Cooking Tip #2: Cooking Ahead

Whenever I would pull out my lunch at a previous job, co-workers would often say 'how do you have time to make something like that for lunch?'.  My response was always the same - I cook ahead.  My life, like many others, is very busy during the week and I have little time to make a lunch that is much more then a cold sandwich.  Often not cooking ahead leads to ordering out for lunch which is bad for the wallet and the waistline.  That is why I make my lunches and sometimes dinner ahead of time.  The first step is the menu planning.  During the week when you are planning your dinners, go ahead and plan your lunches too; maybe a nice homemade soup or a casserole.  Then on Sunday afternoon's take 1-2 hours and prepare the food ahead of time.  Then you can just pop it in the microwave during the week for lunch.  This will save you time and money, in addition to being healthier for you.  You can also prepare dinners ahead of time.  Do all your chopping a head of time or prepare a casserole that all you have to do is put in the oven the evening you want to eat it!

West African Chicken Stew

This was the first time I made this dish and it was fabulous!  It came from the Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine.  For this recipe you will need the following:
   1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts,

       cut into 1 inch cubes

   1/2 tsp of salt

   1/4 tsp pepper

   3 tsp of olive oil, divided

   1 medium onion, thinly sliced
   6 garlic cloves, minced
   2 tbsp of minced gingerroot
   2 cans ( 15.5 oz each) black-eyed
      peas, rinsed and drained
   1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
   1 large sweet potato, peeled and
      cut into 1 inch cubes
   1 cup of reduced sodium chicken
      broth
   1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
   1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp of dried thyme
   1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  In a Dutch oven, cook chicken over medium heat in 2 tsp of oil for 4-6 minutes or until no longer pink; remove from the heat and keep warm.  In the same pan, saute onion in remaining oil until tender.  Add the garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in the peas, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broth, peanut butter, 1 1/4 tsp of fresh thyme, and cayenne pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potato is tender.  Add the chicken; heat through.  I served over rice and sprinkled with the remain thyme.  Serving size: 1 1/4 cup is 275 calories


 

Island Inspired Beans

These beans, which I have adapted from Wegman's Menu Magazine from summer 2011, are a more involved recipe, but once you taste them, all your work will be worth it.  They go great with any flavor of chicken or pork.  In this picture they are paired with BBQ Boneless Ribs (see other post for recipe).  There are two parts to the recipe.  The first part is to make Sofrito.  For this you will need the following:

   2 yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

   2 large green peppers, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)

   1 red pepper, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

   12 gloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

   2 tbsp of oil (olive or vegetable)

   1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped (about 1 cup)

   1 tsp of salt

   1 packet of Sazon Goya Con Culantro Y Achiote (found in the isle where Goya products are located)

   1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper

   1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

   1 tsp of Goya Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning

Add onions, green and red peppers, and garlic to a food processor.  Pulse until they are finely chopped, but not fully pureed.  Heat oil in a braising pan or dutch oven on medium-high heat until oil faintly smokes.  Add the onion and pepper mixture.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.  Add the cilantro, salt, achiote packet, and cayenne pepper to the mixture.  Add tomato sauce and adobo seasoning; stir.  Cook on low for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced by a quarter.  The mixture should be very thick.  This will make more sofrito than you need for the beans, so you can freeze the extra for future use or you can use it just like you would use salsa! 

Now for the beans, you will need the following:

   2 (15 oz each) cans of Goya Pink Beans Habichuelas Rosadas, drained and rinsed

   5 slices of reduced-fat bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

   1 cup of Sofrito

   2 cups of Chicken Stock

Cook bacon in a braising pan or dutch oven on medium heat for about 4 minutes, until slightly brown, but not crispy.  Add the Sofrito to the pan on medium-high heat and cook for 5-7 minutes until caramelized.  Add the chicken stock; stir to blend together and deglaze the pan.  Add the beans and season with the salt to taste.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 20-30 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.  1 cup is 270 calories. 



Cooking Tip #1: Menu planning, a necessity

Too many times, people walk into the kitchen at 5:30 in the evening after working a long day and rummage through the cabinets trying to figure out what to make for dinner, only to end up realizing they are missing this ingredient for that or the meat they want is frozen.  Most times this ends with people ordering in or taking out.  Planning a menu ahead of time is a sure fire way to ensure this does not happen to you night after night.  Most people's first reaction to the idea of menu planning is 'I don't have time'.  If you have time to sit down to watch the half hour news or an hour long show, you have time to plan a menu.  While watching your favorite show, just look at your schedule for the week and write down what you are going to make for each night of the week.  It is as simple as that!  This way you can make sure you get the meat you need out of the freezer the night before or stop by the store on your way home to pick up that missing ingredient! 

Not Your Traditional Stuffed Shells

Traditional Italian stuffed shells taste real good, but they are not real good for you.  This makeover stuffed shells recipe from Taste of Homes Healthy Cooking swapped some traditional ingredients for healthier ones, but didn't not swap any flavor!  For this recipe you will need:
   20 uncooked jumbo stuff shells
   1 pound of lean ground beef (90% lean)
   1 large onion, chopped
   1 medium green pepper, chopped
   1 1/4 cup of reduced fat ricotta cheese
   1 1/2 cup shredded reduced fat Italian cheese blend, divided
   1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
   1/4 cup prepared pesto
   1 egg, lightly beaten
   1 can (14.5 oz) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
   1 can (8 oz) no-salt -added tomato sauce
   1 tsp Italian seasoning

  


Cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente; drain and rinse in cold water.  In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, pesto, egg, and half the beef mixture.

In a small bowl combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning.

Spoon 3/4 cup of the tomato mixture into a 13x9 baking dish that is coated with cooking spray.

Spoon cheese mixture into pasta shells; place them in the baking dish.

Combine remaining beef mixture and tomato mixture.

Spoon the mxiture over the shells.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Cover and refrigerate overnight if needed.  If refrigerated, remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Two shells are 295 calories compared to traditional stuffed shells which are 405.

The Versatile Soybean

Thanks to the rise in popularity of Sushi, Edamame, also known as Soybeans, has gained popularity.  I fell in love with Edamame when I had Sushi for the first time, but then discovered the great benefits of it!  And that it doesn't just have to be eaten with Sushi!  They can be purchased either in the shells or already shelled like in my previous post.  Edamame is a great source of protein, with 12 grams of protein per serving!  They can be eaten in a dish such as stir fry or a salad or on their own as a great snack.  My favorite thing to do is put them in a Ziploc Steamer Bag, pop them in the microwave for about 1 minute, place them in a bowl, and sprinkle with some sea salt!  Just remember you don't eat the shell! 

Thai Flavored Lo Mein Salad

This is a really quick and easy recipe for a nutritious meal.  It is 330 calories for 2 1/4 cups!!  I made this and had it for lunch a couple days out of the week.  It came from the Wegmans winter magazine and it can be severed room temperature or cold.  For this recipe you will need the following:
   1 (16 oz) Package of Frozen Lo Mein Noodles
   1/2 of a 16 ounce package of Frozen Shelled Edamame (Soybeans), thawed
   1 package of Asian Slaw (found in the produce section)
   1 bunch of green onions, trimmed and sliced diagonally
   1 Tbsp of sesame seeds
   3/4 cup of a Thai Peanut Sauce

Place noodles in a microwave safe bowl; cover.  Cook in microwave on high for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes.  Cool slightly,

Add soybeans, slaw, onions, sesame seeds, and sauce to the noodles in the bowl.  Toss gently to combine.