At the beginning of each new year many of us make the solemn vow that this will be the year that nothing but low-calorie, low-fat, healthy food will cross our lips.
But as the realities of day-to-day life set in, our good intentions all too often die on the vine. Living a healthy lifestyle means doing a lot more cooking than many of us are used to, and good-quality, fresh ingredients can be pretty expensive. Here are three recipes for healthy dishes that don’t take hours to prepare, and the ingredients won’t bankrupt you.
Skinny Lasagna Rolls
10 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked to al dente (about eight minutes), well drained
3 cups purchased marinara or tomato-basil pasta sauce, divided use
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 loosely packed cups baby spinach, chopped well
1½ cups low-fat ricotta cheese
1½ cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 egg white, lightly beaten with a fork
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1⁄3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Additional marinara sauce for serving (optional)
Preheat oven to 425º F. Spread 1½ cups of marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 13x9-inch casserole dish. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about one minute. Add the chopped spinach and sauté until wilted, about three minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the garlic, spinach, ricotta, one cup of the shredded mozzarella, egg white, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
On a work surface lined with parchment paper, arrange cooked lasagna noodles flat; spoon one-quarter cup of the cheese and spinach mixture onto each noodle and spread evenly to cover noodle. Starting with the end closest to you, roll the noodles up quite tightly to enclose filling. Place lasagna rolls seam-side down, not quite touching, in the prepared casserole dish (if you have leftover filling, spoon it between the rolls).
Evenly spread 1½ cups of marinara sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover loosely with aluminum foil (foil shouldn’t touch the top of the lasagna rolls or you’ll take off all the cheese when you remove the foil) and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly. If desired, serve rolls with additional heated marinara sauce. Makes 10 servings. Source: skinnyms.com
Taco Stuffed Zucchini
4 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, cut in half lengthwise
1 cup salsa
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup reduced-fat Mexican blend shredded cheese
¼ cup chopped cilantro for topping
Preheat oven to 400º F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the zucchini, leaving about half an inch around all sides. Chop and reserve three-quarters of a cup of the scooped-out flesh; either discard the rest or store for another use. Place the scooped-out zucchini halves in the boiling water for one minute, then place them upside down on a paper towel to drain. Spoon one-half cup of salsa into the bottom of a large baking dish; arrange the zucchini halves on top, face up; set dish aside. Brown turkey in a large nonstick skillet until no longer pink.
Add the taco seasoning, onion, green pepper, the reserved zucchini flesh, tomato sauce and water; stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fill each squash boat with the turkey mixture, then top with cheese. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until zucchini is soft, filling is hot and cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro and serve with the remaining salsa. Makes four servings. Source: smilesandwich.com
One-Pan Mexican Quinoa
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds and veins removed, minced
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
One 398-ml can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 398-ml can diced tomatoes (including juice)
1 cup canned or frozen corn kernels
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about one minute. Stir in quinoa, broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Gently stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro and serve immediately. Makes four servings. Source: damndelicious.net
Angela Shellard is aself-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. She can be reached via email by clicking here [email protected].
