Healthy Recipes

Okay, so I am not a very good cook.  I always make healthy dinners, however; most of them are very ordinary.  Every once in a while I make something that is really good and worth sharing.  My healthy recipe page will probably not change very often, but when I do get a great tasting healthy recipe, it will definitely be on my blog.  For a good healthy recipe web site, check out my Healthy Recipe Link.

 

AVOCADO SOUP

Ingredients

1 large leek

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 large ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and mashed

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small bunch of scallions, finely chopped

1 small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped

Cooking Directions

Trim the root end of the leek, cut off the tough green leaves, cut the leek in half lengthwise, and rinse well to remove any grit. Roughly chop the leek.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the leek, celery, and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.

For the avocado, I bought the pre-packaged mashed avocado from Trader Joes.  It is about equal to two avocados, and I added the whole pack.

Add the bay leaves, stock, coriander, cumin, avocado, and lime juice and simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve topped with the chopped scallions and cilantro to taste.

This can be a really chunky soup if you like, but I decided to use the hand blender on mine give it a  creamy, smooth consistancy.

Yield: 8 servings

 

 

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Layered Mexican Casserole

Serves 4; 1 cup per serving

1 10-ounce package frozen brown rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, undrained
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked skinless chicken breasts, cooked without salt  (about 7 1/2 ounces cooked)
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1 medium lime, quartered

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prepare the rice using the package directions. Spread in an 8-inch square baking pan. Stir in the cumin. Drizzle with the oil. Using the back of a spoon, smooth the surface. Spoon the chiles over the mixture. Top, in order, with the cilantro, chicken, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Serve with the lime wedges

 NUTRITION ANALYSIS (per serving)
Calories                       242
Total Fat                       8.5 g
      Saturated Fat                      2.5 g
      Trans Fat                             0.0 g
      Polyunsaturated Fat          1.5 g
      Monounsaturated Fat        3.5 g
Cholesterol                  52 mg
Sodium                        269 mg
Carbohydrates           18 g
      Fiber                       2 g
      Sugars                   0 g
Protein                         22 g

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Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

This orange-golden soup is a great way to get some serious nutrition in your diet.   It is a perfect start to autumn.  I am not a big fan of salads, because I love the dressing, but the calories associated with it make it prohibitive.  I have started to eat veggie soups at dinner instead of a vegetable or salad.  It provides me with my veggies and fills me up, so I don’t overeat. 

Even if you don’t use a slow-cooker, this mouth-watering soup, rich with beta-carotenes and nourishment from yummy winter squash and sweet potato is simple to make and very satisfying.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
4 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
salt and freshly-ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add sweet potatoes, squash, stock, thyme, and sage; season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook on Low for six hours.  Or transfer ingredients to a large soup pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 1 hour.

3. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor, or directly in the slow cooker or soup pot using an immersion blender. Taste to adjust the seasonings and serve hot.

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 SLOW COOKER TORTILLA SOUP  

Slow cookers are one of the best ways to make really flavorful healthy meals.

(This recipe came from my friend Candy who is an exceptional cook)

4 – 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (and or) boneless skinless thighs (Add more chicken if you want it to be more of a stew.)
2 cans chicken broth 
2 cans cannellinni beans or black beans 
2 cans Rotel (spicy to your taste) 
1 envelope  taco seasoning

Other things that can be added:
3 sliced carrots
3 stalks sliced celery 
1 can drained corn 

 
Combine in a slow cooker for 5-7 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. 

 
 Approx. 1/2 hour prior to finish shred chicken and add a handful of cilantro.  You can remove the chicken, but I found that I was able to just take a fork and shred it into big sections right in the slow cooker.

 
I served this with a cheese quesadilla using light tortillas and light shredded cheese.  This was mostly for the kid’s enjoyment.