Category: Food

Steak Salad with Salsa Verde Vinaigrette

YUM!!
This meal “just works” on so many levels; 1. I doesn’t take a lot of time to make this meal, 2. It is healthy, 3. The colors pop! The flavors pop! The textures are amazing, 4. My local grocer has sirloin steak on sale!

This recipe will definitely be turned into a video for The Wide-Body

Ingredients
• Cooking spray
• 1 (8-oz.) sirloin steak
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• divided 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons
• finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon capers finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 5 cups arugula (about 5 oz.)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 ounce shaved fresh Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)

The recipe is straight forward, but nonetheless, check out the rest of the detail on the Cooking Light page: https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/steak-salad-salsa-verde-vinaigrette

Nutritional Information
• Calories 281
• Fat 23g Satfat 6g Unsatfat 15g
• Protein 15g
• Carbohydrate 4g
• Fiber 1g
• Sodium 458mg
• Calcium 13% DV
• Potassium 10% DV
• Sugars 1g Added sugars 0g

VIDEO: A Healthy & Easy to Make Breakfast: Tomato Avocado Poached Egg Stack

A few weeks ago, I posted this recipe and it was quite a popular post. I made a video to show you all how easy it is to put this healthy breakfast together, and here it is!

The Wife, my official taster, loved it so much, I had to make another one the very next morning! No more rush for back-to-school schedules.

Leave a comment and let me know if you guys also make this meal. I think your family will like it too.

Are You Ready To Start Fermenting Food?

This week, we focused on gut health and the food that would promote gut health. Some of the more adventurous foodies may be considering making your own sauerkraut, kimchi, or kombucha. If you want to start making these foods at home, I’ve chosen the below list of recipes because their instructions were easy to follow.

Sauerkraut Recipes:

Taste of Home: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-sauerkraut/ Sauerkraut is surprisingly simple to make, and this recipe highlights that all you really need are two ingredients; cabbage and salt. The use of caraway seeds is traditional in Bavarian sauerkraut recipes.

Pioneer Woman: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a100555/how-to-make-sauerkraut/ I like this recipe for two reasons; 1. She makes a small batch of sauerkraut which better suits some people and 2. Her step by step pictures are helpful

Eating Well: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/250931/simple-sauerkraut/ Eating well consistently delivers top notch recipes and they also provide a lot of nutritional information

Kimchi Recipes:

The Kitchn: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-easy-kimchi-at-home-189390 Really good details about how kimchi is made, the different types of kimchi, as well as a video in which you can follow along as you make your kimchi.

Feasting At Home: https://www.feastingathome.com/how-to-make-kimchi/ beautiful pictures, easy to follow video, and tips on the different types of ingredients you can use in your kimchi.

Kombucha:

Delish: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a26297879/how-to-make-kombucha-recipe/ This page does a nice job of delving into the details of what is kombucha, and helps direct you on how to develop the “mother” needed to create kombucha

 If you want to learn more about the benefits of fermenting, the folks at Livestrong have put together a really nice article detailing the health benefits of fermented foods. https://www.livestrong.com/article/13727557-fermenting/

VIDEO: Foods that will improve your gut health

If you read our health feature about gut health, and how a healthy gut can improve your mental well being, then you are likely asking yourself what kind of foods you should buy to help you improve your gut health. In this video, I feature three categories of food, each of them containing the healthy probiotics your body needs, and each is low in sugar, which is also what your body needs.

VIDEO: Mediterranean Style Shrimp Skewers

Here is another easy to make, healthy, and full of flavor recipe, that you can serve tonight and I’m sure your family will enjoy it.

I saw this recipe and I was inspired to make it for the family. And WOW, did they love it! Everyone in the family is asking me when we can have shrimp like this again.

The recipe is really easy, and the cooking time is very short. The prep work will take some planning because 1. You will need to peel and de-vein the shrimp, and 2. You will need to marinade the shrimp for about 30 minutes. After that, it is all easy-breezy.

NOTES ABOUT SHRIMP:

  • Buy fresh shrimp if you can
  • Buy “large” shrimp, or larger, if possible. Larger shrimp are easier to skewer
  • Buy shrimp from the US (or at least local to you). I buy “Gulf Shrimp”, which is shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is only 200 miles from me, thus my shrimp is fresh, and I support local and responsible fisherman who work closely with state wildlife resources to protect the health and sustainability of our seafood resources. I’m doing my best to be a smart consumer of seafood.

 Ingredients

2lbs of shrimp (about 24-30 shrimp)

For the Marinade

  • 1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ cup packed chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon coriander
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Peel, de-vein, clean shrimp. Place shrimp in a large zip bag and add the marinade. Ensure the shrimp is completely covered by the marinade and place the bag in the refrigerator of 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, skewer the shrimp and place the skewers a grill tat has been heated to medium-high, or about 325 degrees.

Shrimp does not need more than 2-3 minutes per side to cook. The flesh should quickly change from limp and grey to firm and pink.

Serve with a fresh green salad and a light and crisp white wine. Enjoy! And don’t be surprised if your family goes crazy for this meal.

Nutrition:

  • Calories: 262.6kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 1.2g
  • Protein: 31.1g
  • Fat: 14.1g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Cholesterol: 381mg
  • Potassium: 136.6mg
  • Fiber: 0.4g
  • Sugar: 0.1g
  • Vitamin A: 213.6IU
  • Vitamin C: 6.8mg
  • Calcium: 228.2mg
  • Iron: 3.5mg

 

#food #healthyeating #shrimp #mediterraneandiet #wide-body

Orange-Almond Chicken-and-Cabbage Bowls

orange-almond-chicken-cabbage-bowls-

Photo from Cooking Light

If getting back into a breakfast routine was challenging for “back to school”, getting back into a dinner routine won’t be easy either. So, let’s skip the frustration of juggling new schedules and trying to prepare a meal. Let’s make this easy. And EASY is EXACTLY what this meal is all about.

Since many of the readers are juggling back to school schedules, I’ll be featuring recipes that are quick to make, healthy, taste great, and containing ingredients you can readily find at your local grocery store.

3 Step Cooking. How Easy Is That!

  1. Buy rotissie chicken. Shred the meat.
  2. Combine the ingredient and put them into a bowl
  3. Eat

Ingredients

  • 2 navel oranges 1 (12-oz.) pkg.
  • shredded coleslaw mix (about 3 cups)
  • 4 ounces shredded boneless, skinless rotisserie chicken breast (about 1 cup)
  • 3 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
  • 2 green onions, thinly diagonally sliced
  • 3 tablespoons sesame-ginger salad dressing (such as Newman’s Own)

SERVING SIZE: 2

Nutritional Value

  • Calories 275
  • Fat 11g Satfat 1g Unsatfat
  • 9g Protein
  • 21g Carbohydrate
  • 28g Fiber
  • 8g Sodium
  • 415mg Calcium
  • 8% DV Potassium
  • 13% DV Sugars 19g
  • Added sugars 3g

Check out the recipe of the recipe and how to put this delicious dish together here: https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/orange-almond-chicken-and-cabbage-bowls

Quick and Healthy Breakfast: Tomato, Egg, and Avocado Stack!

Tomato Avocado Egg Stack Cooking Light

Pic from CookingLight.com

Next week, a lot of kids will be starting “back to school”, and in the best of times, this event also means a morning filled with chaos. Even if your child will be attending a virtual classroom, you will still need a morning routine, we have all fallen out of our school morning routine.

So, with this recipe, I will give you:

  1. A quick to prepare dish that so won’t feel rushed
  2. A healthy breakfast that will satisfy your child’s hunger and keep them focused on their schoolwork through the morning!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large beefsteak tomato
  • 1 egg – poached
  • ½ sliced avocado
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)

Additional Options: Mozzarella, crumbled goat cheese, pine nuts, slivered almonds, basil, olive tapenade

Putting this together is simple. Slice your tomato into three horizontal pieces. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on slice, add a slice or two of avocado, salt or pepper to taste, then add the next layer. Add the egg on top. Easy!

TIPS: Poaching or boiling an egg keeps the calories down. You can also boil eggs the night before using, thus making this easier to prepare in the morning. A fried egg would also taste good on this stack, though you will need to consider the added fat.

TIPS: Do you want more protein? Mozzarella is a natural addition to this dish as it goes well with tomatoes. Do you enjoy smoked salmon (lox) in the morning? Most folks can readily find smoked salmon in the store, adding a source of healthy protein, no added fat, and ready to eat. And don’t forget that nuts such as slivered almonds also provide you the protein, fat, and fiber, your body needs.

Now is a great time for this recipe because tomatoes and avocados are in season. Nutritionally, you receive a nice protein boost from the egg, complex carbohydrates from the tomato and avocado, and thus no sugar crash at mid-morning, and the unsaturated fats (the good stuff!) in the avocado will make you feel full without making you feel sleepy.

SERVES 1CALORIES 282; FAT 20.5g (sat 3.8g, mono 11.7g, poly 2.9g); PROTEIN 10g; CARB 19g; FIBER 9g; CHOL 186mg; IRON 2mg; SODIUM 356mg; CALC 63mg

Kudos to Cooking Light for such a fantastic recipe. Check out additional details here: https://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/tomato-and-avocado-stack-breakfast-salad-recipe

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp

Zucchini noodles and avacado pesto

video capture from EatingWell.com

Seeing this recipe makes me want to say, “SHUT UP AND GET IN ME BELLY!” There is so much healthy goodness, BUT on top of that, it is crazy with great taste! I can hardly wait to hear from you guys, telling how good this dish tasted. Kudos to Eating Well for this recipe.
Ingredients

  • 5-6 medium zucchini (2 1/4-2 1/2 pounds total), trimmed
  • ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
  • ¼ cup unsalted shelled pistachios
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound raw shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired
  • 1-2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

For the directions, please check out http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/257004/zucchini-noodles-with-avocado-pesto-shrimp/

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 3/4 Cups Each

Per Serving:

446 calories; 33.2 g total fat; 4.7 g saturated fat; 159 mg cholesterol; 713 mg sodium. 1271 mg potassium; 15.8 g carbohydrates; 6.6 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 25.9 g protein; 1144 IU vitamin a iu; 55 mg vitamin c; 112 mcg folate; 141 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 110 mg magnesium;

Exchanges:

6 Fat, 3 Lean Protein, 1 1/2 Vegetable

Nutrition Profile:

  • Dairy-Free
  • Soy-Free
  • Healthy Aging
  • Low-Calorie
  • Egg Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • Healthy Immunity

Zucchini Enchiladas

zucchini enchiladas

Video capture from EatingWell.com

OH MY GOODNESS! These enchiladas, featured in Eating Well, look amazing and if you are looking for a way to cut refined carbs from your diet, this is a fantastic recipe. And, we are in the middle of zucchini season, so you should be able to find these green goodies at your local grocery store, farmer’s market, or backyard garden.
Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 12 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded (about 3 cups)
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese, divided
  • 1 (15 ounce) can enchilada sauce (1 1/2 cups), divided
  • 3 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), trimmed
  • ⅓ cup sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-fat milk
  • 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 4 Enchiladas

Per Serving:

443 calories; 32.3 g total fat; 14.4 g saturated fat; 118 mg cholesterol; 316 mg sodium. 694 mg potassium; 12 g carbohydrates; 2.5 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 27.3 g protein; 2330 IU vitamin a iu; 31 mg vitamin c; 62 mcg folate; 273 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 58 mg magnesium;

Exchanges:

4 1/2 Fat, 2 1/2 Lean Protein, 1 1/2 Vegetable, 1 High-Fat Protein

For details on how to prepare this meal, check out the recipe at Eating Well: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/264489/zucchini-enchiladas/

Easy Sauté Spinach

Easy Sauteed Spinach

I’m staying with the common theme of this week, and that theme is adding more leafy greens to your diet. The recipe below calls for spinach, but don’t feel like you must use this recipe for only spinach. I regularly sauté Swiss chard, as well as mustard greens and arugula. Sautéing is fast, minimum of prep work, and you can season to taste. Bottom-line, this is an easy way to add greens as a side dish to your next meal.

Ingredients
• 2 Tblsp of olive oil
• 4 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 20 oz of spinach (that sounds like a lot, but it cooks down)
• 1 Tblsp of lemon juice
• ¼ tsp of salt
• ¼ crushed red pepper

Serves Six
Serving size: about ½ cup
Per serving: 65 calories; 5 g fat(1 g sat); 2 g fiber; 4 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 184 mcg folate; 0 mg cholesterol; 0 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 8,892 IU vitamin A; 28 mg vitamin C; 94 mg calcium; 3 mg iron; 172 mg sodium; 531 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (178% daily value), Vitamin C (47% dv), Folate (46% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: ½
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat

For details on how to sauté this meal, check out the simple instructions at Eating Well.