Healthy Quick and Easy meals

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dmarien
dmarien Posts: 58
One of my issues is I don't want to spend all of my time in kitchen on the nights I cook. My family likes all the healthy food so I am only cooking one meal. Anyone have healthy low calorie, TASTE GOOD, meal ideas. Also if your eating out where and what do you order other than salad and eat half to keep your calories in check.

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  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
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    A quick one for me is mushroom and spinach ravioli. The filling is:

    1/2 cup thawed and squeezed Spinach
    1 lbs chopped and sauteed Mushrooms
    1 cup Ricotta Cheese
    1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
    1/4 cup Egg Beaters

    Then I make ravioli out of wonton wrappers. The skins are REALLY thin, so they cook in about 5 minutes if they're frozen. I just put about a tsp of filling with some egg wash around the sides, fold over, and press. Put a whole bunch of them on a tray and freeze them. I usually do about 40 at a time. Then I put one or two servings in those individual freezer bags, then in a big freezer bag. That way I can just grab them without thawing and cook them. I toss them with some of my homemade marinara sauce and maybe some veggies and it's a great meal that you can whip up in a flash.
  • dmarien
    dmarien Posts: 58
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    A quick one for me is mushroom and spinach ravioli. The filling is:

    1/2 cup thawed and squeezed Spinach
    1 lbs chopped and sauteed Mushrooms
    1 cup Ricotta Cheese
    1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
    1/4 cup Egg Beaters

    Then I make ravioli out of wonton wrappers. The skins are REALLY thin, so they cook in about 5 minutes if they're frozen. I just put about a tsp of filling with some egg wash around the sides, fold over, and press. Put a whole bunch of them on a tray and freeze them. I usually do about 40 at a time. Then I put one or two servings in those individual freezer bags, then in a big freezer bag. That way I can just grab them without thawing and cook them. I toss them with some of my homemade marinara sauce and maybe some veggies and it's a great meal that you can whip up in a flash.

    That sounds great what is your homemade marinara sauce.
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
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    I've copied and pasted this a few times now. I hope that people will post if they tried it and liked it or not! :bigsmile:

    I'm going to copy and paste here! This my basic sauce. I use it with meat, pasta, lasagna, veggies, cheese sticks, etc. It's a great basic sauce. I figured it out myself to keep it sweet and full of flavor without adding sugar or bacon fat (like my grandma did to hers).

    2 cans whole peeled tomatoes
    1 white onion
    1 carrot
    2 celery stalks
    4 cloves garlic
    1 12oz can tomato paste
    2 cups chicken broth
    pinch of oregano
    salt and pepper

    Chop up the onion, carrot, celery stalks and garlic, and put them in a caserole dish with the canned tomatoes. Cut up the tomatoes a little bit. Put in a 425 degree F oven for about an hour. Take out, put the roasted veggies and the rest of the ingredients into a large pan, blend with a stick blender (or do this in a blender before you put it in the pan) and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. I make a huge batch of this about once a month. It keeps in the freezer for up to 6 months and in the fridge for about 1 month. It's so yummy and you can turn it into cream sauce by adding yogurt (and maybe even a little vodka), meat by adding anything ground, or use it plain. It's SO versatile.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    I love both the recipes and roasting off those veggies for the sauce is really going to intensify and sweeten it up. Awesome, thanks! Saving.
  • piratesaregrand
    piratesaregrand Posts: 356 Member
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    I do

    A little less than a tablespoon of coconut oil
    A teaspoon of minced garlic
    1 can of chickpeas rinsed
    400g of stir fry veges

    Cook the above in a frying pan. When done add a mix of 2 tablespoons of black bean sauce and 2 tablespoons of water.

    I have half for dinner one night, and half the next.
  • dmarien
    dmarien Posts: 58
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    I do

    A little less than a tablespoon of coconut oil
    A teaspoon of minced garlic
    1 can of chickpeas rinsed
    400g of stir fry veges

    Cook the above in a frying pan. When done add a mix of 2 tablespoons of black bean sauce and 2 tablespoons of water.

    I have half for dinner one night, and half the next.


    This is interesting. But sounds yummy I may try when we get home.
  • Nelson081
    Nelson081 Posts: 27 Member
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    A quick one for me is mushroom and spinach ravioli. The filling is:

    1/2 cup thawed and squeezed Spinach
    1 lbs chopped and sauteed Mushrooms
    1 cup Ricotta Cheese
    1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
    1/4 cup Egg Beaters

    Then I make ravioli out of wonton wrappers. The skins are REALLY thin, so they cook in about 5 minutes if they're frozen. I just put about a tsp of filling with some egg wash around the sides, fold over, and press. Put a whole bunch of them on a tray and freeze them. I usually do about 40 at a time. Then I put one or two servings in those individual freezer bags, then in a big freezer bag. That way I can just grab them without thawing and cook them. I toss them with some of my homemade marinara sauce and maybe some veggies and it's a great meal that you can whip up in a flash.

    Those sound great and healthy, I know what Im having for dinner tomorrow!
  • wlaura88
    wlaura88 Posts: 69 Member
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    I love making pizzas out of FlatOut wraps. It makes a super thin, crispy crust. Just top the FlatOut wrap with sauce, a little cheese, and veggies. Pop it in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes and enjoy!
  • vegan4lyfe2012
    vegan4lyfe2012 Posts: 1,150 Member
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    One easy meal I like to do is mix together and heat up a cup of brown rice (already cooked), a drained and rinsed can of black beans, and about 1/4 cup of salsa. Slap it on a tortilla and you're good to go in 5 minutes!

    Another easy meal I make is stir frying a bag of stri fry veggies with a drained & rinsed can of chinese chop suey veggies and then adding a quick sauce: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 T ponzu, squeeze of light agave, 1/4 tsp dried ginger and a tsp of corn starch. Whisk up the sauce, add it to the veggies and serve on rice.
  • misfit34
    misfit34 Posts: 104 Member
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    Bump.... this all sounds YUMMY!