Challenge Healthy Recipes

Ham & Spinach Couscous

2 cups water
1 cup chopped, fully cooked ham
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup uncooked couscous
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large sauce pan, combine water, ham, spinach & garlic salt.  Bring to a boil.  Then stir in couscous and remove from heat. Cover with lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  Either mix in cheese with fork or sprinkle on after dished up.

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Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
45 mins
Total time
1 hour
Baked flautas stuffed with seasoned, shredded chicken, spinach, and cheese are crispy, but don’t have the greasiness of fried versions.
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs (about 4)
  • 16 ounces Beer (or chicken broth)
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 1 Jalapeno Pepper, minced
  • 3 cups Baby Spinach, chopped
  • 5 burrito-size Flour Tortillas (9 inches)
  • 6 ounces Queso Quesadilla or other melting cheese, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil, or cooking spray
  • Salsa, for serving
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 450*F.
  2. Put the chicken thighs in a deep sided saute pan and cover with the beer and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it. Mix together the chicken and seasonings.
  3. Pour out all but ¼ cup of the cooking liquid. Add the jalapeno and spinach and cook over low heat until for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
  4. Cut the tortillas in half. Spoon 1/10th of the chicken (about 1 tablespoon) along the long edge of a tortilla. Repeat with the spinach and cheese. Roll the tortilla up, starting with the straight edge. Place seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  5. Brush the flautas with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for until 10 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with salsa.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 181 Fat: 9 Carbohydrates: 6.3 Fiber: 1.2 Protein: 18.5
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Zucchini Pizza Boats

Ingredients (local, fresh, organic & non-GMO if possible!): 
4 medium zucchini
½ cup marinara or pizza sauce
¼ cup nutritional yeast
 (optional)
¼ red onion, sliced
¼ cup kalmata olives, chopped
½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade
YUMSource:
http://www.insonnetskitchen.com/zucchini-pizza-boats/

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Chicken & Black Bean Bake

 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large pieces
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c frozen corn
1/2 c diced onion
1 16oz jar of salsa, any flavor
1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning
1 can green chilis
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Mix black beans, corn, onion, green chillis and half of the salsa. Spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray and add black bean mixture to the bottom, spread evenly. Toss chicken in taco seasoning (I use a large zip lock baggie). Put chicken in glass baking dish on top of black bean mixture. Pour the rest of your salsa onto the chicken. Top with shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake about 40 minutes or until done (I check it at 35 minutes and see how much longer it needs).

Nutrition Info per Serving, 6 servings (per MyFitnessPal)

335 calories; 17 carbs; 11 fat; 42 protein.
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Roasted Vegetables


Clean and cut up to thumb-sized pieces-- 
Sweet potatoes
Asparagus
Carrots
Beans
Sweet peppers

In whatever quantity you want, with any other vegetables you like. Then toss with olive oil and the herbs-- parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Bake at 400 degrees laid out on a tray for 15 minutes, stir, and bake for another ten minutes.

These roasted veggies taste great, the potatoes make them a bit more filling, and they heat fast and only get better over as much as a week in the fridge!

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Gluten free thin crust pizza

1 1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup of shredded cheese (Parmesan or mozzarella)
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 cup of melted butter (or Smart Balance or whatever you want to use)
1 tsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix together flour, baking powder, cheese and seasoning.  Add in eggs and melted butter.  Mix together.  If it's too sticky, add some extra tapioca flour.  Dough should be moist.   Form into a ball.

Put about 1-2 Tbs of olive oil on your pizza pan.  Flatten the dough out onto the pan so that it covers the ENTIRE pan, out to the edges.  It will seem like it won't fill the pan, but it will!  Just thin it out very carefully using your fingers and fix any holes you seem by pressing the dough together (this is probably the hardest part).  Bake for 5 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and top it with whatever you like.  Pop it back in the oven until the cheese is melted and enjoy!

 
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Whole wheat English muffin, avocado (sliced or mashed and spread on the muffin), sliced tomato, hard boiled egg, and garlic salt 

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Gluten-free pizza crust:

1. Grated half a head of cauliflower and microwaved it for 8 mins.
2. Mixed cauliflower with 1c cheese, 1 egg and spices
3. Spread it into a 9" round on a greased baking sheet
4. Cooked at 450F for 20 mins
5. Can top with red sauce and toppings if you like.

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Qunioa Wrap

1 cup of dry quinoa, or feel free to use any leftover quinoa you have – Note: This makes up a full batch of quinoa, but I use it up all week in this wrap, as well as other dishes.
2 cups filtered water
1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained <-- no cans; use fresh or frozen instead
1 avocado
6-8 spinach leaves
Monterey jack cheese to taste
feta cheese to taste
large (9-inch) whole-grain or spinach tortilla

Avocado-Tahini Dip:
makes approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1/3 cup well stirred tahini – make sure this is a level cup, as too much tahini will overpower the dip
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 cup filtered water


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Baked Oatmeal Cupcakes to Go

5 cups rolled oats (400g)
2 1/2 cups over-ripe mashed banana (600g)
1 tsp salt
5 NuNaturals stevia packets (or omit and use 5 tbsp liquid sweetner of choice - such as pure maple syrup or gave)
optional: 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
2 2/3 cups water  (if using liquid sweetner option, scale water back by 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp oil (coconut recommended but veg oil will also work)
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
optional add ins:  cinnamon, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, ground flax or wheat germ, raisin or other dried fruit, etc.

Preheat oven to 380 F and line 24 cupcake tins.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir very well.  In a separate bowl, combine and stir all wet ingredients (including banana).  Mix wet into dry, then pour into the cupcake liners and bake 21 minutes.  Optional:  broil for 1-2 minutes.  Can be eaten right away or frozen and reheated for an instant breakfast on a busy day.

Thanks to Darcee T. for sharing!

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Heidi's Black Bean and Flax Burgers

1 can low sodium black beans
1/2 onion diced
1 egg scrambled
handful spinach
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chipolte powder
1 tsp dried cilantro
splash of chalula or hot sauce of your choice (if you like it spicy)
salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Sweat onion in pan until slightly translucent, then put spinach in pan to wilt.  Add to bowl with egg and beans
  2. Mash ingredients together, leaving some beans whole for texture
  3. Add cumin, chipolte, cilantro and hot sauce.  Stir ingredients together.
  4. With an ice cream scoop, scoop mixture into medium-hot pan sprayed with olive oil.  Smash into a patty with spatula
  5. Cook each patty 3-4 minutes a side or until browned crust forms.
Heidi likes to serve with an A-1 Greek yogurt sauce:  ~1 tbsp A-1 mixed with 1 cup Greek yogurt.  To make this recipe vegan, use egg replacement.
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