Eat Better Week: All the Small Things

Since it's Friday, we're wrapping up the week with a veritable overload of healthy cooking info (and as far as keeping the healthy eating going through the weekend, it's something I've yet to master...somehow the Saturday/Sunday activities seem to get the best of me). I want to take a moment to share some of my own personal tips that I like to attribute to aiding in keeping my waistline from getting super-sized. As you've come to know, I enjoy sampling new restaurants and adopting a no-holds-barred attitude when it comes to trying as much food on the menu as I can handle. But when I'm cooking at home (unless it's for a full day of Giants-Jets football) I try my hardest to incorporate as many good-for-you elements as possible. That way, when I do go overboard with oversized pastrami sandwiches or burgers grilled to perfection, I can enjoy it to no end and then get right back on the proverbial horse once the weekdays roll around. So, with that in mind, here's the code I follow for weeknight cooking:

Add vegetables wherever you can, whenever you can
I know it seems beyond obvious, but sometimes I find myself planning a meal only to realize that there isn't one vegetable on the plate. That's why I added asparagus into the turkey-pasta mash up and mushrooms to the glazed chicken from earlier this week. I also add in frozen spinach to any pasta dish that graces my kitchen. And please believe me when I tell you that when it comes to raw veggies, it's all about getting the roast on. It keeps the nutritional value while bringing out the fabulous flavor and actually makes vegetables yummy to eat. For a complete roasting tutorial, check out this article.

Make the switch to brown rice
Another tip that might seem obvious, but I think it's an important one. I'm not going to sit here and tell you how brown rice is so delicious because...well...it's not. But, you can make it better by simply substituting low-sodium chicken broth for the water that the rice is boiled in. Huge upgrade from the cardboardy, grainy regular brown rice.

Make the switch to whole wheat pasta
Yup, all around. Some pasta varieties are easier to find than others, but I can always find whole wheat penne and whole wheat spaghetti, and that's enough for me.

No more full-fat dairy
Shaun and I made the switch to all reduced-fat or fat-free dairy since we've gotten married. This includes milk (though we still argue over 2% or skim...I vote skim...but we meet in the middle at 1%), cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, yogurt, cheese...

Adopt new cooking ingredients

There are lots of ingredients that pack huge flavor without breaking your belt. How about adding cumin to your sweet potatoes? Or sprinkled on walnuts? Or on a grilled chicken breast? This spice is one that until recently had been a veritable unknown to me, but once I discovered its sweet 'n savory, punchy flavor, I started using it in my cooking. A lot. Another great ingredient is white wine. I use this in two of my favorite recipes, the shrimp with orzo and the turkey sausage farfalle. A little bit goes a long way and virtually transforms a dish from bland to brilliant. And don't even get me started on the power of dijon mustard...

These are just a few of the tips I follow on a regular basis in my cooking, and swear by them. A few of these changes could go a long way. I'm constantly trying to find new ways to cut back or substitute new ingredients while keeping things interesting over here at chez Humiston. Do you have any tips that help keep you on track, health-wise? Are there any small changes you've incorporated into your cooking or eating that have made a difference? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave me some ideas!

Meanwhile, you can check out some past recipes that qualify as keeping-it-healthy...hope you enjoy!

Simple House of Tsang Stir Fry
Turkey Sausage Farfalle
Cheesy Chicken & Black Bean Bake

And in case you missed any of this week's recipes, here they are for your easy reference...
Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges
Turkey-Pasta Mash Up
Portabella Mushroom Chicken & Roasted Cauliflower
Shrimp Saute with Orzo

Eat Better Week: Shrimp Sautee with Orzo

It's day 4 of Eat Better Week, so give yourself a giant pat on the back because you've almost made it through the first week back to the everyday grind in the new year! All food aside, I'm practically jumping for joy that I've managed to not pick my cuticles at all this week, a New Year's resolution made out of sheer desperation since I'm tired of my fingers being in pain by my own doing. Anyhow, today I've got one of my all-time favorite recipes for you. As I sat down to write this, Shaun turned to me and said he's surprised I've kept it in my back pocket for so long being as I make it all the time (which he quite happy about, I might add), and I have to admit, it's way past time to share it.

I was given this recipe at my bridal shower back in '08 where guests were asked to bring a favorite recipe to share (thanks to sister Kimmi for organizing that one!) which were all quickly memorialized in my trusty red recipe book. Though I waited until Valentine's Day 2009 to break it out as a special meal for Shaun and my first ninth Valentine's Day together, I quickly realized that this dish is easy, quick, and delightful...and was immediately bumped up to once a week dinner status. I often keep all of these ingredients as permanent staples in my refrigerator, freezer and pantry, making it a major go-to on any given night. I really hope you like this one and give it a whirl! Here's the breakdown...

Shrimp Saute with Orzo
1 box orzo
1 lb shrimp*
2 cloves garlic, minced (again with the jarred version)
1 C white wine (any dry kind you'd drink - I don't often drink white wine, but when I do, I typically go for Sauvignon Blanc)
3 tbsp butter or margarine
capers
juice of one lemon (if you like it reallly lemony, you can add the zest too. I find it to be too much though)
kosher salt
pepper
parsley, dried or fresh, to taste

Cook orzo according to package directions (make sure to salt the water!!).

The orzo all cooked and ready. Put in a baking dish with a splash of 

olive oil and cover it if it finishes before the shrimp.

Defrost, de-tail, and if necessary, de-vein shrimp. In large skillet, heat olive oil and garlic. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Once heated, remove from pan, set aside, and keep warm. In same skillet, add wine and lemon juice and bring to a light boil (this removes the alcohol taste). Oh, and don't be afraid to sample the raw ingredients as you go...

And make sure you squeeze the heck out of those lemons...though if you're including zest, be sure to do that before juicing them or you'll be in a world of hurt trying to utilize the microplane post-juicing

Turn off heat. Stir in butter and add capers (I like a lot of them, so I'm not giving a designated amount. Use as much as you'd like to eat). Once butter is melted, add shrimp back into pan and toss in wine mixture.

There's me getting my stir on while rocking out my Yanks World Series tee

Serve shrimp on a bed of orzo, garnishing with a bit of fresh or dried parsley (whatever you've got on hand...in my case, dried).

Now enjoy and be prepared for absolutely no leftovers because this dish somehow leaves behind no shrimpy survivors...the pan just clears out almost as soon as it's finished.

*Note: I always, always, always use frozen shrimp for this dish. And not just frozen, but deveined and pre-cooked frozen shrimp. My freezer is never frozen shrimp-less because 1) this meal is another weekly staple of mine; 2) it couldn't be easier to defrost, just put in a colander and run cold water over the lot of 'em. Pull of the tails and you're ready to go (this is especially handy when I remember to take a package of chicken out of the freezer once I arrive at work in the morning, tarnishing hopes for any sort of chicken that night); 3) It is so versatile that it can be used in a scampi, with pasta, in a salad, curried over rice...the possibilities are endless. Don't get me wrong, I love fresh shrimp as much as the next person, especially as the star of a fabulous Old Bay-seasoned shrimp cocktail, but I learned the hard way that peeling and deveining them yourself isn't a pretty picture. So go out and buy a bag of extra large frozen shrimp pronto and you'll be good to go on any given Thursday.

So what do you think? Is shrimp something you've ventured into making? Have you had a similar deveining debacle? Are you into the whole scampi-esque shrimp dish? Do you have another fave dish with shrimp as the star of the show? Share your thoughts!

Psst...missed days one through three of Eat Better Week? No worries...Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges, Turkey Pasta Mash Up, Portabella Mushroom Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower

Eat Better Week: Portabella Mushroom Chicken & Roasted Cauliflower

It's day 3 of Eat Better Week and in case you're on the verge of cooking burn out, don't fret! Some weeks by the time Wednesday rolls around, I've all but had it with cooking, keeping my apartment in order, hanging up my clothes, and doing the dishes. That's where this super simple chicken recipe comes in (along with the remembrance of The Biggest Loser from the previous night...if that's not enough to get you going, I'm not sure what is...). And my favorite part? Almost every ingredient in this recipe can be found at any given time in my refrigerator or pantry, making this chicken dish a staple in my weekly meal plans. Though the side dish often varies between rice, green vegetables, sweet potatoes, or essentially anything I can find around the tiny kitchen, this week I served it up with a side of roasted cauliflower with parmesean cheese. And in case you're wondering, the veggie part wasn't mushy and undesirable...it was actually quite tender and tasty to boot. Roasting is really the only way to consume vegetables in my opinion (that is, unless you're dousing them in melted cheese but therefore removing any health value they brought to the proverbial table), so see below for a quick and easy tutorial that's pretty much interchangeable with most raw vegetables. Let's get right down to it, shall we?

Glazed Portabella Mushroom Chicken
1 lb chicken tenderloins (or thin sliced breast if you prefer)
1 pkg baby portabella mushrooms (I found these at my local grocer, but button mushrooms will work just fine)
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced (this is where the jarred kind comes in really handy!)
olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic vinaigrette, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper.

Toss chicken in mixture and set aside. Meanwhile, wash, de-stem and slice mushrooms. In large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add chicken to pan, pouring all of the leftover marinade over the top (note: you may want to break out the splatter screen here). Cook for 3 minutes or until bottom of chicken starts to brown. Turn the chicken and add in mushrooms, which will quickly shrink down once coated with some of the marinade in the pan (though they may be a bit unruly when first added to the pan).

Cook until chicken is cooked through, the juices run clear, and the mushrooms are soft. That's it...it's that simple.

Roasted Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower
olive oil
parmesean cheese
kosher salt
cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break down cauliflower into florets and rinse. In mixing bowl, drizzle cauliflower with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Next, line a baking sheet with foil (remember that clean up in a snap? Once you go foil, you won't go back) and spread cauliflower out on sheet. Sprinkle with parmesean cheese. Roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, toss cauliflower and add a bit more parmesean.

Continue roasting 10 minutes more or until you're satisfied with the desired crispiness.
Put 'em together on a pretty plate and here's what you get...

Oh, I almost forgot to mention...since this meal can seem a little...brown (and I like my dishes to be multicolored)...you can always fix that by adding some fresh herbs on top. Since this was a last minute dish and I had no fresh herbs to speak of, I sprinkled on some dried parsley for a similar, if not perfect, effect.

So there you have it. One more fabulous, healthy and delicious meal to add to your repetoire. What do you think? Do you have another super easy, quick chicken recipe? How do you prepare your vegetables so that they're not only edible, but actually covetable?

PS - In case you missed days 1 and 2 of Eat Better Week, check out the recipes for Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges and Turkey Pasta Mash Up.