Recipes

[JLZimrmn]

I am trying to eat a lot heathier since I have hypoglycemia. The problem is I HATE to cook! I am willing to cook simple things that I can keep in th fridge for the week so I will have things to eat and not be tempted to have junk.

What types of things do you guys eat that is a) healthy and b) easy to cook?

[Eden]

Turkey Chili? It's easy, makes a lot and tastes good as left overs
Here's how I make it
1 package ground turkey (I use 99% fat free, but have to use some olive oil to brown it in or it really, really sticks)
2 cans of dark red kidney beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 large can of whole or diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 can (jar) of your favorite salsa
chili powder to your liking

brown the turkey (well throretically, since it doesn't exactly brown..)
add the rest of the ingredients and a little water if it needs thinning
simmer until your sure the turkey is totally cooked, and eat!
I like baked blue corn chips or rice, chipolte tabasco and fat free sour cream with mine

[JLZimrmn]

Thanks Eden! You always have great responses.

[DarcyInOregon]

My favorite healthy easy recipe is pureed vegetable soup. There are lots of variations.

Put some low sodium chicken broth in a stock pot. Add chunks of peeled and seeded winter squash. Maybe add a chopped pear or apple. Add some chopped garlic. Bring to a boil. Simmer until done. Puree the entire contents of the pot with a stick blender, which is an essential kitchen gadget equivalent in necessity to a hand held electric beater. If you don't have a stick blender, use a food processor or regular blender.

The result is an exceptional pureed squash soup that would cost you a small fortune at a four-star restaurant.

Add croutons or a dollop of sour cream.

Instead of squash, use combinations of:

brocolli
asparagus
cauliflower
garbanzo beans
carrots
onions

Use fresh herbs and spices, such as ginger root.

There are many possibilities.

Also, for a cold soup, take chilled white wine or a dessert wine or an equivalent non-alcoholic liquid, add fresh peaches or berries, some fresh lemon juice, a tiny bit of sugar, puree, and you have an exceptional cold fruit soup that would cost you an extraordinary amount of money at a four-star restaurant.

All of the above are very easy to do, nutritional, low calorie, and keep well in the fridge.

Darcy

[margo49]

You can make an awfully large fruitbowl.
Great fun to choose the bowl and then buy fruits and arrange temptingly. Even rearrange several times a day It is addictive. Maybe some berries (even frozen ones if your kerchief, gathered skirt and red-and-white checked blouse are in the laundry, lol)
Then you buy a huge ginormous natural yoghurt or kefir and that sits in the frig quietly.
Then you take some of the fruits , pour some yog into the blender add the carefully chosen fruits chopped up a bit.
Press to start, lol
Voila... smoothie.
Wash blender by first rinsing and then put more water and a squirt of washing stuff and press to start again (pay attention to the lid being secure voice of bitter expereince). Rinse again
Voila...clean.

The trick here ( like life) is mindfulness at every stage - the bowl, the fruit in general, the particular fruit you are choosing *now*,etc
Good health! And beauty from the fruitbowl!

[limewave]

Orzo Pasta
Sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil)
Asparagus hearts (in olive oil)
Red onion
Fresh Spinach
Feta Cheese
Kalamata olive

Cook pasta and drain. Chop asparagus and sun dried tomatoes and set remaining olive oil on the side. Chop red onion and kalamata olives. Chop a couple of handfulls of fresh spinach. Mix all together. Crumble in feta cheese. Add olive oil to taste (I usually do a couple of table spoons).

I'm not a big fan of olives, so I substitute balsamic vin'grett.

This recipe makes a huge bowl of saland. I eat it for lunches all week long. Love it.

[JLZimrmn]

Wow, these all sound great! Thanks guys. Sounds like I need to make a trip to the grocery store.

[margo49]

And your nearest home-wares store or local ceramic artist for a fruit bowl!

[teigyr]

Orzo Pasta
Sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil)
Asparagus hearts (in olive oil)
Red onion
Fresh Spinach
Feta Cheese
Kalamata olive

Cook pasta and drain. Chop asparagus and sun dried tomatoes and set remaining olive oil on the side. Chop red onion and kalamata olives. Chop a couple of handfulls of fresh spinach. Mix all together. Crumble in feta cheese. Add olive oil to taste (I usually do a couple of table spoons).

I'm not a big fan of olives, so I substitute balsamic vin'grett.

This recipe makes a huge bowl of saland. I eat it for lunches all week long. Love it.

I had to print this Orzo dishes are our favorite and in Pike Place Market, there is a stand with different flavors of orzo. SO good!

[Eden]

mmmm Orzo - I made this up off the top of my head for taking to a race to eat, because we were racing, working the afternoon races, then driving to for 2 hours to our hotel for the next race in the morning...... So I figured we needed something really good for recovery. I hoped this would be a good mix of carbs, proteins and good fats.
Orzo
cubed turkey breast (I really liked the Jennie-O sundried tomato)
chopped up sundried tomatos
cubed fresh mozarella
cubed avacado
Drews All Natural Smoked Tomato dressing (this stuff is AWESOME tasting and low in fat too)
salt and pepper

it sounds a little weird I admit, but the avacodo gives it a nice creamy mouth feel and still goes really nice with all the tomato-y flavors (I might have put some olives in there too..... its hard to remember, but I think I wanted a salty component as well)

[carpaltunnel]

Romaine lettuce
baby Spinach
red onion slices
Slivered almonds - toast a couple minutes in a hot pan or microwave
1 orange* per serving - lay it on the cutting board and peel with a sharp serrated knife. A steak knife works well. Cut into bite sized pieces.
black olives (optional)
feta cheese crumbled over top
Sometimes I add cooked chicken bits

raspberry vinegrette dressing

I'm addicted!

* The original recipe calls for mandarin oranges but they're all a product of some country I don't buy food from.
Besides, a fresh orange is much better.

[carpaltunnel]

Here's my other trick. I make a whole week's oatmeal at once.

I start with the "whole-est" oat cereal I can find, like Wheat Montana or Bob's Red Mill. Some times I do this with their 5 or 7-grain, or a mix of the two. I cook enough for a week, adding unpeeled chopped apples, cinnamon, a little nutmeg, a handful or two of cranberries (mmmm!). Sometimes I do a change up and use snipped prunes, or raisins. If I add nuts, I stir them in after the oatmeal is cooked.

Let it cool a while then put the pan and all in the refrigerator, with a tight lid. It will set up into a solid block. Tomorrow, carve off a hunk the size you want and put it into the microwave for two minutes. It warms and softens to the original state. You'll never know it wasn't made just minutes ago. Saturday morning wash the pan and start over.

The secret to grainy, toothsome oatmeal is 1. Use whole oats, not processed or instant; and (2) Don't be afraid to boil it. Stick around and stir it, you only have to do this once a week. If you like soft mushy oatmeal just stir the oats into boiling water, turn off the burner, and let it soak with the lid on.

[Jolt]

Chicken stir-fry--chicken breast, veggies (such as broccoli, carrots, peppers, cauliflower etc.), and soy sauce/garlic/ginger. Cook up some brown rice to put it over. Speaking of rice, it freezes well--make a bunch and then put some in Gladware or other freezer container and stick it in the freezer. The turkey chili idea someone posted earlier is also good; with this or soups etc. I always make a large batch and freeze single servings for nights when I'm busy or just too tired to cook.