Easy healthy dishes | atksrockinrecipes

Easy healthyer dishes

HOW TO MAKE COMFORT FOOD RECIPES HEALTHIER

With these simple healthy food choices, you can make your favorite comfort food recipes a little more comforting for your waistline.

PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

1 carton (16 oz each) Egg Beaters Original

1 cup finely chopped fully cooked lean ham

3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, Gruyere, Goat Gouda or Cheddar

1/4 cup sliced green onions

3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung free of water

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously spray 12 regular muffin cups with cooking spray. Pour Egg Beaters evenly into muffin cups (about 1/3rd full). Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Spoon evenly over Egg Beaters.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until puffed and set. Let stand in pan 2 minutes. Run table knife around edges of quiches to loosen.

Use your favorite cheese in this recipe. Try Muenster, Cheddar, Swiss cheese, Gruyere, Goat Gouda or Cheddaror any meltable cheese.

Little Baby Quiches

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
4-6 tsp. olive oil, divided (more or less depending on your pan)
1 lb. brown Crimini mushrooms (also called Baby Bella),

washed and cut into thick slices or pieces
1 medium onion, chopped into smallish pieces
1 green pepper, seeds removed and chopped into smallish pieces
1 tsp. any seasoning

3/4 cup crumbled walnuts
1 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 lb. ground turkey (I used ground turkey thighs)
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
2/3 cup low-fat sour cream
1/3 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup crumbled Feta
8 oz. grated reduced fat Mozzarella (3/4 cup + 1 1/4 cup)

Instructions:
Cook brown rice according to package directions. (I cooked the maximum amount in my Zojirushi 3-Cup Rice Cooker and froze the extra for another time.) Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray a glass or crockery casserole dish with non-stick spray. (I used my favorite 12 cup glass casserole dish, but you can also use a rectangular dish and make a slightly flatter casserole.)

Wash mushrooms if needed and cut into thick slices or half slices. Heat about 2 tsp. oil in a large non-stick frying pan and saute the mushrooms over medium-high heat until they're slightly browned and all liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Put mushrooms into a large plastic bowl.

Heat a little more oil in the frying pan, add the chopped onion and green pepper, and cook over medium-high heat until the onion and peppers are starting to slightly brown. Add the your seasoning and oregano and cook about 1 minute more. Add the vegetables to the mushrooms in the bowl.

Heat a little more oil in the pan, add the ground turkey, and cook over medium-high heat until the turkey is nicely browned and any water that's released has completely evaporated. (Nearly all ground turkey will release some water, even if you buy high-quality ground-in-store turkey.) This will take about 10 minutes; don't rush the browning. Season the turkey with a little salt and fresh-ground black pepper and break apart with a turner as it cooks. (I like to use a potato masher to break the cooked turkey into small pieces.) Add the browned turkey to the bowl with the vegetables. Stir the cooked brown rice into the turkey/vegetable mixture.

In a small bowl mix together the low-fat sour cream, chicken stock, crumbled Feta, and 3/4 cup of the reduced-fat Mozzarella. Gently mix the sour cream mixture into the rice/meat/vegetables mixture. Put it into the sprayed casserole dish and spread around so it's slightly pressed down and flat. Top with the other 1 1/4 cups grated low-fat Mozzarella.

Bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the lid (or foil) and bake another 20 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the whole casserole is bubbling. Serve hot.

This keeps for several days in the refrigerator and also freezes well. It can be reheated in a tightly covered dish in the oven or in the microwave.

This dish serves up about one-fourth your daily requirement of vitamin B6, which is crucial for a healthy immune system.

A delicious casserole with brown rice, ground turkey, green pepper, mushrooms, and Feta.

B6-Brown Rice Turkey Casserole

1/2 cup lightly packed mint leaves

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

One 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, or other canned white beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 medium head of radicchio, cored, leaves coarsely torn

1 teaspoon minced rosemary

1 teaspoon minced marjoram

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over

In a saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the mint for 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of ice water; drain well and squeeze dry. Transfer the mint to a blender and puree with 3/4 cup of the olive oil and a pinch of salt.

In a bowl, toss the beans with the red onion, radicchio, rosemary, marjoram, lemon zest and juice and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Fold in the crab.

Drizzle the salad with the mint oil and serve.

ROCKIN Crab Salad

The crab is wonderful with fresh herbs and beans or vegetables. An easy, but delicious light meal for warm days.

The crisp, fresh green beans and smooth, tender potatoes create nice texture contrast, and the easy sauce is a good match for nearly any main-dish flavor. It would make an especially great side for roasted chicken, whether my five-star homemade version or time-saving rotisserie chicken from the supermarket.

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 none garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups diced red potato

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 pounds green beans, trimmed

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 pound plum tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add potato, celery, salt, and beans; sauté 1 minute.

Add 1/4 cup water; cover and cook 5 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Add cilantro and tomatoes.

Cover, reduce heat, and cook 4 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Stir in peppers.

Want a roasted chicken that is juicy inside without the use of a baking bag or flour? Then this recipe is perfect.

It is quick and easy to prepare.

I still guarantee a juicy chicken without the use of a bag each and every time."

1 (4 pound) whole chicken

1 cup margarine, softened

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 pinch dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse and pat chicken thoroughly dry with paper towels. Mix margarine, garlic salt, black pepper, thyme, parsley, and rosemary in a bowl and rub the outside of the chicken thoroughly with the margarine mixture. Place any remaining margarine mixture into the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken into a glass baking dish.

Bake chicken in the preheated oven until browned and the juices run clear, about 2 hours. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, not touching bone, should read at least 160 degrees F.

Roasted Chicken Recipe

Green Beans - Potatoes - Chunky Tomato Sauce

These luscious baked sweet potatoes taste a little bit like a pumpkin pie. They also feature fruits and nuts for added nutrition. If you like, toss some mini marshmallows on top to make it extra indulgent.

1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider or unsweetened apple juice

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup butter, cubed

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

3 medium apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside.

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, apple cider, maple syrup, butter and reserved pineapple juice.

Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup and syrupy, about 20 minutes.

Stir in cinnamon and cloves; set aside and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 400°. Layer half the potatoes, apples and pineapple in a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with salt. Pour reduced liquid over top. Cover and bake 40 minutes or just until tender.

Sprinkle with pecans. Bake, uncovered, 13-18 minutes longer or until potatoes and apples are tender.

Aloha Sweet Potato Casserole

Pasta

Handful spaghetti

1 pot filled with 5 cups boiling water,

pinch salt, an

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce
1 sliced avocado
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Salt, pepper
Oregano to taste
2 clove garlic

Place the spaghetti into the pot with boiling water and stir so it doesn’t stick together.

Cook it for about 8-10 minutes and drain it with a sieve. Put the pasta aside.

While the pasta is cooking, mix all sauce ingredients together in your blender or food processor and season with more salt or pepper if you prefer.

Mix together the drained pasta and the sauce and serve with fresh basil leaves and sprinkle a little bit of oregano and olive oil on top. For cheese lovers, grana is a great topping too!

Basil + Avocado + Garlic Pasta

Looking for a healthy recipe substitute for heavy pasta? This delicious dish comes together very quickly.

This new spin on a veggie burger shines the spotlight on gorgeous red beets and red quinoa for a beautiful, not bloody burger. Top it off with some Sweet Potato Chipotle Yogurt Sauce to add a savory, surprisingly healthy kick; it may be a good idea to keep a side dish handy for extra dipping.

1 cup beat roots (peeled and cut into cubes)
1/2 cup red quinoa
1 1/4 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1 egg
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, diced

4 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoons flax seeds
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 teaspoons chili flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350F degrees

Put sweet potato in saucepan and cover it with water, bring to a boil and then simmer on low.

Also cook the quinoa (one cup of red quinoa with two cups of water). Bring to a boil and them simmer until all the water is absorbed

While your sweet potato and quinoa are simmering, prepare your other ingredients:

Cut up your beets into one-inch cubes

Toss them in about one teaspoon of melted coconut oil

Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil, and put them into the oven for about 30 minutes

Prep other ingredients for burger.

Take beets out after 30 minutes, and set them aside to cool

When they've cooled, put them in a food processor or blender and blend them roughly for about three long pulses (we want body to the burger, so don't puree them)

Combine with other ingredients for burger in a big bowl; mix with hands or spoon

Lump the mixture into four round patties with your hands, and lay them on a baking sheet

Put them in the oven (at 350 degrees still) for 20-25 minutes per side. If they fall apart while baking, don't worry—we can reshape them later.

After baking for another 25 minutes on the opposite side, take them out and let them cool.

Start preparing your chipotle sauce:

Take your sweet potato out and cut in half. Let cool, and add to a food processor.

Add in your one cup Greek yogurt, cumin, lime juice, paprika, chipotle powder, and melted coconut oil. If you are using a whole pepper, be sure to de-seed it and dice into small pieces.

Blend on high until it is a creamy, evenly blended puree.

Split a whole grain (or bun of choice—or no bun!) bun into two, and spread both sides with the sweet potato chipotle sauce.

Place your burger (reshape if necessary) in between the buns, and add your arugula and/or red spinach on top for garnish).

Worlds Best Veggie Burger

Sweet Chipotle Yogurt Sauce

1/2 boiled large sweet potato
1 cup 2% Greek yogurt, or unsweetened yogurt of choice
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon chipotle powder (or 1 chipotle pepper)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oil your choice

Healthy lunches and dinners don’t have to be limited to salads.

A clear detoxifying and clarifying soup perfect after a hangover or when sick or to boost immunity.

2 carrots
1 cup brussel sprouts
1/2 cup diced celery
1 bok choy
1/2 zucchini
3 broccoli crowns
1/2 cup dill
1 string tarragon
1/2 cup parsley
1 small chicken breast cut in three pieces
1 clove garlic
1 cube low sodium natural veggie broth
salt & pepper
1 quart water

Place all ingredients in a pot.Cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat and let it boil for about 15 minutes, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until it’s done.