Handy Healthy and Delicious recipes...

Since I often get asked..."Dana, do you have any delicious, somewhat simple, definitely healthy and yummy recipes??" Well, since I love to cook, I do! Here are a few for you now!

Oh yeah, and some healthy nutrition tid-bits and mind-snack for you to ponder on:

Turkey Bean Chili/Stew:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
1 cup shredded carrots
1 8-oz container sliced mushrooms
1 can chickpeas (low-sodium)—rinsed
1 can black beans (low-sodium)—rinsed
3 small cans diced no-salt added tomatoes
1 pound chopped skinless turkey breast.
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
3 cloves of chopped garlic.

Instructions:
· Over medium heat bring olive oil to temperature, add diced onion, carrots and mushrooms. Saute until browned.
· Next add chickpeas and black beans. Cook until any extra liquids are cooked off. This is not a pure science, so I cannot really give you good “times.”
· Add diced tomatoes, vinegar and sugar. Continue to cook until “boiling.” Once boiling turn heat down to low-medium and cook until stew begins to thicken.
· Finally, add chopped skinless turkey, stirring quickly so chunks of turkey form and spread throughout the entire dish.
· Add pepper to taste. I personally eschew the salt-shaker. Surprise yourself, you may like it as is without any salt added!

Note: If for some reason you find that bits of tomato or onion, or turkey are sticking to the pan, you may need to lower the heat, or realize that there’s sugars in the tomato, this can happen, and will lend a delicious flavor to your dish…mmmm.

This will give you several days worth of meals. I got about 4-5 generous servings out of this with about 400-500calories per serving depending on how many servings you make.

This can also double as a delicious “taco or tortilla” filling, just add a few more spices such as cumin, chili, or your favorite hot-sauce.



Taco/Tortilla, based on the above recipe:

Use above recipe, adding in cumin, coriander, chili spice, hot-sauce, or your other favorite taco seasonings. Buy whole-grain tortillas.

Chop some lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, avocado for guacamole, and buy yourself some low-fat sour cream or low-fat plain yogurt. You get 2 different types of meals for the price and time of one!!!


Twist on our favorite “Ants on a log”

2 stalks of celery
2 tablespoons of almond butter
2 tablespoons of dried currants
1 tablespoon of ground flax seed

Gives you fiber from flax and currants, fat from almond, protein from almond and flax, carbohydrate from currants, it’s a perfect balance of nutrients with a little twist. Plus, you get that much needed, healthy omega-3 fats from flax, and other healthy mono-unsaturated fats from the almond butter. This is truly a match made in delicious heaven.


Breakfast-to-go:

¾ cup rolled “old-fashioned” oats.
1 cup low-fat/skin milk, or soy-milk
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Up to 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
1 tablespoon ground flax-seed.

Instructions:
· In a to-go Tupperware type (microwave safe) container add the oats, milk or soy milk, and if you prefer a “soupier oatmeal, add water”. Add cinnamon and microwave on high for 2 minutes, watch for overflowing.
· Once out of microwave, add cranberries and walnuts, no need to stir until ready to eat. Add flax-seed, and sugar as desired.

This meal provides healthy whole-grains in the oats, protein in the milk, fiber in the flax seed, cranberries, and walnuts, and omega-3’s in the flax seed and walnuts. Perfectly balanced, quick and easy-to-go breakfast or snack.

Cinnamon is also known to have blood-sugar regulating effects.



So, there you have it...something to Whet and Wet your appetite and cooking gene!