10 Healthy Food Recipes You Have To Try
Healthy foods suck, right? Wrong! These 10 health food recipes will be the highlight of your week! For more healthy recipes make sure you check my folder on myWebRoom!
Pesto, Mozzarella, Baby Spinach, Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Delicious Herb Pesto
INGREDIENTS:
1 clove garlic
1 anchovy fillet in oil
½ small shallot, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
handful chopped fresh Italian parsley
handful chopped kale
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped chives
¼ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Pulse garlic, anchovy, and shallot in food processor until chopped. With the food processor running, add lemon juice, parsley, kale, tarragon and chives.
Very slowly drizzle in olive oil until kale and herbs get sufficiently chopped and everything is the consistency of a pesto. Add olive oil depending on how big a “handful” of herbs is to you.
Season with salt and pepper. This recipe will make quite enough but you can save it for many different recipes!
Sandwich INGREDIENTS:
2 slices of whole grains and seeds bread
2-3 tablespoons of homemade Pesto
2 slices of mozzarella
handful fresh baby spinach
¼ avocado
2 tablespoons goat cheese crumbled
olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Spread about 1 tablespoon of your fresh homemade Pesto onto each slice of bread
On one slice of bread, add 1 slice of cheese, sliced avocado, crumbled goat cheese, spinach, second slice of cheese, then top it with second slice of bread. Press together gently.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over medium low heat and add the sandwich to the oil, cook until bread is golden brown. Press down on the sandwich lightly, then flip the sandwich over and cook until second side is golden brown, and enjoy your healthy-gourmet sandwich!
Baked Mozzarella Chicken Rolls
baked mozzarella chicken rolls
serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (8 4-ounce pieces)
1 cup whole wheat Italian style bread crumbs
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 clove minced garlic and olive oil for sauteeing
½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
⅓ cup beaten egg whites (I used something similar to Egg Beaters)
3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 cup marinara sauce
fresh basil for topping
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep the chicken: Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and pound the pieces until they are thin (for quick cooking) and have expanded in surface area (for more filling). Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and set aside.
Prep the filling: Chop the spinach and saute it with the garlic and just a drizzle of olive oil for 2-3 minutes or until just barely wilted. Combine the sauteed spinach with the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and 2-3 tablespoons of the egg whites. Place the remaining egg whites in a separate shallow bowl and set aside.
Assemble the chicken: Oil the bottom of a large baking dish and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place one piece of chicken on a flat working surface. Put a spoonful of ricotta-spinach filling right in the middle and roll the chicken up so that the edges meet to form a "seam". Dip the entire chicken roll in egg whites, and then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Place in a baking dish, seam side down. Repeat for the remaining 7 pieces of chicken. Bake for 25 minutes.
Finishing touches: After 25 minutes, the chicken should be cooked through (white on the inside) and browned on the top. Cover the chicken with the marinara sauce and slices of fresh Mozzarella. Bake for another 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melting. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
NOTES
Don't try to cram all the pieces too close together because if the sides are touching each other, they won't get crispy. Leaving a little space between each piece allows the breadcrumbs to bake, brown, and crispify perfectly. :)
Creamy Mac and Alfredo
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: Heaping 1½ cups
Ingredients
12 ounces whole-wheat penne pasta (I like Barilla®)
1 (14.5-ounce) jar Prego® Light Homestyle Alfredo sauce
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
½ cup fat-free milk
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
½ cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (I like Sargento®)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Coat a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta to al denta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the Alfredo sauce, cottage cheese, milk, egg whites, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sir in the spinach to combine.
Gently fold in the cooked pasta into the Alfredo mixture until evenly covered.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges
PREP TIME
15 mins
COOK TIME
30 mins
TOTAL TIME
45 mins
Garlic and parmesan seasoned potato wedges oven roasted to golden tender perfection!
Author: Tiffany
Recipe type: Side Dish / Appetizer
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
3-4 large russet potatoes, sliced into wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
optional: fresh parsley (or cilantro), ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.
Place potato wedges in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. In a small bowl whisk together salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle potato wedges with the shredded cheese, tossing to coat, then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
Place potato wedges on prepared baking sheet in a single layer with skin-sides-down. Bake for 25-35 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender and golden. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and dressing for dipping.
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Whole Wheat Pasta
Ingredients
8 ounces {DeLallo short whole wheat pasta|http://www.delallo.com/catalog/organic-whole-wheat-pasta], such as fusilli or penne
4 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-fat milk
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups shredded fontina cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnishing
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast
Instructions
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Scoop the pasta into a drainer or bowl and reserve the hot pasta water. Add the broccoli to the pasta water and cook for about 3 minutes or until desired tenderness. Drain and set aside.
While pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce. Over medium high heat, melt butter in a large sauce pan and whisk in the flour. Cook while whisking for about 2 minutes. Add milk and whisk continuously to avoid any clumps. Cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mustard and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Add the chicken breast, the whole wheat pasta and the broccoli and stir to combine. Season with more salt and pepper to taste and garnish with shredded parmesan cheese.
Low-Carb Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Bake
Low-Carb Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Bake
(Makes 6-8 servings, depending on what else you serve with it. Recipe developed by Kalyn and Jake, with a few tries that weren't quite right but got eaten anyway!)
Ingredients:
1 jar (14 oz) pizza sauce, reduced to 1 cup
(Use the lowest-carb sauce you can find, or make your own pizza sauce and omit the sugar.)
4 large boneless-skinless chicken breasts (6-8 oz. each)
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. Greek oregano (sometimes just called oregano)
1 tsp. garlic powder
6 oz. piece of part-skim Mozzarella, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
2 oz. sliced pepperoni (regular or turkey pepperoni)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Put the pizza sauce in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat until it's reduced to one cup, about 20 minutes. Don't skip this step or the dish will be watery.
While the sauce reduces, trim the chicken breasts and cut each one crosswise to make two same-size pieces. Put chicken pieces one at a time inside a heavy plastic bag and use a meat mallet (or something heavy) to pound the chicken until it's as thin as you can get it without it shredding apart. (Don't worry if some pieces break apart a little.) Mix the Greek oregano and garlic powder in a little bowl and then sprinkle both sides of each piece of chicken with the mixture.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in the largest non-stick frying pan you have (you may have to do this in 2 batches if your pan isn't big enough.) Add the chicken pieces and cook 1-2 minutes on each side, just long enough to brown the chicken but not long enough to cook it through.
Choose the smallest glass casserole dish you have that will fit all the browned chicken pieces, and lay the chicken in the dish in a single layer. Cut the Mozzarella into slices and cut the slices as needed to make enough pieces to mostly cover the top of each piece of chicken.
By now the sauce should be nicely reduced, so spread sauce over the top of each chicken breast. (Use it all.) Top each piece with sliced Mozzarella and pepperoni slices, covering the top of each piece of chicken as much as you can.
Bake uncovered about 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and the pepperoni is slightly crisped. (Some pieces of pepperoni will slice off the chicken, try not to obsess about that like I did.) Serve hot.
I'm having leftovers of this tonight for dinner so I'll report back on how it reheats after it's been in the fridge a few days, but you probably won't have any left!
Apple Pecan Feta Spinach Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette
Apple Pecan Feta Spinach Salad
Yield: About 7 - 8 servings
Ingredients
10 oz baby spinach
3 small gala apples or 2 medium, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup pecans, toasted
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (don't use the pre-crumbled stuff)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
12 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
1/2 small red onion, sliced into thin strips (optional)
Maple-Cider Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
If using red onion, place slices in a colander and run under warm water for about 10 seconds, tossing once, to remove harsh bite. Drain well.
In a large salad bowl toss together spinach, apples, pecans, feta, cranberries and optional bacon and red onion. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately after adding dressing.
For the dressing:
Add all ingredients to a medium mason jar. Cover with lid and shake to blend well (or alternately just blend well in a bowl with a whisk).
Fried Rice
INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 eggs, whisked
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
4 cups cooked and chilled rice (I prefer short-grain white rice)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3-4 Tbsp. soy sauce, or more to taste
2 tsp. oyster sauce (optional)
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add egg, and cook until scrambled, stirring occasionally. Remove egg, and transfer to a separate plate.
Add an additional 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and heat until melted. Add carrots, onion, peas and garlic, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the onion and carrots are soft. Increase heat to high, add in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter, and stir until melted. Immediately add the rice, green onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce (if using), and stir until combined. Continue stirring for an additional 3 minutes to fry the rice. Then add in the eggs and stir to combine. Add the sesame oil, stir to combine, and remove from heat.
Serve warm.
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 4 hours Total time: 4 hours
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
1 pound of dried fusili/rotini pasta (or whichever pasta shape you like - bowties work well in this too)
1 large cucumber, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
½ red onion, diced
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1½ cup crumbled feta cheese
5 ounces hard salami, sliced into ½-inch thick rounds and then quartered
⅓ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
⅛ cup balsamic vinegar (see notes below)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions:
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box then drain well and place in a large bowl.
Add the cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, feta, and hard salami on top.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Pour over pasta mixture and toss well to coat.
Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours (I did 6 hours).
Serve chilled.
Notes:
I used regular balsamic vinegar for this but a reader mentioned it turned her pasta salad a bit brown when she used regular balsamic. You can use white balsamic vinegar if you don't want to possibly get a brown tint.
Avocado, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad Recipe
2 avocados, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes
1 pound mozzarella
1 1/2 ounce bunch fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
With a small knife, cut the little stem end out of the tomato, and using a serrated knife, cut the tomatoes into 1/3 inch slices.
Slice the mozzarella 1/4 inch thick.
Alternate slices of Avocado, tomato, mozzarella and basil leaves like playing cards on individual plates.
Drizzle on the olive oil and vinegar.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Italian bread or baguette (French bread), or perhaps over a bed of romaine lettuce or Boston lettuce leaves.
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