5 Healthy Meals in Under 15 Minutes

What if you could make five healthy meals in fifteen minutes each? Would it encourage you to eat out less? To use fewer commercially prepared products?

Would it be the inspiration you needed to have a healthier diet?

Modern Lifestyles Discourage Healthy Eating

One of the hardest things about modern lifestyles is the fact that although our bodies and emotions need sit down dinners like grandma used to make, our schedules don't often allow it. It is often physically and emotionally impossible to come home from work night after night and produce a complete meal.

Eating out is often the not so great alternative. Choosing commercially prepared foods is not the healthiest possibility; they are full of fat, sodium, additives and preservatives. They contribute to the increasing problem of obesity in America, high cholesterol, blood pressure issues and a host of other problems.

So how can you create quick, healthy dinners?

Tips for Quick Meals

Here are some tips to help.

• The key to quick, healthy homemade meals is simplicity.
• Keep your ingredients fresh and high quality which will give you the most flavor.
• Choose quality over quantity.
• Buy local when possible.
• Buy organic as much as you can.
• Choose foods that are free of additives and preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and other questionable ingredients.
• Take time to prep your ingredients for the week when you come home from the grocery store. For example, chop all of the onion you will need and seal them in an airtight container.
• Organize your kitchen for maximum efficiency.

Following are some recipes for quick, easy meals in less than fifteen minutes.

Menu

• Poached Chicken in Wine
• Spinach salad with mandarin oranges
• Fresh baguette from the bakery

Recipe: Chicken Breast Poached in White Wine

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• ½ cup Riesling
• ¼ cup of chicken stock
• ¼ cup shallots or onions, chopped
• A few sprigs of fresh tarragon
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Bring wine, and stock just to a boil and add the chicken, shallots, and tarragon. Cover and lower the heat so the liquid is just simmering.
2. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160.
3. Remove from heat and allow to stand, covered, while you finish preparations. The chicken will continue to poach as it stands.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with chopped tarragon as a garnish if desired.

Menu

• Raspberry Chipotle Glazed Pork
• Couscous
• Fresh green beans cooked until just tender

Recipe: Raspberry Chipotle Glazed Pork

Ingredients

• 4 center cut pork chops (or chicken breasts)
• Raspberry Chipotle sauce

Instructions

• Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper.
• Brush a grill pan with olive oil.
• Heat the grill pan on the stove until it sizzles.
• Lay the pork on the grill pan. Turn the heat to medium and allow it to cook for about 4 minutes per side.
• Brush with raspberry chipotle and give it a quick turn on the pan to set the glaze but not burn it.

Serve with a little of the sauce on the plate.

Menu

• Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
• Italian Bread with Garlic Butter
• Romaine Salad with Italian Dressing

Recipe: Pasta with Fresh Tomato, Basil, and Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta corkscrews
• 8 diced roma tomatoes
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• ¼ cup diced onion
• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. Bring a stockpot of salted water to a boil.
2. Place the pasta in the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, or until al dente.
3. Drain.
4. Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until tender.
5. Add the tomatoes and basil and heat through.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve with the Parmesan.

Menu

• Taco Salad
• Corn Muffins from the bakery or made ahead

Recipe:Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef or bison
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• I head lettuce
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• I can organic black beans
• 2 avocados, peeled and chopped
• 1 can chiles (4 oz)
• Tortilla chips, crumbled
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• Sour cream
• Salsa

Instructions

1. Brown the meat until done. Add the taco seasoning mix and cook according to directions.
2. Tear the lettuce in bit sized pieces and add to a large salad bowl with next 5 ingredients.
3. Mix thoroughly.
4. Add the meat and crumbled tortilla chips and mix gently.
5. Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese and salsa on top.

Menu:

• Flank Steak
• Salad with Caesar Dressing
• Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Recipe: Grilled Flank Steak with Mushrooms and Garlic Butter

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb flank steak
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms
• ¼ cup butter
• Cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Grill the steak for 8 minutes total, or until medium rare.
2. Melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, and pepper.
3. Sauté for a minute or two until the garlic begins to give off an aroma and the mushrooms are tender.
4. Serve steaks sliced with garlic and mushrooms and sprinkled with bleu cheese if desired.