Healthy, easy and filling dinner ideas?

AlishaBaxmann

Hi everyone

So I live at home and I don't have much cooking experience. I just learned how to make eggs this year! Crazy, I know. It's pretty sad. Anyways, I am trying to learn how to make things on my own and I'm really struggling in the dinner department.

My family buys mostly ingredients to make things ... that sounded dumb but what I mean is when I look into the fridge all I see is a bunch of random ingredients that can be made into kickass meals - except I don't know what combinations to make! We never bring home fast food for dinner (I only have fast food available when I'm out of the house) and we don't buy those premade dinners. So, I'm peering into the fridge and have no idea what to make because I have such little experience cooking and such a small imagination.

My question is, what are some healthy, easy and filling meals that I can make at home by myself? I don't like fish, I don't really like meat but I've been eating it lately - I can handle chicken and beef, I don't like seafood either, I loooove comfort food .. I basically like the things that little kids like. Which sounds lame and bad but that's how I am!

So, think you can help me out?

Livin4me1969

I made these mini pizzas for dinner tonight, and they are absolutely DELICIOUS! Here is the step by step recipe.

#1 Buy Ingredients:

* Healthy Life Light Multi-Grain English Muffins
* Hunts 100% Natural Tomato Sauce with Basil, Garlic & Oregano
* Low Moisture Part Skim Finely Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
* Jimmy Dean Fully Cooked Hearty Sausage Crumbles Turkey
* Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
* Olive Oil
* Italian Seasoning

#2 Prepare Pizza Crust:

* Cut muffins in half and place outside up on cooking sheet.
* Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
* Place in oven under broiler until toasted.
* Remove from oven and turn over with cut side up
* Switch oven from broil to bake and set at 350 deg.

#3 Top The Pizzas:

* With top side up put 1 tbsp of tomato sauce on each pizza.
* Put 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese on each pizza.
* Put either four pepperonis or 1/8 cup of sausage crumbles on each pizza.
* Place in 350 deg oven for 12 minutes.

Each pizza has:
145 Calories
11g Carbohydrates
7g Fat
14g Protien
145mg Sodium

I found this recipe on here for mini pizza's and thought I would give you this one

You can also go on Skinnytaste.com and she has some pretty good ones and they are pretty much step my step. That is the best way to learn to cook. Another one that I love if you have a crock pot is:

1 pound Chicken breast
1 bag frozen corn
1 jar mild salsa

put then in the crock pot and let it go for about 6-7 hours on low...yummy!

jillsjourney

I don't know if you are a soup person but this recipe WITHOUT the Parmesan cheese is 178 calories a serving when you figure 8 servings.

Tortellini and Spinach Soup
1 bag frozen cheese tortellini, thawed (8 ounces)
1 box (9 oz) frozen chopped spinach
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add spinach and tortellini and reduce heat to a simmer.
2. Add Italian seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Serve with grated or shredded Parmesan cheese.

livingleanlivingclean

Did you turn in to a chicken?

Stir frys are quick and easy. Loads of vegies, thinly sliced meats and some herbs/spices/sauces. Cook your meat quickly on high heat in coconut oil, remove from the pan then add vegies (slower cooking ones first) and flavours - chili, garlic, ginger etc. you could also make a sauce with nut butter, like satay. I like to keep everything fairly crunchy. When cooked, add your meat back in to heat a little. Adding some nuts or bean shoots and fresh herbs at the end is a nice touch. You can eat it as is, or add rice, noodles etc.

wardances

Did you turn in to a chicken?

Stir frys are quick and easy. Loads of vegies, thinly sliced meats and some herbs/spices/sauces. Cook your meat quickly on high heat in coconut oil, remove from the pan then add vegies (slower cooking ones first) and flavours - chili, garlic, ginger etc. you could also make a sauce with nut butter, like satay. I like to keep everything fairly crunchy. When cooked, add your meat back in to heat a little. Adding some nuts or bean shoots and fresh herbs at the end is a nice touch. You can eat it as is, or add rice, noodles etc.

This is very true. Also, if cutting the veggies takes up too much time you could try checking out your local Wal-Mart. In the veggie section they usually sell bags of pre-cut veggies in small bags for stir fry. It's actually pretty decent. Concerned you won't eat the fresh stuff fast enough? Then check out the frozen foods section. They have the same thing there and, personally, I can't tell the difference in taste.
Otherwise I don't have much in the way of recipes, sorry. I'm the kind of person who just eyeballs everything in the cabinets/fridge then throws together whatever I think meshes together without inducing vomiting.

sassyjae21

I'm the kind of person who just eyeballs everything in the cabinets/fridge then throws together whatever I think meshes together without inducing vomiting.

dying. we should be friends

Lynn_babcock

What kinds of fresh vegetables are in the fridge or usually purchased? I just made stir fry a few days ago.. turned out great. You will need:

Ginger (fresh or powdered from spice dept). Really, stir fry doesn't taste like stir fry without it... you should have some kind of ginger.

Hot mustard sauce - I made my own from mustard seeds from my spice spinner (didn't know what to do with them all these years! I powdered them in my coffee grinder and made the sauce. 1 tablespoon mustard seed powder, 1 Tablespoon boiling water, 1/4 teaspoon sugar. 5 calories. You absolutely don't NEED this.. but it's a pretty good flavor to add for so few calories.

Chinese 5 spice (from spice dept) - I had to buy mine off Ebay because our store didn't sell it. I paid $1/ounce there. Great price.

Soy Sauce

Sesame oil (optional.. so much better with it).. probably a teaspoon just for taste.

Garlic powder or fresh garlic

Vegetables, about 4 cups worth - I just pick thru what we have leftover in the fridge. A few days ago our stir fry consisted of: celery, onions, carrots, part of a yam, bell peppers, slices fresh garlic cloves, kohlrabi, water chesnuts, broccoli. If I have greens.. like broccoli greens, collard, kale, turnip, beet greens, etc I put those in too.. greens always go in at the end so they aren't just some strange mush. Other things that are great in stir fry are pea pods, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash,

Meat - Generally 2-3 ounces for your portion. Counting boneless/skinless chicken, 2 1/2 ounces would be 98 calories

Rice - I use 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice. 108 calories

I cook the meat and vegetables on a cast iron skillet, but it really does cook easier on a non-stick pan. I spray the pan with the 0-calorie cooking spray, butter flavored, cook the meat first (have it cut into smaller bite-sized pieces), then remove the meat and add the onions, ginger (about 1" of peeled fresh ginger, or maybe 1 teaspoon powdered?), and carrots.. I add some water to the pan so they get juice from the cooked meat for flavor. Once they have cooked alone for about 5 minutes I add the rest of the vegetables. Sprinkle with garlic powder and some chinese 5-spice. I usually use some kind of meat juice stock for cooking.. or like chicken broth. Helps so you don't have to use oil. Add the soy sauce at the end.. probably about a tablespoon. Soy sauce is super salty.

Cook rice separately and throw your stir fry on top. It's really easy once you have the basic ingredients. Generally it's about 350 calories but it's a HUGE meal.

Briargrey

I'm the kind of person who just eyeballs everything in the cabinets/fridge then throws together whatever I think meshes together without inducing vomiting.

dying. we should be friends

So true. However, I learned how to cook first and then got really comfortable doing the 'toss things together' method.

OP - some of the best 'toss it all in' things just revolve around fresh vegetables cooked up and mixed with something like rice or pasta or couscous and then whatever meat is lying around, like chicken or beef.

I love roasting my vegetables, so I lightly coat a pan with avocado oil, wash and cut up a lot of vegetables (brussell sprouts, asparagus, bok choy, onions, garlic, broccoli, red peppers, etc) and roast in the oven at 350 for about 45-60 minutes. If there are harder vegetables like carrots or potatoes in the mix, make sure to cut them smaller so they cook thoroughly.

Easy couscous: make according to package directions (super simple - 1 cup water, 1 cup couscous, 1 tsp butter. Boil water and butter, stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat, let sit 5 minutes). I then toss a small amount of avocado oil in a pan and heat it up, dump a package of pine nuts in and lightly toast them. Add in some chopped up onions or shallots and garlic and stir that in with the couscous to add some extra flavour to it. You can also chop up spinach and add it in the pan first to wilt it then mix it in the couscous.

Vegetable alternative: I do the pine nuts/onions thing as above, then I add in my chopped up fresh vegetables, lower the heat a bit and cover, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are cooked and still in possession of a nice crunch if you like them like that. I find it better than boiling, and I don't have a good steamer set up and this works well for me.

Basically - cook vegetables how you want. Cook a side like rice or pasta or couscous. Cook a meat. Mix them all together. Voila - awesome 'bowl' meal.

You can make up a lot of this in advance too and just keep separate in the fridge, then mix in different pieces. I often make up a batch of black beans and brown rice and keep a container of each in the fridge. Then I'll cook up some chicken and some steak and keep in separate containers. Then, if I'm feeling lazy, I grab a bag of microwaveable steamer bags of vegetables or if I was motivated, I might roast some vegetables or at least pre-cut a bunch of fresh ones so I can decide what to do. Then I mix and match for my mood.

Oh and on the couscous, if you want it to really pop - mix in some crumbled goat cheese right before serving. Pine nuts, spinach, shallots, goat cheese and couscous = awesomesauce and really easy. Add some cut up, cooked chicken chunks and some vegetables, and I'm in heaven, and usually with a ton of calories left over for something for my sweet tooth later

kennie2

I just made a stew
just throw some veggies in a pan and cook in stock, also add some spices like mustard seeds and paprika

gringuitica

Burritos are my go-to easy meal. All you need is a big tortilla, you fillings, and some fun stuff on the top. For example,

Whole wheat tortilla
Chicken
Beans
Tomatoes
Cheese

Wrap it up (like so: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-wrap-a-burrito-so-it-doesnt-fall-apart-when-you-eat-it-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-189756), then pan-fry it (Pam or oil or butter, whatever you like & have calories for) for a few minutes so it gets nice and brown and crunchy. Then add:

Lettuce (I usually do LOTS of lettuce)
Salsa
Sour Cream

A monster burrito usually comes in around 600-650 cals.

AlishaBaxmann

Thank you guys for your suggestions really appreciate the ideas!