En español | It's understandable that when a pandemic hits, our first instinct is to hoard things like white rice, pasta and frozen pizza. And, yes, in general, we want to “stock up” so we don't have to be running to the grocery store much. But that doesn't mean you have to eat only processed foods. Ideally, we should be after fresh or frozen groceries that last for weeks and help us stay as healthy as possible.
So before making that next grocery run looking for potato chips and/or running out for Chinese takeout, consider filling your grocery cart with some of the healthy and relatively long-lasting ingredients mentioned below, then spend some quality time as a family preparing it.
Penne and Asparagus With Ricotta Cheese
If you prefer, you can always substitute a brown rice, or whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta for the fiber-enriched variety. I get a lot of letters and emails from home cooks saying they are able to make my recipes for the whole family even though their spouses and children won't generally eat healthy food, because my recipes actually taste fattening. To keep with that tradition, I opt for the fiber-enriched pasta since it adds needed fiber to our diets while still tasting more like traditional pasta.
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) box of fiber-enriched penne pasta
- 1 pound trimmed asparagus, cut into 2-inch diagonal pieces
- 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic
- 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste, optional
Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting any oil or butter. Two to four minutes before the pasta is done, add the asparagus to the water (2 minutes for thin spears, 4 minutes for thick). Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water in a small bowl. Drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, add the garlic, ricotta and olive oil to a large serving bowl. As soon as the pasta is drained, mix in 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water.
Immediately add the pasta and asparagus and gently toss until the pasta and asparagus are coated with the cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss again. If the mixture seems too dry, add more reserved pasta water, about 1/4 cup at a time, until no longer dry. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the pasta and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings. Each (about 2-cup) serving has 318 calories, 15g protein, 60g carbohydrates, 7g fat, 2g saturated fat, 18mg cholesterol, 9g fiber, 183mg sodium
Chicken Pinwheels With Sundried Tomatoes & Goat Cheese
- 1 ounce dried sundried tomatoes (not oil packed)
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, visible fat removed
- 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 1 1/2 ounces (about 5 tablespoons) crumbled light goat cheese
- 1/4 cup finely slivered fresh basil leaves (aka basil chiffonade)
- Olive oil spray
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the sundried tomatoes and boil them for approximately 1 minute, or until rehydrated and tender. Drain the tomatoes, then pat them dry with a lint-free towel or paper towels.
Add the tomatoes along with the garlic to the bowl of a mini food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process them until the ingredients are very finely chopped (you can do this by hand if you don't have a mini food processor).
Lay the chicken breasts, smooth sides up, on a cutting board or flat work surface. Cover them with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Using the flat end of a meat mallet and starting in the center of the breasts, working outward, pound them to 1/4 inch thickness.
Flip the breasts so the smooth sides (tops of the breasts) are face down and arrange them so that the pointy ends (tip of the breasts) are closest to you. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the salt evenly over all 4 chicken breasts. Spread 1/4 of the tomato mixture (about 1 heaping tablespoon) evenly over each chicken breast, leaving about 1/2 inch at the thicker end (the end farthest from you) bare. Then sprinkle 1/4 (about 1 heaping tablespoon) of the cheese and 1/4 of the basil (about 1 tablespoon) evenly over the tomato mixture on each breast.
Starting at the end of the chicken breast that is closest to you, carefully roll each chicken breast into a tight roll, being sure to keep the filling inside. Lightly mist the outsides of the breasts with spray, rotating them to mist them all over. Season them evenly all over with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and the pepper.
Place a medium nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. When it's hot, remove the pan just long enough to mist it with spray. Carefully place the chicken breasts with the seam sides down in the pan. Cook them until they are a light golden brown and then, using tongs, gently rotate them to lightly brown the entire outsides, about 1 minute per face.
Transfer the breasts to the prepared baking sheet and bake them until they are no longer pink inside or until a meat thermometer inserted into chicken reaches 175°F, about 12 to 18 minutes. (The timing will depend on how much you browned them). Remove them from the oven and tent them with foil for 3 minutes. Cut each into thirds to create 3 pinwheels. Enjoy immediately.
Makes 4 servings. Each (1 stuffed chicken breast) serving has 180 calories, 6g fat, 2.4g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 75mg cholesterol, 420mg sodium, 450mg potassium, 5g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 3g sugars, 27g protein, 230mg phosphorus
Recipes taken from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening by Devin Alexander. Copyright c 2010 by Devin Alexander. Published by Broadway Books, a division of Random House Inc. www.devinalexander.com
South-of-the-border loaded sweet potato
When I'm cooking for myself, I prepare this potato with medium salsa, and it has a nice kick. Feel free to use mild or hot. Note that the toppings won't fit inside the potato — they will spill out over the top, making it even more decadent to eat!
- 1 (8-ounce) sweet potato
- 4 ounces extra-lean ground turkey
- 3/4 teaspoon all-natural salt-free fajita or Southwest seasoning
- Olive oil spray (propellant free)
- 1/3 cup fresh salsa, drained
- 2 tablespoons jarred all-natural roasted green salsa
- 2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
Using a fork, poke the potato 5 times on all sides and place it in a microwave-safe bowl or dish. Cover the dish loosely with a paper towel. Microwave it on high for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the potato (it will be very hot) and continue microwaving for 2 to 4 minutes longer, or until cooked and tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the turkey and seasoning.
Place a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, lightly mist it with the olive oil spray. Cook the turkey for 3 to 4 minutes, or until no longer pink, breaking it into bite-size chunks as you do.
Cut an opening in the potato that stretches 1 inch from each end of the potato and deep enough to open the potato completely without cutting it in half. Put it in a medium shallow bowl. Stuff the potato with the fresh salsa, then the turkey, then the green salsa. Top it with the yogurt. Serve immediately.
Makes 1 serving: 342 calories, 35g protein, 47g carbohydrates (13g sugar), 2g fat, trace saturated fat, 45mg cholesterol, 8g fiber, 304mg sodium
Reprinted from The Biggest Loser Quick and Easy Cookbook by Devin Alexander (c) 2011 by Universal Studios Licensing LLLP. The Biggest Loser (TM) and NBC Studios Inc. and Reveille LLC. Permission granted by Rodale Inc. Available wherever books are sold.