Eat Smart Age Smart » Cook Healthy Recipes

How to cook healthy recipes

eatSmart — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:10:25 +0000

Healthy cooking should not be that complicated, but it often is because most people don’t know where to start.

There are several thousands of web sites, healthy cookbooks and cooking magazines, but still most people are stump when it comes to preparing a healthy meal that will satisfy their family while maintain some of the basics of adopting a healthy lifestyle to increase your chances of aging well.

I thought that I’d share a few healthy cooking recipes that have been captured on video to show you how incredibly easy cooking healthy can be!

These recipes are from Nutrition Action contributing healthy cooking expert Kate Sherwood and you’ll see how easy these quick healthy cooking lessons are and how they will give you some good basics to get you going.

Remember, that when it comes to healthy cooking, you don’t have to give up all of your favourite recipes, but you rather should focus on transforming them into healthier options!

>>> These healthy cooking lessons should definitely help you start on the right foot:

1. How to segment citrus fruits:

2. How to prepare spring vegetable pesto pasta:

3. Barley Risotto recipe:

4. Shrimp Tostada salad recipe:

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com

Lasagna Floret vegetarian recipe

eatSmart — Mon, 31 May 2010 16:00:01 +0000

Here’s another recipe from Phnewfula! In this vegetarian lasagna recipe created with layers of cauliflower and broccoli florets baked between cheese and the lasagne noodles!

If you are looking for a way of adding more vegetarian dishes to your menu, this will be the perfect simple dish to try.

Another great advantage of making a lasagne dish is that you can have leftovers for lunch the next day or you can simply freeze the extra lasagne and keep that for another week (since this recipe makes 12 portions)!

This might not be a dish you prepare at 7 pm when you get home, but this would be the perfect dish to cook on a Sunday and you can quickly reheat it on the Monday night!

I think Phnewfula from Turtle Pie’s Drool Session’s dish fits perfectly with the theme or Meatless Mondays!

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

tablespoons olive oil

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

1 pound of broccoli (head only), chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

¼ cup water

16 ounce container ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

3 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 shake red pepper flakes

1 pound “no boil” lasagna noodles (Found in the pasta section of most grocery stores. Feel free to substitute traditional dried lasagna noodles, as long as they are cooked according to package instructions before assembling the lasagna.)

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ½ inch thick slices

1 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce

4 ounces white and yellow cheddar cheese, shredded

>>>PREPARATION<<<

> Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a lasagna pan.

> Preheat a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. When the oil is heated, add the chopped cauliflower, onions, carrots and broccoli and cook for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables start to soften.

> Add the mushrooms and ¼ cup water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more, or until vegetables have just become tender.

> While vegetables are cooking, mix ricotta, oregano, rosemary, basil, parsley, garlic, pepper and 1 ½ teaspoon of the salt together and set aside.

> When vegetables are just tender, remove the pan from heat and season with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon salt and a firm shake of the red pepper flakes.

> In the prepared lasagna pan place one layer of no-boil noodles, followed by a layer of mozzarella cheese, then vegetables, then the ricotta-herb mixture, then the spaghetti sauce.

> Repeat the layering process for about 2 or 3 more layers until you are out of ingredients. Top the lasagna with the shredded cheddar. Cover lasagna with foil.

> Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lasagna from oven, uncover, and bake for another 7-10 minutes, or until cheese browns.

>>> NUTRITION INFORMATION<<<

Lasagna Floret

Servings per Recipe: 12

Amount per Serving

Calories: 388

Calories from Fat: 131

Total Fat: 14.6g

Saturated Fat: 6.8g

Cholesterol: 36mg

Sodium: 1122mg

Potassium: 753mg

Total Carbohydrates: 45.6g

Dietary Fiber: 4.6g

Protein: 20g

Sugars: 9.7g

*** This recipe is part of the Meatless Monday series. It’s easy to go meatless with a vegetarian pasta recipe!***

If this is the first time you are reading about our weekly Meatless Monday feature, you can find out the reason why we’re featuring these vegetarian recipes by visiting this link to read the full story: Why not go meatless on Mondays?

Lentil Shepherd Pie vegetarian recipe

eatSmart — Mon, 24 May 2010 16:00:32 +0000

This is one of the most original Shepherd’s pie recipe I’ve come across. It’s true that I’ve only had the traditional meat Shepherd’s pie recipes up to now and must say that it would never have occurred to me to replace the meat with lentils.

If you hate to do dishes, this recipe will become a favourite because it’s a one dish recipe which makes is an ideal dish for potlucks!

This Shepherd’s pie recipe is a great feature for a Meatless Monday! This recipe is the creation of Nina at Wachussett Vegan Society.

Now, I will admit that this might be one of those recipes that might not be the easiest to get your kids to eat if they aren’t used to eating lentils or beans, but I think for adults looking to cut out meat from their diets a few times per week … this is ideal!

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

4 cups water

½ cup uncooked barley

1 cup uncooked lentils

1 large onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon gravy master (a liquid seasoning found near the soy sauce or broth sections of most grocery stores)

5-6 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled

¼ cup margarine or vegan margarine

1/3 cup milk or soy milk

¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes (optional. Found near the vitamin section of most grocery or drug stores)

Salt and pepper to taste.

>>>PREPARATION<<<

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

In a covered sauce pan, bring water, barley and lentils to a simmer. Gently simmer barley and lentils for 45 minute or until lentils are tender. Additional water may be needed to cook lentils until tender.

In a large skillet, sauté diced onions and carrots for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add minced mushrooms, stir and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Add the cooked barley and lentils to the skillet. Season with the caraway seeds, garlic powder, soy sauce, gravy master and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined.

Drain and mash cooked potatoes with margarine and milk. Season mashed potatoes with yeast flakes and salt and pepper to taste.

Grease a casserole pan and add barley mixture to pan. Top with mashed potatoes and dot with margarine. Bake for 30 minutes.

>>> NUTRITION INFORMATION<<<

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

Servings per Recipe: 10

Amount per Serving

Calories: 265

Calories from Fat: 51

Total Fat: 5.7g

Saturated Fat: 1.1g

Cholesterol: 1mg

Sodium: 643mg

Potassium: 937mg

Total Carbohydrates: 43.4g

Dietary Fiber: 11.7g

Protein: 12.4g

Sugars: 3.1g

*** This recipe is part of the Meatless Monday series. It’s easy to go meatless with a vegetarian pasta recipe!***

Sesame Bok Choy vegetarian recipe

eatSmart — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:00:37 +0000

Chinese food often gets a bad wrap because of the bad oils, MSG, high sodium and the fact that a lot of the favourite Chinese dishes are deep fried. If you really love Chinese food, there are a number of really easy recipes you can make at home and that really don’t take that much time.

I found this Sesame Bok Choy recipe to be another perfect recipe for a Meatless Mondays feature and since it’s so simple and easy to prepare there are no excuses when it comes to eating a healthier Chinese recipe!

This Sesame Bok Choy recipe comes from Phnewfula of Turtle Pie’s Drool Session.

You can serve this Sesame Bok Choy recipe with rice or noodles and if you want to go healthy, you can pair this off with brown rice!

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

A little vegetable oil or cooking spray, to coat the pan

Two heads bok choy, washed and cut into bite sized pieces

½ cup onion, chopped

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon sesame oil, for drizzling

>>>PREPARATION<<<

Heat vegetable oil or cooking spray in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the bok choy and onion and sauté for 7 minutes, or until the bok choy leaves become tender.

Add the soy sauce and minced garlic to the pan. Sauté for 1-3 minutes, or until garlic becomes fragrant.

Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.

>>> NUTRITION INFORMATION<<<

Sesame Bok Choy

Servings per Recipe: 3

Amount per Serving

Calories: 99

Calories from Fat: 23

Total Fat: 2.6g

Saturated Fat: .4g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 423mg

Potassium: 1456mg

Total Carbohydrates: 15.4g

Dietary Fiber: 6g

Protein: 8.8g

Sugars: 7.8g

*** This recipe is part of the Meatless Monday series. It’s easy to go meatless with a vegetarian pasta recipe!***

Photo by PinkMoose

Orange Confit Oatmeal vegetarian recipe

eatSmart — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:00:25 +0000

This breakfast recipe is such a refreshing twist to the usual oatmeal recipes you might have been trying in the past. Instead of buying those store-bought oatmeal bars that are high in sugar and that contain a few dubious ingredients, why not make this recipe and have it ready for your morning breakfast!

This is a perfect recipe for a Meatless Mondays feature. Since this recipe doesn’t content any protein, I’d highly suggest that you add a handful of nuts of your choice to your breakfast to make it a complete meal!

This Orange Confit Oatmeal recipe comes from Kelly at The Pink Apron!

If you decide to try this recipe, make sure to come back and leave a comment to let me know if you liked it or not!

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

1 1/2 cups nonfat milk

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 2 inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1/3 cup orange marmalade

1/2 cup orange confit, chopped

>>>PREPARATION<<<

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, sugar, salt and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla extract. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the egg mixture and reserve the bean for future use.

Stir the oat and milk mixtures together. When combined fold in the chopped orange confit or marmalade. Pour mixture into a medium sized pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until oatmeal has developed a nice crust and is lightly brown around the edges. Serve warm.

>>> NUTRITION INFORMATION<<<

Servings per Recipe: 6

Amount per Serving

Calories: 280

Calories from Fat: 58

Total Fat: 6.5g

Saturated Fat: 3.1g

Cholesterol: 46mg

Sodium: 168mg

Potassium: 215mg

Total Carbohydrates: 49.8g

Dietary Fiber: 2.8g2.8g

Protein: 7.6g

Sugars: 30.9g

*** This recipe is part of the Meatless Monday series. It’s easy to go meatless with a vegetarian pasta recipe!***

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com

Ratatouille Wrap vegetarian recipe

eatSmart — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:00:09 +0000

Ratatouille is one of my favourite French dishes. I like it because it’s simple, uncomplicated and so easy to prepare. It requires no outlandish ingredients and you can serve it with so many sides.

It was a logical choice for one of my Meatless Mondays features. I have often used leftover ratatouille inside a whole wheat wrap and I’ve added goat cheese to finish it all up and add the protein element to the dish.

This particular Ratatouille wrap comes from Carrie at Happy Vegan Yogini and it’s not only an excellent dish for dinner, but it makes the perfect transportable lunch for the next day! If you’ve been using the excuse that you don’t like vegetables in the past, I’m sure this recipe will make you a convert because ratatouille has this way of perfectly meshing the different flavours in such a delightful way.

Carrie’s recipe calls for dried thyme, basil and oregano, but if you have some Herbe de Provence (French dried herbs), this would be a great addition to this recipe!

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

A little olive oil or cooking spray, to coat the skillet

3 small Japanese eggplants, sliced

1 globe eggplant, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1 large green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

4 large whole wheat tortillas, warmed

>>>PREPARATION<<<

1. Prepare a skillet with a light coat of olive oil or cooking spray. Place the skillet over medium high heat and add the eggplant and zucchini. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until eggplant and zucchini start to become tender. Add the onions and pepper and sauté 3 more minutes, or until onions and peppers begin to soften. Add the garlic and sauté 1-3 minutes more, or until garlic becomes fragrant.

2. Add in diced tomatoes with their juices. Gently stir in the dried thyme, basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a slow boil.

3. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft and tender.

4. Add in maple syrup and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

5. Place about ½ cup of the ratatouille filling in the center of a large, warmed tortilla. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and roll burrito style. Repeat 3 times to make the additional ratatouille wraps.

>>> NUTRITION INFORMATION<<<

Ratatouille Wraps

Servings per Recipe: 4

Amount per Serving

Calories: 283

Calories from Fat: 19

Total Fat: 2g

Saturated Fat: .4g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 32mg

Potassium: 1633mg

Total Carbohydrates: 64.5g

Dietary Fiber: 20.2g

Protein: 11.2g

Sugars: 22.3g

*** This recipe is part of the Meatless Monday series. It’s easy to go meatless with a vegetarian pasta recipe!***

Healthy lunch recipes: Grilled Gazpacho Sandwich

eatSmart — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:00:19 +0000

For this month’s Meatless Mondays, I will be focusing on healthy lunch recipes and nothing screams transportability like a sandwich!

It’s tempting to think it’s much easier to go down to the food court at lunch to grab a sandwich, but the reality is that you can prepare a healthy sandwich at home and bring it to work with you for a fraction of the price of anything you would buy at the food court.

Not only are you saving money (and trust me … this accumulates quickly over one year), you also get to have much more control over the ingredients that you put inside your sandwich.

This recipe is great because you’re using black beans for your lean protein. If you don’t like spicy foods, you can omit the jalapeno pepper and chili powder.

This recipe is quick, healthy and easy!

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped

1 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pickled jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder

3 large tomatoes, halved

1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia), sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 loaf French bread

1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

>>>PREPARATION<<<

Combine cucumber, beans, cilantro, oil, vinegar, garlic, jalapeno, and chili powder in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Lay tomato and onion slices on a lightly greased rack and grill over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, until lightly charred. You’ll want to turn the onion slices once about halfway through. Let the veggies cool slightly after you take them off the grill, then chop coarsely. Add the chopped grilled vegetables to the cucumber and bean mixture then toss to combine.

Meanwhile, cut the French bread in half – lengthwise – and hollow out the halves a bit. Grill or toast the bread pieces, cut sides down, about 1 minute or until lightly browned. Spoon the veggies and bean mixture into the hollowed bread halves, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and grill (or broil) for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.

>>> NUTRITION INFORMATION<<<

Grilled Gazpacho Sandwich

Servings per Recipe: 6

Amount per Serving

Calories: 210

Total Fat: 5 g

Saturated Fat: 1 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 520 mg

Total Carbohydrates: 31 g

Dietary Fibre: 5 g

Protein: 12 g

*** This recipe is part of the Meatless Monday series. It’s easy to go meatless with a vegetarian pasta recipe!***

Healthy lunch recipes: Brown Rice al Fresco Salad

eatSmart — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:00:10 +0000

For this month’s Meatless Mondays, I will be focusing on healthy lunch recipes and I wanted to select recipes that can be prepared and eaten over a couple of days.

This brown rice salad recipe is perfect because you can actually eat it over a couple of days. I still love my white rice, but I will never pass up a good brown rice recipe because I enjoy it so much. I love the nuttiness of brown rice.

Did you know that brown rice is an excellent source of vegetarian protein? Along with the fact that brown rice is packed with fiber, it’s also an excellent source of protein. Brown rice will always hold you more than white rice and you want to add it to your diet as much as possible.

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

2-1/2 cups long-grained brown rice, cooked

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1/2 cup seedless cucumber, diced

1/2 cup (around 5 to 6 medium) radishes, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped

>>>INGREDIENTS for VINAIGRETTE<<<

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes

1/4 tsp sea salt

>>>PREPARATION<<<

In a large bowl, mix the rice, vegetables, and herbs. In a small bowl, mix the vinaigrette ingredients. Drizzle the rice, vegetables and herbs with the dressing and mix well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

>>> NUTRITION INFORMATION<<<

Brown Rice al Fresco Salad

Servings per Recipe: 6

Amount per Serving

Calories: 330

Total Fat: 0 g

Saturated Fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 4 mg

Total Carbohydrates: 70 g

Dietary Fibre: 1 g

Protein: 10 g

*** This recipe is part of the Meatless Monday series. It’s easy to go meatless with a vegetarian pasta recipe!***