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abiteofnat · 4 years

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AN ANXIETY-APPROVED GUIDE TO SOCIALLY-DISTANT DINING IN THE NORTH SHORE

A headline I truly thought I would never write, because I used to be the type of person to leave work, jam myself into an L train packed with people, scroll through my phone while breathing in someone’s backpack, and then get to a busy restaurant to meet friends and dive into food without washing my hands. My entire immune system was chock-full of city scum, and eating indoors with dozens of other people who likely got off an equally full train? Not even a question of a doubt in my mind. Things took a quick and dire turn in May when suddenly I became afraid of everything and grossed out by anything, and after moving home with family I was certain I would never leave the house again. I miss being the fearless gutter rat I used to be, but times are different, and staying safe is key.

Alas, while my family has been taking quarantine very seriously, we reached a point in August where we all felt “ok” with sitting at a restaurant once or twice a week to feel like we were still part of society and because we all mutually hate cooking. After not being at a restaurant once since March, we nervously ventured out to a local Italian restaurant, sat outside very far from others, and ate pasta that was still piping hot from the kitchen and that didn’t taste mediocre after sitting in a takeout container for an hour. It was refreshing as FUCK. Rose? In a real wine glass? Served chilled? What am I, a QUEEN?

Ever since we have been carefully dining, only ever sitting outdoors, and carrying packs upon packs of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer like actual loons. But safe loons! Being home and enjoying the local restaurants through new eyes and new level of appreciation has made me love them 10x more, even if we’ve eaten somewhere a hundred times before. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to dine with these spots, eat favorite dishes & try new ones, and be out of the house for 1-2 hours on a Friday during these wild times. So, why not share some of my favorite spots?? Maybe you’re also living back in the good ole North Shore, and looking for any excitement at all in the quiet of the suburbs. Here you go.

1. Mino’s Italian - Winnetka

This restaurant is newer to Winnetka, however it became an instant local favorite and is always, always full. They have a huge patio area with lighting, cozy wooden benches, tons of tables, heaters, and a menu packed with classic Italian dishes done so right. Their Calamari is unreal due to the seasoning and the roasted garlic aioli it comes with for dipping. Their Cacio e Pepe is magically light but still full of cheese and fresh cracked peppercorns, and the seasonal Risotto consists of warm mushroom richness. Their pizza is great to-go as well, and tastes like an NYC slice if you order the largest size.

2. Pescadero - Wilmette

Ok to be fair, Pescadero is not somewhere we’ve actually dined AT during the pandemic. We do pick it up quite often though, and it is some of the best carryout in Wilmette. The Fish & Chips is mouth-watering, with fresh fish covered in a seasoned batter that alone is delectable. Their chips (really more french fries) are thin, crispy, and topped with a parmesan and herb dust. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE FRIES. The Mahi Mahi tacos are excellent and a lighter, fresher dish with broccoli apple slaw and avocado crema, and for fuck’s sake order a side of the Mac & Cheese just to stick a fork in. Pro Tip: You want as much extra tartar sauce as they will give you!!!

* Edit - since I wrote this post a few days ago, we ate on the Pescadero patio and it was delightful. Even though it was 55 degrees, the hot Clam Chowder and Fish & Chips warmed me up real quick. Clam Chowder served in a hot mug = a new fall dinner staple. Will only accept soup in a mug from now on. And, they do have heaters!

3. Depot Nuevo - Wilmette

I have eaten here no fewer than 3,456 times in my life and every single time I feel like I’m on vacation because the vibes, the food, and the booze are immaculate. Located in an old train station turned restaurant, Depot Nuevo is warm and inviting no matter if you’re inside (pre pandemic) or on their gigantic patio that allows for spaced out and comfy seating. They’ve added heaters for the fall, so don’t worry about being chilly- and if you are, the Pomegranate Margarita will warm you right up. It’s strong, delicious, and comes in a very pleasing traditional margarita glass. I always order the Appetizer Trio as my entree, which has queso fundido (ordered without the chorizo!), guacamole, and ceviche composed of scallops, shrimp, and calamari with vegetables and lime. Usually this comes with tortilla chips as it’s meant to be shared, but I ask for corn tortillas instead and then pile a little of everything in there for the taco of my DREAMS. Do it. Order it. I dare you.

The staff is exceptionally friendly and have taken COVID precautions seriously, so menus are disposable and everyone has gloves on. They will treat you like family, and they are family to us because we go there so often. See you on Friday, Depot!

Other good things on the menu are the Fish Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, BBQ Salmon, Chipotle Mashed Potatoes, Cheese Quesadilla (smothered in their salsa verde of course).

4. The Noodle - Wilmette

Can you tell downtown Wilmette is the place to be? It has truly popped off and the majority of restaurants aren’t serving up your typical “suburbs” food (you know- fried appetizers and burgers and weird salads and overpriced meat dishes) so I am always happy to be out in our little mini city. The Noodle is as classic Italian as you can get, with overflowing ceramic boats of buttery garlic bread, a salad OR soup included with your entree, and no bar- only wine (or beer) if you want a drinky drink. Incredible. I am partial to the house-made spinach linquine with Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes sauce, and the starter salad with house Creamy Garlic Parmesan dressing. Their Tomato Basil soup is also delicious, however I have some suspicion that that soup is the same as the Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes sauce... just served as soup... they refuse to confirm or deny whenever I ask. Either way, delicious. I tried a NEW DISH when we went last week to sit at one of the 6 large tables they have spaced out outside, and let me tell you that the bowtie pasta (not house-made) with Alfredo sauce is THE SHIT. It may be my new go-to when I just want to carbo-load the hecking out of my night. On your way out, get a Pot de Creme to go- it’s the richest, smoothest chocolate dessert on this side of town.

5. Hometown Coffee & Juice - Glencoe

Hometown deserves a round of applause for breathing life back into the stuffy grandmother of the North Shore - Glencoe. Between the gorgeous Writers Theatre and countless boutiques selling blouses and hand-blown glass jewelry, it used to only really serve a certain demographic, however Hometown said “let me give it a try” and changed weekends in Glencoe for good. This coffee shop, smoothie bar, bakery, & cafe hotspot is the perfect afternoon spot to grab a drink, enjoy avocado toast, and sit outside at one of the dozens of tables they’ve lined the corner and two streets with. They’ve moved their registers outside so you don’t even need to go inside to order, and the wait staff will bring you your order right to your table to make it as organized and safe as possible. The tables are spread out, the corner it’s located on is beautiful in the fall, and there are lots of good dogs out and about.

I will say that while Hometown is doing a great job with COVID precautions, the people of Glencoe are a little high & mighty, and seem to think they’re exempt from wearing a mask to wait in line to get their smoothie. It’s irritating that they’re putting the staff at risk and just ignoring state mandates because they feel safe in their little North Shore bubble and because it’s entirely outside, but come on. Be respectful and understand the privilege of these places even being open to serve you, and just wear mask. I hate people. ANYWAY. Love you, Hometown.

6. Coast Sushi - Evanston

Ok, so this gem is not open for dining indoors OR outdoors, however they have their carryout system down and their sushi is so, SO fresh and good. I’ve picked up from here a few times and eat time I fall more in love with the flavors and how consistently tasty it is- and with sushi, it’s always a gamble if it’s going to be really good or kinda fishy and old. The Coast in South Loop was a favorite spot for a while, however it has shut down and I am so happy to be able to get my favorite rolls up in the burbs. My go-to order is a Spicy Tuna Maki, Spicy Scallop Maki, Spicy Miso Soup, a side of Spicy Mayo, and a side of Sushi Rice. This sounds odd, but hear me out- I like to mix the spicy mayo into the sushi rice and eat it just like that. It’s. So. Good. Am I gross? I might be gross.

Anything you get from here is going to rock your socks off, so for your next night in (aka every night lol) treat yourself to some sushi, babbyyy!

I sincerely hope that we can keep dining outside for at least a few more weeks, and I am absolutely ok with wearing Uggs and a full-on coat to be able to. Just a reminder to keep your mask on when talking to wait staff, be polite, be patient, and don’t be an asshole. You don’t NEED to dine out- it’s a treat- and you should treat it as such. Don’t be a Karen, or don’t leave your house. Those are literally the only two options.

I hope you try somewhere new, whether it’s carryout or dining out, and tell me if you have any favorite North Shore spots I missed!

Until next time, Happy Eating!

- Natalie

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mensbodybuildingtips · 4 years

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The Right Whey: Tips And Recipes To Shake Up The Way You Use Protein

Water and healthy protein ... Protein as well as water. No matter exactly how you mix it, the combination is simply ordinary stagnant. So when was the last time you made a protein shake with anything however water, whey, and a shaker cup?

We thought so.

The irony of all this is triggered by the truth that whey protein solutions go to their advanced best. Yet, despite protein being at its absolute finest in taste, in bioavailability and in easily blended solutions, exactly how numerous of us still stand at the kitchen sink, fill up a cup up with semi-cold water, dump an inside story of healthy protein in, and shake, after that almost plug our noses as we down it?

At this factor, you're possibly objecting, assuming "I get on a diet - exactly what else should I mix with my healthy protein?" There is some truth to that - specifically if you have a total healthy protein that has a great fat resource included, as well as no sugar, however a pleasant preference. Formulas vary so considerably, it is possible you have a protein you actually like that in fact tastes good.

Whey Protein: Diets vs. Mass

Line up 10 leading brand proteins and also you might locate extremely various dietary assays on each label. Some will differ in whey type, while others contain greater than just whey, such as casein or soy, or vary in the sweetener or flavor utilized to earn the formula palatable.

Each will certainly also include a different macronutrient break down - with more or much less carbs or fats, and a broad swing in the variety of healthy protein grams. Add to that the number of tastes in each brand, as well as the fat resource in each brand name. Some proteins will feature a beneficial medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) such as coconut milk or oil, and others will simply mix in whatever emulsifying fat is cheapest.

Sweeteners also differ widely, and also could consist of every little thing from ordinary old sugar to corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, Splenda, Nutrasweet, or the even more all-natural and also healthy Stevia.

Give or take components, of those 10 healthy proteins, you can most likely separate them right into 2 classifications: Those fit to mass-building as well as those to dieting.

Typically, healthy proteins that attend to diet programs will showcase 25 to 35 grams of protein, no to 10 grams of carbs, and absolutely no to 12 or 15 grams of fat. Those fit to mass gains will include anywhere from 30 to 40 grams of protein, 15 to 40 grams of carbohydrates, and 5 to 20 grams of fat.

The excellent aspect of having such variance in proteins is that you can prefer to either use a protein on its own as a dish substitute during a diet plan, or as a meal replacement throughout a mass cycle, without having to add other foods.

But we think that if you locate a healthy protein you such as - and that's normally driven by components, high quality and preference - we assume you're going to persevere. So how does one adapt his/her preferred protein to be a year-round formula, as well as what criteria should own that choice?

Choosing a healthy protein that is formulated for diet plan, versus mass, has its benefits due to the fact that you could constantly contribute to the formula using a shake - you can not remove ingredients.

Shakes that claim to be meal substitutes or are mass-monster owned do not constantly have the most effective top quality ingredients either. They are usually rife with fillers that are not healthy and also can trigger fat storage space in the off season.

We assume it's far better to earn your own.

We are frequently asked: What does it cost? healthy protein do I require in a day in order to fulfill my objectives? We such as to take the center of the roadway as well as have you include or subtract from there. Whether you're dieting or intending to get mass, right here's a good guide that you could customize:

Daily Intake Based on 1 to 1.5 grams of Healthy protein per Extra pound of Bodyweight

Bodyweight

Grams of Protein Required

125 extra pounds = 125 to 188 grams of protein

150 pounds = 150 to 225 grams of protein

175 extra pounds = 175 to 263 grams of protein

200 extra pounds = 200 to 300 grams of protein

250 extra pounds = 250 to 375 grams of protein

Another method to take a look at protein requirements in the diet is by portions of calories allotted:

Daily Calorie Requirements/ Percent of Protein (20-40%)

1500 calories = 75 to 150 grams of protein

2000 calories = 100 to 200 grams of protein

2500 calories = 125 to 250 grams of protein

3000 calories = 150 to 300 grams of protein

3500 calories = 175 to 350 grams of protein

4000 calories = 200 to 400 grams of protein

5000 calories = 250 to 500 grams of protein

The biggest reason a bodybuilder cannot gain weight in the off season, or fails to keep it during a diet, might be that they does not take in adequate healthy protein. Yet the various other factor may be lack of strategy behind times a protein shake is blended as well as ingested.

Here's a good rule of thumb:

BEST TIMES TO HAVE A PROTEIN SHAKE

First thing in the morning - Complying with a fasting state you'll place yourself right into favorable nitrogen equilibrium immediately.

Between meals - Make these easy trembles that simply fill up the void and also maintain you in positive nitrogen balance.

Pre- and Post-Workout - Protein shakes before as well as after exercises can be loaded with included nutrients to sustain workout as well as healing: Creatine and also Nitric Oxide for pumps as well as power, as well as Glutamine and BCAAs for recovery.

Evening - If you're diet programs, yet do not wish to comply with the 'Don't consume after 6 p.m. rule' have a healthy protein shake or more (one with couple of carbs as well as reduced fats) to optimize nitrogen balance during sleep as well as maintain the metabolic rate burning.

Think you know a lot about whey healthy protein? Right here are some facts in order to help you utilize it

WHEY WISDOM FOR BOTH GAINER and LOSER

WW1: Throughout mass cycles, you can enhance protein uptake with fast-digesting carbs, such as waxy maze or add your own to shakes that contain hardly any carbohydrate.

WW2: The very best weight gainer shake has a carb-to-protein proportion of 2:1. No commercial blends around actually attribute that - always placing even more protein in the mix than carbs. Make your very own with this ratio in mind.

WW3: If you are adding added fat to a blender shake for mass-building, add great fats, such as Omega-3s: walnuts or walnut oil, peanut butter and flax seeds as well as flax seed oil.

WW4: A suitable diet plan must have an Omega-3-to-Omega-6 ratio of 2:1. To include even more Omega-3 foods to your mixer drinks - without the fat - add foods such as spinach, watercress, kale, mint and also oatmeal. Mint leaves make a fantastic enhancement to any chocolate shake.

WW5: Whether building mass or dieting, maximize your post-workout shakes by adding recovery aids, such as glutamine, arginine, waxy maize, beta-alanine, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), along with additional vitamins An as well as C, and trace element, such as potassium.

WW6: The difference in between Whey Isolate as well as Whey Concentrate: Separate expenses much more as well as has a higher bioavailability rating of 98 percent, and nearly no lactose. Concentrate has lactose, has a reduced BV rating of 80 percent, as well as is less costly. For weight gainers, a whey concentrate could be the best option since it's greater in calories.

WW7: In spite of hearing that it's always much better to consume "entire foods" supplementing with whey healthy protein is hassle-free, requires no refrigeration, is much easier on the stomach and less dental filling, has a greater BV compared to a lot of foods, as well as is strengthened with vitamins you may not get eating just entire foods.

Tips for Easy Mixing:

All proteins advertise that they are conveniently combined, however exactly how numerous lump cost-free trembles have you had in the last 10 years? Because it's always a lot much more tasty to consume alcohol a shake that has been blended to a smooth uniformity, here are some suggestions in order to help:

Use a blender or food processor or glass and mix - don't utilize a shaker cup. No blender? Combine with a fork, not a spoon, or little mini-whisk

Add protein as well as water right into the glass a little each time. Fifty percent an inside story of protein mixes much better with 2 to 4 ounces of water.

Let it rest for a couple of mins before alcohol consumption, after that blend again.

WHEY SHAKE ADDITIONS and RECIPES

The possibilities are limitless for drinks as well as much of exactly what you can mix in relies on your very own taste as well as just how versed you remain in just what food mixes produce desirable preference. However mixing whey protein trembles ought to also be a calculated means to obtain specifically just what you need at any type of offered time throughout your day.

Foods You Can Mix Into Shakes:

Milk

Cream or half-and-half

Fruit (iced up for added density, or fresh)

Fruit juice

Coconut water

Brewed coffee (or granules for taste and also pick-me-up)

Nuts and nut butters (peanut, almond, walnut)

MCT oils (coconut oil, coconut milk, or Cap-Tri)

Cereal (Kashi, grapenuts, oatmeal)

Greek yogurt

Ice cream or frozen yogurt

Pasteurized egg whites

Pudding and dessert mix

Extracts (almond, vanilla, mint)

Spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg)

You can also mix protein, thinned down with water, right into points like pancake and also mashed potato mixes to lend a higher healthy protein value to your carbohydrates.

Dieter Shakes:

Coconut Chocolate Mint Shake:

1 scoop of vanilla whey protein

1 small container of coconut water (not milk)

1 teaspoon Dutch process cocoa

3 or 4 mint leaves or mint extract

1/2 packet of Stevia

Chai Tea shake

Whey protein

Sugar-free Chai mix

4 tablespoons Non-fat Greek yogurt

Water

Weight Gainer Shakes

Maple-bacon-nut butter B-Fast Shake (Like a bacon-maple syrup pancake breakfast)

Unflavored or vanilla whey protein

Cooked crisp bacon, (ground into dirt in mixer)

2 tbsps maple syrup or 1 tbsp maple extract

1/ 2 cup raw oatmeal (ground in advance into dirt)

Pasteurized egg whites or whole eggs

1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter - or 2 tablespoons walnut oil

Whole milk

Berry-ana Peanut Butter Shake

Vanilla whey protein

1 Banana

5 frozen strawberries

1/3 cup heavy cream

Pasteurized egg whites

1/4 cup oatmeal

3 tablespoons peanut butter

#building muscle #weight #workout

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feitanswife · 5 years

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How to kinda sorta feel like an adult/exist without someone doing everything for you

*learned entirely from experience and tested by a real person

1. Buy a bundle/container of spinach (high in iron and fiber, the two things I, an otherwise healthy 20 y/o have had random health problems with due to my parents never feeding me anything healthy) put it on/in everything. Breakfast sandwiches, savory dishes, get creative it adds no taste! This goes hand in hand with #2 and 3

2. Buy a blender, learn to love smoothies. Smoothies lie to you about their contents. The one I had this morning? If I hadn’t made it myself I’d have no idea it was 50% spinach leaves and chia seeds. You can’t taste them, it’s trendy for the instagrams, and my digestive system has never been more grateful

3. Half-cook. Buy instant food and put more shit in it. You don’t need to know how to make pasta sauce from scratch, just buy the box, put some chopped up leftover chicken and green stuff in it halfway through the cooking time, suddenly you’ve made an actual meal in 10 minutes. Instant ramen + bag of frozen veggies + random leftover meat cut into chunks = better than my moms homemade soup tbh

4. If you have a dishwasher, small things like tongs, forks, cups that aren’t really that dirty, anything that doesn’t need to pre-soak... never hits the sink. Never. Do not pass go, do not collect 200$, go STRAIGHT to the dishwasher.

5. Ready your coffee maker the night before. After you drink your fill and won’t be using it for the day, fill it up with grounds and water. When you wake up all you have to do is press a single button, no more half-asleep fumbling.

6. Having a candle lit and any music playing in the background will make you feel like 150% more grown up and sophisticated I promise

7. Target’s Opalhouse brand candles are only 7.99 for a pretty big one and they’ve got the most scent payoff of any candle that price I’ve ever seen. I can smell my “island nectar” one across a table, unlit, with the lid on. Red Shed has really good ones too but I have no idea where those ones are sold and they’re a little more expensive.

8. Cauliflower is just dollar store broccoli, it has all the same nutrients just... less of them. But you can mash it up and make discount mashed potatoes which is neat.

9. LAUNDRY!!! Read your laundry labels, write down notable things on a board/paper and put it up by your washer! Mine says things like “hand wash yellow leggings and rose print skirt, suede and velvet things turn inside out before washing, do not under any circumstances wash the wool pencil skirt mom I’m not losing another one YES I’m still mad about the patchwork mini from 10th grade!”

hand washing isn’t hard. You know how you’re supposed to fill the cap of the soap and pour it in the washer? You only need like 1/2 that much soap usually. Take the cap and don’t rinse it if you need to hand wash something, the excess on the lid is usually the perfect amount to wash bras or a skirt in the sink. And FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON’T PUT BRAS IN THE DRYER THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A CRIME! AND DONT HANG UP KNITTED THINGS IT MAKES THEM STRETCH!

10. Everybody and their brother has said this but cake mix: milk/milk sub instead of water (yes I’ve tried, almond milk makes a difference too, esp almond coffee creamer, that’s what I get since it lasts longer in the fridge and I really only use it in smoothies/coffee) melted butter instead of oil (or just really nice olive oil if you’re not for the dairy) and an extra egg if you’re feeling fancy

11. Invest on a basic cheap set of piping tips and bags if you ever think you’re going to make cupcakes for any reason. Frosting cupcakes to an acceptable level is literally one of the easiest things to do with the right equipment and people act like you’re Picasso for squeezing a bag of sugar goo over a tiny cake!

12. Get a small, easy to care for plant to put in your windowsill. Rosemary is always a good bet cause then you can make rosemary chicken which is delicious, but a succulent or two works if you, like me, kill everything you touch. It makes you look and feel responsible even though all you do is dump water on it like once a week.

13. You always need tape, AA batteries, rubber bands, and a small screwdriver. The moment you don’t have one is when you need it. Do yourself a favor and get a battery tester.

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the-vulgar-vegetarian · 6 years

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Holy Shit, Thanksgiving is almost here!

And in true fashion, the procrastinating spirit of the season has over taken me.

I meant to get this post out in October but better late than never I guess

What’s the biggest thing that makes you nervous for the holiday season?

Seeing the family?

The terrible weather conditions?

The doubtless number of political conversations you’ll have to sit through?

For me, it’s the food

I’m going to someone else’s house to eat, with food that I didn’t prepare and have no way of knowing if it’s safe. Cant really just not eat without offending the host. So how am I supposed to navigate this situation?

Simple, bring my own dish

In the holiday season, you’ll be required to go to several holiday feasts that you have no control over but very few of the hosts will care if you bring your own food AS LONG AS you present it as a dish to share.

Tip I learned the hard way: tell them you just wanted to try your hand at cooking, not that you wanted to bring something in case you couldn’t eat any of their food

Aunt Mona still hasn’t forgiven me

So whether you celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Mawlid el-Nabi, Soltice, Rohatsu, or anything else feel free to turn to the following recipes for a simple holiday bring along meal or something to have quietly at home

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Recipe from cookieandkate.com

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth, divided

1 cup water

1 ½ cups brown arborio/short-grain brown rice

1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and sliced into ½” cubes

1 cup freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan cheese* (about 2 ½ ounces)

½ cup dry white wine, optional

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

1 teaspoon salt, more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare: Place your oven racks in the lower third and upper third positions (we’re going to bake the risotto on the middle rack and roast the squash on the upper rack at the same time), then preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for the butternut squash. Reserve 1 cup broth from your container and set it aside for when the risotto is out of the oven.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-to-large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add 3 cups broth and 1 cup water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in the rice. Cover the pot and bake on the lower rack until rice is tender and cooked through, about 65 to 70 minutes. It will seem pretty dry when you take off the lid, but don’t worry!

Immediately after placing the pot of risotto in the oven, toss the cubed butternut with 2 tablespoons olive oil on your lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and some freshly ground black pepper and arrange the butternut in a single layer on the pan. Roast on the upper rack until the butternut is fork tender and the edges are deeply caramelized, tossing halfway. This took 55 to 60 minutes for me, but start checking for doneness around 40 minutes.

While the risotto and butternut are in the oven, fry the sage: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sage and toss to coat. Let the sage get darker green and crispy (but not brown) before transferring it to a plate covered with a paper towel. Sprinkle the fried sage lightly with salt and set it aside.

Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and pour in the remaining cup of broth, the Parmesan, wine and butter. Stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Stir in the salt, a generous amount of pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Stir in the roasted butternut. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, as needed.

1-HOUR VEGAN SHEPHERD'S PIE

Recipe from minimalistbaker.com

Ingredients

FILLING

1 medium onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or green lentils (rinsed and drained)

4 cups vegetable stock (DIY or store-bought)

2 tsp fresh thyme (or sub 1 tsp dried thyme per 2 tsp fresh)

1 10-ounce bag frozen mixed veggies: peas, carrots, green beans, and corn

MASHED POTATOES

3 pounds yukon gold potatoes (thoroughly washed)

3-4 Tbsp vegan butter

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Slice any large potatoes in half, place in a large pot and fill with water until they’re just covered. Bring to a low boil on medium high heat, then generously salt, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes or until they slide off a knife very easily.

Add a pinch each salt and pepper. Then add lentils, stock, and thyme and stir. Bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Continue cooking until lentils are tender (35-40 minutes).

In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the frozen veggies, stir, and cover to meld the flavors together.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then transfer to your prepared oven-safe baking dish and carefully top with mashed potatoes. Smooth down with a spoon or fork and season with another crack of pepper and a little sea salt.

Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mashers are lightly browned on top.

Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken. Let cool completely before covering, and then store in the fridge for up to a few days. Reheats well in the microwave.

Once cooked, drain, add back to the pot to evaporate any remaining water, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Use a masher, pastry cutter or large fork to mash until smooth. Add add desired amount of vegan butter (2-4 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), and season with salt and pepper to taste. Loosely cover and set aside.

While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish (or comparable sized dish, such as 9x13 pan.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) until lightly browned and caramelized - about 5 minutes.

Place on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the mashers are lightly browned on top.

Let cool briefly before serving. The longer it sits, the more it will thicken.

Quinoa Stuffing with Apple, Sweet Potato & Hazelnuts

Recipe from marlameredith.com

Ingredients

1 cup (212 g) dry Quinoa, cook according to package directions

2 (265 g) Sweet Potatoes, cut into small wedges

2 large Apples, cut into 1/2" pieces (I like Granny Smith)

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

1/2 cup (100 ml) pure Maple Syrup, divided portion in 1/2

fine Sea Salt

2 tablespoons melted Coconut Oil

a few pinches ground Cinnamon

a few pinches ground Ginger

1 tablespoon fresh Thyme leaves

1 cup Hazelnuts, chopped

Fresh or Dried Cranberries for garnish

Directions

1. Rinse quinoa. Combine with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and remove from the heat.

2. Preheat oven to 400 F with the rack in the middle. Be sure to coat apples with lemon juice so they don't turn brown. Toss sweet potatoes & apples with 1/4 cup of the Maple Syrup, coconut oil and a few pinches cinnamon, ginger and salt. Roast for about 35-40 minutes until tender and fragrant.

3. Combine the quinoa with the roasted mixture and the remainder of the maple syrup (1/4 cup) in a large bowl. Fold in thyme and hazelnuts. Season to taste with more salt and spices.

Sweet Potato Crust Spinach Quiche

Recipe from sweetashoney.com

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes medium size orange, peeled, finely sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic clove finely chopped

1 large brown onion finely chopped

14 oz frozen blanched whole leaves spinach (400 g)

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper optional

1/2 teaspoon salt

QUICHE EGG BATTER

4 eggs

3/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk or milk of your choice (200 ml)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 cup grated cheese edam, cheddar, feta

Instructions

Preheat oven to 360 F (180 C).

In a frying pan, under medium heat warm the olive oil.

Add garlic and onion. Add the frozen spinach cover and reduce to low heat. Cook until the spinach are cooked through, soft and tender - about 15 minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper regarding taste.Fry until fragrant and golden brown. Stir often to avoid the spices to burn.

Arrange the slices of sweet potato on the pan making sure that you cover all the bottom leaving no empty space. For the border, cut in half the sweet potatoes slices to create a 'flat' bottom it will hold better and create a beautiful crust border.

Prebake the sweet potato crust at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. (This is optional, you can also add the spinach and egg filling directly and bake your quiche - make sure you cover the dish with a piece of foil to ensure the quiche is cooking at the same speed. )

Spread the cooked spinach all over the pre baked sweet potatoes crust. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl beat the eggs, almond milk and nutmeg. Adjust with salt and pepper if desired,

Pour the egg mixture onto the quiche..

In a medium mixing bowl beat the eggs, almond milk and nutmeg. Adjust with salt and pepper if desired,.

Add an handful of grated cheese on the top of the quiche, if desired. If paleo, sprinkle almond meal on top instead of cheese, it give a delicious crisp on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft and the cheese is grilled

Vegan Eggplant Balls

Recipe from chelseyamurnutrition.com

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, diced

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 shallot, minced

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 - 1 1/2 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (gluten-free if desired), divided

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried or fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

On a large cookie sheet, combine eggplant, garlic, shallot, a pinch of salt (optional), pepper, and olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until edges are browned. Once eggplant is removed from the oven, lower the temperature to 350°F.

In a large food processor (10-cup) combine roasted eggplant mixture with ½ cup of breadcrumbs, and the rest of the spices. Pulse until ingredients are just combined.

Scrape down the sides of the food processor and add the other ¼ cup of breadcrumbs. Continue to pulse until mixed. Avoid over-processing, when possible. When complete, the mixture should easily adhere into balls. (Note: Over-processing the eggplant mixture and breadcrumbs can make the mixture extra sticky and you may have difficulty forming balls.)

Form the eggplant and breadcrumb mixture into 1- or 2-inch balls, based on personal preference. Per eggplant, you should yield about 12-16 balls, depending on the size of the eggplant and balls.

Place balls on a large baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through.

Remove from the oven, top with marinara sauce and serve

So there you have it! Five recipes you can cart along to a family holiday event.

These recipes are a little more intricate than I would normally post but the holidays are the perfect time to go all out!

Give it a try and send me your pics or tell me how they turned out. Even failures are good tries!

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

#holidays #holidaysfood #holidayvegetarian #holidayvegan #thanksgivingvegetarian #thanksgivingvegan #vegetarian #vegan #vegancooking #vegetariancooking #food #veganfood #vegetarianfood #clean #cleaneating #nomeat #plantbased #vegetables #vegetablebased

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thesolidolivinephenomenon · 6 years

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Easy Dinners for College Students (or busy/ low-energy people) that aren’t mac and cheese

These are more aimed for people in apartments, who have access to a stove top/ oven/ toaster/ toaster oven

Stir Fry- ingredients: frozen veggies, ramen noodles, oil, & teriyaki sauce. Dump 1/2 bag of frozen veggies (some grocery stores have “stir fry” or “hong kong” veggie mixes that work well. carrots and peas work too) into a frying pan with a cover on medium-high heat. let them defrost that way and once they’re soft pour in a bit of oil and cook them in that for a few minutes. boil the ramen noodles in a separate pot, drain them, and then add them and the sauce to the veggies. makes 1-2 servings.

Fish and Chips- ingredients: frozen breaded fish, frozen french fries (or tater tots), and tartar sauce. optional: lemon juice, if you wanna be/ feel fancy. follow the directions on the packages to cook the fish and fries. put them on the same plate, and cover in tartar sauce. This is what I make when I’m not feeling like cooking, but want something besides cup noodles and canned soup. I usually do a 1/3-1/2 of a bag of french fries and like 2-3 breaded fish for a single serving, because I fricken love fish and chips. You can totally still do less and feel full (especially if you paired it with an apple or steamed veggies or something)

Avocado Toast- listen, avocados get hate but they’re tasty and filling. ingredients: two slices of bread (soon to become toast), 1 avocado, lemon juice (to keep the avocado green & for taste), and ~spices~ (I like garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika. you can use more, esp. chili powder. I’m just boring). Toast the bread. Cut the avocado in half around the pit. Scoop out half and smush it onto a slice of toast with a fork. add spices/ lemon juice and smush them around with the fork to distribute them evenly. repeat for 2nd slice of toast. 2 servings. (I eat them at once, because I’m terrible at storing open avocados, if you aren’t-- BOOM! dinner and breakfast.)

Spaghetti and Meatballs- ingredients: angel hair pasta, salt, tomato sauce, and frozen meatballs. cook frozen meatballs in the oven/ microwave as per the directions. boil water (with some salt in it) and cook the angel hair. angel hair is really thin pasta, so it’ll cook in ~4 minutes. spaghetti or fettuccine (my fav.) will take more like ~7-12 minutes, depending on the thickness/ your stove. drain pasta. put the pasta back in the pot you boiled it in. add sauce (~1/3 cup?) and meatballs (~4). Boom! easy sunday dinner. If you don’t like tomato sauce you can substitute it with alfredo, pesto, pumpkin sauce (or even pumpkin puree, but you’d need to water it down with water or broth), vodka sauce, or even terriyaki/stir fry/ some other sauce from asian cuisine. 1-2 servings.

Teriyaki Salmon- ingredients: mushrooms, red bell pepper, and salmon. This one involves more prep than others, but there’s not too much actual cooking. slice the bell pepper and as many mushrooms as you want (I usually use ~6), and throw them in a pan. put salmon on top of the veggies (I just use a piece of frozen salmon). Put in a 350 F degree oven, and cook for ~20-25 minutes. 1-2 servings.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes- mashed potatoes (I like the microwave kind. the box kind work too), 3 chicken strips (either frozen or from your local grocery store or pizza place), and veggies of your choice. Microwave/ make the mashed potatoes. Cook the chicken strips or nuggets (if you’re using frozen ones). Slice or dice (your preference) the strips/ nuggets. Microwave any veggies you want to use. Corn, peas, and carrots work well for this. Mix everything into the mashed potatoes. It might sound gross, but honestly it’s a really good comfort food type meal. 1-3 servings.

Tortellini Soup- ingredients: tortellini, 32 oz of chicken (or veggie) broth, baby spinach, frozen meatballs. Follow package direction for the meatballs. Bring the chicken broth (can be made from bullions!) to a boil. Cook the tortellini in the broth. Once the tortellini are cooked, add the cooked meatballs and spinach. Let the spinach wilt a little, and then serve. Herbs and salt can help the soup a lot, so if you have those definitely add some salt, basil, and maybe parsley or chives or oregano. like, 4 servings? It’s been a while since I made this (lactose intolerance, yay!), but I feel like it made so much. You might need to top it off with more broth, when reheating it, though. The tortellini tends to absorb it in the fridge.

Bonus- pancakes. the cooking and clean up is kind of tedious, but get yourself a box mix that just needs water. mix them together (maybe spice them up with cinnamon, or blueberries, or chocolate, or deli ham. listen, i don’t know you. add whatever the hell you want. spinach and protein powder? sure, why not. #healthcakes! nutella centers? hell yeah. #nutsaboutthatidea). cook them in some butter/ oil/ cooking spray. Don’t worry too much about the shape, just try to cook them all the way through. Add some syrup and bada-bing bada-boom. fucking pancakes for dinner.

So these recipes might not work for everyone, but they’re the ones I’ve been going back to since I started cooking for myself. I hope someone gets something from this post, and thanks for reading. Happy cooking and, more importantly, eating!

#recipies #food #college food #college recipies #low energy recipies #dinner

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soft-butch-cassidy · 6 years

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if ur a cheap bastard like me (read: poor as fuck) but ur also a bitch who loves some chicken i got some advice for u: get urself a slow cooker. get some chicken breast. now u got food for a week. heres what u do:

slap that chicken in the slow cooker w a lil salt n pepper, maybe some garlic or a bay leaf or w/e not too much seasoning, a little chicken broth to keep it moist, and cook it until it shreds easy. or, if u dont have a slow cooker, u can get a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and shred it with a fork. a bit more labor intensive imo, bc you gotta be careful of all the bones. or leftovers of a whole chicken or previously cooked chicken, or cans of shredded chicken that you can get in bulk from like sams and costco and w/e.

now u can make a ton of stuff! such as (under cut):

chicken pot pie! cook some chopped onion with butter in a pan, add a bit of flour, then throw in some veggies (green beans, peas, carrots are good), about a quarter cup of chicken or veggie stock, and some shredded chicken. cook it a bit and then put it in a ramekin. mix three tablespoons of flour with a tablespoon of super cold butter, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoon or two of ice cold water until it makes a dough. make it into a disc, cover your ramekin, brush w butter and poke some holes, and bake at 375 for like 20 minutes. u can use gluten free flour if its all-purpose (i use bob’s red mill, you just swap it for regular flour in any recipe its gr8)

bbq chicken! mix ur favorite bbq sauce with shredded chicken and serve on a bun or just out of a bowl. also great for parties if u make a whole bunch at once. add cooked onion and a little brown sugar for extra tastey. u can make this in the slow cooker itself, just throw a few chicken breasts and a whole bottle of bbq sauce in the cooker until the chicken shreds real nice. this makes a bunch, so its good for groups!

chicken salad! add mayo and a bunch of other stuff to shredded chicken. go nuts with it. for sweeter chicken salad, use mayo, sweet relish, craisins, almonds and/or pecans, grape halves, chopped apple. for spicy, add taco seasoning, chopped peppers, cheese, etc. for smoky, add paprika, chopped apple, bacon bits. get creative with it, and dont limit yourself to just mayo either! plain yogurt, creamy dressings, mashed avocado, etc! eat it in a sandwich, on a tortilla as a wrap, or wrap in romaine lettuce, or mixed with cold pasta!

spaghetti! mix spaghetti sauce with shredded chicken and serve on pasta with mozzarella or parmasan cheese!

tacos! mix shredded chicken in a skillet with taco seasoning and some water, or just taco sauce if you can find it. serve in taco shells, tortillas, or make taco salad.

soup! add shredded chicken to hot veggie or chicken broth with veggies of your choice and rice or pasta or soft potatoes and seasonings! get creative with it!

breakfast! use chicken as a filling for omelets!

salad! add shredded chicken to whatever kind of salad u want! one of my fave salads is spinach with sliced strawberries, almonds and pecans, craisins, chicken, sesame and poppy seeds, and raspberry or strawberry vinaigrette. v good for summertime.

pizza! prep pizza crust with sauce and cheese, add chicken, cook to crust instruction. or use bbq sauce instead of sauce and add chicken, cooked onion, cheese (colby, jack, cheddar, mozzarella are prob best for this).

theres lots of recipes online, and a couple chicken breasts will feed one person for a while. even a couple people tbh! and its not very expensive, and easy enough for even a beginner! just keep an eye on any hot surfaces or appliances, and be aware of allergens and all that junk

#cas chats #resippy

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determinationandcaffeine · 7 years

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Quick & Healthy College Food

These are either v quick, can be made the night before or you can make a big batch that will last you all week. Also these are all vegetarian but if you want to make them vegan, here’s a substitution chart.

* = optional

Wraps - chop button mushrooms, canned peppers, tomatos, *beans (bean tips at the end) and olives. Fry on a frying pan (I usually do 15 minutes on low heat with no oil). Put the mixture on some tortillas and wrap. Enjoy.

Wrap filling can also be prepared in the microwave or oven

Mug brownie - in a mug beat 1 egg, add 1 tbsp cocoa powder (sweetened, trust me), 1 tbsp *quinoa (or as much as you want), 1 tbsp flour / 1 tbsp protein powder. Microwave for ~1 min 15 s

Avocado toast – 1 avocado, 4 cherry* tomatoes, 3 pinches of salt. Put ingredients in a mug and mash it all together with a fork. Spread on bread (yes, we all know how to make avocado toast but trust me, the tomatos make a huge difference).

Leftover spread can be left in the fridge for about three days (or yk, however long it takes you to finish it tbh).

Banana flourless pancakes - blend 1 banana, ¼ oats, ¼ soy/almond/regular milk, *~1 tbsp (10g) protein powder, *1 tbsp cocoa powder (optional but like, do It, tastes awesome).Slightly grease a plate with oil. Pour pancakes. Microwave for about 4 mins. Flip pancakes. Microwave for 30 secs.

The mixture can also be poured into a mason jar and microwaved if you want to have it on the go. Also the batter can be made the night before

If you want something that’s ridiculously filling, definitely add the protein powder and use soy.

15-minute baked potatoes (Family Recipe™): get out as many potatoes as your heart desires (I usually use 2 big ones), stab them with a fork until the whole potato is basically covered in little holes, microwave for 5 minutes and then bake for 10 minutes in the oven to make the skin crunchy (turn them over at the 5-minute mark). Cut potatos down the middle (in whatever way exposes the most surface) and use a fork to stir the meat. Drizzle with oil (about 1 tsp/potato) and sprinkle with sweet paprika (and by sprinkle I mean cover the whole thing in it) and a little salt. You can (and should) eat the skin of the potato.

Potato muffins recipe here: for a vegetarian option, substitute apple sauce and maple syrup for one egg + one egg yolk and about 90g of honey. Also you can totally use regular potatoes instead of sweet ones.

THESE ARE THE BEST BREAKFAST OPTION EVER. They’re filling + super loaded with carbs (specially starch which releases energy slowly and gradually) + they satisfy any sweet cravings in the morning.

Chia pudding: blend 1 cup raspberries (or whatever berries you have), *1 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened), *20 g spinach, and 1 cup milk, Add 30 g chia seeds and mix well. Stick it in the fridge overnight and enjoy in the morning.

Can also be made in a mason jar.

Another option: blend 1 cup of milk, 1 banana, *spinach, and 1 tbsp cocoa powder. Add chia and fridge. There are a lot of different combos you can make tbh.

Bean veggie burgers in general are great for meal prepping and eating throughout the week.

For a super quick lunch, make white rice in a saucepan and then just go to town with the curry so that it has some flavor. You can also add in some veggies. If you have leftover rice use it to make:

Quick sushi: in a cup, mix 3 tbsp ACV and 1 tsp honey (or sugar), pour the mixture into the rice and mix well. Spread some rice on a nori sheet then *put some mayonnaise on top of that and on top of that form a line of pepper/avocado. Wrap. Tutorial here (5:43) because I suck at explaining although I would use the whole nori sheet, it’s just easier.

Stirring cocoa powder into yogurt is a great snack! It has a lot of protein and it satisfies those chocolate cravings (+magnesium!). Add protein powder if you wanna be v extra.

Cinnamon apples: slice apple and bake in the oven or microwave until soft Sprinkle with cinnamon. A++ snack.

Egg white omelet with avocado on top - (originally by Tori Sterling, sorry can’t find the exact video) make an amolet with two egg whites and spread avocado on top.

Chickpea curry lettuce wraps recipe here (5:21)

Some extra tips for the Broke College Student™

Buy those 1kg beans bags. Make a big batch of them (you want the electricity you spend cooking them to be less than what you save by buying in bulk) and freeze them in separate containers. Add them to everything for protein + potassium + iron.

On that note, tupperwares are your best friend.

How to make pasta in a microwave by Tori Sterling (7:27) (watch the whole video, it’s super helpful).

Meal prep! Yes, spend two hours of your Sunday evening cooking. It will ensure you eat the right stuff

I always like to run my meals by Cronometer (+Android, iOS) and then distribute them in a way that makes sure I’m getting all my micronutrients for the day. Plus, knowing what you’re gonna eat every day frees up a lot of mental space. This doesn’t mean you can’t be like ‘nah I want pizza’ certain days but having a basic outline is really helpful.

Ramen is actually v nutritious and convenient but buying it at a local asian store is way cheaper (and most of the times it tastes better too).-

Get a tub of honey (preferably from a local farmer. Tastes way better and they usually treat the bees better than they do their own children) because it can replace:

Refined sugar (yes, in baking too. I always bake with honey and it tastes great).

Rice vinegar (ACV + honey = rice vinegar)-

Artificial sweeteners (oh ffs never use sweeteners, they promote fat storing around your organs. It’s so dangerous) (except for stevia).

Get yourself a nice blender. You don’t need to spend a fortune (mine was 40€ and it works better than my mom’s which was way more expensive). Just look up reviews. Smoothies and such are a must to get your greens in when you’re busy.

Making your own granola bars is super fun but if we’re talking budget, it’s just not worth it. Just find some that don’t have a lot of crap.

That’s it! I know these are not the most revolutionary recipes ever but they’re my go-tos when I don’t have time to cook and I really hope they’re helpful!

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wijakartuya · 3 years

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Vegan Chicken Jacket (+ salad). This is the best vegan chicken salad I've had so far so of course, it needs its own dedicated recipe video! You may have seen it before; I've posted this. Vegetarian chicken salad with chickpeas, for example, is identical to a vegan "tuna" salad, with one exception, the poultry seasoning.

Vegan Chicken Salad is the perfect fast and easy summer meal. It's made with all whole food ingredients, is gluten and oil free, and tastes super This Vegan Chicken Salad with grapes and dried cherries has become my new favorite summer dish. I was absolutely blown away by how tasty it came.

Hello everybody, it's John, welcome to our recipe page. Today, I will show you a way to make a distinctive dish, vegan chicken jacket (+ salad). One of my favorites food recipes. For mine, I will make it a bit unique. This will be really delicious.

Vegan Chicken Jacket (+ salad) is one of the most well liked of current trending foods on earth. It is simple, it is fast, it tastes delicious. It is appreciated by millions every day. They're fine and they look fantastic. Vegan Chicken Jacket (+ salad) is something that I've loved my entire life.

This is the best vegan chicken salad I've had so far so of course, it needs its own dedicated recipe video! You may have seen it before; I've posted this. Vegetarian chicken salad with chickpeas, for example, is identical to a vegan "tuna" salad, with one exception, the poultry seasoning.

To begin with this particular recipe, we have to first prepare a few components. You can cook vegan chicken jacket (+ salad) using 7 ingredients and 8 steps. Here is how you cook that.

The ingredients needed to make Vegan Chicken Jacket (+ salad):

{Take 1-2 of small jacket potatoes.

{Prepare 2-4 of vegan chicken fillets.

{Take 1 handful of spinach.

{Take 2 of rows of vegan feta cheese chopped into cubes.

{Take of Sprinkle of garlic and parsley.

{Take of Drizzle of Italian dressing.

{Take 5 of .

Vegan chicken salad is an easy lunch or snack. It's loaded with shredded jackfruit, protein packed chickpeas, fresh veggies, and a homemade vegan mayo. Enjoy on a sandwich, spread on crackers, wrapped in a lettuce leaf, or straight out of the bowl! This mouth watering vegan chicken salad is loaded big, bold flavour, a little crunch, sweetness and a lot of delicious!

Instructions to make Vegan Chicken Jacket (+ salad):

Stab either end of your potatoes with a fork and put on middle shelf of for 90 minutes on gas mark 6..

20 minutes before potatoes are cooked, place chicken fillets in oven on middle shelf..

At the right time, take out the potatoes and chicken from the oven. Cut the potatoes in half and remove the innards..

Using vegan spread, mash the potato, adding the garlic and parsley while mixing it all in..

Chop up the vegan feta cheese and place in each half of the potatoes, then put a chicken fillet on top of each..

For presentation reasons, I suggest putting the mash in the middle of the plate and put the skins around the outside..

Surround main with spinach and any other salad components you wish..

To finish off, drizzle some Italian dressing over your salad and ENJOY!.

Smothered in a rich and creamy While there are plenty of vegan chicken salad recipes out there, I think you'll find this version a little unique. I absolutely don't miss chicken in this one! It comes from. oh. one of my cook books--probably either La Dolce Vegan, How it all Vegan, or Garden of Vegan. Using jackfruit: Open jackfruit cans and Add mayo, mustard, salt, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Wash and finely dice green onion.

So that's going to wrap it up for this special food vegan chicken jacket (+ salad) recipe. Thanks so much for your time. I'm sure that you can make this at home. There's gonna be interesting food in home recipes coming up. Don't forget to bookmark this page on your browser, and share it to your family, colleague and friends. Thank you for reading. Go on get cooking!

#recipesfood

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curutquit · 3 years

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Homemade Gnocchi With Chicken Sausages In A Creamy Spinach Sauce.

Hello everybody, it's Brad, welcome to our recipe page. Today, I'm gonna show you how to make a distinctive dish, homemade gnocchi with chicken sausages in a creamy spinach sauce. One of my favorites food recipes. This time, I will make it a bit tasty. This will be really delicious.

Homemade Gnocchi With Chicken Sausages In A Creamy Spinach Sauce is one of the most popular of current trending foods in the world. It's enjoyed by millions every day. It is simple, it is quick, it tastes delicious. Homemade Gnocchi With Chicken Sausages In A Creamy Spinach Sauce is something that I have loved my entire life. They are fine and they look wonderful.

To begin with this recipe, we have to first prepare a few ingredients. You can have homemade gnocchi with chicken sausages in a creamy spinach sauce using 16 ingredients and 5 steps. Here is how you can achieve that.

The ingredients needed to make Homemade Gnocchi With Chicken Sausages In A Creamy Spinach Sauce:

{Prepare 6 of Herby chicken sausages, released from their skins and torn,.

{Make ready of For the gnocchi:.

{Get 4 of medium/large potatoes, boiled until fork tender, peeled, (see tip).

{Get 1 1/2 cups of plain or 00 flour, plus extra for dusting,.

{Take 1 of medium egg,.

{Prepare of Salt and pepper to season.

{Make ready of For the creamy spinach sauce:.

{Make ready 3-4 handfuls of baby leaf spinach,.

{Take 40 ml of single cream,.

{Make ready 1 tsp of garlic purée, or 1 large clove, crushed.

{Get 100 ml of chicken stock, (made with 1/4 stock cube),.

{Get of Salt and pepper to season.

{Take of Other:.

{Make ready 1.5 tbsp of vegetable oil for frying.

{Prepare of The finish:.

{Make ready of Grated parmesan cheese (optional).

Instructions to make Homemade Gnocchi With Chicken Sausages In A Creamy Spinach Sauce:

Mash the potatoes in a large bowl, leave them too cool down so they're not piping hot then make a well in the centre and crack in the egg. Beat the egg. Begin to bring parts of the mashed potatoes into the centre bit by bit and mix in with the egg. Combine well together then add in the flour bit by bit whilst gently mixing together. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper..

Turn the mixture out of the bowl once combined into a lightly floured surface and knead. Knead until slightly tacky, elastic and quite smooth in texture. Round off into a large ball and cut into quarters. Take one quarter and roll it out into a long sausage shape. Cut into 1 inch pieces all along its length. Dust over a tiny bit more flour if needed..

Now shape them by either rolling gently away from you over an upturned back of a fork or simply press one end in with your thumb. You can get creative here, and shape them as you wish. Set them aside, (suggest covering with cling film or a damp tea towel until ready to use so they don't dry out), and begin to boil some salted water..

While the water boils, heat up a frying pan over a medium heat and add in torn pieces of sausage with a little oil. Fry until browned on all sides and almost cooked through. Add the spinach leaves and wilt down. If any water is released from the spinach, drain it off. Add in the chicken stock and garlic purée and bring to a simmer. Season well with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat once the chickens cooked and the stock reduced by half. Once cooled a bit, pour in the cream and stir through..

Add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Once the gnocchi is cooked (when they float to the waters surface), drain off the water well and then add it in with the sausages and creamy spinach sauce. Toss everything together until evenly distributed and the gnocchi is coated. Serve up and if desired finish with a little grated parmesan. Enjoy. :).

So that is going to wrap this up with this exceptional food homemade gnocchi with chicken sausages in a creamy spinach sauce recipe. Thank you very much for reading. I'm confident you can make this at home. There is gonna be more interesting food at home recipes coming up. Remember to save this page on your browser, and share it to your family, colleague and friends. Thanks again for reading. Go on get cooking!

#recipesfood

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agnesfwest90 · 3 years

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Healthy Dinner Ideas Shared By 25 Food Bloggers

You love cooking for your family but lately, you’ve been running out of healthy dinner ideas? Unfortunately, this happens more often than we would like to admit. Many people are too tired in the evening to have any more energy to cook so they choose to eat junk food. But as the name says “junk food” or “fast food” has many negative effects on your health and on the way you look.

Despite what you may think there are tons of dishes that you can prepare that are nutritious and don’t require a lot of time and effort. To help you with this challenge we reached out to 25 food bloggers and asked them the following question:

What are your favorite easy healthy dinner ideas?

We received some amazing recipes that you can read in the post below. Enjoy!

Melissa Eboli – Via Melissa

As a nutritional chef, I have a lot of favorite easy and healthy dinner ideas. One that comes to mind is a basil-turkey stir fry. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare, and then quickly and then it easily cooks on the stovetop in 15-20 minutes. It can be served over rice, quinoa or cooked with cauliflower rice for an even lighter version.

Another super easy dinner idea is salmon w/ asparagus. You can prep them in under 5 minutes, and then bake them simultaneously in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

One additional suggestion I will give is a plant-based dinner idea, jackfruit stew with chipotle aoli. This dish also takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and cooks on the stovetop in 15 minutes. The one great thing about all items I mentioned above is that you can always have the ingredients on hand to make them in your pantry or freezer.

If you’d like the recipe for these or very similar dishes, please check out my cookbook Let’s Dine In: Healthy Recipes & Tips To Minimize Your Shopping Trips on my website ViasKitchen.com or Amazon.

Jim Mumford – Jim Cooks Food Good

My favorite easy, healthy, and comforting dinner ideas must have these things to be as amazing as possible; minimal effort, maximum versatility and is interesting.

To me, an easy meal is one that doesn’t take a lot of effort or ingredients. Sure, chopping veggies or rolling out dough isn’t *hard*, but it can be taxing, especially if you’re trying to also parent! So, a recipe like my Pizza Soup, which uses the blender as a time-saver, is a great weeknight meal.

Versatility is also crucial to an easy healthy meal. We’ve all been there; an ingredient goes bad, you’re out of something, etc. Having a recipe that can give and take with ingredients is a must for weeknight success. Consider my Pork Bibimbap, which can accept a wide array of ingredients and toppings! This is also super important if you need to cook with dietary restrictions in mind!

Finally, your weeknight winning meal needs to taste amazing and be interesting! Fun, interesting meals keep you going back for more, and make dinner fun. A tip would be to mash up foods to make something new and exciting, like my General Tso’s Tacos!

So, in conclusion, my favorite weeknight meals are easy to make, versatile to meet all demands, and are fun and interesting to make!

Katy Malkin – Learner Vegan

My absolute favourite easy dinner is loaded with baked sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are so nutritious, packed with fibre, and easy on digestion too! Plus, did you know that they stabilise your blood sugar levels, and keep you full for longer?

I choose the biggest one I can find and bake it for around 30 mins. I often have it with chickpea ‘tuna’ for a real protein-packed meal. Simply put, that’s a tin of chickpeas drained and rinsed. You roughly mash them with the back of a fork and mix in garlic, nori, vinegar, and houmous. You could also add salt, mayo, or sweetcorn to taste.

After that, I just add a side salad or steamed veggies. Perfect!

The best thing about this meal is that you can switch it up so easily by changing the toppings. It never gets boring! I love a sweet potato with bean chili, tarka dahl, roasted chickpeas, and scrambled tofu. You can batch make all of these in advance, too.

Top tip: if health is your goal, switch out the butter in your jacket potato for a smear of houmous.

Niki Campbell – The Flourish Group

I often tell my clients to start with their family favorites and then look for ways to upgrade the health quotient.

For example, a favorite recipe might be a rigatoni casserole with ground beef sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese on top.

Take that recipe, upgrade to a high fiber noodle like whole wheat pasta or a high protein pasta like lentil or chickpea. Then, use a leaner ground beef or ground turkey, and cut the cheese in half. Still get the same flavors and comfort with less fat and more fiber.

Another one is sheet pan recipes. These are protein and veggie-focused with some starch mixed in. Start with a healthy protein and surround it with your choice of potato or starchy veg like carrots and then add something green that roasts well – Brussels, broccoli, asparagus.

Luke Jones – Hero Movement

I like eating and I enjoy cooking, but like most people, I’m not always a fan of spending hours in the kitchen prepping meals or deliberating over what I’m going to have for dinner. So if in doubt, I typically refer back to a tried and tested formula:

Half a plateful of veggies: typically some roasted veg, greens, salad, or a mixture of all the above.

A few handfuls of a protein-dense food: tofu or tempeh is our go-to, but we’ll also sometimes include good quality fish and occasional meat.

A carb-dense food: often buckwheat, quinoa, rice or potatoes – typically a cupped handful if I’ve not been super active, but 2-3 if I’ve been training.

A fat-dense food: olive oil, nuts, seeds, or avocado, varying from 1-3 thumb-sized portions depending on activity levels.

Condiments and sauces: hot sauce and light mayo are the go-to if we’re after something quick, or we’ll make a homemade curry, stir-fry or traybake if we have more time on our hands.

Alina Z

My latest creation and obsession recipe is this Truffle Pasta:

1 package of ground Beyond Meat

1 package of gluten-free fresh pasta by Taste Republic (or try Mung Bean pasta by 365 Brand for extra protein)

1 bag of mushrooms medley from Trader Joes

Follow Your Heart Provolone dairy-free cheese

Follow Your Heart Parmesan dairy-free cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sabatino Truffle Zest

Saute ground Beyond Meat beef in a pan while cooking the pasta (this fresh kind only takes 2-3 mins), then add mushrooms and let them defrost and heat up in a pan. Cover with Provolone, then add cooked pasta and truffle zest. Mix all together.

Serve in a bowl sprinkled with parmesan and olive oil. It’s sooo good!

3 MINUTE Chili

⁣ ⁣

Ingredients: ⁣ 1 Bag of Beyond Meat beefy crumbles⁣ 1 12-Ounce jar your favorite salsa⁣ 1 10-Ounce box of unflavored kidney beans 1/2 Cup Daiya cheddar cheese⁣

⁣Combine beans, salsa and beefy crumbles together in pan and sauté for 3 minutes.⁣ ⁣ Drizzle with Daiya cheese, cover for 1 minute to melt the cheese, then serve.⁣

Alex Johnson – Med Munch

Curries are perfect healthy dinners you can whip up quickly when you’re struggling for time. They allow so much variety, allowing you can easily get your veggies into your diet or add some lean meat in for extra protein.

Some of my favorite types of curry include veggie chickpea curries for when I’m on a health drive and sweet potato and lentil curries, which are perfect for those lazy evenings when you want to throw in some extra carbs without overindulging.

Chicken curries are excellent for when you need to lose weight, keeping protein levels high and calories low without making you feel dissatisfied after.

Eggplant or aubergine is also a great alternative to base your curries around. No matter what you go with, you can often cook them within 30 minutes.

Simply serve with a healthy carb like whole grain rice and you’ve got yourself an easy evening dinner you don’t need to feel guilty about.

Gita Kshatriya – Warrior In The Kitchen

My idea of easy and healthy dinner ideas consists of including plant-forward ingredients that are packed with flavors and can be made in minimal time and with minimal mess!

I typically make a batch of quinoa and/or brown rice that I can use throughout the week. I pair that with vegetables and seasonings to create flavors from various cuisines around the world.

To make an Indian meal, you can combine the batch-cooked quinoa or brown rice with vegetables like broccoli, onions, and zucchini in tempered oil with whole spices like whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and whole dry chili peppers and ground spices like turmeric, ground cumin, and red chili powder.

To make a Mediterranean meal, you can combine the batch-cooked quinoa or brown rice with sauteed vegetables like cauliflower, zucchini, and eggplant. You can add a simple lemon juice, salt, and black pepper dressing, and top with olives, red onions, and feta cheese.

Those are just a couple of examples of how you can take batch-cooked quinoa and brown rice to a whole new level with each weeknight meal you prepare. Batch-cooked quinoa and brown rice provide simplicity, versatility, and variety when creating healthy weeknight meals.

Lisa Goodwin – 2 Share My Joy

You can save so much time and money while also eating much healthier if you choose to cook your own dinner at home. The best way I stay motivated to cook my own dinners is by choosing recipes that take 20 minutes or less and have easy ingredients.

One of my go-to dinner meals is this 20-Minute Black Bean Quinoa Chili. It is also oil-free, gluten-free, and vegan. One serving contains 450 calories and over 22 g of protein. The beans and the quinoa give this meal a high protein and fiber content which keeps you full for a long time. I love to top this meal with avocado as it adds a source of healthy fat.

During the summer, I enjoy making Italian Asparagus Spinach Gnocchi that also takes only 20 minutes to prepare. This light meal is packed with healthy greens like asparagus, spinach, and peas. I add chickpeas as my lean protein source

Another great way to add more vitamins to a meal is by blending your vegetables into a sauce. In this One Pot Creamy Coconut Potato Curry I blend bell peppers with coconut milk to make a creamy stew. This meal also contains potatoes, chickpeas, and spinach.

You can make it in an instant pot for a super quick and healthy dinner. One serving contains more than your daily need in vitamin C, which makes it a great immunity booster.

Jenny Zhang – Organically Blissful

When I have limited time to spare but want to whip up a delicious and healthy meal for my family, I like to turn Vitamix, Instant Pot, or air fryer for help. With a Vitamix, you can whip up a delicious meal in minutes.

Some of my favorite recipe to make from Vitamix includes hummus, squash soup, and even curry. With an instant pot, you can put your favorite ingredients in, and within an hour, you will have a delicious and healthy meal that is ready to be served while it feels like you spend hours on making it.

Some of my favorite meals to make in an instant pot includes chicken noodle soup, risotto, and fajita.

And lastly, with an air fryer, you can make your favorite comfort fried food healthier. Creating crispy food through circulating hot air, you can save fewer calories and contains less fat—all without sacrificing the taste.

Some of my favorite air fryer meals include chicken tenders, falafel, and salmon.

Sarah Cull – Life In Full Flavour

Whenever I’m feeling that I need a boost of energy or vitamins, I’ll aim for a nutrient-rich salad with a healthy protein. If I’m having meat or fish – chicken, salmon, and squid are my main choices – I’ll marinate it for 24 hours before cooking. It’s a great way to add flavours with herbs, spices, and seasonings that taste delicious but don’t add on too many extra calories.

For the salad, the more colourful the better. Beetroot, red cabbage, olives, mixed leaves, carrot, and peppers are some of my favourites. I’ll try not to dress the salad if possible, adding seeds instead to boost the flavour and add extra bite.

If I’m short on time or know I’ll be running late to get dinner started, I’ll buy a pre-made salad as a base and then add extras to bulk it up. Supermarket salads are convenient but can often lack a bit of inspiration, but as a base, they can be really helpful and a great time-saver.

Lisa Mitchell – Sacred & Delicious

Like most working folks, I’m interested in cooking easy meals Monday through Friday because I often work until 6 or 6:30 p.m. Simplicity and ease are my watchwords during the work week. Vegetarian and gluten-free are essential for my health.

Most meals in our household are vegan, although I do still cook with ghee (clarified butter). According to Ayurveda, the ancient medical and wellness system of India, ghee is considered the healthiest fat for its medicinal qualities.

Here are some of my favorite American-style weeknight meals:

1. Red lentil soup with vegetables. I usually make a homemade soup stock over the weekend, and then it’s ready for this soup. Sauté an onion in the soup pot or better yet, leeks, which are faster. Then cook the lentils for about 20 minutes with vegetables and seasonings in homemade stock, when available.

For an Italian flavored soup, try carrots, zucchini, and spinach with lots of fresh basil and a little bit of oregano. Sundried tomatoes are another tasty addition. You can make the dish Indian-style with cumin, coriander, and turmeric, and a hint of curry powder, it you like. All done in about 30 minutes.

2. A black bean soup is a winner during this cold weather. It can cook all day in a slow cooker with a bay leaf and an onion. Or cook it with a pressure cooker or Instant pot and add seasonings later. Be sure to soak the beans overnight or they will never get tender. Serve over a little basmati rice. Make plenty of that black-bean soup and strain the leftovers.

3. Next day, bake some sweet potatoes and top them with warmed up black beans, avocado, and or guacamole. Maybe a little fresh salsa, too. Yum!

4. With some leftover stock, enjoy a carrot soup with fresh ginger and basil, made creamy with a little almond milk—another 30-minute dish. When the weather warms up, I switch up the seasoning to cilantro and mint with cooling coconut milk. Serve it with some grilled tofu and some sautéed greens or a salad in the summer.

5. Try a gluten-free pasta or pasta of your choice! While the pasta is cooking, sauté one or two quick-cooking vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, or red pepper, in olive oil, liquid aminos, and garlic. Place the cooked and rinsed pasta on a bed of fresh arugula or spinach.

Add the veggies and toss with lots of fresh basil and salt. Sprinkle with nuts of choice. A delicious 30- or 40-minute meal!

Elizabeth Girouard – Pure Simple Wellness

The best way to make easy healthy dinners is to use whole food ingredients, prepared simply. Frozen veggies are great to have on hand for easy dinners. They are flash-frozen when picked, so often they have more nutrients than fresh ones.

Shortcuts can save time and energy, like purchasing pre-cut vegetables or mini-versions, like baby carrots or baby potatoes. Sheet pan meals, where all the ingredients are cooked together on one sheet pan, make clean-up easier too.

A client favorite is organic chicken thighs with roasted baby potatoes and baby carrots. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, drizzle some olive oil, and cook at 400 F for 30 minutes.

Another no-cook option is an organic rotisserie chicken over a precut salad, with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper and garlic. The dressings in the prepacked oils usually have less healthy oils, so it’s best to avoid them. Or, a bag of steamed frozen vegetables, with rotisserie chicken, drizzled with olive oil and hot sauce.

Here are a few other favorite simple, healthy dinner ideas:

Organic Chicken Sausage with onions and peppers

sauté onion and pepper strips in avocado or olive oil with garlic, salt and pepper for 3-5 minutes; add cut up pre-cooked sausage and cook until heated through

Veggie stir-fry

sauté chopped peppers, onions, zucchini, green beans, carrots (fresh or frozen) olive oil; add gluten-free Tamari sauce or coconut aminos, and serve over cauliflower rice or brown rice

Ground beef and mushrooms over zoodles

sauté grass-fed ground beef, once meat is cooked through, add thinly sliced mushrooms and organic tomato sauce until mushrooms are cooked through. Add zucchini noodles for 2 minutes at the end to heat.

Candice Walker – Proportional Plate

If I’m trying to keep dinner under 30 minutes but still keep it healthy and packed with flavor, one of my go-to recipes is a salmon dish, Citrus Thyme Salmon with Pesto Pasta. Salmon is most people’s go-to fish because it’s healthy, delicious, and extremely versatile.

It takes no time at all to cook in the oven, and I serve with simple pesto pasta and steamed veggies. The key to making a healthy, easy meal is combining elements that you can cook all at the same time – for example steaming veggies while the salmon cooks.

Another quick dinner I love is Ginger Scallion Noodles with Broccoli & Carrots – it’s an amazing substitute for takeout when you’re craving it. It helps to have an easy recipe on hand if you want to resist the temptation of ordering in.

Then, if I need something quick and warm, I always make Vegetarian Egg Drop Soup with Mixed Veggies – I use arrowroot powder to thicken it so it’s just the right texture.

It’s a hearty, simple soup that works with frozen veggies like corn and peas, and I use homemade vegetable stock to make sure it’s not loaded with salt and other additives.

Jessica Braider – The Scramble

One of my favorite easy healthy dinners is build-a-bowl nights because they are so easy, flexible, and fun.

Start with a grain base such as rice, quinoa, or couscous, and then you can add any proteins, vegetables, and condiments you like to make the flavor fit your mood.

For example, you could go a southwestern route with black beans, roasted vegetables, shredded Cheddar cheese, and salsa.

Or, you could go middle eastern with chickpeas, chopped raw vegetables, crumbled feta, and hummus.

The possibilities are endless and if you make the base grain and some proteins or vegetables ahead of time, dinner can be ready in mere minutes!

Stephanie Mantilla – Plant Prosperous

My favorite healthy meal is lentil chili.

You can dump the lentils, salsa, spices, and vegetables all into one pot and let them cook.

This even works in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

The lentils provide a good amount of protein and you can add whatever veggies you have on hand.

You can serve the chili over a bed of rice, quinoa, or greens for a healthy meal your entire family will like.

Katrina Love Senn

My favourite easy healthy dinner ideas are tasty, quick, and easy. I am inspired by the seasons and like to eat real food.

In Winter, my favourite dinner ideas are delicious, warming, and nourishing. They include thick hearty winter soups (made from home-made broths), Asian stir fry’s, and spicy curries served with Basmati rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa.

In Summer, as the weather gets warmer and the days are longer, my meals change also.

They are generally lighter using fresh salad greens, herbs, and microgreens. To serve interesting salads, presentation is key. Choose colourful ingredients, served on a long white ceramic plate.

Top the plate with interesting salad leaves. Then, add generous amounts of fresh vegetables (such as sliced avocado, grated carrot, grated beetroot, pomegranate seeds, walnuts etc or roast vegetables) and fresh parsley, basil, and mint, cracked black pepper, and sea salt. In Summer months, I also like miso, sushi, sashimi fish, and Vietnamese spring rolls (fresh).

Antonia Korcheva – Escape Waste

I love making zucchini boats. They are easy to prepare and the filling options are endless. This is a personal original recipe! Here are the steps:

You’ll need one or two zucchinis per person for one serving.

Cut the zucchini crosswise.

Carve each half with a spoon to create the boats.

Drizzle the boats with olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Bake them for 10 minutes on medium heat.

In the meantime, prepare the filling.

Put the filling in the boats and cook for 20 more minutes.

Filling ideas:

Mushrooms with onion and herbs;

Sauteed seasonal vegetables;

Quinoa.

Additional tip: Use the leftover carvings for the filling of the boats or prepare other meals such as salads, zucchini balls, or even cakes.

Cheryl McColgan – Heal Nourish Grow

People love to overcomplicate dinner time, especially when they’re trying to switch to a new, healthy way of eating. One of the first things to determine is what is really a healthy meal…which is not so easy nowadays with the pervasive old ways of thinking still dominating nutrition. Eating healthy can be simple.

After hundreds of hours of research, I’ve determined that a low carb diet free of processed food and added sugar is the healthiest option.

Based on this paradigm, my favorite easy and healthy dinner ideas basically include two ingredients. Combine your favorite protein (bonus points if it’s grass-fed or pastured) with a low starch vegetable. Add some healthy fat or sauce and you’re done!

If you’re really pressed for time or creativity, you can even skip the vegetable, GASP! This would be unheard of in the past but you can make a good case that vegetables aren’t necessary to a healthy diet.

Some specific examples of this type of meal are a perfectly cooked grass-fed ribeye with some asparagus roasted in olive oil. Another great choice would be a one-pan meal of pastured chicken thighs and brussels sprouts cooked in butter. Particularly if you’re trying to lose weight, this dinner method will keep you on track and simplify healthy eating.

Youmna Rab – Sustainably Yours

My favourite, easy healthy dinner ideas are ones that can be made in less than 20 minutes and create very few dirty dishes. When it comes to cooking, having to wash tons of dirty dishes automatically makes an easy dinner much harder. Dishes that can be made in one pan are the best way to go.

The easiest one-pan dinner I make is pesto ravioli. All you have to do is heat up frozen ravioli, cut some veggies and mix it all together on the stove with pesto! Most frozen food isn’t considered healthy, but ravioli can be if you add pesto and lots of vegetables.

Another great easy vegan option is a barbecue chickpea wrap. All you have to do is heat up canned chickpeas in barbeque sauce and wrap it in a tortilla with your favourite vegetables. Lettuce, tomatoes, and onions are great options that pair deliciously with chickpeas. Spread some hummus on the tortilla as well to add some more flavour.

These two healthy dishes are favorites that can be made in less than 20 minutes. To spend less time in the kitchen, cut up vegetables while everything else cooks.

Stephanie Harris-Uyidi – Posh Pescatarian

Soups, Chowders, and Stews

I love turning to soups, chowders, and stews as quick and healthy dinner options. This way, you can easily combine a medley of veggies, legumes, and spices to create a healthy but flavorful meal.

Soups, stews, and chowders provide home cooks the opportunity to experiment with flavor combinations. From a Mireproix mix (sauteed celery, carrots, and onions) to coconut milk to kale to lentils to lemons, the options are endless!

Some of my favorite recipes include Cauliflower, Coconut & Orange Lentil Soup, Wild Salmon & Tuscan Kale Chowder, and One Pot North African Fish & Chickpea Pescatarian Stew.

Salads

Salads are another great healthy dinner option, and it doesn’t have to be limited to Caesar! You can add veggies, fruits, protein, cheese, and nuts to your dish for added flavor and variety.

I love going back to many of my recipes that are now staples in my diet, including Elote Grilled Mexican Street Corn Salad, Salmon Bacon Salad, Spicy Yucatan Fruit Salad, and Wild Tuna Salad.

Laura Poe Mathes

When putting together quick and healthy dinners, I like to use a basic template to make sure my family gets the nutrition they need while also keeping it simple: every dinner has a protein (usually meat), a vegetable and a whole grain or root vegetable. Fill in these blanks with whatever is on hand and you are on your way to a healthy dinner.

For example, some of my favorite nutrient-rich and delicious dinners are: tacos with ground beef and beans on corn or whole wheat tortillas with plenty of veggie toppings; Thai laab, a dish of ground pork, seasonings and vegetables served in lettuce wraps, with brown rice; curry or stir fry with whatever meat and vegetables need to be used up in the fridge, on a bed of sweet potatoes or brown rice.

Finally, breakfast-for-dinner, the ultimate dinner-saver–I will typically make a cheese and veggie frittata or omelette and serve with whole grain sourdough bread when we are really short on time to throw dinner together.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try to do as much meal planning as you can ahead of time so your healthy dinners come together quickly and easily.

Shruthi Baskaran – Urban Farmie

My favorite healthy dinners are plant-forward, vegan or vegetarian versions of simple African stews.

Say, for instance, Efo Riro, a hearty Nigerian spinach stew cooked using a red pepper and tomato puree, as well as umami-rich elements like mushrooms and tahini.

Or a warm bowl of Ethiopian Atakilt Wat, a cabbage stew made with pantry staples like potatoes and carrots, and oil infused with simple spices.

These dinners are hearty, comforting and nutritious, and easy to make at home even when I’m busy!

Jenna Passaro – Sip Bite Go

As a parent, I know how important it can be to throw a quick and easy dinner together. Make a delicious 30 minute or less chicken dinner with inspiration from this recipe.

Here these perfectly cooked chicken breasts are served with an easy avocado and vegetable salad. You can make a simple chicken dinner like a restaurant would make – right at home.

Need a vegetarian option? These easy baked buffalo cauliflower bites are an addictive meatless buffalo wings alternative. This vegetarian chicken wing alternative is a favorite in my house for game day and using up leftover cauliflower.

If you’ve heard of cauliflower buffalo bites, you’ll find this recipe is a little different. The addition of red onion makes these buffalo cauliflower bites taste more gourmet. Find the recipe here.

Marissa Schaumloffel – Over The Spoon For

My favorite easy and healthy dinners are any options that I can use whatever I have on hand.

I either turn leftover vegetables and potatoes into a baked frittata or create a Buddha Bowl with a rice or quinoa base.

These allow me to fill up on protein, fiber, and healthy fats and use what I already have rather than going to the store after work.

I cook rice or quinoa in the rice cooker in about 20 minutes while I cut up any vegetables.

I love to add different sauces to make the meals different and flavorful.

Thank you so much to all the experts that have contributed to this expert roundup! If you want to help more people improve their health and their diet then please share this post with your friends and followers so we can spread these healthy dinner ideas.

source https://nutritiondietnews.com/healthy-dinner-ideas/ source https://nutritiondietnews.blogspot.com/2021/02/healthy-dinner-ideas-shared-by-25-food.html

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theaveragekenyan · 4 years

Text

Hungry Heart...

Hungry Heart.

A quick game of ‘Family Fortunes’. (Family Fortunes the game show where the answers were requested from a publicly polled question, i.e)

Q = Name a type of American Food.

A = Hamburger ....our survey says, Hamburger ✅ Top answer.

Next;

Q - Name a type of Italian Food.

A = Pizza …our survey says, Pizza ✅ Top Answer

Next;

Q - Name a type of Kenyan food.

A = Ugali…our survey says, Ugali ✅ Top Answer.

I’m confident the above responses would be the most popular answers to those questions if a survey were taken on the streets of Nairobi today.

Ask Donald Trump, what’s better than a Hamburger? Juicy, succulent ground beef with tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, pickle, mustard, ketchup all held together by an air pumped bread bun…nothing fake at all about that.

Or what about a Pizza? oven fired circular dough, topped with an infinite amount of cheese options under any mix of vegetables and meat varieties…a billion deliveries every year can’t be wrong.

And let’s not forget a Kenyan staple, Ugali, ground maize meal, mixed with boiling water and then formed into a solid white ball. Delicious, well, ok…it’s not really delicious…it’s more a way of life and enjoyed because there’s very little other choice.

Kenyan Food is interesting, because historically, food has developed into…well…food.

The food theory hasn’t moved too far away from the ‘don’t eat, die’ philosophy rather than into fancy cuisine.

This is why I find the average Kenyan meal to be “BnB”, basic and bland, and Ugali has to stand right up there as a great example of BnB food.

Ugali has various names across Africa and is eaten by many, so African’s aside, It is a guarantee that all foreigner’s will be quizzed by Kenyan’s to find out if they have eaten Ugali. If the answer is yes, the next question will be ‘do you like Ugali?’

And this is when the foreigner will become increasingly awkward, stutter and generally skirt around the BnB fact. The foreigner will mince out cloaked enthusiasm and say “Yes…I’ve tried it…it’s nice…I…..like it” blatantly, the foreigner doesn’t want to get anywhere near describing it’s taste or what it’s eaten with. Essentially anything to not offend the Kenyan national dish.

Then, in the not too distant future, the foreigner will be with the person, that asked all of the Ugali questions, when Lunch is served.

Naturally, the foreigner will be bumped up to pole position in the queue for food.

The food will be covered, all the lids down on the large metallic serving trays and then one by one up they pop. First serving tray open and it’s a large fresh tray of steaming Ugali.

As the cellophane is proudly pealed away, “Ugali” announces the Kenyan “You said Ugali is nice”

Now the food server hears this and loves it, how they laugh as the heavy serving spoon sinks into the epic Ugali field. The foreigner is now looking at the true scale of Ugali, out comes a Rugby ball sized portion and is placed on their plate “is that enough?” the server asks without irony.

“Yes, plenty, Asantee” squirms the foreigner politely. On piles the rest of lunch, but there’s not much room on the plate for anything else. So the foreigner sits down at a table, with their plate of Ugali and other small scale assorted bitings, as the Kenyan’s join.

They all ask the same question “Oh, you like Ugali?” “Yes, I do, but this is a little bit too much for me” replies the foreigner, only to be met with “Oh that’s not much really” from the Kenyan’s, the foreigner looks around and realises this is no lie, food is stacked up on top of Ugali which rises up to peoples chests, steam touching their chins. The foreigner takes the first enthusiastic fork full to barrels of laughter

“Eat it with your hands” say the Kenyans,

“We eat Ugali with our hands” the advice continues to come in.

The foreigner now has to quickly scan around to check how that’s done, they see many shovelling hands with golf ball sized portions of Ugali, scooping up sauce and trapping bits of meat and spinach. The foreigner gives it a go, but soon realise they’ve broken off too much Ugali and now their ball is the size of a Tennis ball. Oh dear, now they’ve got to eat up more Ugali than they thought they ever could. Each bite feels like it’s draining brain juice as their mouth dries to resemble the Sahara desert. There’s easily still 4 more bites of the Ugali ball to go. It’s time for evasive action, “hmmmm tha wath delithuth” splutters the foreigner as they stand up, turn around and spit their mouths content onto their plate and scrape it into the bin, I’ll never eat Ugali again they tell themselves.

I think the closest comparison to Ugali would be Mashed Potatoes, well mashed potatoes if you don’t add salt, pepper, butter and milk. At least with mashed spuds, the extra additions don’t stop there; cheese, beetroot, butternut, Brussels, balsamic vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, chilli sauce all work to break up the classic spud recipe’s monotony. Nothing like that with Ugali, oh hang on…it can be made either white or brown…the only difference being, brown Ugali soaks up your blood.

Speaking of Mashed Potato, there is a fancy mash version here called Mukimo, it’s very nice. It’s bright green and has whole kernels of hard maize in it. I prefer it to Ugali, but it’s definitely one to serve yourself and not have a Kenyan do it for you.

For the the larger part of Kenya, food is readily available, but with the poverty found in such places as the Nairobi slums, food has to be simple and within a ridiculously low daily budget, people don’t have too much of a choice to be flambéing duck or questioning how many times their chips have been deep fried.

From my travels, I’ve noticed that many Kenyan meals will have been cooked for a good proportion of the day. Usually a slow cook involves beans and pulses, incredibly healthy, wholesome and organic, but also served incredibly dull. It’s essentially a bean stew with little flavour or signature kick. It’s like a can of ‘no frills vegetable soup’ that’s been boiled for 5 hours. It has a certain appeal, but it’s nothing special, yet to talk to a Kenyan about boiled beans or “Githeri” as it’s called, is, as if, it is some kind of speciality cuisine. Each region seems to have it’s own version, but the variety doesn’t seem to change that much, maybe one region adds carrots or potatoes and that’s about it. I guarantee, if that dish had originated in one of the poorest regions of China, it would be a real delicacy now. Sure you’d get the odd bat claw stuck between your teeth, but nonetheless, I imagine it would be an overall tastier experience than “Githeri”. Thanks Chef’s of Kenya, but I’ll stick with the English delicacy of baked beans on toast, cupboard to table in less than 10 minutes.

That slow cooking style reverberates through many culinary styles. In fact, most food is slow cooked, this is why the over 70’s love eating here. Pasta is never al-dente, cabbage doesn’t come with a crunch, meat is a lottery as to how how much jaw action will be needed and eggs are always over cooked. Unless you’re in a Western priced Hotel or restaurant, food is never considered to be served ‘just cooked’, I’m yet to find a boiled salad, but I know it’s out there. Note to self, Boiled Salad, somebody get me Heston Blumenthal.

The word Koroga means 'to stir’ in Swahili. A ‘foody’ experience, that is often talked about, is the Koroga. This is apparently a uniquely Kenyan Swahili experience. However, from my experience, what I was told about a Koroga and what I actually encountered at a Koroga were two completely different experiences.

This is what I was told about a Koroga.

A Koroga is a get together of family and friends who will start the event off by selecting meats, vegetables, herbs and spices and then start adding them all into a large pot. These ingredients will be cooked by the party as as the pot is regularly stirred by the party, whilst allowing everything to cook for about 4-5 hours.

A Curry based BBQ, I mean that sounds like a proper great time.

No, not quite, in fact from my experience, this is what actually happens.

A Koroga is a get together of family and friends who, once everyone has arrived and is indicated to start will instruct a Chef to add meat, vegetables, herbs and spices into a large pan and then cook everything for the guests, this will be then served 3-4 hours later when the most stirred things are the guests who are totally shit-faced from all the boozing whilst waiting for the food to be cooked. I just think the Koroga idea hasn’t really been properly thought out. It’s closest relative the BBQ or Braai work extremely well, but its USP is about DIY food and standing around the grill complaining. The Koroga’s USP is that the Chef decided to cook everything outside rather than in the kitchen, sorry, I just don’t get the appeal.

One dish that is cooked quickly, at least I think it’s cooked quickly, is Nyama Choma.

Translated literally - Nyama is meat - Choma is burn. A Meat Burn.

“I’ve heard it’s going to be lovely on Saturday, so you’re all invited around to ours for a Meat Burn”

Fortunately, the meat isn’t burnt, not like at UK BBQ’s,

The choices of meat are;

Mbuzi = Goat.

Kuku = Chicken.

Nyama = any other type of Red Meat that is from a Cow.

Sorry Lamb and Pork, this scene is not for you, go find your own Meat Burn.

Just like any badly managed BBQ/Braai, the final cook quality is hit and miss, the hits involve nice juicy tender bites of meat and sucked out marrowbone. The misses include, chewy, sinewy, fatty meat if you can find it, and once again the experience lacks imagination. The only seasoning you will get is salt and there will only be one accompaniment to the meat which is called Kachumbari, a mix of tomato, onion and chilli.

So Kenyan Meat Burn’s are for the real purists only. I do love Nyama Choma though, if not just for it’s back to basic 10,000 BC appeal.

One experience I never tire of, is a Kenyan breakfast in a Hotel. The breakfast routine follows the International standard of the best planned meal of the day. It starts at the Juice bar and ends up at the bloated Pig table. There’s always a great choice at a Kenyan breakfast, although many will be disappointed at the lack of bacon on offer, that’s because Kenyan’s prefer sausages to Bacon hands down.

I like that many of the previous nights dinner offerings will be now re-served for breakfast. So there are always surprises to be had like Green Banana Curry, Githeri, Fish stew, Roast Potatoes, Lentil Stew and anything else that didn’t get eaten the night before.

Hands down, my favourite experience of a Kenyan breakfast is observing the Egg Chef. You’ll know it’s the Egg Chef because they will be dressed like the top google image search for Chef.

The egg is treated with the most respect, kept separately and away from all the other dishes that are hidden underneath aluminium lids. The Eggs will never come into contact with the mixed up serving spoons covered in bean juice and banana curry, they are not good enough for the eggs. But wait, what’s this, what’s hiding underneath here?, oh it’s the Hard Boiled Eggs, the common, dirty poor bastard parent of the free and easy, liberated, naked eggs that the Egg Chef will caress and massage into a beautiful work of art.

The Egg chef will be situated at the start of the line, but when you want him, he won’t be there. I say he, the Egg Chef is always a he, no Woman in Kenya is considered prestigious enough to do this job. The Egg Chef and Kenyan President are two Jobs women will never perform.

So what tends to happen is this, in the absence of the Egg Chef people will pile up their plates first. Then the Egg Chef appears exactly when he wants, just like the true artist he is, only then will the egg orders be taken.

Now the only cooking utensils the Egg Chef possesses are a frying pan and a spatula. So this limits the type of egg available to either a Fried Egg or an Omelette. I always like to joke I’ll take a poached Egg, but it’s short-lived because nobody understands what I’m saying. Don’t be getting technical with the Egg Chef, his position of authority is untouchable.

Fried Eggs will be cooked in either two choices, “cooked” or “sunny side up”. The majority of times I’ve requested Sunny Side Up, the eggs have been served closer to raw, which is a little too avant-garde for me. So, they have to be sent back which will be re-served ‘cooked’.

My advice, request cooked.

If you’re asking for an omelette it will be either served “with everything” or “without everything”. “Without everything” is a plain egg omelette “With everything” is an Omelette mixed with finely chopped onion, capsicum and chilli pepper. Both Omelette varieties are good, but as previously mentioned, they will be “cooked”, i.e a properly cooked through, no nonsense, fuss free, nothing moving, Omelette. That said, they go down well and the pomp and circumstance of the occasion overrides any need for a fancy, modern, runny consistency.

I’ve spoken to many people that blame the style of Kenyan food on Colonisation.

Typical, blame the Brits for bequeathing a bland stereotypical diet.

This is not true, because anyone that says they don’t like British Cuisine then goes onto say, except they like Pork Pie, Mr Kipling Cakes, Sausage Rolls, Full English Breakfast, Chicken Tikka Masala, Black Pudding, Sausage and Mash, Fish and Chips, Mushy Peas, Deep Fried Mars Bar, Jammie Dodgers, Sunday Roast, The Tasting Menu at The Fat Duck, Gordon Ramsey swearing, Monster Munch, Jellied Eels and Roast Badger.

There, conclusive evidence that England has a varied and incredibly well established culinary tradition of original and modern food.

So whilst there is an excellent and extensive varied selection of Kenyan restaurants, serving truly excellent food, once you step outside of all that and roam into the realms of “lazy” Kenyan food, you will be craving Pickled Onion Monster Munch all day long.

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getcookingwithb · 4 years

Text

FINAL ASSESSMENT

Main dish: Chicken leg, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and mushroom gravy.

Appetizer: Chicken Salad Wonton Bite. Hey everyone, its B and I’m back with a new blog. Writing this blog is a bit different this time around tho, we’re on our third week of quarantine for Covid-19. So we’ve been doing our classes online like everyone else and its been quite the experience. There’s a basic range of emotions almost daily and being overwhelmed is well, overwhelming. The chefs and everyone at school have been great as we’re all experiencing this together, but in many different ways. I’ve been spending my time cleaning my apartment and organizing all my stuff. I’ve been baking bread and making pasta alot... lol ... I’ve also been baking a bunch so that’s fun but I’m starting to get concerned with the gym being closed and not being able to get outside to exercise so maybe I should watch the stress overeating ya’know. Easier said than done for sure. I have not had a hard time finding anything but Lysol wipes or rubbing alcohol so I’ve been pretty lucky. Here is a meal I made for an assignment for school. I had to create a menu that demonstrated the skill I have learned over the last 2 semesters. I made a chicken salad wonton bite as an appetizer and a pan seared frenched chicken leg that I then roasted, paired with mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and a delicious mushroom gravy as a main.

Frenched chicken legs.

Mise-en-plus for mashed potatoes.

Mise-en-plus for mushroom gravy.

Mise-en-plus for chicken salad (minus the chicken) INSTRUCTIONS Chicken Salad Wonton Bites Roasted Chicken 1. Preheat oven to 400F. 2. Pat dry skin on chicken thigh and season with salt and pepper. 3. Place seasoned thigh on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place into the oven. 4. Bake thigh for __ minutes until internal temperature reaches 155F-160F take out of oven and let rest. (Remove the skin at this stage, so it stays crispy) The chicken will continue to cook to 165F while it rests. 5. While the thigh is roasting, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chicken Salad 1. Peel carrots and cut into a small dice. 2. Peel celery and cut into small dice. 3. Zest and juice ½ a lemon. 4. Pile the dill on clean cutting board and finely chop. 5. Mix mayo, dill, zest and juice of the lemon to combine for the dressing. Adjust seasoning. Refrigerate. 6. Once the thigh has cooled, you can start picking the meat and separating it from the bone. 7. Add the carrots, celery and picked thigh meat to the dressing and mix well. Cover and refrigerate. 8. Using premade frozen wontons and a small lightly greased muffin tin, form the wonton wrappers into cups. 9. Bake wonton wrappers in a 350F oven for 8 minutes, take out of oven and let cool. 10. Once wonton wrappers have cooled, fill them with chicken salad mix. Top with black pepper and dill. Wonton Wrappers 1. Place flour into large bowl. 2. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, salt and water. 3. Create a well in the center of the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. 4. Mix everything together with a spoon or your hands, until the mixture begins to come together. 5. Turn the dough onto the counter and kneads for 3-5 minutes. The dough should be firm but silky smooth when you are done. If the dough is too tacky add a little extra flour to your counter. 6. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest for an hour. 7. Divide the dough in half. Cover one half of the dough with your towel. Lightly dust your counter-top with cornstarch (not flour) and roll half the dough out to as thin as you can. (You are aiming for 15”x9” for wontons) 8. Cut the sheet into desired shapes. 9. Repeat with remaining dough. 10. Use immediately or dust with more cornstarch and place in Ziplock bag to freeze. *I had these premade and frozen in my freezer so I removed them 30 minutes before I needed them* Wonton recipe retrieved from: Ozimek, S., Sarah, Sarah, Cook, R., & Nguyen, A. (2018, February 17). Homemade Wonton Wrappers • Curious Cuisiniere. Retrieved from https://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/wonton-wrap INSTRUCTIONS Fried Frenched Chicken Leg 1. Preheat oven 350F. 2. French chicken legs and season with salt and pepper. 3. Wrap end on leg without meat on it in tinfoil. The tinfoil prevents the bone from burning. 4. Put flour and cornstarch into bowl and coat meaty part of chicken leg with mixture. 5. Heat oil in cast iron over medium heat. Add butter and let foam. 6. Once butter foams add chicken legs and let cook for __ minutes, turn and repeat. You just want a little browning on the skin as you will finish off the cooking in the oven. 7. Place the entire cast iron in oven and cook chicken until internal temperature reaches 160F. 8. Take out of oven and let rest before you serve. INSTRUCTIONS Mushroom Gravy 1. Using the same pan that was used for cooking the chicken, add sliced mushrooms. 2. Stirring often to scrape all the brown bits up from the bottom of the pan and the mushrooms are tender and brown, about 5 minutes. 3. Add garlic to pot. 4. Add flour and stir about a minute until the flour has cooked out slightly. 5. Whisk in stock and add thyme. 6. Simmer gravy whisking constantly until gravy thickens. 7. Remove thyme and add parsley, thoroughly mix. 8. Season with salt and pepper. INSTRUCTIONS Mashed Potatoes 1. Peel and cut potatoes into medium size dice, store in cold water. 2. Add potatoes to large pot and cover with cold water. Always salt your water. 3. Bring pot to a boil and turn heat down. Cover pot and let simmer for __ minutes, until potatoes are soft. (To check doneness of potato use a fork - if its still hard it is not cooked completely, if its soft it’s done. 4. While the potatoes are cooking, heat up the milk and butter. 5. Add milk to small saucepot and bring it up to temperature slowly over low heat. (You do not want it to boil – you just want to scald the milk, bring it to 181F) 6. Add _tsp of butter to pot and let melt into milk. Mix to combine. 7. Once potatoes are cooked, about __ minutes, drain the water and return pot to stove. Let sit a minute to evaporate the leftover water and turn off heat. 8. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes to break them down slightly while incorporating the milk in stages. (Using about _cup at a time) mixing to combine. 9. Rasp some nutmeg and adjust seasoning. INSTRUCTIONS Creamed Spinach 1. Thaw frozen spinach and drain as much liquid as possible an set to the side. 2. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat, add butter. 3. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. 4. Add flour to butter and garlic and whisk until combined, cook for 2 minutes. 5. Add milk and continue whisking until sauce has thickened. 6. Add drained spinach and parmesan and mix. Add nutmeg. 7. Continue cooking over low heat for 5 minutes and adjust seasoning. This dish turned out amazing!!! My boyfriend had no suggestions for how I could make it better, he just wanted more gravy :) I loved brainstorming to create a dish that will compliment all ingredients included and everything still stood out. I had to substitute goat cheese for parmesan cheese in the creamed spinach but it turned out fantastic so I was very happy with that. I also had alot of fun writing down methods/instructions and having to change things as I went.

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