Add chicken pieces.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over egg noodles.  Recipe makes 4 servings.