Healthy Recipes: Chicken Ham and Cucumber Quinoa

Quinoa is my seed of choice, see my superfood article to understand why

Ingredients:
Pepper
1 cup of cooked tandoori chicken
1/2 cup of sliced cucumbers
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth

Chop chicken into cubes
Slice cucumbers
Poor quinoa into pot with 2 cups of chicken broth
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes
Fluff quinoa with a fork
Mix quinoa with chicken and cucumbers
Allow to cool and serve

The great thing about this recipe is that you can eat it warm or chill it and serve it like a salad!  Win-Win!

Healthy Recipes: Bacon Onion Mushroom Zucchini Quinoa

This is one my newest and is now my favourite quinoa recipe so far.  Quinoa is my seed of choice, see my superfood article to understand why

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
2 strips of bacon
1/4 white onion
6 white mushrooms
1/2 cup of zucchini
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth

Pour a drizzle of oil into pan and heat until oil is hot
Add bacon and cook until it is crisp
Drain excess oil from pan
Add onions and mushrooms and stir until soft
Add zucchini and stir for 1 minute

Poor quinoa into pot with 2 cups of chicken broth
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes
Fluff quinoa with a fork
Mix quinoa into bacon mixture and stir
Allow to cool and serve

Healthy Recipes: Wild Rice and Soybean Salad

I was inspired to try this recipe after having Jugo Juice's soybean and wild rice salad.  It tasted good, it's good for you and it seemed really easy to make, so I thought I would try it.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Dressing:

• 1/4  cup  vegetable oil
• 2  tablespoons  white wine vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  soy sauce
• 2  teaspoons  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  sesame oil
• 1/4  teaspoon  dried crushed red pepper

Salad:

• Sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup of wild rice
• 1/2 cup of frozen soy beans
• 1/8 red pepper
• 1/8 green pepper
• 1/8 yellow pepper

Instructions:

Whisk all above ingredients in a bowl to make the dressing for the salad

Pour wild rice into pot with 3 cups of water
Bring water to a boil and cook wild rice for 30-45 minutes or until kernels pop open at low-medium heat
Pour soybeans into water and let it simmer for 1 minute
Drain rice and beans in strainer
Dice red, green, yellow peppers
Mix all ingredients together with dressing in a bowl
Sprinkle with soy sauce
Allow it to sit in the fridge for 1/2 hour before serving

Healthy Recipes: Arugula and Beet Salad

Here's a salad that I enjoy making that's low in calories and tastes great.  It takes minutes to make since it's just a matter of mixing the dressing and cutting the vegetables, then you just toss it all together.

Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 pinch salt

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
1/2 cup of sliced chicken or your favourite deli meat
2 cups of arugula
1/2 cup of pickled beets
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
1/2 tomato
1 tablespoon soft goat cheese

Instructions:
Mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl with a whisk

Slice the tomato into wedges
Thinly slice the onions
Cut the chicken into small bite sized cubes
Mix the arugula, tomato, onions, beets and chicken in a bowl
Toss with dressing mixture
Top with small pieces of goat cheese and serve

Healthy Recipes: Asian Soup

I made a challenge to some of my clients to try some different vegetables that they've never eaten over the weekend, so I thought I would put up a recipe with some vegetables that not everybody is familiar with.  It's a ground pork, winter melon soup.  It reminds me of soup my mom would make during the cold winter months.  I bought all the ingredients at the T&T supermarket, they have a great selection of asian vegetables.  If you don't know what these vegetables are, I have pictures below

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground pork
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 teaspoon of ground pepper
1/4 of a winter melon
4 stocks of siu choy
1 cup of enochi mushrooms
1 litre of chicken stock

Instructions:
Marinate the ground pork with the pepper and fish sauce
Let it sit for 1 hour for added flavour
Cut up winter melon into 4 inch squares
Cut up siu choy into 2 inch long pieces
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in pan
Add pork mixture and stir until pork is cooked (changes color from pink to white)
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil
Add winter melon, siu choy and mushrooms and again bring to a boil for 2 minutes
Add salt to taste, let soup cool and serve

Siu Choy

Winter Melon

Enochi Mushrooms

Healthy Recipes: Garlic Chicken Quinoa with Arugula

Here's a slight twist on my favourite garlic chicken quinoa recipe, I top it with some arugula to add some color and flavour.  For those that haven't tried arugula, it's really big in Europe and is just starting to invade our kitchens.  It has a nice aromatic and nutty flavour in the texture of a leafy vegetable.  The first time I had it was in Berlin in 2007 and I fell in love with it, now it's finally available here for a reasonable price.

I love quinoa, see my superfood article to understand why

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
6 chicken thighs
6 garlic cloves
3 cups arugula
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth

Press garlic cloves and mix with chicken and pepper in a bowl
Allow to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge

Pour a teaspoon of oil into pan and heat until oil is hot
Add chicken mixture and stir-fry until chicken is cooked

Poor quinoa into pot with 2 cups of chicken broth
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes
Salt to desired taste
Mix chicken into mixture and let simmer for 2 minutes
Allow to cool, top with arugula and serve

Healthy Recipes: Tomato Quinoa with Dill and Smoked Salmon

I kind of cheated for this meal in that I bought a nice chunk of smoked marinated salmon, it was my treat for the week, but still high in protein low in fat.  As I always say, you always have options when it comes to eating healthy.

I love quinoa, see my superfood article to understand why

Ingredients:
1 cup of quinoa
1 cup of chicken broth
1 large tomato
1 piece of salmon (500 grams)
1 Teaspoon of dill weed
Salt/Pepper
2 lemon slices

Quinoa:
Pour quinoa and chicken broth into a pot
Bring to a boil for two minutes at high heat
Chop up tomatoes into cubes and add to pot
Turn to low heat and let mixture simmer for 10 minutes
Fluff with a fork and serve

Salmon:
Lightly oil a large piece of tin foil
Place smoked salmon in foil and place a piece of lemon on top
Place plain salmon on foil and add dill, salt, pepper to top of salmon
Add one slice of lemon
Wrap up salmon in the foil and place in oven
Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until cooked to your liking
Plate and serve

Quinoa Recipes: Garlic Chicken Quinoa

Ingredients:
4 cloves of garlic
Salt/Pepper
4 chicken cutlets (I prefer dark meat)
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
Handful of arugula

Marinate the chicken:
Crush garlic
Cut chicken into bite size pieces
Mix salt/pepper, garlic and chicken in a bowl and let marinate overnight

Cook the quinoa:
Pour quinoa into pot with chicken broth
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes
Set to simmer for 10 minutes
Fluff quinoa with a fork

Cook and mix it all together:
Heat up oil in a pan
Add chicken pieces and pan fry until cooked
Add quinoa to pan and mix together
Top with arugula and serve

Healthy Recipes: Multi-Mushroom Quinoa

I can't get enough of this quinoa stuff.  See my super food article to understand why.

Ingredients:1 cup mushrooms (portabello, shitake, white, inochi)
1 cup quinoa
2.5 cups chicken broth

Instructions: Cube mushrooms

Pour into pot with some oil and stir fry until mushrooms are soft

Poor quinoa into pot with 2 cups of chicken broth
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes
Mix quinoa and mushroom mixture together and serve

Healthy Recipes: Sirloin Steak Salad

Ingredients:
Your favourite blend of mixed greens (I love superstores mixed green salad with arugula)
1/2 tomato
1/2 cucumber
3 button mushrooms
1/4 yellow pepper
1/8 of an onion
1 piece of steak
2 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoon Montreal steak spice
1 serving of steak

Instructions:
Steak:
Press garlic cloves and mix with steak spice
Mix steak with this mixture and let it marinate for 1 hour
BBQ steak at 425F for 2 minutes per side (depending on how you like your steak done)
Allow steak to sit for 2 minutes, slice and serve on top of salad mixture

Salad:
Cut vegetables into bite size pieces and toss with field green mix
Top with 2 teaspoons your favourite dressing (I like Renee's Asian Sesame)

Healthy Recipes: Simple Asian Pork Chops

Ingredients:
Soy Sauce
Sugar
Fish Sauce
Water
4 small Pork Chops
Garlic

Instructions:
Combine 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 cup of fish sauce and 1 tblspoon of sugar into a mixing bowl. 
Mix until sugar is fully dissolved
Add pork chops, toss with 4 cloves of garlic and let marinate in the fridge for 2 hours
Heat up oven and broil at 450 F for 25 minutes or until properly cooked
Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving

Healthy Recipes: Vegetable and Beef Stew

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
1 pound extra lean ground beef
½ white onion
½ cup of green pepper
½ cup of corn
½ cup of carrots
½ cup of zucchini
1 tomato
1 cup of halved mushrooms
2 litres of chicken stock

Cut carrot, green pepper, onion, zucchini and tomato into bite size squares
Drizzle oil into pot and turn stove to medium\high heat
Add onions to pot and cook lightly
Add beef and continue to cook until all beef is cooked fully and there is no longer any pink color
Add the rest of the vegetables and stir in pot for 1 minute
Pour all the chicken stock into the pot and bring to a boil for 2 minutes
Let stew cool for 10 minutes and serve
Add salt and pepper to taste

Healthy Recipes: Marinated Vegetable Salad

For those who don't like the leafy salads, try out this heartier one

salt/pepper
1 stick of celery
1 small carrot
1 cauliflower crown
1 broccoli floret
1/2 can of baby corn
1/2 cup of light italian dressing

Cut celery and carrots into bite sized pieces
Cut the cauliflower and brocolli tops into bite size pieces, do not include the stem parts
Drain baby corn and cut into bite size pieces
Add a sprink of salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients in bowl with dressing and let it marinate for a couple of hours
Serve chilled

Healthy Recipes: Salmon with Asparagus

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
½ Salmon
Lemons
1lb of Asparagus
Vegetable oil

Salmon:
Cut up salmon into 4x4 inch squares and place on lightly oiled aluminum foil or baking sheet
Cut lemons into 1/2 inch slices
Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over each piece
Place 1 slice of lemon on each piece of fish
Place into oven and bake fish at 400 C for 20 minutes or until cooked to your liking

Asparagus:
Gently wash asparagus and pat dry
Drizzle oil into baking pan and turn stove to medium heat
Lightly toss asparagus in pan until solid green
Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Healthy Recipes: Denver Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
¼ diced onion
¼ diced green pepper
5 diced white mushrooms
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon shredded cheese

Drizzle oil into pan and turn stove to medium\high heat
Add onion, green pepper and mushrooms
Cook vegetables until soft
Add eggs and salt/pepper
Scramble eggs to desired consistency
Top with cheese and let it sit until cheese is melted and serve

Healthy Recipes: Three Pepper Omelet

Ingredients:

Salt/Pepper
1/8 green pepper
1/8 yellow pepper
1/8 red pepper
1/8 white onion
4 large eggs
Vegetable Oil

Dice peppers and onion
Heat oil in a pan until it hot
Add all onion and peppers to pan and cook for 2 minutes
Add eggs, salt and pepper and cook to desired consistency
Fold the omelete
Plate and serve

Healthy Recipes: Chicken Shish kabobs

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Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
10 cloves finely chopped Garlic
1 tablespoon of Oregano
1 pound of chicken breast
½ zucchini
½ green pepper
½ red pepper
½ white onion
10 mushrooms
15 BBQ skewers (soak skewers in water 1 hour before cooking so that they don’t burn as easily)

Cut chicken breast into 2x2 inch pieces
Mix garlic, oregano and chicken breast and marinate for 2-3 hours in the fridge
Cut up zucchini, peppers, onion and mushrooms into 2x2 inch squares
Skewer vegetables and chicken
Cook on BBQ at medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn all skewers 180 degrees and cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly
Serve on your favourite bed of greens

Healthy Recipes: Curry Chicken Quinoa

I can't get enough of this quinoa stuff.  See my super food article to understand why.

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
6 chicken thighs
6 garlic cloves
1 cup zucchini
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup onions
1 cup carrots
1 cup quinoa
¼ pack of instant curry sauce
2.5 cups chicken broth

Cube zucchini, onions, carrots and mushrooms
Poor quinoa into pot with 2 cups of chicken broth
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes
Add carrots to pot while it simmers

Press garlic cloves and mix with chicken and pepper in a bowl
Allow to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge
Pour a teaspoon of oil into pan and heat until oil is hot
Add chicken mixture and stir-fry for 2 minutes
Add zucchini, onions, mushrooms and stir-fry until chicken is cooked
Add half cup of chicken broth to mixture and blend in curry sauce until smooth
Mix quinoa and chicken together and serve

Healthy Recipes: Garlic Chicken with Tomato Zucchini Quinoa

Quinoa is an awesome substitute for rice/pasta, see my superfood article to understand why

Ingredients:
Salt/Pepper
6 chicken thighs
6 garlic cloves
1 cup zucchini
2 tomatoes
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth

Press garlic cloves and mix with chicken and pepper in a bowl
Allow to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge

Pour a teaspoon of oil into pan and heat until oil is hot
Add chicken mixture and stir-fry until chicken is cooked

Poor quinoa into pot with 2 cups of chicken broth
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then turn to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes
Cube tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms
Add tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms to pot while it simmers
Salt to desired taste
Mix chicken into mixture and let simmer for 2 minutes
Allow to cool and  and serve

Healthy Recipes: Herb Chicken Recipe

This is one of my favourite chicken dishes:


Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs with skin
1 tblspoon dried oregano
6 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons oil
Salt


Finely chop the garlic cloves
Remove fat from chicken thighs
Mix oil and chicken in a bowl and ensure chicken is evenly covered
Add pepper, garlic, oregano to bowl and mix until chicken is evenly coated
Place chicken, skin up on baking sheet
Place into oven and bake at 425 C for 30 minutes or until juices run clear from chicken
Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt, let chicken sit for 2 minutes and serve
Add your favourite salad as a side. I love having a fresh Greek salad with this dish