Make Healthy Meals

Sweet potatoes are native to Central America and considered one of the oldest vegetables in history. When analyzing Peruvian caves dating back 10,000 years, it is shown that sweet potatoes fed the inhabitants of the past since prehistoric times. Throughout the years, the sweet potato has become an important ingredient in many Asian and Latin American dishes. The southern part of the United States has also embraced the vegetable, which is known to create a well-known delicious holiday pie.

Buying Sweet Potatoes

When purchasing sweet potatoes at the store, you should choose specimens that are firm, free of cracks, and without any soft spots or bruises. If you pass by sweet potatoes showcased in the refrigerated section of a produce department, avoid purchasing them because cold temperatures seem to alter their taste for the worst.

After bringing home a bag of sweet potatoes, store them in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place within your home. The potatoes typically keep fresh for ten days. Storage should be loose and not kept in a plastic bag. Exposure to light and high temperatures will also cause the sweet potatoes to ferment. As a rule of thumb, uncooked sweet potatoes should not be kept in the refrigerator.

Eating the Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A and also provide a decent source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, and iron. With all of these healthy components, the sweet potato is associated with fighting cancer; combating the aging process; and helping dieters lose weight. As you encounter the preparation of the sweet potato, you will find that the entire tuber, flesh, and skin are edible (when purchased as an organically grown product).

Peeling is the common method of preparation for sweet potatoes. Cooking the sweet potato immediately after peeling is suggested, as the longer you wait the more nutrients are lost through the oxidation process.

Cooking Ideas

When serving sweet potatoes, there are numerous approaches to consider. For a tasty treat, you may want to create a puree containing bananas, cinnamon, and maple syrup, which are then topped with chopped walnuts. Some people steam cubed sweet potatoes with broccoli, adding raisins and serving hot or cold with curried vinaigrette dressing. Sweet potatoes also make great desserts, including a wealth of muffin, pudding, bread, and pie recipes.

Perhaps your only memory of spinach comes from watching Popeye as a young child, or worse, you remember being forced to eat spinach that’s been broiled within an inch of its life and retains only an unpleasant texture and a bitter taste. Too many people have a negative view about spinach, when in fact, besides being rich in iron and vitamins, this vegetable can be quite tasty. When you go to purchase your first bundle of spinach as an adult, take some time to really look around for some tasty meal ideas when it comes to spinach.

A lot of people think that salads are boring, but the truth is, salad is only as boring as you let it be. While some people can happily eat raw spinach alone, other people adore the taste of spinach mixed with romaine. In any case, excise iceberg lettuce from your diet, because it has the nutritional value of green water!

Mix your spinach greens with walnuts, sweet bell peppers and mushrooms, which will make for a wonderful appetizer or light meal. Spinach doesn’t really need a heavy dressing, so consider a balsamic or raspberry vinaigrette and think about adding some fresh, crisp apples to sweeten the whole salad.

A spinach omelet can use the richness of cheese and eggs to bring out the distinctive taste of this vegetable without letting it become overwhelming. Use a white cheese like Parmesan to complement the taste and don’t go light! This is a fairly healthy dish and it can be a great way to start a day off or end it. While pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems should be cautious about using undercooked eggs, this recipe is quite good when the egg base stays fairly soft. Play with the spices as well; you may or may not know that spinach is greatly enhanced with nutmeg, which complements the taste quite nicely.

Another great recipe that comes from India involves spinach being used as a fun side dish, along with some seasoned potatoes. You start by frying ginger, garlic and various spices for about a minute before you add vegetable stock and coarsely diced potatoes. Then you cover and cook on low heat for about forty minutes, after which, you add the spinach and stir well. After the entire dish has simmered for another five minutes or so, it is ready to eat. This side dish is popular everywhere, and you’ll find that if you’re in the mood for spicy or mild, you can adjust it at need.

If you are looking forward to eating a little better, why not start with spinach? While you might have bad memories of it from childhood, there’s no reason to let those memories stand between you and some wonderfully cooked and seasoned meals.

Whether you are looking to trim a few inches from your waist or you are hoping to find some tasty recipes to introduce to your friends and family, you can find exactly what you are looking for in cauliflower. This rather homely little vegetable has a great deal to recommend it on the nutrition front, and it surprises many people when they learn how tasty it can be while still being quite good for you. Taking some time to learn about the health benefits that you can get from this veggie as well some great ways to prepare it can revolutionize your culinary world.

Like other vegetables, cauliflower is a great source of fiber. This allows it to have a beneficial impact on colon health and colon cancer. There has even been research done lately that points to it, along with other cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts and cabbage, being helpful in the fight against breast cancer. You’ll also find that cauliflower is a rich source of the B vitamin, which is excellent when it comes to cell growth and replication, something that is essential for expecting mothers and people who are recovering from illness.

In addition to this, you’ll find that cauliflower contains allicin, a chemical that improves the health of your heart and reduces the chance of stroke. Cauliflower also contains selenium, which helps strengthen your immune system. Essentially, cauliflower is a great way to maintain your health and to strengthen it at the same time.

When you are looking to eat cauliflower, you’ll find that it doesn’t take much at all to make this dish palatable. Try cutting the florets down to one-inch pieces and tossing them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then roast the in a cooking pan at 400 degrees for around 20 minutes and you’ll find that the cauliflower that comes out is quite soft, slightly sweet, and mildly caramelized. This basic recipe can be adjusted to your taste, and you’ll find that you can get lots of different effects by using different spices and seasonings.

You’ll also find that there are many recommendations towards mashing cauliflower like potatoes. Start by steaming the cauliflowers and then mashing them, preferably using an immersion blender. You’ll find that by adding just a little bit of salt and butter to this dish, it be quite tasty. Though the taste is not much like potatoes, the texture is inordinately pleasing.

Getting to know cauliflowers can be the best culinary decision you make all year, so take a look to see what this white vegetable can do for you.

Whether you are looking to add a tasty treat to your table, or you are simply looking for an economical way to eat more healthily, one of the best things that you can do for yourself is to start looking into what cabbage can do for you. Cabbage is a great source of vitamin C and while many people believe its only use is as a filler or shredded up into coleslaw, cabbage is actually quite versatile when it comes to making into an addition for your dinner table.

One of the most interesting and exotic ways to eat cabbage is to pickle it. Pickling cabbage has a long and interesting history that ranges from Europe to Asia; in Germany, for instance, the ubiquitous sauerkraut is based in cabbage, and in Korea, the deliciously spicy kimchee is made mostly of cabbage. Pickling cabbage is a surprisingly easy art. You shred the cabbage into a jar, cover it with water and salt and let it sit in a warm place until it ferments. This is the basic method that is used across the world, and you can essentially use it as a template for your own recipe. You can throw in vinegar to give the cabbage some bite, as well as pepper, ginger, garlic or chilies.

Boiled cabbage is a great addition to soups and stews, and the process of boiling will tend to make the leaves soft and tender as well as release the sugars, creating a signature aroma. This is a great side dish to serve with more substantial fare, particularly ground beef and or rice. You’ll find that cabbage in general is also a great source of dietary fiber and has been used to regulate intestinal problem in the past. Similarly, cabbage is also often used to treat inflammations, due to the fact that it contains a high amount of glutamine.

Cabbage is often used a method to give texture and solvency to other dishes, essentially acting as a filler that will soak up the sauces and tastes around it. Consider adding cabbage to your next stir fry. Throw in the meat first and then toss in the cabbage and other vegetables to cook until they are tender. Similarly, you’ll find that cooked cabbage can make a great wrapper for various types of rolls, and that cabbage rolls are a great way to introduce some fiber into your family’s diet.

There are lots of reasons to use cabbage in your cooking, so find the one that works for you today!

Asparagus is one of the most healthy plants that people routinely eat, and whether you are trying to burn weight, build strength or simply eat in a more healthy fashion, you’ll find that by simply adding asparagus to your recipes that you can do yourself a world of good. While some people like to add asparagus on as a side dish, it can easily be seen that with a little bit of effort and research that you can do a great deal to make this appetizing vegetable an excellent main course on your dinner table.

In as far as fruits and vegetables go, asparagus is extremely good for you. A ten ounce serving of asparagus is not only low in calories, but will also provide you with a variety of vitamins and minerals that you might be missing. You’ll find that it is an excellent source zinc, calcium, manganese and copper. It is also an excellent source of folic acid, making it an extremely desirable food for pregnant women or people who need to maintain their health.

It is also interesting to note that studies have been done that link asparagus to anticarcinogens and consumption of the vegetable itself will help prevent tumors and cancers in lab animals. You’ll also notice that asparagus’s short shelf life will let you know in no uncertain terms when it is no longer rich in nutrients. Soft stems and wet, slimy tips will tell you that the asparagus is on the way out and should be composted.

Asparagus can be cooked in a number of ways, so whether you get it fresh in bunches or pickled to a yellowy paleness, there are options for the pickiest eaters in your family.

If you have a love of dairy, consider making a cream of asparagus soup. Asparagus has a wonderfully mild flavor that goes quite well with cheeses and creams, and when cooked in soup, the asparagus itself will become deliciously tender while still maintaining some of its crispness. You’ll find that the addition of nuts like crushed walnuts or cashews to it will also help add to the texture. You’ll also find that simply steaming the spears and drizzling the sauce of your choice over them, you’ll able to make a terrific light lunch or dinner. As stated before, a creamy white sauce goes quite well, as does something more sweet or savory, like teriyaki sauce.

Take some time to learn about this pleasant and powerful vegetable and see what it can do for you!

2 tsp lemon pepper
1/3 cups white all-purpose flour
1 pounds uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in four 4 oz pieces
4 medium scallions, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, (juice of 1 lemon)
1/8 tsp curry powder
3 Tbsp fat free Italian salad dressing
1/2 cups avocado, peeled and diced
3 small plum tomatoes, diced
7 medium olives, jumbo pitted,chopped

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine seasoning and flour in a large mixing bowl. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray, then dip and coat each breast with flour mixture. Place chicken in prepared dish and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine scallions, lemon juice, curry powder, dressing, avocado, tomatoes and olives.

Divide chicken breasts between four plates and top with avocado salsa.

1 pound uncooked red potatoes, small, scrubbed
1 spray cooking spray
2 pounds uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
3/4 pounds green snap beans
2 medium celery, stalks, thinly sliced
4 oz grapes, green, seedless, halved (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp fresh tarragon, leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup olive oil

Place potatoes in a large pot of boiling water over high heat; cook until tender when pierced with a fork – about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, remove potatoes from water and set aside but maintain waters boil.

Meanwhile, coat broiler rack with cooking spray; preheat broiler. Broil chicken five inches from heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through – about 10 minutes; set aside

Add green beans to boiling water and blanch until tenderly crisp – about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; using a colander drain over sink.

Slice cooled chicken into bite-size chunks and place in a large serving bowl. Slice potatoes into 1-inch chunks and cut green beans into 1-inch pieces; gently toss with chicken. Add celery and grapes.

To prepare the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, broth and mustard; whisk in tarragon, salt and pepper. Drizzle in oil in a slow stream, whisking all the while, until dressing turns creamy, about 1 minute. Toss salad with dressing, taking care not to break up potatoes. If desired, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

8 medium tortillas, flour, fat-free, regular or whole wheat
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound(s) marinated chicken breast strips*
1 pound(s) frozen mixed vegetables, fajita-style
1/2 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup(s) salsa

Preheat oven to 300F.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and saute until cooked through, stirring frequently, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a serving plate, cover with foil and transfer to oven to keep warm.

In same skillet over medium-high heat, saute frozen vegetables until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Serve chicken and vegetables with warm tortillas, sour cream and salsa.

* You can purchase chicken already marinated with fajita seasoning or use the quick and easy recipe below.

Easy fajita chicken

Cut boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs into strips. In a large mixing bowl, pour 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning, 2 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. black pepper.

Coat chicken strips in sauce until completely covered; place in plastic storage baggie; pour leftover sauce in baggie and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

2 cups shiitake mushroom(s), sliced
1 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cups celery, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 cups golden raisins
2 cups cooked brown rice

Add mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic in a large skillet coated with cooking spray and saute until vegetables are tender-about 5 minutes. Place vegetables in slow cooker and add chicken.

In a cup, stir together flour and chicken broth until smooth. Add to slow cooker. Add the seasonings, crushed tomatoes and raisins, and stir in. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

To serve, spoon 1/2 cup rice onto each of 4 plates. Top each with chicken and sauce and serve.

12 oz uncooked whole-wheat egg noodles
1 spray cooking spray
2 Tbsp fat-free margarine, divided
3 Tbsp vinegar, tarragon-flavored
1 pound mushrooms, sliced (about 6 cups)
1 1/2 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 cup fat-free skim milk
4 tsp arrowroot powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried tarragon
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
3 cups cooked chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Style Soy Cheese, or similar product

Cook egg noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat a 9 X 13-inch pan with cooking spray.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the margarine and all of the vinegar together over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring; about 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside.

In a medium-size saucepan, whisk broth, milk and arrowroot together until smooth. Stir in remaining margarine and set over medium heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, cook until thickened and boiling, about 8 minutes. Stir in thyme, tarragon, salt and pepper. Remove sauce from heat and stir in sour cream.

In a large bowl, combine cooked noodles, chicken, mushrooms, peas and carrots, and sauce. Pour into prepared 9 x 13 pan; sprinkle with grated topping. Bake until bubbling and hot, and top is starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.