Quick and Easy Dinners

Simple Pasta

1) Cook pasta whole wheat pasta following directions on

package
2) Chop a head of broccoli or buy it already chopped and
microwave until cooked to preference
3) Open a can of chickpeas and drain
4) Drain pasta, add broccoli, chick peas, and one tablespoon of olive oil
5) Optional: Add some shredded cheese

Burrito Bowl
1) Cook Brown Rice
2) Grill some chicken breasts in canola oil
3) Open a can of pink beans in red sauce
4) Combine rice and beans in red sauce
5) Sprinkle with low-fat shredded Mexican Cheese
6) Top with sliced grilled chicken

Stir Fry 1

1) In a pan over medium/high heat add a tablespoon of canola oil and chopped onions
2) Add ground turkey or beef mix (soy crumbles for vegetarians)
3) Add 1 can of salsa, 1 can of crushed tomatoes, 1 can of pinto or black beans
4) Add a pinch of cumin, pepper and chili powder

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 Stir Fry 2

1) Dice onions and peppers

2) Stir fry onion and peppers in a tablespoon of olive oil
3) Add chicken strips
4) When chicken is almost cooked, add broccoli and carrots until semi-soft
5) Remove from heat and add cashews
6) Season with pepper and hot sauce as preferred
7) Serve over a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, Chinese wheat noodles)

Chicken Stew

1) In roasting pan or slow cooker, add chicken thighs

(skinless), 1 can fire roasted dice tomato, 1 can
black olives, mini purple or white potatoes, sliced
carrots. Season with salt/pepper to taste.

Quick pizza

1) Buy whole wheat pizza dough

2) Add pesto or pizza sauce, fresh spinach, artichoke hearts, grilled chicken strips and
top with part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese.

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 Eggplant Parmesan

1) Chop eggplant and zucchini and stir fry with onions in a heated skillet
2) add can crushed tomato and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender.
3) Add to whole wheat or regular pasta
4) Top with fresh mozzarella cheese or grate parmesan cheese.

Salmon with Horseradish

1) Mix lite mayonnaise with horseradish and Dijon mustard

2) Top salmon with mixture and bake
3) Serve with whole grain and vegetable or top on a salad.

If you have some more time… Still very easy!

Blackened Salmon with Cilantro Brown Rice

Servings: 4

Total time: 20 min

Ingredients:

4 pieces salmon (about 4 oz each, can be skinless or skin on)

1-2 T oil
2 T paprika
1 T cayenne (adjust for desired spice level)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 T onion powder

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 ¼ tsp oregano
1 cup instant dry brown rice
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
1-2 limes, juiced
Instructions:

1. Bring pot of water to a boil (~2 cups water)

2. Add rice and reduce heat to low simmer, cover
3. Cook on low for about 10 min until fluffy
4. While rice cooks, mix all spice ingredients in bowl
5. Rub spice mix onto each piece of salmon
6. Heat oil in pan on high heat and cook salmon, spice side down for about 3 min until
blackened
7. Flip salmon and cook for additional 3-5 min until opaque and easy to flak with fork
8. Remove salmon from pan and let rest for 5 min
9. Stir lime juice into cooked rice and fold in chopped cilantro
10. Serve each piece salmon over ½ c rice

Honey Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Veggies

Servings: 4

Total time: 50 min, Bake time: 40 min

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
¼ c balsamic vinegar
2 T honey
3 T olive oil
2 garlic gloves, minced
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp rosemary or thyme (or both)
1 lb butternut squash, cubed
1 cup Brussel sprouts, halved
1 cup green beans

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F

2. Mix balsamic, honey, 2 T olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary/thyme in a bowl
3. Add chicken breasts and mix to coat in marinade

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 4. Let chicken marinate in fridge while veggies cook
5. Place cubed butternut squash and Brussel sprout on sheet pan, toss in 1 T oil
6. Roast veggies for 15 min and remove from oven
7. Toss green beans onto pan with the veggies
8. Remove chicken from marinade and place on top of veggies with remaining marinade
9. Return pan to oven and bake for 25-30 min until chicken cooked through and
veggies are fork tender
10. Allow to rest for 5 min before serving

Spinach White Bean Soup

Servings = 4
1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil
3 - 4 cloves garlic chopped or finely sliced
4 Cups chicken stock
12oz fresh baby spinach or 9oz Frozen Leaf or chopped Spinach
15 oz Can of Cannelloni Beans
1 -2 cups Ditalini Pasta
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese for serving
Instructions:
1. Start a pot of water for your pasta, bring to a boil and cook the pasta while you cook the
soup.
2. In a separate stock pot, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add the garlic and lightly brown it in the oil. As soon as you see it start to brown add
the
chicken stock, and beans.
4. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
note: at this point, you can also add a cup of the pasta right into the soup. This makes the
dish into more of a pasta dish than a soup, but it's still very good. After adding the pasta,
turn
down the heat to low and cook about 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
5. Turn down the heat to a medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.
6. If using frozen spinach, cook it in the microwave and squeeze out the liquid.
7.Add the spinach and cook until wilted.
Serve with pasta & topped with grated cheese

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Servings = 4
1 can, 14 ounces, black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

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1/2 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, half a palm full
2 teaspoons hot sauce, just eyeball the amount (recommended: Tabasco)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, eyeball it
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes for corn to fully defrost
and
flavors to combine, then toss and serve. The corn will also place a quick-chill on this easy
sidesalad
as it defrosts -- no need to refrigerate!

Lazy Lentil Soup

servings: 4
Dried red split lentils (200g/7oz), rinsed well in cold, running water and drained
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
Dried thyme (1 tsp)
Vegetable stock or chicken stock (1 litre/1.75 pints)
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g/14oz)
Salt and black pepper
instructions:
Put all the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a large pan and bring to the boil. Boil
for
five minutes.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook gently for 20
minutes,
until the lentils have softened. Stir occasionally to stop the lentils from sticking to the
bottom of
the pan.
Season to taste and serve.
Tip: To increase the calories, cook the onions and garlic in 30g butter first, and swirl in a
tablespoon of double cream when ready to serve. If you have problems chewing or
swallowing,
use a hand blender or liquidiser to make the soup smooth.

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

servings: 4
1 cup vegetable broth
12 dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes

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1 (8 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
instructions:
In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Remove from heat. Place the sun-dried
tomatoes in the broth 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain, reserving broth, and coarsely
chop.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place penne pasta in the pot, cook 9 to 12
minutes, until al dente, and drain.
Place the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until lightly toasted.
Heat the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the garlic
1
minute, until tender. Mix in the spinach, and cook until almost wilted. Pour in the reserved
broth,
and stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Continue cooking 2 minutes, or until heated
through.
In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the spinach and tomato mixture and pine nuts.
Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Bean and Sweet Potato Salad

servings: 3
kidney beans 1 canblack beans 1 can
whole kernel corn 1 can
cilantro Handful chopped
sweet potato, baked and cubed 1 large
garlic salt 1 tsp
olive oil 1 tbsp
instructions:
1. Pan fry sweet potato in olive oil and set aside to cool.
2. Drain and rinse kidney beans, black beans, and corn and add to a large bowl.
3. Add garlic salt, cilantro, and cooled sweet potato to the bowl of beans and stir.
4. Enjoy as is or use as a side dish.

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 Three Bean Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 celery stalks, chopped fine
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1 cup fresh, finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp fresh finely chopped rosemary
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Method
1 In a large bowl, mix the beans, celery, onion, parsley and rosemary.
2 In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Add the dressing to the beans. Toss to coat.
3 Chill beans in the refrigerator for several hours, to allow the beans to soak up the flavor
of the dressing.
Serves 4 to 8.

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

What you'll need: 2oz Barilla Plus whole wheat pasta (or any whole wheat pasta), 2 chicken
breasts pounded to 1/4 inch thickness, salt and pepper, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 garlic cove
crushed, 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, 1 cup cannellini beans rinsed, 2 tbsp diced roasted red
pepper, 4 cups baby spinach leaves, 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (optional).

How to make it: Cook the pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is
boiling, season the chicken on each side with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sear it in a
skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes a side. Remove the chicken from the
skillet and set aside. Add the oil, garlic, rosemary, beans, red pepper, and spinach to the
skillet. Cook, turning frequently until the spinach softens (1 to 2 minutes). Slice the
chicken and drain the pasta; toss them with the bean mixture. Spoon the pasta into two
bowls and top each with 1 tbsp of Parmesan. Makes 2 servings.

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 SIDE DISHES

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower (1 lb trimmed)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Wash the cauliflower, towel dry, trim outer leaves and cut into florets, or just into
chunks. Place in a microwave-safe bowl, add a tablespoon of water to the bottom of
the bowl, cover with a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high around 10
minutes, until very tender.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.
3. When the cauliflower is done, carefully remove it from the microwave (bowl and
plate will be hot and steam will escape) and transfer to the food processor. Add the
remaining ingredients. Process until very smooth, about 1 minute. Serve
immediately.

Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-2 inch wedges or
cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

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Instructions
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Peal squash and remove the seeds. Cut into 1 inch
wedges. You can also cut into smaller or chunkier pieces or into the shape of
fries.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix all the ingredients, the squash, olive oil, salt,
cinnamon, black pepper, and brown sugar until well combined. Pour onto a non
greased baking try or baking pan. You can use glass or aluminum( we used
glass). make sure non of the pieces are over lapping. The further apart the
pieces are the more roasted they will be.
3. Place in oven for 20 minutes. Poke a fork into one of the pieces to make sure
the squash is well cooked.
4. Remove from oven and serve warm or cold.

Have Eggs for Dinner!

Asparagus Ricotta Frittata

15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
4 large eggs (or do 2 eggs and 2 egg whites)
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup low fat milk
¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper

Spry with cooking spray -10 in. nonstick oven-safe skillet; pour mixture into skillet; top
with thin asparagus spears arranged around the pan; bake at 375 F for 40 minutes.
Serves 4.

EASY EGG OMLETTE

½ Cup Egg Whites and one whole egg
1 oz. shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
½ Cup diced/chopped any of the following:
broccoli/tomatoes/peppers/spinach

Directions:
Place veggies in a microwavable bowl-cover and cook in micro for 30sec
Mix eggs and add Egg re-cover and cook in microwave for 60 seconds
Stir and put back in micro for 30 seconds
Place slice of cheese on top of eggs and put back in micro for 30 seconds

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Quinoa Mac and Cheese
1 ½ cups quinoa
Pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic
2 large eggs
1 cup non fat milk
1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese
Panko bread crumbs for topping
Veggies of your choice

Directions:
1. Lightly sauté any veggies you like to add
2. Cook quinoa to package instructions until fully cooked
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 11x9 inch dish with cooking spray
4. Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese.
5. Stir well and let cheese melt
6. Transfer to prepared baking dish and add bread crumbs. Cook 30 – 35 minutes until
bread crumbs are browned.

BLACK BEAN QUESIDILLA

½ Cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
1 Slice low-fat cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons Salsa
1 Large whole wheat tortilla cut into halves

Directions:
Place half the tortilla on a microwavable plate and add beans and cheese
Place other half of the tortilla on top and microwave for 80 seconds
Spoon the Salsa over the Tortilla and enjoy!

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SPINACH ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZA
½ Cup fresh spinach
2 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
½ Cup tomato sauce
2 Whole wheat English muffins

Directions:
Cut English muffins in half and toast likely; then place half the sauce on one half then the
1 slice of cheese and then half the spinach
Cover with the other half of the English muffin
Do the same using the remaining ingredients with the second English muffin
In a microwavable dish cook in microwave for 60-90 seconds
Serves one

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