Make Healthy Meals

6 large organic, free-range eggs
cup baby spinach leaves
4 spring onions, finely sliced
6 ounces baby leeks, finely sliced
4 tablespoons milk
Ground nutmeg
4 ounces soft goats cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the grill to high. Boil the leeks in a pan of hot salted water for approximately 2 minutes. Add the spinach and spring onions for a quick half a minute or so before removing from heat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs and add the milk, nutmeg and a little salt and pepper to taste. Cut the goats cheese into small cubes and add to egg mixture. Add the spinach, leek and spring onions and mix through.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and pour the mixture into it. Cool gently for approximately 4 minutes. Then place the pan under a hot grill for another 4 to 5 minutes until the top is firm and golden.

Serve with some crusty brown bread and a side salad.

Who doesnt love lasagna? The downside of this delicious dish is that all that cheese, meat and cream isnt great for you (or your waistline). This version is totally skinny, yet simply delicious.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
1 carrot, grated
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 pound of quality lean ground beef organic if possible (alternatively you can use organic ground turkey)
1 can of plum tomatoes
teaspoon dried oregano
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced lengthways
1 cup of already roasted red peppers (or you can make your own at home)
4 sheets of lasagne (whole wheat if possible)
Salt and pepper to taste

For the cheese sauce

* By using an extra mature, strong cheddar youll need much, much less and still get a full flavor.

8 ounces skimmed milk
3 tablespoons corn flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 ounces mature cheddar cheese
Dash of nutmeg

In a large saucepan add the olive oil , onion, celery and carrot and cook over low heat for approximately 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a further one minute. Set aside.

In a frying pad fry the meat until completely cooked through. Drain away the oil and add to your large pan of onion and vegetables. Turn up the heat and add the wine, stir continuously until all the wine has been absorbed. Then add the tomatoes and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced.

Heat the frying pan again and add the zucchini. Char grill for approximately 2 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and set aside. Do the same thing with the roasted peppers (drain if using jar peppers). Set aside.

Make the cheese sauce by heating up the milk and nutmeg gently over low heat. Mix the corn flour with a little milk in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add this mixture to the milk and nutmeg. Whisk continuously over low heat for approximately 2o to 3 minutes until thickened. Then add the mustard and half of the cheese. Add salt and pepper if necessary.

Now put it all together. Take a lasagna dish and start with a layer of meat, then roasted peppers, then more meat, then roasted zucchini, then more meat, finally your four sheets of pasta. Now pour your cheese sauce over the top and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until bubbly. Serve immediately with a side salad.

2 (14 ounce) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 ounces baby spinach leaves
1 (14 ounce) can of chopped tomatoes
1 small red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat the oil in a  wok and add the cumin and onions, stir fry for approximately 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and chilli and stir fry a further 2 minutes.  Now add the chickpeas and tomatoes.  Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the spinach 1 minute before removing from heat and stir through.  Serve with rice or noodles.

1 bag uncooked penne or medium tube pasta
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
splash lemon juice

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large skillet, saute onion in oil for a minute or two. Add garlic and continue to saute. Add bell peppers and continue for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly cooked. Add olives, oregano, basil, salt, cayenne and water. Bring to a boil. Add cooked pasta and lemon juice. Remove from heat and add feta.

Editor’s Note:

This is excellent with whole grain pasta to really help keep things healthy. Some like it a little spicier than this.

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsps honey
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

In a medium bowl whisk together lime juice, oil, honey, thyme, rosemary and garlic. Marinate chicken breasts in lime mixture for 1 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place in a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Baste once or twice in the first half of cooking time.

2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
basil to taste
oregano to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb salmon filet, cut into individual servings
salt and pepper to taste
Brush salmon filet with the lemon juice, butter, honey and mustard. Marinate salmon for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine bread crumbs, walnuts, oregano, basil and garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle filets with this mixture and place on cooking tray. Bake 12-15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.

Editor’s Note:

Other kinds of nuts work well too, and some prefer them more ground up than chopped. You can cut the butter out if you like too.

1 package dry pasta
1 can sliced black olives, drained
1 (6.5 ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 red bell pepper, diced
salt, ground black pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in large bowl.

Toss pasta with olive oil, vinegar, pepper and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to toss. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Editor’s Note:

You can make this a bit fancier by adding in kalmata olives, either whole or sliced.

1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 diced tomatoes
1/2 cucumber, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a boil. Add the couscous and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Combine the olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar and cumin in a bowl large enough for all the other ingredients to eventually be added.

Drain, then rinse the black beans thoroughly.

Add the black beans, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, cilantro and garlic to the oil mixture. Stir with a spoon until all ingredients are coated.

Fluff the couscous with a fork, then add to the other bowl. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This dish can be served immediately or sit in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors mingle.

Editor’s Note:

If you want to add meat to this, chicken goes very well, but it’s quite excellent as a vegetarian dish. Washing the black beans ensures that they don’t turn the entire dish gray, which many find unappealing. Feta cheese crumbled over this is also a good addition.

You can also switch which beans you use, depending on what you have on hand.

Technorati Tags: couscous, black beans

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
3-4 tablespoons pesto sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil

Mix Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs in bowl. Coat chicken pieces with pesto sauce, then cover in bread crumbs. They should just be lightly breaded, not a heavy coating.

Pour olive oil into a frying pan. Add chicken and cook over medium high heat until chicken is lightly browned. Cover, turn heat to medium and continue cooking until done.

Editor’s Note

This one was a huge hit with my kids and husband. Making pesto at home is fun if you have a basil plant really take off. Much cheaper than buying it.

I adapted this recipe from one my husband found online for baking the pesto chicken in the oven. I was short on time and decided cutting the chicken up and using a frying pan would be faster than waiting for it to cook in the oven. You can do this recipe the other way by not cutting up the chicken, and baking in the oven.

Technorati Tags: pesto, chicken recipe, pesto chicken

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup rolled oats or bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp ground ginger
ground black pepper and salt to taste
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 brown sugar, packed
1 can pineapple chunks
1/3 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 bell pepper, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix ground beef, oats, onion, egg, ginger, black pepper and salt. Roll into meatballs. Bake for 15-20 minutes on a rack, or until meatballs are done.

While meatballs are baking, combine corn starch and brown sugar in saucepan. Add juice from pineapple chunks, reserving the chunks. Add vinegar and soy sauce. Stir frequently over medium heat until thick. Add pineapple and bell pepper.

Editor’s Note:

These are great served over rice or noodles. The taste is fairly sweet. You can water down the sauce if it comes out too thick, but I have rarely found that to be necessary.

Technorati Tags: maui meatballs