Eating healthy is becoming a way of life for many people, and there is no better way to do so than by spending time in the kitchen trying out some of today’s tastiest and healthiest recipes. Whether you’re a vegetarian or a person who doesn’t consider a meal to be a meal unless there’s meat on your plate, there are many recipes that are easy to prepare, taste great and are healthy for the whole family.
Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Nuggets with Blackberry Mustard
Great tasting without having to be deep-fried, these chicken nuggets provide a wonderful crunchy taste everyone will enjoy. For those who want to dip their nuggets into a delectable sauce, blackberries (or raspberries) and whole-grain mustard combine to make a dipping sauce that’s fantastic. Taking only 20 minutes to prepare, the ingredients include:
–1 cup finely chopped fresh blackberries or raspberries
–1 ½ tablespoons whole-grain mustard
–2 teaspoons honey
–1 pound of chicken tenders, cut in half
— ½ teaspoon salt
–¼ teaspoon ground pepper
–3 tablespoons cornmeal
–1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
To prepare, the blackberries are mashed with the mustard and honey until they form a chunky sauce. The chicken tenders are sprinkled with salt and pepper, then placed in a bowl of cornmeal and tossed until coated. The oil is heated on medium heat, then the chicken is added to the skillet and cooked 6-8 minutes until done. Afterwards, it’s bon appetit!
Vegetarian Chunk Chili
Popular with both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, this recipe makes 10-12 servings and is easy to prepare. The ingredients are numerous, and include:
–½ cup each of dry kidney beans, white beans and brown lentils, soaked overnight
–6 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
–6 cups water
–1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
–½ cup chopped green bell pepper
–½ cup fresh green beans
–½ cup chopped celery
–¼ onion and ¼ red onion, both chopped
–¾ cup tofu, drained and crumbled
–salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder to taste
Begin by draining and rinsing the beans and lentils, then combining them in a large water-filled pot that’s boiled over medium-high heat for one hour. Simultaneously, combine the tomatoes and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer uncovered on low for one hour. After this is finished, stir the tomatoes into the beans while adding the green bell pepper, mushrooms, green beans, celery, onions and tofu. Season with salt, pepper and other powders to taste, then simmer for 2-3 hours.
Grilled Salmon with Avocado Dip
For the fish lovers, here’s a great recipe that’s extremely healthy. The ingredients needed are:
–2 peeled, pitted and diced avocados
–2 peeled and minced garlic cloves
–3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
–1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
–2 pounds salmon steaks
–2 teaspoons dried dill weed
–2 teaspoons lemon pepper
–salt and pepper to taste
The perfect end of summer meal, you begin by preheating an outdoor grill and lightly oiling the grate. Combine and mash the avocados, garlic, yogurt and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Once this is done, rub the salmon with dill, salt and lemon pepper. After the grill is heated, the salmon should be placed on the grill for 15 minutes and turned once, until the salmon steaks are easily flaked with a fork. Once ready, they are to be served with the avocado dip. With a combined time from start to finish of only 45 minutes, this is the perfect dinner recipe for a warm summer evening spent outside.
A new twist on a household staple, your chicken never tasted so good! Try this one out on the grill as summer winds down and you will find yourself making it a regular rotation in your recipe repertoire!
Glazed Chicken and Fig Skewers
–1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾ inch pieces
–12 fresh Striped Tiger or Black Mission figs, vertically halved
–¾ cup port wine
–½ cup balsamic vinegar
–2 teaspoons honey
–1 thyme sprig
–2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
–4 large shallots, quartered
–16 sage leaves
–Cooking spray
–1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, divided
–½ teaspoon salt
Combine the the port wine, balsamic vinegar, honey and thyme spring in a small saucepan over med-high heat. Bring to a boil; cook 15 minutes or until reduced to ½ cup. Discard thyme sprig.
Preheat grill to high heat and while grill is heating up, thread 3 chicken pieces, 2 shallot quarters and 2 sage leaves alternately onto each skewer. Coat with cooking spray and sprinkle evenly with ¾ teaspoon and salt. Thread 6 fig halves onto each of the 4 skewers, cut sides facing the same direction. Coat with cooking spray and sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Coat grill rack with cooking spray and cook chicken skewers for 12 minutes, turning so that each side browns.
Brush chicken skewers with half of wine mixture during last minute of cooking.
Place fig skewers cut side down on grill rack for 3 minutes. Turn over grilling 1 more minute. Remove skewers and plate; drizzle remaining wine mixture and sprinkle with thyme leaves.
For those wanting quick and easy recipes that are healthy and delicious, these recipes are all that and much more. Summertime is filled with many occasions to spend time with family and friends, and there’s no better way to do so than eating one of these meals on your deck or patio.