Posted on October 8, 2017 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
Keeping dinners simple and easy seems to be the rage these days. Healthy ingredients are a must when busy schedules do not allow for proper planning. Less than 20 minutes you can have a delicious meal. Enjoy!
One Skillet Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
This recipe feeds 1 person, if feeding more, adjust accordingly
1 Chicken Breast cubed or 1/2 pound chicken tenders cubed
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1 cup fresh broccoli cut to bite-size pieces
1/2 to 1 cup of chicken bone broth
Optional seasonings: salt, fresh cracked pepper, onion and garlic powder. Please feel free to add herbs or spices to your stir fry.
In saute pan, over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of chicken bone broth, heat to bubbly and then add the chicken. Saute for 8 – 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked and add the broth as needed to keep chicken tender and not dried out. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Add 3 tablespoons of chicken bone broth to saute pan, add the cabbage and cook over medium high heat until wilted, approximately 5 minutes, then, add the broccoli. Cook until heated through and crunchy to your taste.
Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet and use up the rest of the broth to create a natural sauce. Cook until the broth is almost evaporated. Serve and enjoy!
Notes: Try to keep the vegetables semi crunchy, this creates a nutritional meal without losing the vitamins.
Posted on November 30, 2013 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
I made this for a friend who is vegetarian and part of a birthday dinner. I saw this recipe years ago but I cannot remember where. This is a great recipe because low-fat ingredients were used and there is no pie crust. Works great for those who are really counting their carbs and is very diabetic friendly. This quiche is absolutely delicious and for those of you watching the waistline – Weight Watcher points is only a big whopping 3 points! For a nice change, you can substitute 5 cups of fresh spinach for the broccoli.
Broccoli and Cheese Quiche Created on 11/30/13
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic minced
5 cups broccoli florets (I used 1-1/2 bags of frozen broccoli)
1-1/4 cups of 2% milk
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. I used my deep dish stoneware (you can use a glass pie plate lightly wiped down with olive oil).
Heat oil in large saute pan over medium high heat, add onion garlic and cook for 1-1/2 minutes stirring often. Add broccoli, and saute until broccoli is heated through. Spread evenly in pie plate.
Combine milk, cheese, mustard, egg whites, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg in large bowl. Pour over broccoli mixture in pie pan; and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 40 minutes or until top is golden and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Posted on November 4, 2013 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
Sunday was the first day of Daylight Savings Time. The day was a gorgeous, crisp and sunny fall day. Drove around doing errands and showing my friends around Columbus. They wanted to visit the Whole Foods on Route 161 in Dublin. Awesome Store! I had researched earlier on the internet for recipes for the week and to prepare for my dinner party on Wednesday and came across a blog called detoxinista.com and saw some recipes I wanted to try. This one is similar to what we know as Broccoli, Rice and Cheese casseroles. I remember my mom making this with Cream of Celery Soup, frozen broccoli, lots of cheese and white rice. Now that I think about it, ick! I made this recipe and tweaked it some to suit my tastes and was it was amazing! This recipe has no dairy or cream of “something” soup. Tasted just like the real Broccoli and Cheese Casserole. I wish I can take credit for this recipe but I cannot! Most Excellent!
Broccoli, Asparagus Quinoa Casserole
Created on 11/3/13
For the “mock” cheese sauce:
1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (I microwaved mine for 5 minutes)
1-1/2 cups of water
¼ cup of Bragg’s nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon of chili powder
To put the casserole together:
1 cup of dry quinoa, rinsed well
2 cups of water
2 teaspoon of olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2-1/2 cups of broccoli florets
2-1/2 cups of roasted asparagus (this is optional, just adjust the choice of vegetables to equal 5 cups)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To cook the quinoa, put water and rinsed quinoa in a pan, bring the water to a boil and add the quinoa. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa was plumped up. Fluff with a fork gently and set aside.
While the quinoa is cooking, in a large sauté pan, on medium high heat, add the oil and onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes till the onions are translucent (shiny) and tender. Add the broccoli florets and 2 tablespoons of water to the sauté pan and mix well. Cover and steam the broccoli for about 10 minutes until tender but not mushy.
In a blender, in order add the water, mashed sweet potato, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder and chili powder until creamy and smooth.
Combine the quinoa and sautéed vegetables in a large bowl and add the sweet potato cream and combine well. Spread in a large casserole dish or deep dish stoneware. Bake for 10 minutes until bubbly and hot. I cooked mine for 45 minutes and the top was a little bit dark but I think it deepened the flavor.
Posted on January 31, 2013 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
I saw this recipe on the food channel one Saturday morning. The show was about eating healthy with Ellie Krieger and the recipe looked amazing. I thought it would be a good Football or card party kind-of-an-appetizer since most appetizers served at events tend to lean very heavy on the calories. I tested the recipe, it was perfect! Loved it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Creme
Recipe created December 31, 2009
Ingredients:
8 small Idaho potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds total), scrubbed and dried
4 teaspoons of olive oil
8 ounces broccoli florets, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
6 pieces of Canadian bacon, finely diced (about 6 ounces) (can be omitted) or use Turkey Bacon
¾ to 1 cup of grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)
Avocado Crème:
2 scallions (green onions) thinly sliced and greens reserved
1 medium avocado
2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream or 2% Greek Fage Greek Yogurt
Two tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup cilantro leaves (or use another herb if do not like cilantro like parsley, thyme)
1 clove garlic
¼-teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork and rub lightly with olive oil (not the 4 teaspoons in the recipe above – extra). Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until baked potatoes are cooked thoroughly and tender. Remove from oven and cool completely enough so they are easy to handle. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop all but 1/8” of the potato flesh, leave the skin in place. Save the scooped potato flesh for another use (possibly fresh corn and potato chowder).Brush both inside and outside of potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place potatoes, skin-side down and baking sheet until skins are crisp and edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
While potato skins are cooking, prepare the filling. Steam the chopped broccoli until crisp tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a non-stick sauté skillet, add the chopped Canadian bacon or turkey bacon and cook until crisp stirring often, about 3 to 4 minutes, put cooked bacon on paper towel to remove excess fat. To make avocado crème, combine scallion (green onions) whites, avocado, sour cream or Greek Yogurt, lime juice, cilantro (or other preferred herb), garlic and salt in a small bowl of a food processor or blender and process on high until smooth.
Toss the broccoli with cheese and spoon filling evenly among cooked halved potato skins. Return potatoes to oven and bake until cheese is melted, approximately 5 minutes, Spoon 1 tablespoon of the avocado cream on top of the broccoli-filled potatoes, then top with scallion greens and 1 teaspoon crisped bacon bits.
Calories: 180, Total Fat: 10g, Protein 8g, Carbs 15g, Fiber 3g, Cholesterol 20 mg
Posted on February 9, 2012 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
I have been searching for some decent vegetarian or vegan Shepherd’s Pie recipes because the meat Shepherd’s Pie is extremely high in fat and is really not good for me. I have not found anything that seemed interesting or appealing to me so I decided to make my own after endless searches. Many of the recipes that I found seemed to be really high in carbohydrates which I felt came from the potatoes. I made mashed potatoes with cauliflower and 5 red skinned potatoes instead of the whole topping being mashed potatoes. Next time I think I will try the sweet mashed potatoes on top for the crust – I can picture the flavors or even try butternut/acorn squash mashed topping. I loved the lentils in my Shepherd’s Pie; it was loaded with this awesome hearty flavor – I was so thrilled that my recipe came out amazing! What is so great about this recipe is that you can omit or add the vegetable ingredients to suit your taste. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Created on 02/09/12
Click on image to see a larger picture
1 cup of lentils, cleaned and picked through for any debris, discard debris and then cook lentils for one hour or until soft but not really soft to lose its shape and become mush
3 large organic broccoli crowns cleaned and chopped
½ head of organic cauliflower
5 organic red skin potatoes, scrubbed and cubed, leave red skin on
5 organic carrots, peeled and cubed into 1 to 2” chunks
1 cup of organic frozen corn
1 cup of organic Muir Glenn tomato sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10 oz) package of white button mushrooms, wiped clean and cut into quarters
2 garlic cloves minced well
3 tablespoons of olive oil
½ cup to 1 cup of vegetable broth
½ cup of Tofutti cream cheese (measure based on taste and texture of the mashed topping)
2 tablespoons of Earth Balance butter (measure based on taste and texture of the mashed topping)
Salt/Pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large stock pot lined with a steamer, put in the cleaned cauliflower, cubed potatoes and steam over medium high heat until tender – approximately about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the broccoli at the last 5 minutes of cooking, turn of the heat and remove the steamed vegetables to a large bowl. Separate the broccoli from the cauliflower and potatoes because the broccoli will go into the lentil filling.
While the vegetables are steaming, in a 10” sauté pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat, add the chopped onions, mushrooms, and carrots and sauté until the carrots are soft and the mushrooms and onions have a deep brown color on them. Add the frozen corn and garlic and sauté until the corn is heated thoroughly and the garlic is soft.
Click on image to see a larger picture
Remove the sauté pan from the heat and add the cooked lentils. The lentils will absorb all the liquid from the vegetables. Add the broccoli to the sautéed lentil mixture and stir gently until everything is mixed well. Put the vegetables in a square 8 x 8 Pyrex or stone dish. Mix 1 cup of tomato sauce in the vegetables making sure everything is coated well.
Click on image to see a larger picture
In the bowl with the steamed cauliflower and potatoes mash the vegetables together. Season with salt and pepper and add vegetable broth to bind the vegetables together to make the mashed potato topping. I did not use all the vegetable broth and added some Earth Balance butter to give it some buttery flavor. Add the Tofutti cream cheese. Remember this is what I like in texture and flavor, please adjust the broth, butter and cream cheese as how you would like your mashed topping to be.
Spread the Cauliflower/Potato mash on top of the lentil mixture and spread to cover. Bake @ 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until the tomato sauce is bubbling out of the top and the mashed topping is lightly browned.
Posted on October 17, 2010 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
I saw this recipe on the food channel one Saturday morning. The show was about eating healthy with Ellie Krieger and the recipe looked amazing. I thought it would be a good Football or card party kind-of-an-appetizer since most appetizers served at events tend to lean very heavy on the calories. I tested the recipe, it was perfect! Loved it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Broccoli and Cheddar-Stuffed Potato Skins with Avocado Creme
Recipe created December 31, 2009
Ingredients:
8 small Idaho potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds total), scrubbed and dried
4 teaspoons of olive oil
8 ounces broccoli florets, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
6 pieces of Canadian bacon, finely diced (about 6 ounces) (can be omitted) or use Turkey Bacon
¾ to 1 cup of grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)
Avocado Crème:
2 scallions (green onions) thinly sliced and greens reserved
1 medium avocado
2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream or 2% Greek Fage Greek Yogurt
Two tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup cilantro leaves (or use another herb if do not like cilantro like parsley, thyme)
1 clove garlic
¼-teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the potatoes several times with a fork and rub lightly with olive oil (not the 4 teaspoons in the recipe above – extra). Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until baked potatoes are cooked thoroughly and tender. Remove from oven and cool completely enough so they are easy to handle. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop all but 1/8” of the potato flesh, leave the skin in place. Save the scooped potato flesh for another use (possibly fresh corn and potato chowder).Brush both inside and outside of potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place potatoes, skin-side down and baking sheet until skins are crisp and edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
While potato skins are cooking, prepare the filling. Steam the chopped broccoli until crisp tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a non-stick sauté skillet, add the chopped Canadian bacon or turkey bacon and cook until crisp stirring often, about 3 to 4 minutes, put cooked bacon on paper towel to remove excess fat. To make avocado crème, combine scallion (green onions) whites, avocado, sour cream or Greek Yogurt, lime juice, cilantro (or other preferred herb), garlic and salt in a small bowl of a food processor or blender and process on high until smooth.
Toss the broccoli with cheese and spoon filling evenly among cooked halved potato skins. Return potatoes to oven and bake until cheese is melted, approximately 5 minutes, Spoon 1 tablespoon of the avocado cream on top of the broccoli-filled potatoes, then top with scallion greens and 1 teaspoon crisped bacon bits.
Calories: 180, Total Fat: 10g, Protein 8g, Carbs 15g, Fiber 3g, Cholesterol 20 mg
Posted on February 3, 2010 by Simply Healthy Cooking with Pam
Using fresh vegetables has always been one of my habits into trying to eat as healthy as I can. There was a sale on broccoli at the produce store and I bought more than I had planned to use. Time ran out on me, so I did not experiment with new recipes with all of the vegetables that I bought. This really was the only recipe I made at the time, and basically steamed the rest of the broccoli to use as sides for dinner. I had some multi-flavored Orzo. Orzo is pasta that is shaped like rice. This Orzo was flavored tomato, spinach and wheat. I had some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese leftover from another recipe and the sharpness of the cheese really gave this recipe a ton of flavor.
Orzo, Broccoli, Bella Mushroom Skillet, created 02/03/2010
1 cup of dry Orzo cooked; follow the directions on the box
1 pint baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean with damp paper towel and sliced
1 cup fresh broccoli; cleaned and cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion, cut into half and then half again to create half-moon size slices
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon or 2 of fresh Thyme
Prepare the Orzo according to the directions on the box or container. You should have about 2 cups of Orzo when it is already cooked. Drain and reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water.
In a large skillet, heat up the olive oil and sauté the onions over medium heat until caramelized. This will take about 10 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about another 5 to 7 minutes until mushrooms have shrunk down in size. Add the broccoli and sauté until the broccoli is cooked to the desired texture. I prefer my broccoli medium crunchy – the cook time is about 5 minutes. Add the cooked orzo and mix the ingredients together. Add ¼ cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the pasta water to get a little bit of creaminess to the dish, salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and plate. Sprinkle with some cheese. Enjoy!
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