A SMALL SELECTION OF HEALTHY RECIPES (Healthy Recipes)

Member Name: GentleGenius

Product:	Healthy Recipes
Date:	15/10/08 (129 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nutritious, easy to make, not too expensive, filling and tasty

Disadvantages: None, unless you don't like them

After having so far posted some rather evil (as regards cholesterol, fat, calories and all other dubious food non-attributes) recipes onto DooYoo...and no doubt in future there will be more...I have decided to inject a little culinary correctness into the day's proceedings, and share my own personal top 5 healthy food fayre items.

All of these recipes are tried, tested, trusted and regularly enjoyed by not only myself, but my friends too - yes, even the fussy one!

So, here goes, and if any of you ever try them, I hope you enjoy them too - all the recipes serve 2 to 3 people who have good appetites.

1) VEGETABLE SHEPHERD'S PIE

INGREDIENTS

3lbs potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
1 large onion, peeled & finely sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 tablespoons tinned sweetcorn, drained
2oz mushrooms, wiped and cut into chunks
1 large courgette, wiped and cut into chunks
1 small aubergine, de-stemmed and cut into chunks
2oz lentils (any colour), soaked overnight and drained
Half a pint of tomato juice
A dash of Worcester or soy sauce
1 flat teaspoon dried mixed herbs
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil

METHOD

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and fry the onions, mushrooms, carrots, courgette and aubergine - over a high heat and stirring frequently - for about 3 minutes. Stir in the drained lentils, and continue to fry and stir for a further 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a deep casserole dish and mix in the herbs, black pepper, Worcester or soy sauce, and tomato juice. Blend well, then cover completely with the mashed potato. Carve out a criss-cross pattern on the top with a fork, and bake in a pre-heated oven (200C) for approximately 40-45 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. Serve with steamed broccoli and peas.

2) STUFFED BEEF TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS

2 large beef tomatoes per person
3 tablespoons (rounded) cooked wholegrain wild rice
1 tablespoon frozen peas, thawed
1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon canned sweetcorn, drained
1 small raw beetroot, peeled and grated
1 small onion, very finely chopped
A quantity of mixed salad leaves (lettuce, spinach, rocket etc.)
1 large orange, thinly sliced (leave the peel on)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Freshly ground black pepper
A handful of washed raw beansprouts

METHOD

Slice a thin piece off the top of each tomato and scoop out the flesh. Remove the pips from the flesh and discard. Mix the tomato flesh with the rice, peas, carrot, sweetcorn, beetroot, onion and black pepper. Blend thoroughly, and cram the mixture into the tomato shells firmly. Place the tops back onto the tomatoes. Arrange the salad leaves so they completely cover a serving plate and place the beansprouts in the centre. Arrange the tomatoes and orange slices alternately around the outside of the beansprouts, and sprinkle the whole thing with the pine nuts. Serve with hot ciabatta bread smeared with a little plain yoghurt.

3) CHICKEN, CABBAGE & POTATO BAKE

1 small de-boned chicken breast per person, cut into small chunks
1 small-ish dark green cabbage, washed and very finely shredded
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 dessertspoon olive oil
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
8 fl. oz. vegetable stock
1 very tiny pinch of curry powder
2 large baking potatoes, very thinly sliced

METHOD

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chicken, cabbage and onion over a high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Mix the vegetable stock with the black pepper and curry powder. Line a deep casserole dish with a few of the potato slices, then cover with a thin layer of the chicken/cabbage/onion mixture. Repeat these layers, alternating, until all the potato slices and the chicken/cabbage/onion mixture are used up, ending with a layer of potato slices. Carefuly pour the stock mixture over the potatoes, allowing it to sink underneath. Cover the casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid, and bake in a pre-heated (180C) oven for 90 minutes. Remove the lid and raise the oven heat to 220C and bake for a further 20 minutes to crisp off the top potato layer. Serve with steamed vegetables of your choice.

4) DRIED FRUIT SALAD WITH HONEY YOGHURT

4oz stoned dried prunes
4oz dried apricots
4oz dried apple slices
4oz dried papaya cubes
2oz dried pineapple cubes
2oz sultanas
2 peeled & sliced fresh bananas sprinkled with lemon juice
2 tablespoons toasted coconut shavings
5 fl. oz. apple juice (unsweetened)
3 fl. oz. cold water
10 fl. oz. plain live yoghurt
1 tablespoon runny honey

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients together, except for the coconut shavings, honey and yoghurt. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Meanwhile, mix the honey with the yoghurt and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Sprinkle the coconut shavings over the fruit salad, and serve in individual dishes, with the yoghurt/honey mixture in a separate jug or bowl.

5) APPLE, CHERRY & CINNAMON OAT NUGGETS

4 red eating apples, de-cored and finely chopped (leave skin on)
1lb cherries, de-stalked, de-stoned and finely chopped
8oz raw porridge oats
1 tablespoon runny honey
Half a flat teaspoon of ground cinnamon
A little icing sugar

METHOD

Mix the apples, cherries, oats, cinnamon and honey together thoroughly. Press down firmly into the bowl, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Lightly dust a clean working surface with icing sugar, and form the fruit mixture into small ball-shapes, rolling them around a little in the icing sugar to give them just a very fine coating. Cover a large plate with greaseproof paper, and place the ball-shapes onto the paper, so that they don't touch one another, and chill in the fridge for an hour before serving. NOTE: If you don't like cinnamon, you could use the same amount of ground cloves instead - if you don't like either, then omit altogether.

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The above recipes have a good vitamin and high fibre content. I suppose the most evil thing, food-wise, is the icing sugar in recipe no.5, but you only need a tiny little bit of it. As well as being healthy, the finished items are very tasty.....they don't break the bank to buy the ingredients, either.

That's all folks - happy eating, and thanks for reading!

Summary: Healthy food needn't be too disgusting