Healthy Recipes

Healthy Food- Recipes

A health conscious family does not need to live on boiled, bland or tasteless foods any more. There are some great cooking methods and recipes that enliven the table, add a zing to the taste-buds and, at the same time, help maintain good health. Here are some good ideas.

Grilled marinated Seafood with Tangy Orange Salsa

To make this tangy, colorful, yummy dish, prepare the marinade with
1/4 cup orange or tangerine juice, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 4 teaspoons minced garlic and ginger root, 1/2 teaspoon grated orange or tangerine peel, and one teaspoon of salt, all mixed in a big bowl. Toss in the fish cubes and chill covered for 1 hour.

To make about 2 1/2 cups of Salsa, you need:
2 large oranges, peeled, pith removed and diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 large cup seeded and diced tomato
1/2 cup minced red onion with garlic and ginger root
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 jalapeño chili pepper, minced fine
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well, adding salt to taste, cover and leave to Chill. Stir in one tablespoon minced fresh cilantro just before serving.

After an hour, pat dry the fish and thread it onto 4 skewers. Arrange the skewers on a broiler pan and broil under a preheated broiler 4 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until firm.
Serve with the salsa.
(Serves 4)
Each serving contains:

237 calories;
5 grams of fat;
61 milligrams of cholesterol;
2 grams of dietary fiber;
55 milligrams vitamin C.

Tomato - Bean Casserole (A complete, nutritious and tasty meal)

6 ripe Roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup medium or long grain rice, cooked till tender but not mushy
1 cup grated Monterey jack or Mexican cheese
1 1/2 cups canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Roast the tomatoes under a very hot broiler until blackened on all sides, for about 12 minutes. Cool, peel and roughly chop these tomatoes, set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano, and cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes and their juices. Stir until the juices have reduced, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Remove from the heat and set aside. (This can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread half the cooked rice over the bottom of a lightly greased 8" x 8" baking dish.

Spoon half the spiced tomato mixture on the rice and sprinkle with half the cheese. Spread all of the beans over the cheese. Cover with the remaining rice, tomato mixture and cheese. (This can be assembled a day in advance and refrigerated.)

Bake until bubbly and brown, about 20 to 30 minutes, but longer if it was refrigerated. Serve after 10 minutes.

Each serving contains:
304 Calories
9 g of Fat
678 mg of Sodium

Brocolli & Eggs

1 cup fat free egg substitute
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup minced fresh coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup chopped cooked broccoli
2 teaspoons margarine
4 flour tortillas
1 cup mild or medium salsa
1/2 cup nonfat yogurt

Mix the eggs, milk, coriander and pepper and add the cooked florets of broccoli. Add margarine in a pan and heat. Pour the egg mixture and cook, till set. Remove from the heat.

Microwave the tortillas on high for 30 seconds, after wrapping in a damp cloth, until hot and pliable. On each of the tortillas, spoon out the egg and broccoli mixture and roll over. Serve with the salsa and yogurt.
Each serving contains:

190 Calories
5.3 g Fat
1 mg Cholesterol
359 mg Sodium

Chicken - Vegetable Stir-Fry

(Excellent in taste and great in nutrition)

You need 500 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
4 cups assorted chopped fresh vegetables, such as broccoli, green or red bell peppers, carrots, and snow peas
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons white wine or white cooking wine
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Blended Garlic Pepper
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken strips for a couple of minutes. Add remaining oil and vegetable to skillet and stir fry till tender. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl. Pour over vegetables and cook 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add cooked chicken, tossing to coat. Serve over cooked rice.

Each serving contains:

215 Calories
5 g Fat
66 mg Cholesterol
291 mg Sodium

Garlic Flavored Chicken with Vegetables

4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breast- halved
2 carrots, 1 medium leek 1 red bell pepper (seeded), peeled and cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup canned tomato pulp
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. unsalted butter
Instructions:
Sauté chicken breasts on a skillet, 4-5 minutes per side, turning occasionally, until chicken is opaque throughout. Transfer to a platter and keep warm. Add carrots to skillet and sauté over medium heat 1 minute. Add leek, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté another minute. Stir in tomatoes and any juices from platter. Simmer 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper according to taste. Serve vegetables over chicken.

No Cooking Healthy Snacks

(It’s a good idea to snack on healthy, nutritious between –meals, than greasy fries or fatty cookies. Here are some ideas)

Nutty Bars
In a large bowl, combine one cup each of honey, rice cereal (or rolled oats), skimmed milk powder, and peanut butter. You may also add dried fruits like figs, nuts, raisins, apricots etc. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until well mixed.

On a wax paper rolled out on a plate or another smooth surface, spread the coconut. Scoop out the mixture from the bowl and shape in into small balls or cylinders and roll in the coconut till covered all over. Refrigerate these balls for at least one hour.

Easy To make Sandwiches

Mr. Beans
In a bowl, mash 1 cup of baked beans and 4 tablespoons of chili sauce together into a smooth paste. Slap on between two slices of brown bread or wholegrain wheat bread. Top with lettuce leaves, and tomatoes.

Dried Fruits Sandwich
Finely chop dried prunes, dates, raisins, figs, dried apricots, apples and if possible, almonds. Stir in crumbled cottage cheese. This yummy mixture can be used as filling for sandwiches, providing a large amount of energy as well as nutrition, without any heavy digestables.

Vegetable Garden Salad Sandwich
Wash 6 Lettuce leaves and shred.
Slice 3 large radishes
Chop half a green Pepper
Chop 2 green onions (spring onion stalks)
For the dressing, one tsp of olive oil, one tablespoon of lemon juice and seasoning, mix with the vegetables. Spread between the two slices and add salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy Tuna Sandwich
Shred 4 thoroughly washed leaves of lettuce and spread between two hamburger bun halves. Add shredded tuna, and top each with one teaspoon of taco sauce. Sprinkle finely chopped green onion and finely shredded cottage cheese.