Archive for HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES

Ground Beef Stir Fry

Stir fried lean meat and vegetables are delicious and healthy meal choices. Use your favorite vegetables or whatever is in season.

I like using the leanest ground beef I can find — I used 96% lean ground beef in this recipe. Broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions were my vegetables of choice today, but I also love adding eggplant, zucchini, and carrots.  Use your favorite vegetables.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Ground Beef Stir Fry

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Dashida
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 broccoli “crown”, cut into pieces
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 container sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, more or less, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the garlic, Dashida, and black pepper.

2. Add the broccoli, onions, bell pepper and mushrooms. Stir to combine the ingredients.

3. Add the hoisin sauce to the pan. Stir to combine. Turn the heat up to high; cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are done to your liking.

4. Stir in the soy sauce. Cook over high heat for another minute or two.

5. Serve with steamed white or brown rice and ENJOY!

 

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Baked “Fried” Chicken

Healthy Fried Chicken — is there even such a thing? 🙂

My recipe below is healthy, or at least it’s a less unhealthy version, and it does not skimp on flavor. Despite being baked, you still get that crispness we equate to delicious fried chicken. How, you ask? Well, let me tell you.

Use chicken WITH the skin on. The fat from the skin will crisp the chicken as it bakes.

I also marinate the chicken for several hours — up to a day. My marinade is very similar to what you’d use to make Karaage Chicken. Don’t skip the marinade — it takes it to a whole other level, let me tell you!

This is also a gluten-free recipe since I dredge the chicken in corn starch instead of flour. Be sure to look on the corn starch label to ensure it’s gluten-free (not all brands are). I use Argo brand cornstarch, one of the few that is gluten-free.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Baked “Fried” Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 5 pounds chicken wings (or your favorite chicken pieces, skin on)
  • 3 cups cornstarch, for dredging the chicken pieces in
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

 

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 2-inch piece of ginger
  • 3 tablespoons sherry cooking wine
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 4 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare the marinade.

In a small bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients together.

Grate the ginger into the bowl.  Add the sherry cooking wine, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.

 
 
 

Add the garlic and sugar.

 

Stir to combine. Set the marinade aside for now.

2. Marinate the chicken.

Rinse and clean the chicken pieces. Place into a large ziplock bag.

Pour the marinade into the bag.

Make sure to get all the garlic and ginger out!

Squeeze any excess air out of the bag before sealing. Marinate the chicken for a few hours or up to a day. Keep the bag refrigerated while the chicken marinates.

3. Bake the chicken.

Pour the chicken out into a colander to drain out the marinade.

Prepare the cornstarch mixture. Mix together the cornstarch, garlic powder and black pepper.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the cornstarch mixture.

 

Place the chicken (skin side up) onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Note: In the photo below, the pan is not lined with parchment paper (I forgot to do it). DO NOT forget like I did or the chicken skin will stick to the pan as it bakes…especially metal pans. I also baked half of the chicken on a stoneware pan; the chicken baked up better on the stoneware pan without being lined with parchment paper (most of the wings didn’t stick but some still did).

Bake the chicken at 400 degrees for a total of 45 minutes.

After baking for 15 minutes, turn the chicken over. Bake for another 15 minutes, skin side down.

After 30 minutes of baking, turn the chicken over, making it skin side up again. Bake for the final 15 minutes.

Serve immediately and ENJOY! 🙂

This goes great with red rice. Click here for my recipes for Red Rice and Red Rice using Brown Rice.

 

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Red Rice made with Brown Rice

My family is making a concerted effort to develop healthier eating habits. We’re making small changes in the foods we eat as well as how we prepare them.

One change we definitely like is that we’ve made the switch from white to brown rice. I admit, it took some getting used to, but we actually like it. Of course, I have to season the brown rice whenever I cook it.

I wanted to see if the classic Chamorro Red Rice would taste good using brown rice instead of the usual white medium or long grain rice we know and love.

The result? Delicious! Granted, you can definitely tell you’re eating brown rice (it’s firmer and a bit nuttier than white), but delicious nonetheless.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it. 🙂

Red Rice made with Brown Rice

aka Red Brown Rice 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups brown rice (use your rice cooker cup)
  • 6 1/3 cups water (use your rice cooker cup) (*See note below)
  • 1 packet achote powder (*See note below)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bunch green onions, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Dashida seasoning (or salt, to taste)

Note: You can use achote water made with achote seeds instead of achote powder. Scrub the seeds in the water; strain out the seeds before using.

Directions:

1. Rinse the rice then place into your rice cooker pot.

2. Add the water.

3. Add the achote powder.

4. Add the olive oil.

5. Add the green onions.

6. Add the Dashida seasoning.

7. Cover the pot then turn it on or place it on “cook.” After about 5 minutes, open up the lid and stir the rice, ensuring the achote powder and Dashida seasoning are dissolved and evenly distributed. Place the cover back on the pot and let it finish cooking. After your rice cooker turns from “cook” to “warm” (or the equivalent for your rice cooker model), be sure to keep the lid closed, letting the rice continue steaming for 10-15 minutes before serving.

8. We love red rice with fried chicken and cucumber salad. Serve with your favorite main dish(es) and enjoy!

 

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Green Smoothie Recipes

Green smoothies are not only nutritious but delicious as well.  Don’t let the color fool you — these can easily turn into purple, orange, pink, or red smoothies as well, depending on the ingredients you add.

Are you turned off by the thought of adding vegetables to your smoothie?  Well, don’t be!  Read my post here about making these nutrition-packed drinks more palatable.

These recipes are very adaptable to the fruits and vegetables you have in season.  Just use your favorite ones and you’ll be good to go.

Leave me a comment below to let me know which of the following recipes are your favorites, or whether you’ve modified them and how they turned out.  I’d love to hear all about it! 🙂

 

All the recipes below are from SimpleGreenSmoothies.com.  My personal addition to each recipe would be to add 2 scoops of protein powder.

 

Blending directions:
1. Use at least one frozen fruit to chill your smoothie.
2. Blend leafy greens and liquid together first (this helps avoid leafy chunks).
3. Once it’s nice and creamy, add remaining ingredients and blend again.

Each recipe below makes 2 servings.

 

Berry Cherry Jubilee

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup pitted cherries
  • 1 cup mixed berries
  • 1 banana

Berry Cherry Jubilee Smoothie

 

Cilantro Limeade

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 lime, peeled
  • 1 banana
  • 1 inch fresh ginger

Cilantro Limeade Smoothie

 

Citrus Crush

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup grapes

 

Kiwi Tango

  • 2 cups fresh kale, stems removed
  • 2 cups coconut milk, unsweetened
  • 2 kiwis
  • 2 cups strawberries
  • 1 banana

 

Ginger-licious

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 2 bananas
  • ½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
  • 2 apples

 

Sweet Jubilee

  • 2 cups fresh kale, stems removed
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 2 cups grapes
  • 1 apple
  • 1 orange, peeled

 

Tropical Breeze

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups coconut milk, unsweetened
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 cups pineapple
  • 1 banana

 

Banana C Monster

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 orange, peeled
  • 1 cup strawberries

 

Popeye’s Fruit Punch

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups grapes
  • 1 apple
  • 1 cup strawberries

 

Purple Power

  • 2 cups fresh kale, stems removed
  • 1 cup apple juice, unsweetened
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 2 bananas

 

Dino-Machine

  • 2 cups fresh kale, stems removed
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 1 cup strawberries

 

Chunky Monkey

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 pear
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder

 

Almond Joy

  • 2 cups fresh kale
  • 2 cups almond milk
  • 1 banana
  • 2 pears, ripe
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flakes
  • 2 tablespoons cacao powder

 

Gorilla Punch

  • 2 cups fresh kale
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 apple
  • 2 tablespoons cacao
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter

 

Banana Berry Blast

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 2 bananas

 

Quick Pick Me Up 

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cup grapefruit
  • 2 oranges
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • ½ avocado

 

Morning Sunshine

  • 2 cups fresh kale
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 banana
  • 1 orange
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds

 

Shauna’s Sangria

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 pear
  • 1 apple
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • ½ cup grapes

 

Side-by-Side Citrus Breeze


GREEN SIDE:
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup pineapple, frozen
  • ¼ cup mango, frozen
  • ½ banana
  • ½ orange, peeled
YELLOW SIDE:
  • 1 cup water
  • ¾ cup pineapple, frozen
  • ¾ cup mango, frozen
  • ½ banana
  • ½ orange, peeled

 

Creamy Sunrise

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 oranges, peeled
  • 1 banana, frozen
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Jen’s Coconut Twister

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 2 oranges, peeled
  • 1 cup pineapple, frozen
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds

 

Coconut Dream

  • 2 cups fresh kale, stems removed
  • 2 cups coconut milk, unsweetened
  • 1 cup mango
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 1 banana
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flakes, unsweetened

 

Peachy Cobbler

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 2 cups peaches
  • 1 apple
  • 1 banana

 

Dreamsicle

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 oranges, peeled
  • 2 bananas
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

  • 2 cups fresh kale, stems removed
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 2 cups strawberries
  • 2 bananas
  • 3 tablespoons cacao powder

 

Pink Flamingo

  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 2 cups mango

 

Emerald Green Smoothie

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1⁄4 cup mint
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups green grapes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds

 

Kiwi Berry Punch Green Smoothie

  •  2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup mixed berries
  • 1 banana
  • 1 kiwi
  • 1/2 avocado

 

Coco-Banana Green Smoothie

  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 1 orange, peeled
  • 1 green apple
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/4 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened

 

Southern Swiss

  • 1 cup swiss chard, fresh
  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1 peach
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil

 

California Dreamin’

  • 3 cups spinach, fresh
  • 2 cups coconut water, unsweetened
  • 2 granny smith apples
  • ½ avocado
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter

 

U-Pick Me Up

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 cup collard greens, fresh
  • 2 cups green tea (brewed and chilled)
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 cup blueberries

 

Razzy Granny

  • 1 ½ cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 ½ cups kale, fresh
  • 2 cups coconut water, unsweetened
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 granny smith apple

 

Tree Fruit

  • 3 cups kale, fresh
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 peach
  • 1 pear
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil

 

Peaches ‘n Cream Popsicle (this one is frozen into a popsicle)

  • 1 ½ cups spinach, fresh
  • ¼ cup coconut milk, unsweetened
  • ½ cup banana, frozen
  • 2 cups peaches, frozen
TIP: Don’t have popsicle molds? You can use an ice cube tray with toothpicks, or small cups with popsicle sticks!

 

Pumpkin Spice

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetend
  • 1 cup plain canned pumpkin, unsweetened (or fresh pumpkin)
  • 1 banana, frozen
  • 1 cup mango
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Pear-Mango Tango

  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 2 cups coconut milk, unsweetend
  • 2 pears
  • 1 cup mango, frozen
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds (soaked overnight)

 

Sweet Tang

  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 2 cups fresh orange juice (about 6-8 oranges)
  • 2 cups blueberries, frozen
  • 3 kiwis, frozen
  • 3 tablespoons chia seeds (soaked overnight)
*You can juice your oranges and add as your liquid base, or you can also blend your oranges first and then add your kale. If it’s too thick, add a little bit of water. 

 

Cream Machine Bowl

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ avocado
  • ½ cup frozen mango, frozen
  • ½ cup frozen banana, frozen
Serve in a bowl with fresh berries. You will need a spoon for this bowl of green smoothie thickness!

 

Orange Jewels

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 ½ cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 banana
  • 2 oranges, peeled
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 2 teaspoons spirulina, optional

 

Fallin’ for Apples

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 ½ cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 2 apples
  • 1 pear
  • 1 banana
  • 2 teaspoons probiotics, optional

 

Great Ginger Zinger

  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ inch piece ginger, peeled
  • 2 oranges
  • 2 pears
  • ½ avocado

 

Berry Cold Fighter

  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 2 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
  • 2 teaspoons elderberry extract, optional

 

Basil Orange Blast

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • ¼ cup basil
  • 2 oranges
  • 1 pear
  • 1 cup grapes

 

Zingy Green Skin Cleanser Green Smoothie

  • 1 1⁄2 cups kale, fresh
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 1⁄2 cup cucumber
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 1⁄2 avocado
  • 1 green apple, cored
  • 1⁄2 inch fresh ginger, peeled

 

Watermelon Splash

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 3 cups watermelon
  • 1 nectarine
  • 1 apple
  • 1 banana

 

Cantaloupe & Coconut Cream

  •  2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 cup coconut milk, unsweetened
  • 8 ice cubes
  • 1 whole cantaloupe, rind removed
  • 1 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, unrefined

 

Melon Mixer

  • 1 cup spinach, fresh
  • 1 cup kale, fresh
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 1 cup watermelon
  • 1 cup honeydew
  • 1 cup cantaloupe

 

Skin Refresher

  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 cups watermelon
  • 1 cup cucumber
  • ½ cup mint
  • 1 lime, squeezed

 

The Summer Green Cooler (by Joy Widgeon)

  •  2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 ½ cups watermelon
  • 1 cantaloupe
  • 1 banana
  • 1 mango
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds

 

Plum & Apricot

  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 2 cups coconut water
  • 2 plums
  • 2 apricots
  • 1 banana

 

The Peachy Keen

  •  1 cup spinach, fresh
  • 1 cup kale, fresh
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 peaches
  • 2″ ginger, fresh

 

Honey-Kissed Nectarines

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 2 cups coconut water
  • 2 nectarines
  • ½ honeydew melon

 

A Sweet Date

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 2 cups cherries, pitted
  • 2 dates

 

Apricot Ginger Bliss

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • 6 apricots, pitted
  • 1 banana
    1″ ginger, fresh

 

Citrus Breeze

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup mango
  • ½ cup pineapple
  • 2 naval oranges, peeled
  • 1 banana

 

Kale + Kiwi Lime

  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 2 cups coconut water
  • 2 kiwi
  • 1 lime, peeled
  • 1 avocado

 

Lava Guava

  • 2 cups kale, fresh
  • 2 cups orange juice, fresh squeezed
  • 2 guava, peeled
  • 1 cup mango
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil

 

Pina Colada

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 1 ½ cups almond milk, unsweetened
  • ½ cup coconut water
  • 3 cups pineapple
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flakes, unsweetened

 

Spinach Papaya Smoothie

  • 2 cups spinach, fresh
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 ½ cups papaya
  • 1 banana
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The Green Smoothie Secret

It seems like drinking Green Smoothies or Shakes are all the rage these days.

I must admit, I’ve hopped on that bandwagon, and I don’t regret it one bit.

There are some green vegetables that I just don’t like adding to my smoothies, however.  Among them are romaine lettuce (or any kind of lettuce) or bitter greens.  I have to get used to the taste of raw kale, but I found that if I remove the stems from the kale leaves, it’s more palatable.

My absolute favorite green vegetable to add to smoothies are fresh baby spinach leaves.  Add about two handfuls to your smoothie.  You can’t really taste it, in my opinion.

To kick up the nutrition content of your smoothie, try adding protein powder, some fruit — not too much fruit, though, because of all the natural sugar it contains — and unsweetened almond milk.

 

Here are some general guidelines for making nutritious and delicious green smoothies.

Blend together:

  • 2 handfuls of leafy greens
  • 1 frozen fruit
  • 1 cup liquid (see tips below)
  • 1 scoop protein powder
  • Optional: 1/2 cup ice cubes

Here are a few great tips:

  1. FREEZE your fruits to make thick, cold, slushy smoothies.  You don’t have to add ice (which will eventually dilute your smoothie).
  2. Make smoothie packets ahead of time.  Place all of your ingredients (minus the liquid) into a freezer-safe zip-lock bag and freeze.  Take out the bag and mix it up when you’re ready.
  3. Use any number of liquids — almond milk, soy milk, low/non-fat milk, and one of my favorites — coconut water.  Unsweetened black coffee is also good with a combo of cocoa nibs and frozen bananas.
  4.  To avoid bloating, try not to eat anything 30 minutes before and after you drink your green smoothie. 
  5.  Make a green smoothie a meal by adding protein powder and a “good fat” such as avocado or coconut oil.

 

Give it a try.  I think you’ll be surprised at how good a green smoothie tastes. 🙂

Click here for some tasty green smoothie recipes from SimpleGreenSmoothies.com.

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