5 healthy daily dinners containing only 5 ingredients
Friday 24 August 2012
Whilst we start the year with such great intentions, by the summer our healthy eating resolutions are well and truly down the drain. With busy lifestyles and long hours at work, it can be easy to give in to takeaways at the end of a hard day.
We have found five easy and healthy dinners that only need 5 ingredients for every day of your working week.
Grilled Salmon Fillets with Chilli Coriander Pesto
4 x salmon fillets
Handful of fresh coriander
1 red chilli
1 clove garlic
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Fish is a great low calorie source of protein which is great for the heart as it is rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Place roughly chopped coriander in a food processer along with 1 chopped red chilli, 1 clove of garlic and the juice and zest of 1 lime. Whizz the mix whilst adding olive oil until it turns into a wet paste. Spread the paste onto one side of the fillets, and place them on a baking sheet into a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Serve!
Antipasti Chopped Salad
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (4-ounce)
1 piece sweet or spicy salami
12 ounces jarred marinated artichokes
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
This delicious meal is packed with nutrients and takes a matter of minutes to throw together. Chop 1 heart of romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and slice 4 ounces of salami into small pieces, as well as dicing 6 ounces of fresh mozzarella and chopping up 12 ounces of jarred artichokes whilst reserving the liquid. Toss the ingredients in a salad bowl, marinating the mix with some liquid from the artichoke jar along with salt, pepper and some chopped basil. Voila!
Scrambled Eggs over Asparagus
1.5 pounds fresh asparagus
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter
Lay 1.5 pounds of trimmed asparagus on a baking tray in a pre-heated oven and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper for 15 minutes. Crack 6 eggs into a cup and whisk in some milk, salt and pepper until the mixture is smooth. Add the mixture to a medium heat pan with 2 tablespoons of oil in it, and cook for around 15 minutes until soft. Drape the eggs over the asparagus and devour.
Cheesy mushroom omelette
1 tbsp olive oil
Handful button or chestnut mushrooms , sliced
25g vegetarian cheddar
Handful parsley leaves
2 eggs
This tasty omelette is a treat if you are in a naughty mood but are looking for a healthy alternative. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and stir in a handful of sliced button or chestnut mushrooms. Once golden, empty the mushrooms into a bowl and mix them with 25g of grated cheddar and a handful of roughly chopped parsley. Beat 2 eggs into the still-hot oil and stir with a fork to your liking. Spoon the mushroom mix onto the omelette and fold one half of the omelette over the filling. Enjoy!
Risotto with bacon and peas
1 onion
6 rashers streaky bacon
300g risotto rice
1 vegetable stock
100g frozen peas
Many of us long for a good risotto but dare not tackle the notoriously hard-to-cook dish. Risotto needn’t be a battle if you follow our simple guide. Heat some olive oil and a knob of butter in a pan and add 1 finely chopped onion. Fry the onion for 7 minutes until slightly browned. Then add 6 rashers of chopped streaky bacon for a further 5 minutes until it starts to crisp. Add the risotto, pour over the vegetable stock and cook for 25 minutes, stirring regularly, occassionally adding more stock if needed. Finally, add the peas and leave on a slow heat for five minutes. Then serve.
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