Fruits/Vegetables

Curried Chicken Sauté

Either you like curry or you don’t.  I didn’t use to and I admit it was because I didn’t like the smell.  I just assumed I wouldn’t like the spice until I tried it a few years ago.  Now, I crave Indian food and when I’m not sure what to eat, sometimes I’ll just have pasta and vegetables with a red curry sauce.  

This recipe for Curried Chicken Sauté seemed simple enough to make so I was eager to try it.  Chicken breasts are cooked with a simple rub of salt, pepper, and curry powder and then mixed with soft peppers and a creamy curry-coconut milk sauce.  This can either be eaten as a meal itself or over a little bit of rice.  The curry here isn’t overbearing and provides such a pleasant flavor to chicken and vegetables.  If you don’t want to try it, I won’t be offended.  But you never know, if you try it, you just might like it.

The ingredients:

Sprinkle curry powder, salt, and black pepper over chicken (I just put it on one side).

Cook the chicken breasts in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked.

Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.  In the same pan, sauté bell peppers and curry powder for 1 minute.

Add coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for four minutes until slightly thickened.  Add in juice from half of a lime.

Cut chicken into thin slices and add to the peppers and sauce.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Fresh whole peppers for pre-sliced packaged peppers

Overall Rating:  Like It

Green Monster Spinach Smoothie

I hate to sound cliché but I really, really, want to start eating better.  I know, I know, me and half of the country, right?  It isn’t that I really eat that bad, I mean I do get the majority of my recipes from Cooking Light magazine after all, but my problem is two-fold:  I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables and I have no concept of portion control!  Smoothies are a great way to get those much needed servings of fruit and vegetables that most of us don’t get and also make for a filling, delicious breakfast.

This Green Monster Spinach Smoothie may not look appetizing to some of you but don’t be intimidated by it’s bright green color.  Yes, it’s a spinach smoothie but if it weren’t for the color, you would never know by the taste.  This smoothie has milk, vanilla yogurt, banana, and peanut butter and tastes like a peanut butter-banana milkshake.  Since spinach is nutritious and so, so, so good for us, consider putting spinach in any smoothie you make.  Your body will thank you.

The ingredients:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into your favorite glass or to-go cup and enjoy!

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Iowa Girl Eats blog

Waldorf Chicken Salad

I went a little crazy at the grocery store this weekend and bought nearly every fruit and vegetable I could get my hands on. So, this week’s recipes will be full of healthy ideas. (I hope you don’t mind!)

This recipe for Waldorf Chicken Salad was buried in a cancer-fighting meal plan on Self Magazine’s website. Don’t pass by meal plans like these in magazines when you see them because they are usually very easy, healthy and full of great ideas. I don’t normally eat Waldorf salads even though they are full of all kinds of things that I love like apples, grapes, celery, and walnuts. I suppose it is because they are dressed in mayonaisse, making them a wanna-be healthy girl’s enemy.

This version has a teeny-weeny bit of mayo but also uses plain yogurt which cuts the calories. I used non-fat Greek yogurt which is tangy but is complemented by the sweetness of the grapes and apple. This is a great use for any leftover chicken you might have on hand or if you’re in a hurry, use precooked chicken strips like I did (I love Perdue Short Cuts). I didn’t use walnuts this time (even though they are one of my faves) but instead used chopped pecans because I had them on hand. Since chicken salad usually just tastes better as flavors meld, make this over the weekend and keep it in the fridge for a few quick workday lunches.

The ingredients:

In a bowl, mix yogurt, low-fat mayonaisse, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Add in chicken, apple, celery, grapes, and onions and mix well. (I put the pecans in here too but you can wait and sprinkle them over the salad just before serving if you prefer.)

Serve over your favorite greens.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

  • Dijon mustard for yellow mustard
  • Pecans for walnuts
  • Non-fat plain Greek yogurt for low-fat plain yogurt
  • Light mayonaisse
  • Scallions for onion

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Self Magazine

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