Offical Healthy Cooking Thread

[chef97]

Please post you're favorite healthy recipes on this thread...

Here's a grilled chicken breast entree salad that is tasty and healthy and if the kids eat it you know it's good...

Ingredients
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (dry herbs are okay)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 5-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup red seedless grapes, halved
4 heaping cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese
Mrs. Dash or other low sodium spice blend

Directions
Combine the shallot, vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper and sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and adding the rest in a steady stream.


Put the chicken in a shallow dish and season all over with Mrs. Dash or spice blend and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes prior to grilling.


Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until juices run clear or until internal temperature reaches 165 F


Add the grapes and fresh greens to the dressing and toss to coat. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates; top with the salad and sprinkle with the gorgonzola and nuts.... And as always happy cooking!

[Erison]

Erison's meal in a glass smoothie:

Handful of kale
Big splash of vanilla almond milk
two bananas
a full avocado
two or three de-pitted peaches
a kiwi
honey
cinnamon
handful of ice and hit liquefy.

[tmoney1224]

Rock on guys!

We talked about some of these in other places, but a couple things I like to do to save empty calories and add protein when possible:
Plain Greek yogurt for sour cream
Pureed Great Northern Beans to thicken soups instead of flour
Grill chicken, adds tons of flavor with no added calories. Simple marinates of wine, citrus, fresh herbs (I love basil) and olive oil go a long way.
I throw fresh spinach in everything I can, pastas, enchiladas, etc. Easy way to get in some greens with little flavor change.
Make your own simple spaghetti sauces. A lot of the store bought ones have tons of sugar. It's very easy to make your own with some onion, garlic, whole stewed tomatoes (the one in tomato juice), and herbs(again, basil is perfect).

[Erison]

Speaking of Greek yogurt, I've been making chicken salad with yogurt and a tiny bit of Caesar salad dressing, and it's probably better than mayo.

[WhyteHypeBG]

Speaking of Greek yogurt, I've been making chicken salad with yogurt and a tiny bit of Caesar salad dressing, and it's probably better than mayo.

So... Greek yogurt is rich people's mayonaisse?

[BIGBrandon2785]

Please post you're favorite healthy recipes on this thread...

Here's a grilled chicken breast entree salad that is tasty and healthy and if the kids eat it you know it's good...

Ingredients
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (dry herbs are okay)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 5-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup red seedless grapes, halved
4 heaping cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese
Mrs. Dash or other low sodium spice blend

Directions
Combine the shallot, vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper and sugar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and adding the rest in a steady ______.


Put the chicken in a shallow dish and season all over with Mrs. Dash or spice blend and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes prior to grilling.


Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until juices run clear or until internal temperature reaches 165 F


Add the grapes and fresh greens to the dressing and toss to coat. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates; top with the salad and sprinkle with the gorgonzola and nuts.... And as always happy cooking!

That sounds good,ima have to give that a try

[chef97]

Food for thought from a diabetic cook book in my collection: "A whole chicken (about a 2-1/2lb hen) has around 3000 calories and if you take off all the skin after cooking it is reduced to about 1800 calories.... But, if you remove all the skin prior to cooking the entire chicken has around 600 calories"....

[tmoney1224]

In an attempt to curb my sweet tooth with something a little more healthy and a possible after workout snack I started messing around with different cookie recipes and came up with this.

Healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 banana
3 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flaxseed, milled

Blend everything until mixed well, then add:

3/4 Cup old fashion oats
1/2 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 Cup almonds, chopped

Mix until combined, spoon onto cookie sheet, bake for 9mins in 350 degree oven. Yields 16 cookies

These come out to about 120-130 calories a cookie, plus a couple grams of protein and fiber. Of course, they aren't as good as the regular toll house recipe, but it saves you around 100 calories a cookie and satisfies the sweet tooth.

[WhyteHypeBG]

In an attempt to curb my sweet tooth with something a little more healthy and a possible after workout snack I started messing around with different cookie recipes and came up with this.

Healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 banana
3 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flaxseed, milled

Blend everything until mixed well, then add:

3/4 Cup old fashion oats
1/2 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 Cup almonds, chopped

Mix until combined, spoon onto cookie sheet, bake for 9mins in 350 degree oven. Yields 16 cookies

These come out to about 120-130 calories a cookie, plus a couple grams of protein and fiber. Oh course, they aren't as good as the regular toll house recipe, but it saves you around 100 calories a cookie and satisfies the sweet tooth.

Have you ever used Splenda brown sugar in recipes, tmoney?

[tmoney1224]

Have you ever used Splenda brown sugar in recipes, tmoney?

No, I'm not a big fan of the artificial sweeters. I've been hearing a lot about that stevia stuff though, but haven't tried that either. Artificial sweeters is one of those things I just don't know what to thing about. You hear that they are bad for you one day and fine the next. So far I mostly just avoid them since I'm not a big fan of the taste anyway.

[WhyteHypeBG]

Have you ever used Splenda brown sugar in recipes, tmoney?

No, I'm not a big fan of the artificial sweeters. I've been hearing a lot about that stevia stuff though, but haven't tried that either. Artificial sweeters is one of those things I just don't know what to thing about. You hear that they are bad for you one day and fine the next. So far I mostly just avoid them since I'm not a big fan of the taste anyway.

Eggs were 'terrible' for you for a long time, too. Lewis Black has a pretty good bit about it.

I figure if artificial sweetener is the thing that ends up giving me cancer, I deserve it.

[tmoney1224]

Have you ever used Splenda brown sugar in recipes, tmoney?

No, I'm not a big fan of the artificial sweeters. I've been hearing a lot about that stevia stuff though, but haven't tried that either. Artificial sweeters is one of those things I just don't know what to thing about. You hear that they are bad for you one day and fine the next. So far I mostly just avoid them since I'm not a big fan of the taste anyway.

Eggs were 'terrible' for you for a long time, too. Lewis Black has a pretty good bit about it.

I figure if artificial sweetener is the thing that ends up giving me cancer, I deserve it.

Yeah I hear you, I don't really worry about it much, and have a Diet Dr. Pepper on occasion.

If you like artificial sweeteners, it could easily be used in this recipe to cut back even more on the calories. There is some moisture and flavor derived from the brown sugar, so you may need to compensate for that. Maybe some applesauce?

[Erison]

Stevia is good, but avoid agave. It's about the same as corn syrup.

[BIGBrandon2785]

Stevia is good, but avoid agave. It's about the same as corn syrup.

No shit??No wonder tequila gives you a shitty hangover.I fuckin had tequila hangovers,its all that damn sugar

[BIGBrandon2785]

For all you steak lovers theirs a substitute with out the fat.My uncle gets "Beefalo" which is 37% bison meat.The cows are breed with buffalo to make a leaner meat.We usually get a 1/2 cow once a year and I dare you to find a difference except for a lack of grease from the hamburger.

I suggest you ask your local butcher,thats what ive using for quite some time.

[tmoney1224]

Take 2, replacing butter with avocado and applesauce.

Healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 avocado
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 TBSP vanilla

Cream avocado until as smooth as you can get it, around 2 mins. Add applesauce and mix another 15-20 seconds. Add brown sugar, egg, and vanilla, mix 30 seconds.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP flaxseed, milled

Mix together and add slowly to mixer until well blended, then add:

2/3 Cup old fashion oats
1/2 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 Cup almonds, chopped

Mix until combined, spoon onto cookie sheet, press down slightly, bake for 15mins in 290 degree oven. Yields 24 cookies.

Haven't done the exact math on the calories yet, but should be pretty similar to the last batch as avocado is similar to butter in calorie count, just has much more health benefits.

[chef97]

Here is a low-cal Fettucini Alfredo Recipe

Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or butter sub like smart balance)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-fat (2%) milk
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Neufchtel or low-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
16 ounces fresh fettuccine (in refrigerated section at your local grocers)
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon,1 minute. Whisk in the milk and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.


Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot.


Add the sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with parmesan and pepper.

[chef97]

For many of my healthy cooking recipes I use a lot of boneless / skinless chicken breasts because they are high in protein and low in fat..... Here is a healthy recipe that is tasty and is low in fat......

Spicy Kale & Corn Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil
5 1/2 ounces frozen chopped kale (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher lite salt to taste
1/3 cup frozen whole kernel corn
2 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
Four 8-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the kale is softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook, stirring, until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly, and then stir in the cheese.

Insert a thin paring knife into the thickest part of the chicken breast and cut down the side to make a 3-inch pocket. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Then evenly stuff with the kale mixture.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Rub the chicken breasts with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with a total of 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add all 4 chicken breasts to the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Then lower heat to medium. Continue cooking, turning once halfway through, until just cooked through, about 14 minutes more. Insert a small paring knife into the top of the chicken to test for doneness ; until the juices run clear. If any pink areas remain, cover the skillet and continue to cook until opaque.

Transfer the chicken and any bits of filling that fell into the skillet onto 4 plates. Stir the broth and flour together in a small bowl and then add to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the pan sauce over the chicken and serve imediately and as always, happy cooking!

[Presteezh]

Naked Bruschetta turkey Burger


I use a website called skinnytaste for some of my favorite healthy recipies here is one I made recently, the image above is mine, I added mushrooms....
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/07/nake ... urger.html

Naked Turkey Bruschetta Burgers

Servings: 5 • Size: 1 burger • Old Points: 6 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 7 pt
Calories: 288 • Fat: 14 g • Carb: 10 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 27 g • Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 169 mg (without the salt) • Cholest: 10 mg

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
3 medium vine ripe tomatoes
2 small cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 oz part skim mozzarella, diced

For the turkey zucchini burgers:
1.25 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
1 small zucchini, grated (1 cup, or 5 oz)
1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tbsp red onion, grated
salt and fresh pepper
oil spray
For serving:

2 medium tomatoes, sliced into 10 thin slices
4 loose cups baby arugula

Directions:
Combine the red onion, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside a few minutes while you chop the tomatoes, then place in the bowl. Add the garlic, basil and additional salt and pepper, to taste and mix well and set aside. Toss in the cheese when ready to serve.
Squeeze the excess moisture from the zucchini in a paper towel. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, shredded zucchini, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Form into 5 equal sized patties about 5 oz each, forming them as flat as possible.

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, lightly spray with oil. Add the burgers to the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook another 4 minutes, careful not to burn.

To serve, arrange 3 slices of tomatoes on each dish, then place 1 cup arugula on top in the center, then top with the burger and finish with the bruschetta (don't forget to add the cheese), serve right away.

[chef97]

Sounds pretty awesome and looks amazing man... Thanks for sharing your recipe and I'm sure to give this one a try after the holiday weekend.....

Thanks again Presteezh!

[gomez1012]

My wife is big on the healthy cooking, uses Pinterest for a # of recipes

A couple favorites

Turkey Stuffed Peppers
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/11/turk ... 5-pts.html

Tilapia Fish Tacos
http://www.5dollardinners.com/tilapia-f ... uest-post/

We grilled the fish rather than bread & fry it. We used corn tortillas & shredded lettuce instead of cabbage.

The Lime Crema tastes great and top off the tacos with some Queso Fresco

bomb!

[gomez1012]

They taste great, real good tacos

[wimpy]

Tilapia Fish Tacos
http://www.5dollardinners.com/tilapia-f ... uest-post/

We grilled the fish rather than bread & fry it. We used corn tortillas & shredded lettuce instead of cabbage.



bomb!

Crazy---wifey and I have the same stuff.

Tilapia is a bottom shit eating fish.

[chef97]

I have all the ingredients to make the Tilapia fish tacos so, I'll try out the recipe tonight...... I'm sure they will be good and I like the fact that the fish isn't deep fried and I'll come back to this thread for my review later....... And Wimpy, Tilapia is a farm raised product that is as safe as safe can be if that's what you were worried about.... Further Shrimp and Lobster are bottom feeders too......

[hardcorebee24]

I have all the ingredients to make the Tilapia fish tacos so, I'll try out the recipe tonight...... I'm sure they will be good and I like the fact that the fish isn't deep fried and I'll come back to this thread for my review later....... And Wimpy, Tilapia is a farm raised product that is as safe as safe can be if that's what you were worried about.... Further Shrimp and Lobster are bottom feeders too......

As are catfish, flounder, fluke, halibut, haddock, grouper and certain species of edible shark. Not to mention other bigger non bottom feeders feast on bottom feeders and we eat them with no reservation. If someone is concerned with what fish eat they'll be absolutely mortified to see what pigs, cattle, chicken, duck and other farm raised livestock eat. That said, tilapia is a delicious and very affordable white fish that makes perfect tacos. I love a couple of filets that I season with old bay,cayenne pepper, coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper pan sear and serve with brown rice and whatever veggies the veggie stand guy has.