Try out a few of these healthy recipes this summer
Now that it’s summer time, here are a few healthy recipes to enjoy.
Jerk chicken and pineapple over greens and cukes
Healthy recipe from 100 percent Real by Sam Talbot. (Oxmoor House, 2017) Serves 4. Ingredients: 4 tablespoons chili vinegar
2 Scotch bonnet or Serrano chiles, seeds removed, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped pickled ginger
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons sesame oil 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Chinese fivespice powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons roasted garlic-infused olive oil
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup chopped scallions 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup diced cucumber, seeds removed
5 ounces fresh greens (such as arugula, bok choy, romaine lettuce, or your favorite seasonal locally grown greens)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves Directions: Combine the chili vinegar, chiles, ginger, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, Chinese five-spice, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a glass baking dish. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Drain the chicken well; discard the marinade. Heat the roasted garlic oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over mediumhigh. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the pineapple and scallions to the skillet; cook until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Return the chicken to the skillet and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Stir to combine. Transfer to the oven, and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Toss together the cucumber, greens, mint, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates. Top with the chicken mixture.
Asian-style shredded rainbow veggie noodle salad
Healthy recipe from Clean Eating Alice, Eat Well Every Day: Nutritious, healthy recipes for life on the go by Alice Living (Thorsons Pub, 2017) Serves 2. Ingredients: 3.5 ounces (100g) wholewheat noodles 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon peanut butter Juice of 1 lime Pinch of chilli flakes 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1 red pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (50g) bean sprouts
1 spring onion, thinly sliced sea salt Directions: Cook the noodles according to package directions, then drain and rinse under cold water. Place the sesame seeds in a small frying pan over a mediumhigh heat and toast until golden, shaking the pan often. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Mix the extra virgin olive oil with the rice wine vinegar, peanut butter and lime juice, 1 teaspoon of water, a pinch of chili flakes and sea salt and stir to combine. Put the carrot in a large mixing bowl. Add the drained and cooled noodles, red pepper, red cabbage and bean sprouts. Add the dressing and toss gently until completely coated. Top with the toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onion.
Grilled portobellos with chopped salad
Serves 4: 1 mushroom cap and about 1 cup salad each
Healthy recipe from Eating Well Quick + Clean by The Editors of Eating Well. (Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.) Ingredients: 1/4 cup lemon juice 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
4 large portobello mushroom caps, gills removed
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans, rinsed
2 small bell peppers, quartered and seeded
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup shredded fontina cheese Directions: Preheat grill to mediumhigh. Combine lemon juice, oil, dill, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add mushroom caps and turn to coat. Remove the mushrooms from the bowl. Add white beans; stir to coat.
Place the mushroom caps gill-side up on the grill with peppers, onion and zucchini. Grill the vegetables, turning once, until they start to char and soften, about 8 minutes for the mushrooms and 6 minutes for the other vegetables. Turn the mushrooms gill-side up again. Fill each with 1/4 cup cheese and grill until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute more.
Chop peppers, onion and zucchini and add to the bowl with the beans; toss to combine. Top each mushroom with about 1 cup of the grilled salad.
Nutrition information: Calories 312, fat 20g (sat 7g), cholesterol 31mg, carbohydrates 25g, total sugars 7g (added 0g), protein 15g, fiber 7g, sodium 736mg.
Grilled lemon-herb shrimp
Healthy recipe from Kitchen Matters: More than 100 Recipes and Tips to Transform the Way You Cook and Eat — Wholesome, Nourishing, Unforgettable by Pamela Salzman. (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2017). Serves 6 to 8. Ingredients: 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (mint, parsley, and thyme is a good combo) 1 teaspoon sea salt Freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 pounds large wildcaught, peeled and deveined shrimp, rinsed and patted dry Directions: Mix together all the ingredients, except the pepper and shrimp, in a shallow, nonreactive container (e.g., glass). Add pepper to taste. Add the shrimp and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Have ready eight skewers. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water while the shrimp marinates.
Thread four or five shrimp on each skewer. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Grill the shrimp about 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve over herbed mixed-grain pilaf or salad.
Charles Platkin is a nutrition and public health advocate and founder of DietDetective.com, and director of the New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College. Copyright 2017 by Charles Platkin. Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter at www. DietDetective.com.