We’ve gathered some of the most delicious, easy and healthy meals you can prepare this winter to get you on the road to healthy living. Check them out!
ONE POT CHICKEN ROSINI
Ingredients
MARINATED CHICKEN
1 lb / 500g chicken thighs , boneless skinless (or breast), cut into2cm / 4/5″ pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 lemon – zest of the whole lemon and juice of HALF the lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
ORZO/RISONI
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 zucchinis, diced
1 red bell pepper/capsicum, sliced
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
14 oz / 400g canned crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup orzo/risoni
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
Crumbled feta cheese
Fresh oregano leaves
Instructions
Combine Marinated Chicken ingredients in a bowl and set aside for marinating for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over high heat.
Cook chicken until lightly browned but still pink inside. Remove from skillet.
Turn heat down to medium-high.
Add 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, and onion. Saute for 1 minute, then add zucchini and bell peppers/capsicum. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add oregano, chicken broth, canned tomato and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix, then add orzo /risoni. Mix, then top with chicken.
Bring to a simmer, scatter over cherry tomatoes then transfer to the oven.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until orzo/risoni is just cooked – tender but still firm. (Note 1)
Remove from oven, drizzle the juice of remaining 1/2 lemon. Garnish with feta and fresh oregano leaves, if desired, then serve.
HOMEMADE CHICKEN SOUP
Ingredients
2 split chicken breasts with ribs and skin on
2 chicken drumsticks with skin
1 yellow onion peeled and cut into quarters
1 head of garlic unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
6 carrots leaving 2 of them unpeeled and cut into halves, and the remaining 4 peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
6 ribs celery two of them cut in half and the remaining cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 parsnip unpeeled cut into 3-inch chunks
1 bunch fresh Italian parsley
1 bunch fresh thyme
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1-2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 ounces extra wide egg noodles
Instructions
Add the chicken pieces, onion, head of garlic, two unpeeled and halved carrots, two ribs of celery halves, parsnip halves to a large stockpot. Tie 15 stems of Italian parsley and 15 stems of thyme with a bit of kitchen string and add to the pot.
Cover with cold water 1-2 inches above the chicken and veggies or 14 cups of water. Add 3 chicken bouillon cubes, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and kosher salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to a lightly rolling simmer and cook uncovered for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked through and tender and stock is well flavored. If the stock tastes weak, add another chicken bouillon soup and a bit more salt.
Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool and remove the vegetables from the stock and discard. Place a strainer over a large bowl and strain the broth. Return the broth to the stock pot and add the chopped carrots and celery. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the egg noodles and cook for another 8 minutes or until noodles are tender but chewy. Remove the skin from the chicken and shred the chicken with two forks. Depending on the size of the chicken breasts, start by adding 3/4 of the shredded chicken to the soup then add more if you have enough
broth or reserve for another use. Season with more salt and pepper if desired and stir in 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley and serve hot.
VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS
Ingredients
2 cups homemade enchilada sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small red onion)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch of broccoli or 1 small head of cauliflower (about 1 pound), florets removed and sliced into small, bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon Frontier Co-op Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoon Frontier Co-op Ground Cinnamon
5 to 6 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups, packed)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
½ teaspoon salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 whole wheat tortillas (about 8” in diameter)
Handful of chopped cilantro, for garnishing
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
with one rack in the middle of the oven and one in the upper third. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil until simmering. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the broccoli and bell pepper, stir, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the skillet (I don’t have a lid for mine, so I just placed a cookie sheet on top). Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until the broccoli is brighter green and just starting to turn golden on the edges.
Add the cumin and cinnamon to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, stirring until it has reduced in size. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a medium mixing bowl. Add the drained beans, ¼ cup cheese and a drizzle of enchilada sauce (about 2 tablespoons). Season with ½ teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Assemble the enchiladas: Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce into your prepared pan and tilt it from side to side until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. To assemble your first enchilada, spread ½ cup filling mixture down the middle of a tortilla, then snugly wrap the left side over and then the right, to make a wrap. Place it seam side down against the edge of your pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Drizzle the remaining enchilada
sauce evenly over the enchiladas, leaving the tips of the enchiladas bare. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the enchiladas.
Bake, uncovered, on the middle rack for 20 minutes. If the cheese on top isn’t golden enough for your liking, carefully transfer the enchiladas to the upper rack of the oven and bake for an additional 3 to 6 minutes, until sufficiently golden and bubbly.
Remove from oven and let the enchiladas rest for 10 minutes (they’re super hot!). Before serving, sprinkle chopped cilantro down the center of the enchiladas. Serve immediately.
Jasmine Browley holds an MA in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, and has contributed to Ebony, Jet and MADE Magazine among others. So, clearly, she knows some stuff. Follow her digital journey @JasmineBrowley.
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