Last year was one for the record books. With so many people working from home, kids out of school, and limited access to getting healthy “fast” food, more people started cooking. I was actually excited to see that happen! However, the quarantine kitchen excitement is wearing off. As restaurants open up again, they are slammed with people sick of cooking!
Keeping You in the Kitchen
I’m going to share some recipes today that hopefully will keep you inspired and in the kitchen. I too get tired of cooking sometimes and want something fast, but fresh and healthy. As we enter the summer months I look for foods to cook that won’t heat up the kitchen or that we can grill. So here are some of my favorites!
Grilled Garlic and Herb Shrimp
I always look for sustainably farm raised or wild shrimp.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons Paprika
2 Tablespoons, fresh, pureed garlic
2 teaspoons Italian blend seasoning
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil (or fresh)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 pounds large shrimp
Directions
Whisk together all ingredients except shrimp in large bowl. Rinse shrimp well and add to marinade. Marinade at least 2 hours, stirring once. Place on BBQ skewers or in BBQ basket. Grill 2-3 minutes, turn and grill 2-3 more minutes (do not over cook). Serve with “Seeds of Change” pre-cooked rice and bagged, organic salad for a super quick meal!
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
You can make the filling for these ahead of time and reheat. You can also freeze the filling and pull out for a super quick dinner.
Ingredients
1 lb. of ground organic, chicken
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons red curry paste (found in the asian section)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon ginger, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup shredded cabbage (you can use a coleslaw mix)
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
5 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and leaves seperated
Directions
Add olive oil to large skillet and heat. Add ground chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add red curry paste, garlic, ginger, peppers and coleslaw mix, stir fry for 3 minutes. Add hoisin sauce, salt, pepper and green onions, stir. Remove from heat and add basil and stir. Serve by placing spoonfuls on lettuce leaves and topping with peanuts.
Grilled Sausage
I usually buy the organic Applegate chicken sausage that comes in different flavors. These are available at most grocery stores. We love Sauerkraut with our sausage and it’s a great “pre-biotic”. I get the one that is in the cold section at the grocery store.
Grill for 4-5 minutes, turn and grill 3-4 minutes longer. Serve with sauerkraut.
Blue Cheese Burgers
If you like blue cheese, you will love these! I buy grass-fed beef, which is lean, so we can splurge and put this sauce on top. We usually grill zucchini alongside the burgers for a fast dinner!
Ingredients
1 lb. grass-fed beef made into patties. Grill to desired doneness.
Blue Cheese Sauce
1/4 cup Avocado Mayonnaise (or your favorite)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup (or more) of crumbled blue cheese
Ground pepper to taste
Add all sauce ingredients together in small sauce pan. Heat on low heat until cheese starts to melt. Serve on top of grilled burgers.
So there you have some super fast and easy dinner ideas! Let me know if you try some, and what you think.
Delivery Meals
Have you tried some of the new delivery meals like Blue Apron and Sunbasket? We haven’t, but some friends of mine have enjoyed them. We have ordered some items from Schwans and found the Wild Orange Roughy and Wild salmon was delicious, you just have to use self control with all the other “unhealthy” stuff they have! Let me know if you’ve tried any of these types of services and what you think.
Alongside you,
Chris
P.S. Don’t forget, my 10 Day Detox starts June 7th. Date not work for you? No problem! I’ve made it super easy, you can purchase now and start when you are ready. Everything you need is in the learning center!
In health,
Chris