Start off the New Year with some healthy meals
I love the holidays and all the baking and cooking that come
with them, but I have to admit that it’s a bit of a relief when the
last of the baked goods and treats are out of the house. I think
the reason so many people start off the New Year with a resolution
of eating healthy is that the two-month marathon between Halloween
and Christmas really starts to take a toll. At least for me, I’ve
been craving some fresh, low-fat meals with lots of vegetables.
Start off the New Year with some healthy meals
I love the holidays and all the baking and cooking that come with them, but I have to admit that it’s a bit of a relief when the last of the baked goods and treats are out of the house. I think the reason so many people start off the New Year with a resolution of eating healthy is that the two-month marathon between Halloween and Christmas really starts to take a toll. At least for me, I’ve been craving some fresh, low-fat meals with lots of vegetables.
So this weekend, to start my New Year off right I decided to find some healthy recipes to try out at home. The first one uses balsamic vinegar to give a lot of flavor to chicken breast while keeping it moist as it cooks. The spinach and tomatoes add in some vegetables while the couscous is a lighter option than pasta. The meal was flavorful and light, but I still found it filling.
I even opted for a healthy meal at home on New Year’s Eve rather than eating out. I found a lighter option for fettuccini Alfredo. I love Alfredo sauce, but it is anything but healthy with the amount of butter, cream and parmesan cheese that goes into it. But the recipe below swaps out some of the heaviness of the sauce by using skim milk and evaporated milk to make the sauce. I added in a bit of freshly grated nutmeg for a little extra flavor. The recipe also includes zucchini, which I don’t normally like, but sauteed lightly in olive oil and garlic, the vegetable ribbons stayed a bit firmer and didn’t get soggy as they sometimes do when overcooked. The meal was tasty even with the lower-fat ingredients and my dinner companion seemed to enjoy it, too.
Balsamic chicken with baby spinach
Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
8 oz. baby spinach
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/3 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. low-sodium canned chopped tomatoes with juice (fresh tomatoes can be substituted)
2 c. whole wheat couscous, cooked
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove the chicken and set aside. To the same pan, add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes.
Place the couscous in a serving bowl. Top with the spinach, chicken and balsamic-tomato sauce.
Fettucini Alfredo with zucchini ribbons
Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces each)
12 oz. Fettuccini pasta, preferably whole wheat
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 c. cold 1% low-fat milk
1/2 c. evaporated skim milk (not condensed milk)
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Slice the ends off the zucchini and discard. Using a mandolin or carefully with a sharp knife slice the zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Stack the slices and cut with a knife lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick ribbons.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large non-stick skillet over a medium heat. Add 1 clove of the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the zucchini ribbons, cover and cook until the zucchini is tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a bowl.
Cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Ladle out a half cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and return it to the pasta pot.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Stir the flour into the low-fat milk until it is completely dissolved. Put the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet and heat over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining clove of garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the flour-milk mixture and cook until the mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Add the evaporated milk, salt and the cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Season with additional salt to taste.
Add the sauce, the zucchini and 3 tablespoons of the parsley to the pasta in the pot and toss to combine. Add a little of the reserved pasta water as necessary to loosen.
To serve, place 2 cups of the pasta mixture on each plate and garnish with remaining parsley.
Per Serving: Calories 500; Total Fat 13 g (Sat Fat 4.2 g, Mono Fat 6.6 g, Poly Fat 1.5 g); Protein 24 g; Carb 77 g; Fiber 12 g; Cholesterol 20 mg; Sodium 600 mg
