Eat Smart Age Smart » Quick, Easy and Healthy Recipes

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!***

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?

>>>> 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

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!***

Healthy lunch recipes: Black Bean and Potato Tortillas

eatSmart — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:00:06 +0000

Since this month’s Meatless Mondays will be focused on healthy lunch recipes, I wanted to select recipes that are easily transportable.

There are a few reasons why I like this recipe so much: 1) it’s easy to prepare 2) it’s cost effective 3) it contains protein 4) of course, it’s transportable.

This is also the type of recipe that you can serve your kids and they most likely won’t event miss the meat! If you’re having difficulties finding corn tortillas, try Latin neighbourhoods or Latin food shops. You’ll also be able to pick up a few of the other ingredients and a number of tasty salsa (sauces) for your Black Bean and Potato Tortillas.

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

4 medium-large potatoes

1-1/2 tablespoon light or extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium-large onion, chopped

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 4-ounce can mild diced green chiles

1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoon ground cumin

Juice of 1 lime

6 6-inch corn tortillas cut into short, narrow strips

>>>PREPARATION<<<

Microwave the potatoes until done but still firm. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Set aside. Heat the oil in an extra-large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and bell pepper and sauté until the onion is golden. Add the chiles, tomatoes, beans, and cumin. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, tortillas, and potatoes and cook briefly, just until heated through. Serve at once.

>>> NUTRITION INFORMATION<<<

Black Bean and Potato Tortillas

Servings per Recipe: 5

Amount per Serving

Calories: 340

Total Fat: 5 g

Saturated Fat: 0 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 500 mg

Total Carbohydrates: 63 g

Dietary Fibre: 11 g

Protein: 11 g

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

2 healthy breakfast recipes you MUST try

eatSmart — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:20:09 +0000

I found these two scrumptious healthy breakfast recipes from New York Times Fitness & Nutrition and I could not resist sharing them with my readers.

I’m warning you right now, the blueberry pancake recipe will make you cry of joy! This is such a perfect Sunday morning breakfast. I also think you’ll really like the healthy muffins!

1) Oatmeal Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes recipe from Martha Rose Shulman

These are denser than my ordinary whole wheat buttermilk pancakes. Make up a batch, freeze them in packets of three, and thaw in the microwave for a quick, substantial breakfast.

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

>>>PREPARATION<<<

1. Combine the milk and rolled oats in a bowl, and set aside.

2. Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the buttermilk and whisk together. Then whisk in the vanilla extract and the oil.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and quickly whisk together. Do not overbeat; a few lumps are okay. Fold in the oats and milk. Let sit for one hour, or refrigerate overnight.

5. If necessary, spray the hot griddle with pan spray. Drop by 3 to 4 tablespoons onto the hot griddle. Place six or seven blueberries on each pancake. Cook until bubbles begin to break through, two to three minutes. Turn and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute on the other side, or until nicely browned. Remove from the heat, and continue until all of the batter is used up.

6. Serve hot with a small amount of butter and maple syrup.

Yield: A dozen pancakes.

Advance preparation: You can keep these, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for a few days, or freeze for up to a few months.

2) Granola Muffins recipe from Martha Rose Shulman

These substantial breakfast muffins are sort of like bran muffins, but they have a little crunch. When I make a batch, I freeze what doesn’t get eaten the first day and thaw them in the microwave.

1 cup granola

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large or extra large eggs

1/4 cup mild honey, such as clover

1/2 cup buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF with a rack in the middle. Oil 12 muffin cups. Combine the granola and milk in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cover the raisins with hot water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and dry on paper towels.

2. Sift together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In medium bowl, beat together the eggs, honey, buttermilk or yogurt, canola oil and vanilla. Quickly whisk in the flour, then fold in the granola and raisins. Combine well

4. Spoon into muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool on a rack.

Yield: 12 muffins

Advance preparation: These will be good for a couple of days, and freeze well. Thaw overnight or in the microwave.

Top pancakes photo by love♡janine

Second photo of pancakes by cherrylet

Photo of muffins by sling@flickr

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip in an aggregator that collects content from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content from the REAL website at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com

Homemade salad dressing recipes are so easy to make

eatSmart — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:20:23 +0000

I don’t like the taste of bottle salad dressings because I always find there is a strong artificial taste to them. I also find they often contain sugar and I try to avoid adding unnecessary sugar to my diet as much as possible.

I challenge you to read the ingredients on a bottle of store bought salad dressing and you’ll see. I think the only place I’d attempt to buy a bottle salad dressing might be Whole Foods Market.

I learned how to prepare homemade salad dressing from my Parisian-ex-husband at the very beginning of our marriage because he was quite adamant that he would NEVER-EVER-EVER eat a store bought salad dressing. Because he’s French, he always insisted on using a whisk or fork to emulsify the Dijon mustard and the oil, but I’m not the best with the whisk and just like when I have to prepare a Béchamel sauce, I’ve found a short cut to preparing the perfect homemade salad dressing.

I collect my old jam jars and put all my ingredients inside the jar and shake! It literally takes me five minutes to prepare a homemade salad dressing recipe and I know EXACTLY which ingredients are part of the mix.

There are loads and loads of homemade salad dressings on the Internet, but I did try one of my favourite recipes in December 2009 (and I’ve tried a lot) when I had to prepare a truffle risotto meal for Kick Back Kook’s weekly podcast.

>>> Here’s the White Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe:

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of garlic mustard (use Dijon mustard with 1 clove of garlic crushed)
¼ teaspoon of flavors and flowers sea salt (yes, coarse salt with dried flavours, you can also use coarse sea salt)

You can read the rest of the post here: Easy Truffle Risotto recipe

I’ve also found a regular balsamic vinaigrette recipe that is quite easy to prepare:

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe

3 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard (Dijon preferably)
1 clove garlic (pressed)
1 pinch herbes de Provence (sold in most fine gourmet shops)
A dash salt and pepper to taste

A pinch or dash of any other seasonings you like in your salad dressing. Think cumin, red chili flakes, dried onion powder, dried garlic powder or chives!

>>> Here are a few interesting food facts from BBC Food that are related to homemade salad dressings:

>>> Olive oil was almost impossible to find until the British culinary revolution

Before the British culinary revolution, olive oil could only be sourced from chemists who sold it for medicinal purposes. Now, hundreds of varieties are sold in supermarkets and specialist delis, and olive oil connoisseurs rival wine buffs for their knowledge of estates, blends and varieties.

>>> Did you know that salad dressing was invented in the 17th century?

Salad dressing became a serious subject in European food circles in the 17th century, when recipes for it were included in cookbooks devoted to salad. By the 18th century, the Chevalier d’Albignac, a French nobleman, was making his living out of dressing salads in London.

Chicken and silver beet pasta recipe from Donna Hay

EatSmart — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:38:44 +0000

I came across this delicious chicken and beet pasta from Donna Hay and I wanted to share it with you!

I don’t eat pork chops or pork loins … it’s just not something I’ve ever really enjoyed (I don’t know why), but French-, Italian- and Spanish-cured pork meats and sausages rock my world!

When I saw that Donna Hay had added chorizo sausages to a recipe, I knew I just had to try it.

I’ve made other pasta dishes with chorizo before, but I had not tried this combination.

I’ll be honest, I don’t eat silver beet (Swiss chard) as often as I should, so this past recipe forced me to buy it and eat it. I suspect you could replace the silver beet with spinach, but that would change the taste a bit.

If you’re looking for a new healthy pasta recipe to try … this recipe is a good start! I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Donna Hay’s Chicken + Silver Beet Pasta

<<<INGREDIENTS>>>

400g rigatoni

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 chorizo sausages, chopped

2 chicken breast fillets, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

600g silver beet (Swiss chard), trimmed + chopped

1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock

1/2 cup (125ml) heavy cream

1 tablespoon seeded mustard

finely grated parmesan, to serve

<<<PREPARATION>>>

Cook pasta in boiling water for 10–12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm. Heat oil over high heat. Add chorizo and chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes or until browned. Add garlic and silver beet and cook for 1 minute. Add stock, cream and mustard and cook for 1 minute. Toss with pasta and sprinkle with cheese to taste. Serves 4.

>>> Drop me a line: I’d love to know if you eat silver beet/Swiss chard on a regular basis or if, like me, you don’t eat it enough. If you’ve never eaten it … drop me a line and let me know why not!

>>>> I reviewed Donna Hay’s new cookbook No Time To Cook — watch the video review here:

***Don’t forget to rate this video if you like it!***

Top photo by Lachlan Hardy

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

Healthy baked chicken strip recipe

EatSmart — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:30:27 +0000

If you’ve read my bio, then you know that I proudly state that I can cook chicken 1,000 ways … and I truly mean it. I love chicken and I always have.

When it comes to chicken, there are two types of fans: white meat lovers and dark meat lovers. I have eaten chicken, quail, duck, turkey, Cornish Hen and other poultry and I have to say that regardless of the type of bird, I seem to love dark meat the most.

I really enjoy white meat if I’m in the mood for a mayo and chicken sandwich, but when I’m eating chicken … I prefer the dark meat.

I will admit that chicken strips are my weakness when it comes to white meat and I refuse to eat any of the fried ones you get at a restaurant or bar more than a couple times per year … and when I do eat them, I’ll just have a few strips and not an entire plate (let’s face it … they are not the healthiest because we’re talking about battered chicken deep-fried in hydrogenated fats).

When I found this incredibly delicious healthy variation from Fitness Anywhere, the makers of the TRX Suspension Training (you’re going to love my soon-to-come review on the TRX Suspension cables because this is as close to military fitness as you’ll get! I will be training with one of the top trainers and I just cannot contain myself!), I was in heaven!

On a side note: If anyone understands the importance of not sabotaging your entire diet with one meal, the company who created the TRX Suspension cables do.

A lot of people make a really big mistake when they start training: because they think they are training more regularly, it’s a ticket to eating whatever you want since you’ll burn it off, but that’s simply not true … unless you are training daily for a triathlon. You should watch your portions and the quality of the foods you put into your body.

This recipe is quite simple and doesn’t require any strange or pricey ingredients.

Healthy Baked Chicken Strips Recipe:

<<>>

Boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into 1/2 inch strips, 170 g) 6 oz.

Salt, 2 pinches

Pepper, 1 pinch

Paprika, 1 pinch

Omega-3 eggs, 1

Water, 2 tbsp

Coarse whole wheat breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup

Grated coconut, 1/4 cup

Olive oil cooking spray

<<>>

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Season chicken evenly with salt, pepper and paprika. Add the egg and water to a mixing bowl, whisk together well and set aside. Mix the breadcrumbs and coconut together in a seperate mixing bowl and set aside. Dip the chicken in the egg and toss until coated completely. Remove and allow excess to drip off for 1 or 2 seconds, then place directly into the breadcrumb/coconut mixture. Roll until nicely coated. Lightly coat a cookie sheet with spray and place the strips onto the tray. Bake until golden brown or cooked through (about 15 minutes). Remove the largest strip and cut in half to check doneness. Serves 1 large or 2 small.

>>> You can easily eat these Baked Chicken Strips on their own or with a salad, or you could also have a side of carbs like baked sweet potatoes, rice or even whole wheat pasta!

Source for recipe & photo: TRX Suspension cables Web site

>>> If you do make this recipe and you enjoy it, don’t forget to come back and share your story with us!

Photo from Fitness Anywhere

Healthy Italian food recipes!

EatSmart — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:35:26 +0000

Because of the recession, many people are shunning chi-chi French cuisine and all those complicated fusion dishes in favour of simple, comforting Italian fare. The trend is so popular there were articles about it in the New York Times and a number of financial papers. A while ago, I even wrote that business people in wealthy countries like Switzerland were meeting clients at Italian restaurants for meetings and opting for Italian eateries for lunch.

>>> If you missed that post, you can still read it here: Italian food is popular again!

I love everything Italian, so I get quite upset when I hear people say Italian cuisine is fattening because of the pasta. What many North Americans don’t understand is that Italians from Italy do not eat the same size portions of pasta that are served in restaurants on this side of the Atlantic. If you’ve ever travelled to Italy, you probably noticed many Italians eat a small portion of pasta twice a day, and Italian women are as slim and as sexy as ever!

As much as I love French food, my passion for Italian cooking is just as strong. The two cuisines differ in many ways and I think that’s why I like them equally so much.

Italian cuisine forced me to love rapini, a bitter version of broccoli. When I was a kid growing up, our Italian gardener could have paid me a million dollars and I still would not touch rapini after tasting it once and absolutely hating it. Now, I eat rapini as often as I eat mushrooms (and I eat a lot of sautéed mushrooms!).

>>> I actually wrote about my love for rapini here: I like rapini so much, I could eat it every day!

Like any other types of cuisine, Italian food can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want it to be. If you load up a plate with white pasta, pour a sauce made with loads of hydrogenated oil over it, then sprinkle pounds of cheese on top, then yes, I’d agree Italian food is unhealthy. On the other hand, if you eat the same pasta (yes, white pasta … I still have not given white pasta up, though I do eat wholewheat and multi-grain pasta regularly), top it with a lovely tomato or a meat sauce made with lean meat (all cooked in healthy olive oil) and sprinkle a small amount of cheese over it to flavour the dish (as opposed to drowning the pasta in it), then you have a totally different dish, lower in calories and much healthier for your body.

There are so many good things about Italian cuisine, but sometimes I think people don’t have the right tools (in this case, recipes) and often get lost in the diet-noise of what to eat and what not to eat. To help you make sense of Italian cuisine and start you off with some great recipe ideas, I’ve found these tasty Healthy Italian recipes from Eating Well. Try out a few to find a new list of healthy favourites!

Remember, if Italians from Italy can continue to eat white pasta and white potatoes (aka gnocchi), then why should North Americans give up carbs entirely? Why not learn the basics of healthy eating instead?

Healthy Italian recipes from Eating Well:

>> Italian Main Dish Recipes

* Chicken, Broccoli Rabe & Feta on Toast

* Roman-Style Chicken

* Tuna Pomodoro

* Veal Scaloppine with Lemon, Capers & Leeks

* Fennel, Porcini & Chicken Cacciatore

* Hunter’s Chicken Stew

>> Italian Pasta, Polenta & Gnocchi Recipes

* Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Pancetta & Wilted Watercress

* Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons & Parsley Brown Butter

* Broccoli Rabe, White Bean & Fontina Pasta

* Penne with Vodka Sauce & Capicola

* Polenta & Vegetable Bake

* Scallop Piccata on Angel Hair

* Rigatoni with Beef & Eggplant Ragu

* Spaghetti alla Carbonara

* Spaghetti with Mushroom Bolognese

>> Italian Salads & Side Dish Recipes

* Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

* Chard with Shallots, Pancetta & Walnuts

* Sicilian-Style Broccoli

* Red-Wine Risotto

>> Italian Desserts Recipes

* Tiramisu

* Espresso Semifreddo

* Italian Hazelnut Cookies

* Pears Baked in Marsala with Crumbled Amaretti

* Sicilian Granita

* Vanilla-Kirsch Panna Cotta with Cherry Compote

* Chocolate Sambuca Gelato

Photo of pasta by thebittenword.com

Photo of gnocchi by mseckington

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy
living tip in an aggregator that collects content from different
sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content
from the REAL website at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com