Tag: healthy

Poached Halibut with Oven-Roasted Vegetables & Mint Tea Broth


Recipe courtesy of Carla Hall/Clean Eating magazine

Ingredients

  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 baby eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic, whole
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 high-quality mint tea bags
  • 1/2 bunch basil
  • 4 6-oz halibut fillets
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 7 to 8 basil leaves, cut into thin strips, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare 2 sheet pans by misting them with cooking spray, then sprinkle with salt.
  2. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on half of 1 sheet pan, and place tomatoes and garlic on other half. Spray tops lightly with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Place pan in oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip eggplant slices and toss tomatoes. (Tomatoes will blister as they cook.)
  4. Continue to cook for 5 to 7 more minutes.
  5. Remove pan from oven and place tomatoes on top of eggplant to flavor eggplant and keep slices moist.
  6. Keep oven at same temperature.
  7. On second sheet pan, lay zucchini slices in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mist lightly with cooking spray.
  8. Place pan in oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip zucchini and cook for 5 more minutes.
  9. While vegetables are in oven, pour broth into a 10-inch skillet and bring to a boil.
  10. Add tea bags and basil and season with salt. Allow to simmer for 7 minutes, then remove tea bags.
  11. When vegetables are close to being ready, bring broth to a simmer and place fish in skillet. Cover with parchment paper.
  12. Poach fish until it is white and a toothpick inserts very easily, about 12 minutes.
  13. Place fish on a plate and strain broth into a small bowl; adjust seasoning if necessary. 
  14. To serve, divide vegetables into 4 shallow bowls, place fish on top, then pour broth over fish.
  15. Garnish with pine nuts and basil leaves.

Sweet & Sour Chicken


Another wonderful recipe from Clean Eating

To save time & make this Asian-inspired meal even simpler than it already is, pre-chop your vegetables and let your chicken marinate in the fridge for up to 8 hours ahead of time. Then, when you’re ready to eat, it’ll just take 10 minutes to get dinner on the table.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp raw honey
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ging, grated
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/4 lb boneless,  skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts), chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (optional)

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes.
  2. Place chicken in a large shallow dish and pour soy sauce mixture over chicken, tossing gently.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  5. Add chicken and marinade, saute for 5 minute or until vegetables are slightly tender.
  6. Add pineapple and cook for 2 more minutes.
  7. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately over rice for a complete meal, if desired.

Miso & Green Tea Marinated Striped Bass


Recipe courtesy of Clean Eating

Shiro, or sweet-white miso, is the sweetest and lowest in sodium of all the miso paste varieties. Made from rice, soybeans, sea salt and koji (cooked rice and/or soya beans that have been inoculated with a fermentation culture, then incubated for about 45 hours – the secret to good miso), this miso paste will not overpower the striped bass. Unlike many miso marinades, CE‘s version is relatively low in sodium and sugar.

Ingredients

   Marinade:

  • 2 bags green tea
  • 2 tbsp shiro miso paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger, minced
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/8 tsp sesame oil

   Fish:

  • 4 striped bass fillets, skin and pin-bones removed (about 4 to 6 oz each)
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 tsp sesame seeds

Directions

Make Ahead:

  1. Prepare marinade: Bring 2/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat, remove from heat, add tea bags and steep for 8 minutes, uncovered. Remove tea bags and discard. Whisk miso paste into tea until combined thoroughly. Allow to cool slightly and whisk in remaining marinade ingredients. Cover loosely and refrigerate until cooled completely.
  2. Place fish fillets into a resealable bag and pour in cooled marinade. Seal bag, removing excess air and lay flat on a small baking tray. Place into freezer until ready to use. Marinated fish may be frozen for about 4 months.

Day of:

  1. Remove marinated fish from freezer and place into fridge overnight, or in the morning for evening usage. Once defrosted, fish will keep refrigerated for about 24 hours.
  2.  Preheat oven to 400°F.
  3. Remove fillets from marinade and place onto a parchment–lined baking dish or small tray, then spoon marinade over each fillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and place into oven.
  4. Bake, uncovered, for 12 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily when pierced gently with a fork.
  5. Serve immediately with a bit of pan liquids drizzled over each fillet and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Tip: You don’t have to stick to striped bass in this recipe. Use the freshest white fish you can find – tilapia, halibut and black cod are all excellent substitutions.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Italian-Style Salsa


This delicious chicken recipe is low in calories and fat, but gives you a nice dose of protein.

Recipe courtesy of celebrity chef, caterer and TLC cooking maven, Deborah Fewell (in Clean Eating).

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 9 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 9 yellow teardrop or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
  • 3 full sprigs fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp chile flakes (if you want more heat, increase by 1/4 tsp at a time)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 1-2 tbsp balsamic glaze*
  • Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz each)

*Balsamic glaze can be found in your local supermarket. Or, you can make it yourself by boiling 2 cups balsamic vinegar over med-high heat until it’s reduced to a thick consistency or coats the back of a spoon (about 30 min).

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, toss together 1 tbsp oil & the next 8 ingredients. Season with salt & pepper; set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400F.
  3. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over med-high heat.
  4. Season chicken with salt & pepper.
  5. Add remaining 2 tbsp oil to pan, then place chicken into pan.
  6. Let chicken brown and cook for about 3 minutes, then turn over to cook on opposite side for another 3 minutes.
  7. Transfer skillet to oven and cook chicken for 6-7 minutes.
  8. Remove chicken from oven and transfer to plate, spooning 1/4 of salsa evenly over each breast.
  9. Serve hot.

How to Eat and Live Clean


I just purchased a magazine that I’ve never heard of before, Clean Eating, and am thrilled that I did. It has me more inspired about eating and cooking even healthier than I currently do now. The following is an excerpt from the magazine, which basically explains the rule(s) of thumb for clean eating.

The soul of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life – one meal at a time.

  • Eat five to six times a day – three meals and two to three small snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long.
  • Drink at least two liters of water a day – preferably from a reusable canteen or container, not plastic; being friends with the environment is important!
  • Get label savvy – clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.
  • Avoid processed and refined foods – such as white flour, sugar, bread and pasta. Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead.
  • Know thy enemies – steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans-fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar.
  • Shop with a conscience – consume humanely raised and local meats.
  • Consume healthy fats – essential fatty acids or EFAs, every day.
  • Learn about portion sizes – and work toward eating within them.
  • Reduce your carbon footprint – eat produce that is seasonal and local. It is less taxing on your wallet and our environment.
  • Drink water with a lemon wedge – a glass of red for a special occasion is OK, but it should be a rare indulgence. The health benefits of red wine are reversed after more than one glass a day.
  • Slow down and savor – never rush through a meal. Food tastes better when savored. Enjoy every bite.
  • Take it to go – pack a cooler for work or outings so you always have clean eats on the go.
  • Make it a family affair – food is a social glue that should be shared with loved ones. Improve the quality of your family’s life along with your own.

Note: So, while I think these are all excellent tips and I actually do most of them already, I do have some recipes that use sugar, white flour, bread and pasta. My thoughts… eats those things in moderation as best as you can.

Healthy Snacks


I want to talk about snacks and give you some low-calorie options for when hunger strikes in-between meals. It’s a good idea to have a snack to keep your metabolism going and the ones listed here, are only about 150 calories each! So, whether you’re watching your weight or just need a little something to hold you over ’til lunch or dinner, these are all guilt-free and pretty tasty.

  • 1 oz. healthy nuts (47 pistachios or 24 almonds or peanuts)
  • 2 whole-grain crackers with 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 cup baby carrots with 1/2 cup hummus
  • 6 oz. nonfat yogurt with 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
  • 3 cups popcorn (popped in 2 tsp canola oil)
  • 3/4 cup fresh pineapple with 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
  • 1 cup fresh fruit with 1 part-skim string cheese
  • 1 cup whole-grain cereal (such as Cheerios) with 1/2 cup skim or 1% milk & 1/2 cup slice strawberries
  • English muffin pizza: 1/2 whole-grain English muffin with 1 tbsp tomato sauce & 1/2 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese (add green pepper and onion slices on top if you’d like)
  • 1 apple with 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal with sliced almonds (about 5) and 1/2 cup skim or 1% milk
  • 1 oz. low-fat cheese with 3 whole-wheat crackers
  • 1/2 small whole-wheat tortilla with 2 slices turkey (or tofurkey), 1 slice tomato and 1 small slice avocado
  • 12 whole-grain corn chips and 1/2 cup salsa
  • Fruit smoothie: 1 cup skim or 1% milk blended with 3/4 cup berries