Healthy Every Week: Cook at Home

I started cooking at home almost daily a few years ago to save money, and through preparing food for myself, I became interested in the health benefits of food. So cooking at home this past week was not an issue for me. I used this week as motivation to make some favorites as well as try some new recipes.

Ellie Krieger’s Three Bean and Beef Chili is my boyfriend’s favorite meal, ever. He reminds me every time I cook this up so this is a winter staple for us. My alterations are upping the cumin to 1 Tbsp, adding 2 tsp chili powder, and adding an extra chipotle chile and an extra teaspoon or two of the adobo sauce, we like our chili spicy! I will also sprinkle each bowl with a bit of shredded cheese if I have some on hand.  The leftover chipotle in adobo freezes well and keeps in the fridge for about two weeks, which is great because I like to add this to any sort of tacos, naked burritos, quesadillas, or other suitable recipes for some flavorful heat. To stretch this meal, cook up some while-wheat noodles or brown rice and top with the chili. I will do this for next-day lunches to break up the monotony of eating the same thing twice in a row as well.

I always have pizza makings available, whether pre-made crusts or frozen homemade dough. This week I used whole-wheat pre-made/pre-cooked thin crust with leftover pasta sauce, 2% mozarella cheese, and sliced green peppers, onion, and mushroom.  The toppings I chose don’t need to really cook, so this pizza is done in under 10 minutes in the oven. This is a quick dinner that cooks up super fast, which we need when we come home ravenous from our weekly after-work soccer game.

Winter is a great time to take advantage of the slow cooker, and nothing beats coming home to a cooked dinner! This week I tried Eating Well’s Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions in the slow cooker (they also include a recipe for the leftovers!), which is yet another use of that leftover chipotle in adobo used in the chili.

Yet another new recipe I tried was Cooking Light’s Stilton Burger, though I used regular crumbled blue cheese. This came out SO delicious. I am not a burger person at all, but I woke up the next morning eager to get to work so I could have a leftover burger at lunch! I ate this on toasted whole wheat bread, which the flavorful meat and cheese stands up to well.

Overlooking my week of new and beloved foods, I can’t believe I ate so much meat! That is usually a less than once a month occurrence for me. I am happy that I have some new meat recipes in my repertoire, because I am sure I could count all my meat recipes on one hand. Also, I am eager to dive in to my favorite section of the grocery store: the produce isle! This week we are eating more fruits and vegetables. I generally eat more vegetables than anyone I know, but I hope to try something new this week!

A Christmas Treat: Peanut Butter Cups

I made these peanut butter cups as a gift for my family when I visit them for Christmas. These peanut butter cups are great because they are easy to make, taste delicious, and have none of the additives of the store bought brands! I had seen many versions of this recipe, but I made my own because I didn’t think these needed any of the extra ingredients (sugaring up the peanut butter, buttering up the chocolate, etc). The NutritiousDaily version has two ingredients, chocolate and peanut butter! And believe me, they come out GREAT… worthy enough to gift to my family (who cares naught for the health factor of their candies). Use whatever chocolate you enjoy eating for this recipe since we won’t be mixing it into any other ingredients. I like the home-made look of these, so I didn’t try to hard to make them look nice!

INGREDIENTS

• 8-10 oz chocolate of choice, chopped or morsels (I did mostly semi-sweet but added in a handful of milk chocolate)
• peanut butter of choice (I like natural or just ground peanuts)

PROCEDURE

1. Place mini muffin liners in a 12-muffin mini muffin pan
2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate on HIGH for 2-3 minutes, stirring after 1 and 2 minutes. Do not overheat. Chocolate may not be completely melted until stirred.
3. Spoon a layer of the chocolate into each muffin liner. It should cover the bottom by 1/4 inch or so.
4. Spoon a dollop of peanut butter into the center of each chocolate-filled liner.
5. Cover with more of the chocolate, making sure to cover peanut butter, pressing down to flatten the peanut butter if necessary.
6. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to set, then you can bring back to room temperature before serving.

Fall Faves: Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup in the fall is one of my favorite things. A bowl of this immediately brings falling leaves, pumpkin picking, and cornucopias to mind, even here in Florida! The amount of stock in the following recipe is completely dependent on how thick/thin you like your soup. As long as you can cover your squash for boiling, you can always stir some more in at the end! Enjoy and happy Fall!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2.5 lb Butternut squash
• 5 c low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• pinch red pepper flakes
• one medium sweet or Vidalia  onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• salt
• pepper

PREPARATION

1. Peel butternut squash, cut in half and remove seeds and pulp. Cut into ~1 inch cubes.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, salt, pepper,  and cook until softened.
3. Add garlic, followed by squash, stock, red pepper flakes, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, simmer for ~30 minutes, until squash is soft.
4. Remove from heat, blend in immersion blender or in regular blender.

Makes ~6 servings

Easy Peasy Pasta

You know those nights when you just want dinner to make itself? When lying on the couch with a glass of wine is all you can foresee for your evening? Well those are the nights I make Easy Peasy Pasta. It contains two of my “to the rescue” staples: frozen peas and canned pasta sauce. The key here is to read the contents of the pasta sauce to make sure you aren’t getting any surprise ingredients. Also, check the calories! I had two cans of pasta sauce in the pantry that had the same ingredients, but one had twice the calories and fat! I am fairly certain it is because of the amount of olive oil in the heavier sauce. There are only three ingredients, and everything goes in at the same time. No cutting board, knife, measuring cups, or preparation while still getting veggies and nutrition! The following makes about 2 good-size servings

INGREDIENTS (sorry, I truly don’t measure here!)

• 1/2 jar of pasta sauce
• ~1.5 c of peas
• ~1.5 c of whole wheat pasta (I like smaller pasta shapes for this)
• Parmesan, for sprinkling

PREPARATION

1. Cook pasta according to box directions
2. Meanwhile, put pasta sauce and peas in a small saucepan over medium heat.
3. When pasta is done, drain and add heated sauce.
4. Sprinkle with Parmesan

Brown Bag: Pasta

Well, well, well. I may have failed in updating my blog, but I haven’t failed the Brown Bag Challenge yet! Today I am updating a favorite from last week: pasta! This pasta is great for lunch because it is filling and nutritious. It is easy yet it seems like such a luxury to have at lunch. I looove adding some type of beans to my lunches, I feel that I reach for my afternoon almonds less if they are incorporated into my meal. This is a simple recipe made with kitchen staples… a go-to if my grocery trip is long overdue. I packed this for a few days along with fruit.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/2 box whole wheat pasta (I used Fusilli)
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

1. Boil pasta according to box directions
2. Meanwhile, sautee onion in olive oil over medium heat, add garlic about 1 minute later. Cook until onion is soft.
3. Drain pasta, leaving ~3 Tbsp of pasta water in the pot, stir in remaining ingredients.

Brown Bag: A Basic Ensemble

Today I went with a classic brown bag combo: sandwich, fruit, and yogurt. The sandwich is sauteed (and fresh) veggies with roasted red pepper cream cheese.

For the sandwich:

INGREDIENTS

• Two slices of multi-grain bead
• 3 long-ways slices of summer squash
• 1/3 c mushrooms, sliced
• 4 long slices of green pepper
• sliced red onion
• 2 Tbsp light cream cheese, softened
• 2 small roasted red peppers, finely chopped
• 3 slices tomato
• spinach

PREPARATION

1. The night before: sautee veggies with a dash of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to reheatable container.
2. Morning of: mix cream cheese and roasted red peppers and spread on bread. Slice tomato and add to veggie container (so bread doesn’t get soggy)
3. At lunch: reheat sauteed veggies (if possible), assemble sandwich, eat!

*This would also be great in a wrap, I just didn’t have one on hand.

Make-Ahead (or not) Veggie Lasagna

I had people over for dinner last night. My main criterion for cooking when having people over: Make Ahead. I want most of the meal (and dishes) to be  done before guests arrive so I am not stressed about time or being prepared. Lasagna fits this criterion perfectly. It is cooked and assembled beforehand (maybe even the day before) and popped in the oven about an hour before dinner. This lasagna is veggie packed while also being extremely substantial.

I use canned marinara sauce here for ease and time. Make sure to watch the sugar and sodium content if purchasing pre-made sauce. The veggies are a free for all here, I get out every veg I have in the fridge for this dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 whole-wheat lasagna noodles
• 3/4 jar marinara (or any red sauce)
• 1/2 c broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1/2 c summer squash, diced
• 1/3 c carrot, “julienned”
• 1/3 c mushroom, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 15 oz carton part-skim ricotta
• 2-3 Tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (I used basil, cilantro, and parsley)
• 1/2 c mozzarella

PREPARATION

1. cook noodles according to box.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat, add veggies, cook until colors brighten and onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
3. add pasta sauce to pan, continue to heat at least 5 minutes.
4. mix ricotta with fresh herbs
5. Assemble: noodles -> ricotta->veggies until ingredients are done. Top with mozarella cheese. I use a bread pan, but any shape will work.
6. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
7. TO BAKE: preheat oven to 375 deg. Bake for 30 min covered, then 20 min uncovered. let cool for about 10-15 min.

A Fun (and easy) Cous Cous Lunch

I love this simple cous cous lunch. One perk is that it is delicious at any temperature: cold, room temperature, or hot. When I store it to eat later, I just make sure to give it a squeeze or squirt of lemon juice right before eating; the lemon flavor gets lost after it has been stored for a few hours. I call this cous cous “fun” because of the bright, exciting mix of flavors… I truly have fun eating this meal!

The following serves two people:

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 c cous cous
• 1 c low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 can low sodium chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/3 c dried cranberries
• 1/3 c bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 c feta cheese (I used reduced fat), crumbled or chopped
• 1/2 large tomato
• 1/3 c walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice + zest if using a real lemon

PREPARATION

1. cook cous cous according to package directions, or: heat broth until boing, add cous cous and olive oil, cover, remove from heat and let sit for 5 min.
2. Meanwhile, chop veggies.
3. Stir everything in to cous cous, add lemon juice right before serving.

*Glad to know: Bell peppers are a great source of vitamins A & C and garbanzo beans are great for fiber and protein!

A Weekend Egg Breakfast

If you keep a low-cholesterol diet (check!) eggs are a delicious source of nutrition, including choline and lutein, see Egg Nutrition and Heart Disease – Harvard Health Publications.

And what a relief, because I love eggs. One thing to note is that eggs make their way into many foods such as pasta and desserts, so keep that in mind when you decide how often you cook eggs. I save mine for the weekends and load them with veggies!

Do you have a favorite way to eat your eggs? I may actually have a love affair with eggs cooked over easy. No matter how you enjoy your eggs, you can add even more nutritious goodness with some veggies! Tell me, how do you enjoy your eggs?

The added veggies also allow you to get by with eating only one egg while satisfying that egg craving. The following is for one person.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 c assorted veggies, finely chopped (my favs: mushrooms, onion, bell peppers, zucchini)
• 1 egg
• 1 slice whole wheat/whole grain toast (I also use whole wheat bagel thins)
• 2 tsp olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in non-stick pan over medium heat. Add veggies, cook until done, about 3 min.
2. Toast the bread, add butter or preferred topping while warm.
3. Add egg (in with the veggies) and cook how you like it. I cook mine over easy, flipping once.
4. Move everything onto a plate and dig in!

Mexican… In a Bowl

YUM! Last night I made a delicious tortilla soup and served it over rice, beans, and sauteed vegetables, creating a super flavorful stew. The result was extremely yummy, filling, and of course nutritious! The soup is great as-is, and leftovers are perfect for lunch. Adding the beans, rice,and veggies make the meal extremely hearty and filling, which is definitely what I needed yesterday. *Note for vegetarians: This meal can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken and using low-sodium vegetable stock in the soup without any loss of flavor!

The following recipe makes 5-6 servings.

For under the soup:

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 c uncooked white or brown rice
• 3 c assorted veggies (corn, mushrooms, peppers, onions, zucchini, summer squash are good options), thickly sliced
• 1 can low sodium black beans, rinsed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt, pepper
• sour cream (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Cook rice in rice cooker or according to package instructions
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add veggies and salt&pepper then saute for about 3-4 minutes, we want to keep their crunch and structure.
3. Stir in beans to veggie mixture and set aside.

I altered EatingWell’s tortilla soup recipe as follows:

INGREDIENTS

• 3 soft corn tortillas, cut into 1-by-2-inch strips
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 pound leftover chicken breast, shredded
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably with green chiles
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned and crisp, about 10 min.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add peppers, onion, cumin, and chili powder to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add broth, chicken, tomatoes, pepper, red pepper flakes, and lime juice; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat; stir in cilantro.

Once everything is done, spoon some rice in the bottom of each bowl, add veggie/bean mixture, then add the soup. Top with baked tortilla strips, a sprinkle of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream (if you prefer).

This meal was a BIG hit, I am interested to hear comments/suggestions!