Start the year out right by eating healthier

 

As we ring in the new year, one of the most popular resolutions for people is to live a healthier life.

One of the keys to a healthy lifestyle is diet. You can exercise all you want, but you need to fuel your body properly.

While the idea of changing your eating habits may be daunting, there are ways to achieve it.

A healthy eating plan isn’t extreme, but instead emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.

It includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt and added sugars while staying within your daily calorie needs.

If the phrase “healthy eating” makes you think about the foods you can’t have, try refocusing on what you can eat. And remember, the key is moderation and balance.

You can enjoy favorite foods by balancing them with healthier options.

Try a lower-calorie version by using lower-calorie ingredients. If your macaroni and cheese recipe uses whole milk, butter and full-fat cheese, try making it with non-fat milk, less butter, light cream cheese and adding fresh spinach and tomatoes. Just remember to not increase your portion size. 

And remember to create a colorful plate, since colorful ingredients — many of them vegetables and fruits — contain a variety of needed nutrients.

Following are some recipes for healthier classic comfort foods from www.allrecipes.com.

 

Veracruz-Style Red Snapper

For Veracruz sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon caper juice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup pitted, sliced green olives

1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

For snapper:

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 7-ounce red snapper fillets

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt

Pepper

2 medium limes, juiced

To make the sauce, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook six to seven minutes, stirring, until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Stir in capers and caper juice. Add tomatoes, olives and jalapeño and cook three minutes, stirring, until tomatoes begin to collapse and jalapeño softens. Remove from the heat and stir in oregano.

Brush one teaspoon oil over the bottom of two small baking dishes. In each dish, place one tablespoon sauce followed by a snapper fillet. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Cover with more sauce, then drizzle lime juice over top.

Bake in a 425-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork.

 

 

Nancy’s White Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

4 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

3 tablespoons butter 

1/4 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 14-ounce cans great Northern beans, undrained

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chicken in hot oil until cooked through. Place chicken on a plate.

Sauté green onions, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers and garlic in the same skillet until softened. Return chicken to the skillet and season with ginger, salt, sage, cumin and white pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Melt butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a roux. Whisk in chicken broth until well combined, then stir into chicken-vegetable mixture until incorporated. Stir in beans with liquid.

Simmer chili over low heat 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through.

 

 

Sorghum Buddha Bowl 

2 cups water

1/2 cup whole grain sorghum

1 cup Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 cup cubed butternut squash

1 jalapeño, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 head radicchio, cut into eighths

1 leek, trimmed and chopped

For miso dressing:

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon brown miso

1 tablespoon white rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 cup cooked black beans

Bring water and sorghum to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 45 to 50 minutes, until sorghum is tender and liquid has been absorbed.

Combine Brussels sprouts and squash in a bowl. Add jalapeño, sesame seeds and one tablespoon olive oil, then toss until evenly coated.

Arrange radicchio and leek on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Stir squash mixture again and arrange on the baking sheet. Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil over radicchio and leek.

Bake in a 400-degree oven 10 minutes, until radicchio and leek are wilted and browned. Remove radicchio and leek from baking sheet and continue baking squash mixture five to 10 minutes, until tender and browned. Slice jalapeño into thin strips.

Whisk sesame oil, brown miso, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and ginger together in a bowl until dressing is smooth.

Spoon sorghum into serving bowls. Arrange roasted vegetables on top and add black beans. Drizzle dressing over bowl.

 

 

Grilled Salmon Steaks With Savory Blueberry Sauce

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

4 6-ounce salmon steaks

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt 

Pepper

Pour 1/2 cup chicken stock, vinegar, orange juice and honey into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining chicken stock, then stir into simmering sauce. Cook one to two minutes, stirring, until sauce thickens and turns clear. Stir in the blueberries and chives, and keep warm over low heat.

Preheat grill to medium high-heat.

Brush salmon with oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill three to four minutes per side, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with blueberry sauce.

 

 

Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

2 tablespoons peanut oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced cabbage

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 cups sugar snap peas

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Heat peanut oil in a wok or large skillet. When oil begins to smoke, quickly stir in two cloves minced garlic, ginger root, green onions and salt. Stir fry two  minutes, until onion is translucent. Add chicken and stir three minutes, until opaque. Add remaining minced garlic and stir. Add sweet onions, cabbage, bell pepper, peas and 1/2 cup broth and cover.

In a small bowl, mix remaining broth, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch. Add sauce mixture to wok/skillet and stir until chicken and vegetables are coated with thickened sauce. Serve immediately over hot rice, if desired.

 

 

Honey Key Lime Grilled Chicken

5 tablespoons key lime juice

2 tablespoons honey

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

In a resealable plastic bag, mix key lime juice, honey, garlic and lemon pepper. Place chicken in the bag, seal and shake to coat. Marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes, turning the bag occasionally.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Grill marinated chicken eight minutes on each side, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Discard remaining marinade.

 

 

Parchment Baked Salmon

8-ounce salmon fillet

Salt 

Ground black pepper 

1/4 cup chopped basil leaves

Olive oil cooking spray

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Place salmon fillet, skin-side down, in the middle of a large piece of parchment paper. Season with salt and black pepper. Cut two 3-inch slits into fillet with a sharp knife. Stuff chopped basil leaves into slits. Spray fillet with cooking spray and arrange lemon slices on top.

Fold the edges of parchment paper over the fillet several times to seal it in an airtight packet. Place sealed packet onto a baking sheet.

Bake on the bottom rack of a 400-degree oven 25 minutes, until salmon flakes easily and flesh is pink and opaque with an interior of slightly darker pink color. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fillet should read at least 145 degrees. 

To serve, cut open parchment paper and remove lemon slices before plating.

 

 

Spinach-Stuffed Flounder With Mushrooms and Feta

8 large fresh mushrooms, sliced

8 ounces spinach, rinsed and chopped

1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese

4 4-ounce flounder fillets

2 tablespoons water

Spray a medium skillet with nonstick spray and heat over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally, until any released juices have evaporated. Add spinach and cook two minutes, stirring, until wilted. Remove from the heat and drain excess liquid. Sprinkle feta cheese over vegetables, then stir in.

Place a quarter of the spinach mixture onto the wide end of each fillet. Carefully roll fillets around mixture and hold in place with wooden toothpicks. Place, seam-side down, in an eight-inch baking dish that’s coated with cooking spray. Add water and loosely cover with foil.

Bake in 350-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and is opaque all the way through.

 

 

Spicy Lime Grilled Shrimp

3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp (30-40 per pound)

Mix together Cajun seasoning, lime juice and oil in a resealable plastic bag. Add shrimp, coat with marinade, squeeze out excess air  and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.

Remove shrimp from marinade and shake off excess. Discard remaining marinade.

Cook shrimp on preheated grill two minutes per side, until bright pink on the outside and meat is no longer transparent in the center.