Fast, Easy and Healthy Family Cooking
Table of Contents
Fast, easy and healthy meals that please the whole family are not always easy. Finding something to please everyone while Mom is on a Diet – Is this Mission Impossible?
I decided to go on a low carb, keto-ish diet for weight loss and health reasons. Looking over the allowed food and recipes, I was encouraged that I found several dishes – 5 Secret Meals, at least! – that I could prepare for the whole family and they would never know it was “DIET” food; plus, it would be healthy, fast and easy!
Mom Win!
Cooking for a group is always a challenge, and planning for a smaller group, like your own family, can really be tough.
Once a couple of kids and another adult are in the mix, it is no holds barred. One won’t touch anything green – or anything that was green at some time in the circle of life.
One likes cheese, but not melted cheese (what is this about?! possible hospital mix-up)
Usually someone sitting at the table does an amazingly clever autopsy of anything on the plate that looks like it might hold a microgram of onion, garlic, or {{shudder here}} GREEN PEPPER.
Try Meal Planning Recipes
Meal planning is hot hot hot – and the reason is that it works! While you have your knives and kitchen gear out, go ahead and prep veggies that will last you all week! You can also plan your menu and cook (or par-cook) your proteins – chicken, beef, pork.
Get out the sous-vide cooker or Insta-Pot – Check out this new book and course by accomplished chef Jason Longdon – he teaches you to sous-vide IN your Instant Pot. Just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Jason shares all his excellent experience here (also, what a great gift to the cook in your life!)
This flexibility gives you more time and options about what meals you can prepare. You can make menu changes on the go and there are lots of meal planning books and internet sites to help you get started.
Remember, SHHH – they don’t know it’s DIET FOOD –
Check these recipes out and see if you have the same luck I did!
Oh, and by the way, they are all healthy, fast and easy. And of course, delicious!
Pesto Shrimp Zoodles
Pesto Shrimp Zoodles
Ingredients
Pesto:
- 2 Avocados
- 1 Cayenne Pepper deseeded
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Lime juice only
- 1 cup Basil leaves
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
Instructions
- To make pesto, add all pesto ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Over medium heat, add shrimp, lime juice and chili flakes to a skillet and gently heat (shrimp is already cooked) through. Add zoodles (spiralized zucchini) and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add shrimp, zoodles and pesto to a large bowl and gently combine. Serve topped with extra chili flakes and a squeeze of lime juice (optional).
Thai Chicken Zoodle Soup
Okay, this bowl of Wonderful will change your life!
Everyone loves chicken soup – the rich, nourishing broth, the tender chicken bites (can you say RO-TISS-ER-EE? Time and money saver!) and the addition of spices and vegetables that can transform the same base to hearty Chicken and Dumplings to this slightly spicy, healthy and satisfying chicken soup with fun “zoodles” and a nod to the delicious dishes native to Thailand.
You do need a spiralizer – they are offered at many price points – to make your zucchini noodles. Kids love the spiralizing vegetables and may even get picky eaters to take a chance on something green and new.
Try These!
Thai Curry Chicken “Zoodle” Soup
- 4 cups Chicken broth
- ½ cup Coconut milk (full fat, canned)
- 2 Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (extra virgin)
- ½ Red Onion (diced)
- 3 Green onions (chopped)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (sliced)
- 4 oz Snow Peas
- 4 oz Bean Shoots
- 1 Zucchini (spiralized)
- 1 Lime (quartered)
- 8 oz Cooked chicken breast (shredded)
- 1 oz Cilantro (chopped)
- In a large pot, heat the oil and add red and green onions. Cook for a minute or so (until softened) and add curry paste and bell pepper.Cook for another minute or two and add chicken broth. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for 15 minutes.Add snow peas, bean shoots and chicken. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Add Zucchini and simmer for 2 minutes.Add coconut milk, stir and then take off the heat.Serve with a wedge of lime and a sprinkle of cilantro. Enjoy!
Make a Family Friendly Meal Plan by Transforming Favorite Dishes
Avocado Taco Boat
| This quick and delicious avocado dish is gluten-free, paleo-friendly and very low in carbs. Perfect for a night when dinner needs to come together quickly.
Serves: 4 Ingredients: Beef:
Fixins:
Instructions:To make salsa, combine cucumber, cherry tomatoes, onion, jalapenos and lime juice in a bowl. Gently combine and set aside. Over medium heat, add ground beef to a skillet and brown. Once browned add chili, paprika, cumin and passata. Cook until beef until done. Add mozzarella and stir through until melted. Take off the heat. To assemble the taco boats, use a spoon to gently enlarge the indent left by the pit. Fill with taco meat, top with salsa, sour cream and cilantro. Enjoy! |
Benefits of Home Cooked Foods vs. Fast Food
Fast, Easy and Healthy Pizza Bites
We all know kids love pizza, right? Pizza is rarely on any healthy diet with the carbs in the deep dish crust or the extra sugar, salt and preservatives in a frozen pizza. These fantastic Pizza Bites get around all those negatives. Cooking the Pizza Bites at home instead of ordering out makes them virtually carb free, lower sodium, NO added preservatives and NO added (hidden) sugar.
| Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS:
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 320 °F. Make pizza filling: in a bowl combine mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, passata, oregano and thyme. Peel zucchini into thick ribbons and use them to line the cups in a 12 hole muffin tray. Fill with the following (layering in order): Mozzarella Pepperoni (1 slice per cup) Pizza filling Pepperoni (I slice per cup) Mozzarella Bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before removing. If the zucchini has released a lot of water during cooking, sit on an absorbent paper towel for a minute or so before serving.
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With crusts made from zucchini “noodles,” these individual pizza bites are fun and filling
Do you think this all looks super delicious?
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Clean Eating Coconut Ice
| Serves: 14 large pieces or 28 small
INGREDIENTS White Layer:
Pink Layer:
Instructions:To make white layer add 2 cups coconut to food processor (reserve the extra ½ cup to add in the next step for texture). Blend until it becomes a liquid consistency (may take 5 or 6 minutes depending on how powerful your machine is. Add all other ingredients and combine. Press mixture into a lined slice tray (9”) and refrigerate whilst you make pink layer. To make pink layer, repeat the steps above with the addition of the beet juice (for color). Press over the top of the white layer and refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes. Slice and serve. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days. |
I needed to thank you for this fantastic read!! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to check out new stuff you postÖ