Healthy Recipes

[cjs]

Since we all are trying to be a little careful, how about a thread dedicated to ideas for dishes?? I won't make it a sticky, but with this heading maybe we can always find it if we want it??

I've been staying away from C@H recipes because of the high calories so many have, but I'll check thru and try to find some to add here, also.

What do you all think?

I'll start with today's dinner - we really enjoyed it. It would have been much more healthy to have one or the other, but I wanted to get cooking out of the way for a couple days.

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Catfish*****
2 servings



2 catfish fillets -- (2 to 3)
For marinade or basting sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons horseradish
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic -- minced
2 teaspoons fresh basil -- finely chopped (I had to use 1 tsp. dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Place catfish in a shallow dish. Mix together sauce ingredients and pour over catfish fillets. Cover and allow to marinate for 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove fillets from dish, discard marinade.

Preheat grill for medium high heat. Place fillets on grill and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning once. Once fish flakes easily with fork, remove from heat and serve.

Description:
"You can have the option of using the sauce as a marinade or for basting the catfish with." "http://bbq.about.com/od/fishseafoodrecipes/r/bl50911b.htm"
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MasterCook Nutritional Values (if you trust them):
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 226 Calories; 5g Fat (18.2% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 92mg Cholesterol; 1629mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

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Stir-Fried Primavera Sauce
6 servings
“While The Pasta Cooks”, Andrew Schloss w/Ken Bookman

What a great forgiving recipe this is – I had to sub:
1 carrot, shredded
No asparagus, but ~2/3 cup frozen stir-fry veggies
No cherry tomatoes, coarsely chopped Romas
No fresh basil – used dried

And, believe it or not, the dish still turned out!!



1 lb. shaped pasta, such as penne or bowties
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped or thinly sliced
4 oz. baby carrots, trimmed and peeled
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut in strips
1/2 lb. thin asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup frozen baby peas
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
Add the pasta and stir a few times to ensure the pasta does not stick to itself.
Boil vigorously for the time recommended on the pasta pkg. or until the pasta is tender.

While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a wok over high heat, add the onion, and cook until softened, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Add the carrots and stir to coat with oil.
Add 2 T. of the pasta cooking water, cover, and steam for 1 minute.

Add the bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 more minute.
Add the asparagus and toss.
Add 2 T. more of the pasta cooking water, cover, and steam for 1 minute.

Add the garlic, peas, tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper and stir-fry until the peas are warmed through and the tomatoes soften, about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce and the cheese in a serving bowl. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

MasterCook Nutritional Values (if you trust them):
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 354 Calories; 7g Fat (17.7% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 61g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 3mg Cholesterol; 77mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

[Gourmet_Mom]

These both sound so good! I LOVE this idea! I'll add some of our favorites this weekend!

[cjs]

Here's a P.S. I added some of the Stir-fried Primavera to a box of Roasted Pepper Soup. Needed lots more black pepper, but it was sure tasty!!

[Mare749]

Here is a very tasty favorite that I haven't made for a while now. So glad you started this thread, Jean!

Better-for-You Burger

Makes 4 very large burgers

1/2 cup low sodium black beans
1 large red bell pepper -- diced
1 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn
2 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 green onions -- thinly slicedq
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 ounces lean ground beef (93% lean)
1/4 large red onion -- sliced
1/2 Hass avocado, thinly sliced (optional)

Drain the black beans except for 2 T. of the liquid and put in a large bowl. Combine the beans with the red pepper, corn, cilantro, green onion, salt and pepper. Add the ground beef and combine. Form into four inch-thick patties.

Grill the burgers until browned and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes total (at least 160 degrees) on a meat thermometer).

Place each burger on a toasted bun. Top with red onion and tomato and if you like a slice of avocado.

Per burger: 300 calories, 9 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 28 g. protein, 5 g fiber, 230 mg sodium, 26 g carbs, 65 mg. cholesterol.

Description:
"Fire up the grill for lean protein with a bit of southwestern flair"
Source:
"Medical Mutual Newsletter"
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Along the same lines, I have a meatloaf recipe that I can't find right now but involves adding about a cup of minced vegetables to the mix, approx. 1/4 cup each, such as onion, red or green pepper, celery and carrots, then 1/2 cup of rolled oats, salt, pepper, and herbs, all mixed with a pound of ground turkey or very lean ground beef and bake. It is very moist and tender.
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My Grandmother's Baked Fish recipe

Take a piece of heavy foil and spread some oil on it. Put down any kind of fish filets or whole fish and season with a bit of salt and pepper and some grated onion. Then, top with some good quality stewed tomatoes or tomatoes from the garden in the summer. Dot it with a bit of butter and wrap it up. Bake in a moderate oven 350° or so, for 20 minutes.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and the juice from the package.
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[cjs]

Maryann, when I first started cooking I used to add a can of "kinda" drained Campbell's vege soup to my meatloaf mixture along with oatmeal, eggs, s&P. Kind of mirrors your additions. I should try this again and see if I still like it.

We're having your 'Better-for-YOu' burgers tonight - probably more slider size since it's our second meal.

[Mare749]

You know, I really need to try that one day, Jean. Let us know if you still like it. And now, that just reminded me that I had a "hankering" for your oatmeal patties and didn't make them.

[cjs]

Here's my review of the Better-For-You Burgers Maryannn posted a few days ago. I made these on Friday.

The flavor was very good - we both agreed. But, I would add more cilantro. Also, I had trouble keeping the patties together on the grill and ended up transferring them to a griddle to finish cooking.

Loved the look of the patties after they were put together. I let them chill for ~1 hour.


The burgers we really enjoyed!


And, Roy had one patty for breakfast with an egg on top and loved it.


I will make these again, but I think besides upping the cilantro a tad, I'll smush 1/2 of the black beans and leave the rest for texture. I think that will help hold them together.

Thanks Maryann - and making 8 patties (each 4 oz.) instead of 4 big ones really helped the nutritional values. And the size was great for a sandwich.

[Mare749]

Those are some great ideas, Jean. Notes taken!

I'm thinking Ron would really like one of those with an egg on top, too!

[labradors]

Quote:

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... Better-For-You Burgers

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At first glance, I thought they looked like cookies with chocolate and peanut-butter chips. ROTFL!

[cjs]

The certainly were colorful, Labs.