Tag: healthy recipes

Healthier Version of Smothered Chicken

Healthy eating can still resemble good, Southern comfort food despite its low-calorie count. Take for instance this recipe from EatingWell, the health-focused food blog; their recipe guide for cooking, preparing, and serving “Smothered Chicken Breasts in Onion Gravy” focuses on a gravy-heavy meal that doesn’t stack up the calories because a minimum amount of oil is used to make the roux base for the dish.

This recipe was penned for EatingWell Magazine by James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Virginia Willis. Willis commented on the misconception that gravy automatically categorizes a meal as unhealthy by saying, “I love gravy; in my mind, there are rivers of it in heaven! Using a minimum amount of oil to make the roux reduces calories. The result is good, country-style cooking—always welcome on my weight-loss plan.”

Ingredients for the Smothered Chicken:

Directions for the Smothered Chicken:

  1. You’ll want to start this recipe by preheating your convection oven to 350°F. Then, in a nearby shallow mixing bowl, stir together your flout, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
  2. Pat your boneless, skinless chicken breasts down with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture, and then dredge the chicken breasts into the flour mixture so that both sides of the breasts are coated evenly. Shave off the excess flour after you dredge each chicken piece, and save the remainder of your flour mixture to use later on.
  3. Next, heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is properly spread throughout the skillet and heated, add your chicken breasts and cook them for about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Wait until one side of the chicken is browned, and then flip for the remaining side; you’ll only flip once. Afterwards transfer the chicken to a plate.
  4. Now, you’ll add in your onions, the remaining 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper to the pan and reduce the overall heat to medium. Cook the contents of the pan while stirring occasionally. Continue cooking just until the onions are a golden brown color, which normally takes approximately 5 to 7 minutes total. Once they’re browned, add in your minced garlic and cook until the pan’s contents are quite fragrant, which usually takes approximately 45 to 60 seconds.
  5. At this point, you’ll take the remaining flour mixture that you used to dredge the chicken breasts earlier, and you’ll tip the remaining mixture into the onions while stirring to coat them in the flour. Add the chicken broth to the pan and increase your heat to medium-high, bringing it to a complete boil while stirring often.
  6. After the pan is boiling, adjust the heat so that you’re maintaining a simmer. At which point you’ll add in your reserved chicken, any and all juices that have accumulated, thyme, and your bay leaf. Position your chicken so that they’re nestled into the onions, and turn them to fully coat them.
  7. Lastly, transfer your pan to the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. You’re going to keep the chicken in the oven until an instant-read thermometer that’s placed into the thickest part of the chicken registers at 165°F. Once it does, you can discard your bay leaf and serve!

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New Salad Recipes for the New Year Ahead

A new year calls for new meals, or at least adapting your tired, predictable lunch to something more palatable, portable, and enjoyable. So let this small selection of 40 Healthy Salad Recipes from the lifestyle blog, Self, help you reinvigorate your plate of greens.

Salads are a tried and true favorite of the workplace, tupperware container, and dinner plate, but many can attest to only preparing or eating just a handful of leaf, dressing, and protein combinations any given year. This complacency and lack of variety often contribute to the abandoning of wellness and lifestyle trends, diets, and health-conscious lunches in favor of the convenient, pre-packaged, and expensive take-outs.

So, let it be known that your salad doesn’t need to be treated like a punishment or obligation, because with the following recipes, you’ll actively want to meal prep these meals for both enjoyment and nourishment.

Sweet Potato Broccoli Salad Recipe

This salad is enjoyed warm or cold, and it comes to us from Healthier Steps with its freshly roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli combined with the savory dressing and sunflower seeds. The sugar-sweetness mixed in with the saltiness of the seeds will be just the right pairing to reinvigorate your lunchtime slump.

Southwest Salad With Blackened Shrimp

It’s often remarked that a salad is little without its protein, so this blackened shrimp resting atop a corn and black bean-salsa-salad is a welcome addition to your lunchtime routine. In addition to the charred shrimp, this recipe from Food Fidelity utilizes fonio, an ancient grain cultivated in West Africa that holds a fine texture, nutty flavor, and a fluffiness that will pair delightfully with the crunchy, contrasting textures found elsewhere on the plate.

Balsamic Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad Recipe

Sometimes the basics and favorites are all you need in your salad, and if so, this cobb from Gimme Delicious has you more than covered. Treat your tastebuds by marinating your balsamic chicken ahead of time in order to guarantee the tastiest results, and fill the remainder of your plate with bacon, hard-boiled eggs, funky blue cheese, and have it all rest atop slices of avocado for a salad that will fill and energize you for the afternoon shift.

Grilled Corn Salad

Simple Lakita suggests that you try your best to use fresh corn for this delicious lunchtime treat, but frozen will be just fine, as long as you forget the canned stuff, as you want the freshest-taste available. This salad, similar to a roasted corn salsa, pairs perfectly with a protein-rich meat like roasted tempeh or blackened, charred, and/or grilled chicken.

Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe

Combine the benefits of a sweet, nutty, and savory lunch with flavors emerging from apples, cranberries, and beacons in this delicious, desert-akin treat from The Real Food Dietitians. The flavors emerging from the prepared apples, cranberries, and pecans make this salad (that’s topped expertly with bacon) your new favorite cold-weather alternative to chicken salad. It’s superb over a bed of greens or suitable as a filling for a wrap or sandwich, so take advantage of the versatility.

Green Bean Salad

Really dive into the benefit of the legume family with this vegetable-laden dish from Love and Lemons. This dish pairs well with another protein source of your choosing, as it’s about 90% vegetables, goat cheese, and almonds, making the mild flavors present perfectly complementary to whatever you choose.

Spicy Ranch Chopped Chicken Salad Recipe

Turn up the heat and subsequent satisfaction with Ambitious Kitchen’s salad that combines spicy grilled chicken alongside steamy avocado, crunchy pepitas, crispy tortilla chips, and a bed of cabbage. Every element is utterly satisfying, and it’s made all the more sweet and savory with a homemade ranch dressing that’s rich in protein, thanks to its greek yogurt base.

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Top Healthy Salad Recipes

It’s time to set those resolutions and typically, salad becomes a big part of that.  If eating healthier is one of your top new year priorities, that’s great. But “I’m going to eat healthier this year” is one of those well intentioned, but too-hard-to-define goals that isn’t nearly as easy done as said. You’ll have better success if you break it down in to bite-sized mini-goals.  For instance, eat 3 salads/week for lunch is an easy and doable goal…..until around week 3 when you run out of good salad recipes and your taste buds are screaming at you for some variety. The truth is, when you set one big giant goal, it can be hard to know where to start and easy to lose your momentum. ESPECIALLY if your goal is food-related and your food is boring, yucky, or not varied enough.  We have compiled our top 2 salad recipes to make sure you don’t ruin your resolution before it even gets started. Both recipes can easily be changed with the substitution of one ingredient. The list of variations is endless! Click here for the full list of healthy salad recipes.  Keep reading!

1.    Cucumber/Tomato/Avocado Salad

Ingredients

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumber

Avocado

Red Onion

Basil

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

Probably the easiest salad you’ll ever make and if you take one look at the ingredients, you’ll know why it’s delicious and healthy.  How can anything taste bad with that combination? Put the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, red onion, and fresh basil in a bowl. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and serve! So easy and beautiful and also goes great as a side with any meal.  This salad chills well and also transports well, so it’s super easy to bring to work. You can mix it up and vary the taste by using different flavor oils (coconut, avocado, olive, almond) or by using different herbs (rosemary, tyme, cilantro) or by adding different cheeses (feta, goat, cottage).

2.    Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 cup quinoa uncooked
2 cups water (or chicken or vegetable broth/stock)
4-5 ounces fresh spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 large avocado, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Optional: fresh basil, to taste


Lemon Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 and 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard, do not use regular mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large lemon (3 tablespoons juice)

This sweet potato quinoa salad has it all – perfect textures, delicious flavors, and it’s so simple to make! Not to mention how healthy quinoa salad is! It’s packed with good for you ingredients that will keep you fuller for longer.  The lemon vinaigrette is light, fresh, healthy, and tangy. There’s dijon mustard, lemon juice, dried herbs, vinegar, and olive oil. All great ingredients and together, they pack a punch! Make this dressing weekly and it will be gone within 3-4 days!

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and coarsely (but evenly) chop your sweet potatoes. Place on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and salt + pepper (to taste). Toss everything to coat and place in the preheated oven. Let roast for 15 minutes and then flip the potatoes and roast for an additional 10-20 minutes or until desired tenderness.
Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve to remove the bitter coating. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa with water (or broth/stock). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan with a lid.
Turn heat all the way to the lowest setting and cook covered for 15 minutes or until the water has completely absorbed in the quinoa.
Turn off the heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff the quinoa gently with a fork. Set aside.
Toss the cooked quinoa and sweet potato in a large bowl. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, prep the dressing. Whisk the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste), and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste) together in a small bowl. Slowly add in the olive oil into the vinegar mixture while whisking briskly. Whisk in the lemon juice. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge while you finish the salad.
Remove the stems and coarsely chop the spinach. Add to the salad along with the chopped avocado and cranberries. Toss everything together. If desired, ribbon some basil and top the salad with the fresh basil.
Toss the salad with desired amount of dressing (you might have some leftover depending on how dressed you liked your salads!) Enjoy immediately.
Do not dress anything you don’t intend to eat that day. This salad is best eaten immediately after being dressed, so if you want leftovers, only toss what you will eat with the dressing.

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