Tasty Table: Healthier Dinner Recipes

By Rachel Hoeing

Like many of you, I have vowed to eat a little healthier this month after the Gorge Fest of November and December! I made all of the recipes below over the past couple weeks and they were all delicious. My son will try just about anything and was pleasantly surprised that enjoyed these healthier dishes. My daughter – she’s another story. But, she will usually eat plain menu items. So, for most of these I would cook the meat and then pull out a portion for her before the veggies and spices were thrown in.

Steak, Shiitake, and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Recipe by Cooking Light

* As you will see in the photo, I also added broccoli to mine, which was delicious. I think it would be great with snap peas as well.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
1 cup thinly vertically sliced onion
1 cup red bell pepper strips
4 cups sliced bok choy (about 1 medium head)
1 cup less-sodium beef broth

Directions

Combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, oil, crushed red pepper, and steak in a large zip-top bag. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray, and add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until crisp-tender and then transfer to a large bowl. Add bok choy to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until slightly wilted. Add to bowl. Place in microwave or add a cover to keep it warm.

Add more cooking spray to the pan. Add steak mixture and cook 3 – 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to another large bowl and keep warm. (To save time, I actually used two pans – one for the steak and one for the veggies, and then combined them at the end.)

Combine broth and remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil and continue stirring until mixture thickens. Return steak and vegetables to pan; toss gently to coat. Serve!

Caprese Chicken & Roasted Broccoli

Recipe & photo by Cook Smarts

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (6 ounces each or 340 grams total)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, chopped (680 grams)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Roma tomato, sliced (90 grams)
2 sprigs basil, leaves thinly chopped
4 slices fresh mozzarella (1 ounce or 28 grams per slice)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard (certified gluten-free if necessary)
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Slice the chicken breasts in half, season and tenderize with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, mustard, brown sugar and olive oil. Toss half with the broccoli and spread out onto a sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 25 minutes. (I usually flip them over halfway through roasting time.)

Heat a grill pan or use your outdoor grill to grill chicken on both sides for about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to the oven and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add a slice of mozzarella to each chicken breast.

When chicken is done, top cheese with a basil leaf and tomato slice. Drizzle with rest of the sauce, and enjoy with your broccoli.

Chicken & Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Sauce

Recipe & photo by My Fitness Pal

*I felt like this meal needed one more side, so I bought sweet potatoes, cut them up and dropped in the crock pot for a few hours. They were delicious without adding any butter or toppings, and our plates were so colorful with the orange and green veggies!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I ended up cutting these into bite-sized pieces because they were taking forever to cook!)
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided (certified gluten-free if necessary)
1/4 cup unfiltered apple cider
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard (certified gluten-free if necessary)
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken; place pan in oven. Bake at 450° for 9 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup broth and cider; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in mustard, 1 tablespoon butter, and parsley.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup broth to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Serve sprouts with chicken and sauce.

Easy Beef Stir-Fry with Quinoa

Recipe by Clean Eating

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 each yellow, orange and green bell peppers, chopped
1 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1 lb lean beef tenderloin, trimmed of visible fat and cut into thin strips
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Cook quinoa according to package directions; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a wok or large skillet on medium-high. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until onions are soft. Add bell peppers and roasted peppers and cook for 2 minutes, until onions are golden brown. Add beef and cook for another 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer over same heat. Simmer for 2 minutes, until steak is cooked through. Remove from heat, stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.

Serve beef mixture over quinoa.