Light Cajun Chicken Pasta Dish

Cajun chicken pasta dishes seem to be popping up more and more on menus. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I definitely wanted to try it.  I asked my husband if he wanted to share it with me, but he said he wasn't really interested in that type of dish. Well, next thing I know he is stealing bites from my plate! Needless to say, it was a hit for both of us.

However, my concerns were how much heavy cream they used with it, and how much sodium was in the dish. And, of course, not enough veggies! So to make my healthy version, I omitted the cream and used 2% milk. I also replaced some of the amount of cream with chicken broth and tomato puree. To increase the fiber, I just used more vegetables. I had red onions, mixed mini bell peppers, and some leftover roasted cauliflower. If I had to do it again, I would have added some zucchini, and maybe some spinach.

Be careful about which type of Cajun seasoning you use, especially if you are watching your blood pressure. Many spice blends contain a large amount of salt; some even have salt listed as the first ingredient. There are Cajun mixes that are sodium-free, such as Mrs. Dash or Penzeys Spices.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

makes 4 servings

What you'll need:

8          oz.                   pasta (ie penne, rigatoni)

1          TBSP.              canola oil

½        cup                  sliced red onion

3          cups                chopped mixed vegetables (ie bell peppers, cauliflower, zucchini)

2          ---                   garlic cloves, minced

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

¾         cup                 crushed or strained tomatoes

½        cup                  low-sodium chicken broth

2/3      cup                  2% milk, cold

½        TBSP.             cornstarch

1-2      tsp.                  Cajun seasoning

1          tsp.                 dried parsley

½        tsp.                  paprika

2          TBSP.            shaved parmesan, for garnish

What to do:

1.                                Cook pasta in boiling water 2 minutes less than package directions.

2.                                Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When oil is hot, add onion and cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Add chopped mixed vegetables and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside in a bowl.

3.                                Return skillet to medium-high heat.  Add chicken. Let chicken pieces sear and turn golden brown before stirring. Once all sides are browned, add tomatoes and chicken broth.

4.                                In a small bowl, mix together milk and cornstarch until cornstarch has dissolved.  Add mixture to skillet, stir, and let come to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in cooked vegetables, Cajun seasoning, parsley, paprika, and par-cooked pasta. Let mixture simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.

Zucchini Cucumber Slaw for Asian-Style Tacos

Using a homemade slaw instead of store-bought salsa, guacamole, and shredded cheese is a great way to flavor tacos without adding a lot of salt or calories.  The slaw is made of several julienne style vegetables, including zucchini, cucumber, carrots, and red bell pepper. For these, you can use a cheese grater, julienne peeler, mandoline, or sharp knife.

These tacos can be vegetarian with black beans and diced avocado.  Or saute cooked pieces of chicken, pork chop, or flank steak in a little hoisin sauce and add to the tacos.

Zucchini Cucumber Slaw for Asian-Style Tacos

Recipe makes 4 Servings

What you'll need:
- 1 cucumber, seeds removed
- 1 zucchini, seeds removed
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 1/2 a red bell pepper, seeds removed
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- juice of 3 limes
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 1/2  tbsp garlic chili sauce
- 1 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp sesame seed oil
- taco shells (4 large, or 8 small)

What to do:
1. Julienne the cucumber, zucchini, carrot, and red bell pepper using a cheese shredded, julienne peeler, mandoline, or sharp knife.  Set all veggies in a large bowl.

2. To make the sauce whisk together the ingredients: lime juice through sesame oil. Pour over veggies and mix together.  Let sit about 20 minutes to allow the juices to pickle the veggies a little.  Serve cold on a warm taco shell. Top with sautéed meat, beans, and/or avocado slices.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Gnocchi is an Italian potato dumpling.  It is usually made with mashed potato, flour, and some egg.  There are many different way to make gnocchi.  One healthier version is to use butternut squash.  Butternut squash has a lot more vitamins and minerals, and a lower glycemic load (has a better effect on blood sugars compared to potatoes).

Gnocchi is pretty easy to make.  Homemade gnocchi is so much better than store bought because it is so light and fluffy!  First cook the butternut squash.  You can roast it in the oven at 375*F for 25 minutes, until squash is soft all the way through.  Once cooled, add this to a food processor to puree it.  Add in the rest of the liquid ingredients.  Then mix this with the flour in a bowl.  You roll out the dough into rope, and cut 1 inch pieces of rope.


What you'll need:
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
1 cup plus 2 tbsp butternut squash puree puree
1 tsp water
2 tsp egg mixture, divided
3/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt

8oz baby bella
4oz white button
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
leaves from one sprig of Thyme
1/2 small garlic clove, minced

What to do:
 In a food processor, blend butternut squash puree, 1 tsp egg mixture, 1 tsp water.

 In a bowl, combine, squash mixture, 1 tsp egg, both flours, and salt. Mix with an electric mixture until combined. Mixture should be smooth, but not too wet.

With mixture, roll out on a floured surface to form a rope.  

Cut 1-inch long pieces of rope.  Press each gnocchi with flat side of

 surface to create lines.

 In a large pot, bring water to boil.  Add a batch of 10-15 gnocchi at a time.  When gnocchi floats, wait 1 minute, then remove from eat.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms.  Cook 6 minutes.  Add parsley, thyme, and garlic.  cook 2 minutes.  Add gnocchi to mushrooms.  Cook 1-2 minutes.  Recipes makes 3 servings.


To add in more protein- add pieces of cooked chicken

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.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Ben and I tried to make sweet and sour chicken back in college.  That was an interesting experience.   I realized the oil container in the cabinet was empty after already going to the grocery store.  For some reason, we refused to give up on the dinner project.  Needless to say, we made a mess of the kitchen and dinner didn't really taste great.  Since then, I have learned much more about making food, especially when a recipe just won't work.  Sometimes you really have to give up, and go back to the store or make something different.

Before going to the store, make sure you have enough oil to cook the pork.   Otherwise, this will not be a fun-to-make dinner.  You really do want to make sure the oil is extremely hot before adding the pork. This helps the outside be a bit crispy while the inside is still juicy.  It also helps cut back the greasiness. The hotter the oil, the less oil the pork will absorb.

Sweet and Sour Pork

What you'll need:
- 1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, divided
- 1/2 tbsp ginger puree
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 medium white onion
-1/4 cup sweet and sour sauce
- 1 tsp hot sauce, such as Sriracha
- 1/4 cup chopped pineapple, canned in its own juice
- 2 tbsp pineapple juice from can
- Cornstarch
- Canola oil

What to do:
1.  Cut pork into pieces (a little bigger than bite-sized).  Marinate in soy sauce, ginger puree, and garlic for 30 minutes.

2.  Chop bell peppers and onion into small squares.  Saute on high heat in 1 tbsp oil until barely browned.  Turn off heat.  Heat a heavy duty pot or Dutch Oven with enough canola oil to make a 1/3" layer of oil.

3.  Pour ~1/2 cup cornstarch in a bowl.  Dip pork pieces in cornstarch and shake off extra powder. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the oil.  When oil has reached 300* F, add only enough pieces of pork to avoid overcrowding the pan.  After 1 minutes, flip pieces of pork and cook 45 more seconds.  Remove pieces and place on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil.  If cooking pork in batches, let oil reheat to 250*.

4.  When all the pork is cooked, add to pan with peppers and onions.  Add in sweet and sour sauce, pineapple juice, Sriracha, chopped pineapple, and pineapple juice.  Cook over medium-high heat 3 - 5 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Low-Cal BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love atypical pizzas.   I like something more interesting than tomato sauce and cheese.  I also really like finding ways to make pizza healthier.  I like to add lots of veggies and lean meat.  The fiber and protein help fill you up on fewer calories.  I still have something on the side of the pizza, whether its a salad or  fruit, to create a well-balanced meal.

Low-Cal BBQ Chicken Pizza

What you'll need:
- 1 whole wheat pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
- 1/4 cup tomato-based BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider BBQ sauce
- 1 skinless chicken breast
- 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/3 cup sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar (or Colby Jack)
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika

What to do:
- Preheat the oven to 400*F (or follow package directions for store bought dough). Heat a small or medium sauce pan filled 3/4 full of water.  Bring to a boil, add chicken, lower heat to a low simmer.  Cook 8 -10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, until chicken temperature reaches 160*F.  Remove chicken and let sit.

- Roll the pizza dough out into a large circle or rectangle (I personally find rectangles easier).  The dough should be thin (~1/8" thick) but without holes.  Fold over the outside edges to create a crust.

-  Spread tomato-based BBQ sauce around the pizza dough.  Top with cut veggies, parsley, oregano, and paprika.

- When chicken has cooled, tear apart into thin, short strips.  Combined with apple cider BBQ sauce.  Spread chicken over veggies on the pizza.  Top with cheese.  Spread flour or corn meal over a  baking tray or pizza stone and bake for 8 - 12 minutes until cheese is bubbling and crust is golden brown.  Alternatively, you can cook the pizza on the grill- see directions below.  Recipe makes 3 - 4 servings.

Cooking pizza on the grill
The most important thing is that the pizza does not stick to the grill.  So it is good to pre-bake the pizza dough for a couple minutes.  Heat the oven to 400*F.  Put rolled out dough on parchment paper, then put on a baking tray.  Bake in the oven for 4 - 6 minutes, remove and cool.  On the grill, heat 2 burners on high, heat 1 or 2 burners(depending on the size of your grill) on medium-low heat.  When grill reaches ~400*F, put pizza on the 2 high heat burners, then lower heat to medium-low. You want to make sure the grill stays hot, but the crust does not burn.  Cook 4 minutes, lower the pizza burners to low heat, and increase the empty burners to medium-high.  Cook another 4 minutes and remove from grill.

Baked Lemon Chicken with Green Beans

I usually cook dinner over the stove.  When I put everything in one casserole dish and throw it in the oven, I remember how nice it is to use my oven. Using the oven means I have less hands-on time in the kitchen; I also have fewer dishes to clean!

 You have to make sure food does not stick to the bottom of the dish.  You also want to make sure the food does not dry out.  To do this, make sure food is coated in some oil, and you can also put a liquid such as lemon juice or broth on the bottom.  A good way to keep foods moist is to cover the dish with foil for the first half of the baking time, and finish uncovered.  This meal is super healthy, low calorie, and filling.

Baked Lemon Chicken with Green Beans

What you'll need:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 1/2 cups green beans
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  In a bowl mix together oil, lemon juice, wine, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.  Marinate chicken, green beans, and onion in a bag or container with lemon juice mixture for ~20 minutes.

2.  Pour all ingredients into a casserole dish.  Top chicken with mushroom slices.  Cover dish with aluminum foil.  Bake 12 minutes, remove foil, bake 12 more minutes.  If chicken is not browned, turn oven to 'Broil' for 2 - 3 minutes.

Pumpkin Mushroom Bean Soup

I guess this should be called a soup.  Its hearty like chili because of the mushrooms and beans.  Its creamy like a puree soup and has lot of veggies like a chunky soup.  So call it what you want.  This makes a lot!  So it's good for game day, or having a few friends over for a warming, hearty dinner.

Pumpkin Mushroom Bean Soup

What you'll need:
- 8 oz cremini
- 8 oz white button
- 4 oz shitake
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1/4 cup chopped parsnip
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (about 1 small pumpkin), or squash puree
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

What to do:
1.  Clean mushroom by brushing with a damp paper towel.  Chop all mushrooms into uniform size or use a food processor to mince evenly.  I recommend mincing only 8oz at a time.  Heat a large, flat saute pan on medium heat.  Add mushrooms and stir occasionally for about 5 - 6 minutes.

2.  In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and stir frequently for about 3 - 4 minutes.  Add garlic and stir another 3 minutes.  Add in apple cider and simmer 2 - 3 minutes.  Add carrot and parsnip and stir about 5 minutes.  Add in beans and the next 7 ingredients (through cayenne) and keep at a low simmer covered for 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally, but try to keep track of the bay leaf.  When the 10 minutes is up, remove the bay leaf and add in the pumpkin puree and stir to mix.  Reduce heat to the lowest level and set for 15 minutes.

3.  Scoop into a bowl and top with 1 tbsp yogurt.  Recipe makes 6 servings.

This recipe can also be prepared in a slow cooker.  Saute the mushrooms in a skillet, then add everything to the crock pot and let sit for a couple hours, stirring occasionally.

Chicken and Veggie Casserole

This is a really easy dish, and good if you have a lot of different left over veggies.  I had little bits of eggplant, bell peppers, celery and green beans.    I had a little bit of each, but not enough of any for  a whole meal.  So a casserole is a great way to solve that problem.

Casserole often have a lot of cream and/or butter and bread crumbs, which adds in a lot of calories.  I used less cream and added in nonfat milk and low-sodium chicken broth, and used fewer breadcrumbs to make it a little healthier.

Chicken and Veggie Casserole

What you'll need:
- 1 large chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped eggplant
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.  Heat a skillet with the olive oil on medium-high heat.  Add chicken and stir constantly until lightly browned.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2.  Combine cream, milk, broth, pepper, garlic, and seasonings.  Place veggies and chicken in a small to medium casserole dish.  Pour liquid mixture over veggies and food.  Top with cheese.  Bake in oven for 18 - 20 minutes, until veggies are tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Steak and Loaded Baked Potato

Multi-colored Tomato and Basil
appetizer salad

Ben's ideal meal would consist of salad, steak, and a baked potato.  For his birthday, I bought him a grill and had it ~95% set up when he got home.  So of course, the plan was to grill steak, vegetables, and potatoes.  That was made possible by borrowing a gas tank from ben's parents (Thanks!).

I marinated the steak in a simple balsamic and herbs mixtures.  I did the same with the vegetables.  For the potato, I actually pre-baked it in the oven, and then finished cooking in the grill.  I made some toppings for the potato.  Instead of cooking bacon and then crumbling it, I bought diced prosciutto.  Prosciutto is leaner than bacon, and it was already cut up for me so that made things easier.  I bought shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and I got plain non-fat Greek yogurt.  I buy this instead of sour cream because the the Greek yogurt has more beneficial nutrients and fewer calories from fat.  Ben could also eat the stuff by the bucket.

Ben's Birthday Dinner

What you'll need:
For the marinade:
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp pepper

- 2 (4 oz each) steak sirloin
- 1/2 small eggplant, sliced and quartered
- 1/2 small onion, 1/3 " slices
- 1 small zucchini, 1/3" slices
- 2 small potatoes
- 3 tbsp diced prosciutto
- 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 425*F.  Add potatoes and cook 25 minutes.  Remove from oven.

2.  Make the marinate by combining all of the marinade ingredients.  Place steak in a ziplock bag and pour 1/2 the marinade over it and close bag tightly.  Put cut up eggplant, onion, and zucchini in a ziplock bag and cover with the rest of the marinade and close bag tightly.  Let each sit for 20 -30 minutes.  Preheat the grill to medium-high.

3.  Heat a small saute pan over medium high heat and add the prosciutto.  Cook until browned.  Remove prosciutto and place on a folded paper towel to absorb excess fat.

4.  When grill is hot, place potatoes on a warmer grill, or on a side with low to no heat.  Place marinated vegetables in a vegetable grill holder to and place on the hot grill over medium heat.  Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.  Place steaks on grill over medium-high heat.  Let sit 4 to 6 minutes on each side depending on how thick the steak is and how well done you like your steak.

5.  On two place, serve the steak, vegetables, and potatoes.  Top the potatoes with prosciutto, cheese, and Greek yogurt.

Mushroom Gnocchi

This dish on its own is not a full meal.  Gnocchi is a potato dumpling, so it is a very starchy food.  To get a food balance, I recommend trying to keep the 1/2 plate method in mind.  This involves making half of your played filled with non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 of the plate is starch, 1/4 of the plate is lean protein.

So to form a health, balanced plate you can add some chicken to the dish and have a side salad.  Or cook up some green beans and serve with baked fish.

This is a pretty healthy cream sauce recipe because it is made mostly with skim milk.  Because it is so much lower in fat, you have to make sure it doesn't get too hot.  I kept the flame low, kept stirring, and occasionally added more milk. Adding cold milk intermittently helps keep the temperature down.  It needs to simmer for a while in order to reduce and thicken.

Mushroom Gnocchi

What you'll need:
- 1/2 package gnocchi
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms, such as baby portobellas
- 1/3 cup chopped white onion
- 1/2 tbsp buttery spread
- 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper

What to do:
1.  Heat water for gnocchi.  Cook according to package directions.

2.  Heat medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and cook  about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add onion and cook 3 minutes.  Add butter and stir, cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add flour and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to allow the flour to cook.

3.  Add cream and 1/4 cup of skim milk and stir.  Keep heat low and make sure the liquid does not come to a boil.  Add the rest of the milk 1/4 at a time every 5 minutes.  Continue stirring.

4.  After gnocchi is cooked, add to the sauce and stir.  Recipe makes 2 servings.

Mac and Cheese with Infused Milk and Zucchini

I could have sworn I wrote about infused milk while in Dubai, but I don't see the post anywhere.  So if this is a repeat, I apologize.

This recipe uses two things to try to try to make Mac and Cheese a little healthier:  infused milk and veggies.  Infused milk is easy to make and can be used for a lot of different recipes.  In school, we infused milk with red onion, bay leaf, and cloves, and then simmer about 10 to 15 minutes.  We used that to make white sauce for pasta dishes or any creamy dishes like lobster thermador.  In school we used whole milk.  I decided to try using 1% milk.  With lower fat milk, you have to be careful not to overheat the milk, otherwise it with curdle.  Infusing a low fat milk is a good way to add lots of flavor without adding fat.

Infusing milk

To infuse milk for this recipe,  I added red onion, bay leaf, whole peppercorns, and whole garlic cloves.  Everything added is whole or in large pieces to make it easier to strain.  I then kept the milk at a lower simmer for 15 minutes.  To thicken the milk, you have to add a roux. A roux is equal parts butter and flour. The buttery spread I had in Dubai did not melt normally, so I had to skip this step.  I recommend doing it with real butter and white flour and just using small amounts. You melt the butter, whisk in the flour, then let cool slightly.  To combine the roux and the milk, one must be warm or hot, and one must be about room temperature.  They can't both be hot, or both be cold

For the zucchini, you can chop up finely by hand, grate it, or use a food processor to chop it up.  In dubai, I only had a knife, so I just made thin strips.  For the noodles, you par cook them in water, then finish cooking them in the oven in the sauce.  Do not rinse the noodles after cooking in water, to help them absorb the sauce.

Mac and Cheese with Infused Milk and Zucchini

What you'll need:
- 3 cup 1% milk
- 2 dry bay leaves
- 1/2 small red onion
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 5 whole peppercorns
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup low fat ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup grated gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
- 1 large zucchini, grated
-  2 cups dry pasta elbows
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.

2.  Cook pasta in a large amount of boiling water.  Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package directions.  Strain, but do not rinse.

3.  In a sauce pan, heat milk with the next 4 ingredients.  Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Melt butter in a small sauce pan on low heat.  Gradually whisk in flour and cook about 2 minutes.  Take off heat, and let cool slightly.  Mixture must be at room temperature before adding in the milk.

5.  Strain milk.  Gradually add milk into the flour mixture, whisking constantly.  Bring to a boil and take off heat.  Add in ricotta cheese, gruyere, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese; add in salt and pepper and mix.  Add in cooked pasta and grated zucchini.  Transfer to a baking dish (~1 1/2 - 2" deep); top with bread crumbs and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Bake in oven 12 minutes.  Makes 4 servings.

Grilled Steak and Grilled Romaine Salad

This meal is not my typical dietitian-healthy meal.  It has steak and bacon. I would normally not serve two sources of red meat in one meal, but it works with this meal.  I made grilled romaine salad for my family and they all seemed a little skeptical.  Is there any benefit to grilling the lettuce? No, but it is something different.  It has a smokey taste which ties in well with the steak.  If you use a charcoal grill, you get even more great grill flavor.  I haven't tried yet, but I would try cooking the lettuce on a cedar plank the same way you would with fish on a cedar flank.

To grill salad ingredients, you just have to make sure they don't burn or dry out.  For the onions, I wrapped them in foil.  For the romaine lettuce, lightly coat with olive oil and make sure you do not put it over the flames until the end.  Let it sit over burners that are no turned on for the first 5 minutes, then lay over low flames for 4 minutes turning once.

Grilled Steak and Grilled Romaine Salad

What you'll need:
- 2 steak tenderloins, 4oz each
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup sliced red onion
- 1 head romaine, medium sized, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/2 tomato, chopped
- 1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp chopped fresh chives
- 2 pieces center cut bacon

What to do:
1.  Combine steak and the next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a bag and mix.  Let steak marinate about 30 - 40 minutes.

2.  On the stove, cook bacon in a pan over medium-high heat.  Let cool; crumble into small pieces.

3.  Heat one side of the grill to medium-high heat.

4.  Combine yogurt and the next 4 ingredients (through chives); set aside.  Wrap onion in foil.  Cook on the grill about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle steak with a pinch of salt just before grilling.  Cook steak on grill about 5 minutes each side for medium doneness.  Serve 1 steak with half the lettuce, onion, tomato, yogurt dressing, and top with bacon.

Chipotle Chicken Meatballs

I got the idea for this recipe from a Rachel Ray recipe.  But the recipe was actually really poorly written and possibly missing some steps.   It is unfortunate that some recipes are poorly written and therefore either confusing or creates an awful meal.  The more you read recipes, the more you cook, the more likely you will be able to identify errors in the recipe.


So I took matters into my own hands and came up with this recipe, which is full of good mexican flavors.  You can make it as spicy as you want it.  The main spice is from the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (usually found in the cultural/Mexican/Spanish food isle at the store).  You can cut the peppers and use that, you can also use the sauce it is in.  The peppers have lots of seeds, which is where most of the heat is.  If you want more heat- keep the seeds.  If you want less heat, cut the pepper, and discard the seeds.  You can always test the spiciness of the meatball by pinching off a small amount of the mixture and quickly cooking it on the stove stop.  Let it cool, and taste it.  Remember, you can always add in more spice, but you can't take it out.



I roasted corn in the oven to give it an extra sweet taste.  All you have to do is lightly coat the peeled ears of corn, sprinkle with salt and pepper; then wrap with foil and roast at 400*.

Chipotle Chicken Meatballs

What you'll need:
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp adobo sauce, plus more for the yogurt sauce
- 1 finely chopped chipotle pepper
- 3 tsp cilantro paste, or 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/8 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp pepper, plus more for the corn
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for the corn
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 ear corn
- 1/2 tsp canola oil
- 1 cups shredded cabbage
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 4 or 5  small (4 1/2" diameter) tortillas

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 400*F.  Lightly coat corn with canola oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Wrap in foil and roast in over for 15 - 17 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool about 5 minutes.  When cooled, stand the corn vertically and cut the kernels off with a knife cutting downwards.

2.  Mix together yogurt, and 2 tsp adobo sauce.

3.  Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.  In a large bowl mix together the adobo sauce and the next 8 ingredients (through lime juice).  Add in cooked onion mixture.  Form into meatballs.  Makes 12 - 15 meatballs.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Cook meatballs 400* for 8 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350* and flip over the meatballs.

Top  three meatballs on 1 tortilla, with roasted corn, cabbage, and chipotle yogurt dressing.

Nutrition Information (per "taco" with 3 meatballs)
323 calories, 31g carbs, 3g fiber, 34g protein, 8g total fat, 2g saturated fat

Spaghetti Carbonara

There are a couple ingredients of this recipe that make it high in saturated fat: bacon, cream, and cheese.  There are also a few healthy ingredients missing in this recipe, such as vegetables.  So I changed the recipe a little bit to make it a little healthier, but keep in mind this is still not a low calorie item.  Instead of using all cream,  I used part skim-milk and part cream.  I use lean center cut bacon, but you can also use lean turkey bacon.  I cut back on the amount of parmesan cheese.  I also added a bit of paprika to the sauce for a bit of sweet peppery flavor.  I use Barilla Plus spaghetti because it is higher in protein and fiber compared to regular pasta and has a better taste and texture than whole wheat pasta.

Paprika Carbonara

What you'll need:
- 2 slices center cut bacon, cooked until very crispy and crumbled
- half an onion, finely chopped
- 4 oz Barilla Plus spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp cream
- 1/4 cup skim milk
- 1 tbsp parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil


What to do:
1. Saute spinach in olive oil until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes; remove and set aside
2. Saute onion about 3 - 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low.
3. In a bowl, mix together the egg, milk, cream, and paprika.  Add egg mixture, bacon, parsley, salt, and pepper, and pasta to the pan with the onion.  Stir together until mixture thickens. Be careful not to overcook. Serve over a bed of spinach.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese.  Recipe makes 2 servings.

Steak Salad with Blue Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

This recipe requires a good balsamic vinegar.  By reducing balsamic, you increase the sweetness and decrease the tanginess.  If you have never reduced vinegar before, be warned that you cannot stand right over it and keep your eyes open, or even breathe well for that matter.  The vapor is quite intolerable.  Reducing balsamic is easy.  You just pour some in a pan, turn up the heat on the stove, stir occasionally, and take it off heat a little before it is the thickened consistency you want (it thickens a little more as it cools).  Some people put in a little sugar to increase the sweetness even more, but if you have a good balsamic vinegar you do not need the sugar.  A balsamic reduction is a healthy addition to a salad because it adds a lot of flavor without the calories.  It can also be used in meat dishes, on bruschetta, or as decoration on the plate.

Steak Salad with Blue Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

Balsamic Reduction
Heat 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (optional: add 2 tsp sugar) in a small pan over medium-low heat.  Let the balsamic simmer slightly, but never boil.  Stir occasionally. When vinegar has reduced almost by half, take off heat.

For the salad
What you'll need:
- 2 (4oz) tenderloin steaks, fat trimmed off
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
- 1/3 cup chopped tomato
- 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 3 tbsp crumbled blue cheese (can substitute feta)
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper

What to do:
1.  Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on each side of the steaks.  Heat a skillet or grill pan on medium-high heat.  Add ~1/2 tbsp olive oil.  When pan is very hot, add steaks.  Steaks should immediately sizzle.  Flip after ~ 3 minutes, or until browned.  Cook another 3 minutes on the other side.  Decrease heat and cook until preferred doneness.

2.  In a small bowl, mix the remaining olive oil, cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Set aside.

3.  Place all vegetables in a large bowl, add oil mixture and toss.  Divide into two portions.  Top each with blue cheese, and slices of steak.  With a small spoon, drizzle the balsamic reduction over the salad and steak.  Recipe makes 2 servings.

Fish. Super easy. Super healthy.

The argument that 'I just don't have time to make something healthy for dinner' will never cease to exist, unfortunately.  I will continue to try to prove to the world how lame that excuse is.  There are so many dishes that take minimal time and are nutritious and delicious.

When planning out a healthy meal, first plan for what needs to be on the plate.  There should be some sort of low-fat protein source like chicken, fish, or lean meat.  There should definitely be lots of veggies.  There should be a fruit.  You may or may not have a starch, but try to make it whole grain most of the time.  You may also have some dairy, but try to make it low-fat most of the time.  This general idea has formed the 'new food pyramid' which is now a picture of a plate.

This plate helps you form a healthy meal, but now you have to think about what is easy and takes little time to prepare.  Let's start with the protein foods.  Do you know how long it takes to steam shrimp?  It will depend on the size, but it is likely going to be less than 3 minutes.  If you buy them deveined and without the tail- then there is no prep time, only cooking time.  Really skinny fish might take about 5 minutes to be pan-fried on the stove.  Thick fish like salmon will take closer to 10 minutes.  Thin chicken (bought or prepared that way) will take around 8 - 10 minutes; thicker chicken around 12 - 15 minutes.  Depending on how you like your red meat cooked, it may take 8 - 12 minute for cuts like tenderloin; it will take longer for larger pieces like a flank steak.  What will take a long time to cook?  A whole chicken; large cuts of beef that are made for roasting;  tough cuts of beef that are made for stewing.  There is little prep work with protein foods unless you need to cut it up a certain way.

  

Veggie steamer

Ok let's move on to the veggies.  Salads generally have only prep time and no cooking time.  Depending on the salad ingredients, it may take a while to do all the chopping.  Still,  it is likely you will not spend 20+ minutes cutting up veggies.  Green beans or thin asparagus can be cooked in 10 minutes: 5 minutes steaming, 5 minutes sautéed in olive oil.  Zucchini and squash may take a little longer depending on how you cut them up and how you cook them.  Onions can take only 3 minutes if you are just trying to cook them until they are translucent.  But if you want caramelized onions,expect to spend a good 20 - 25 minutes stirring.  Most things you make in the oven, such as roasted cauliflower, is going to take longer than something cooked on the stove top.  Artichokes, no matter how you cook them, will take a while because there is quite a bit of prep work and very little edible portion inside the artichoke.

Now let's talk about fruit.  There are quite a few bite-sized fruits that you can just set on the table and pick at throughout the meal: berries, grapes, cherries.  This means that washing in the only preparation step.  There are some fruits you can eat whole, but would most likely cut up for the dinner table: apple, pear, peach slices. So you would need to spend time washing and cutting. Then there are foods that you cannot eat the outside: pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, mango.  Some of these you may just cut up and serve with the rind still on it; others you may need to separate the fruit from the outside layer.  In the case of mangos, you have to separate the fruit from the outside skin and the inside pit.  Mangos can take quite a bit of effort to prepare. No matter what fruit you use, you are likely to eat it raw, so there is no cooking time.

Grains are one food that may take a while to prepare and/or cook.  If you are making pasta, you have to wait a while for the water to boil (unless you have Justin and Julie's amazing stove), then wait for the pasta to cook.  Same deal with the rice.  If you are making potatoes- you may need to peel or cut, and you absolutely have to wait for them to cook.  This may take 20 - 25 minutes to cook new (small) potatoes on the skillet, or 30 - 45 minutes in the oven;  it would take longer for a larger potato to bake in the oven.  The time for corn depends on if you are boiling or grilling.  Peas... well I hate peas and we're all older than 5 so let's just move passed that food.  Winter squashes are going to take some time to cook because they have such a thick outside layer.

So here are some easy combinations:

-Heat up the skillet and heat a saucepan filled with a little water.  Start cooking a chicken breast; then chop some zucchini; steam zucchini for 5 minutes; cut apple and pear slices while food is cooking; flip chicken; saute zucchini in olive oil for 5 - 8 minutes. Total time: ~17 - 20 minutes

-Start heating water for rice; chop red and green bell peppers, then saute; heat a skillet; add rice to hot water; cook steak on skillet; chop pineapple (take off the skin).  Total time: ~25 - 28 minutes

-Heat water in saucepan with a veggie steamer inside; heat a skillet; add asparagus to saucepan; add fish to skillet; remove asparagus and saute in a skillet; flip fish; wash grapes. Total time: ~ 12 - 14 minutes

The last one is similar to a meal I made recently.  Earlier that day we had made and eaten a lot of fried food at school, so I wanted to make something healthy.  I was also tired from a long day, so I wanted to make something fast.  So here is what I made:

Pan-fried salmon with asparagus, and a side of chopped mango

What you'll need:

- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

- 1 salmon filet

- 4 oz thin asparagus

- salt and pepper

- 1 lemon slice

What to do:

- Heat a small sauce pan fill with ~ 1/2 inch of water; place a veggie steamer inside.  When the water comes to a low boil, add in asparagus and cover.

- Heat a small saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.  Sprinkle a pinch of salt a pepper on the top of the salmon.  When pan is hot, add salmon with the top facing down on the pan. After about 3 to 4 minutes, flip.  If the bottom of the salmon does not have the skin still attached, turn the heat down to medium-low.

- Take the asparagus and the steamer out of the pan, and empty all the water. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil, and add asparagus back in. Stir frequently.  Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper and stir some more.

- The salmon should be cooked about 4 to 5 minutes on the bottom side. Fish is done when it flakes easily when using a fork.  The asparagus should be tender, but still have a little bit of crunch.

-  After plating the food, squeeze a little bit of lemon juice over the salmon and asparagus.  Serve with any kind of fruit.

You may wonder how this will take since there is very little seasoning added to the food.  Salmon and asparagus are both very strongly flavored foods.  If you like the flavor of these foods, you don't need a seasoning to cover up those flavors.  If there was one seasoning I would add, it would be dill.  Dill goes very well with both.  However, Dubai does not have any dill in any grocery store I have been to. but I think this meal without the dill was perfect and delicious.