Here are some heart Healthy Hump Day Meals worth sharing. Many who read this blog are also interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I’ve decided to post a couple of quick, easy dishes that I’ve tried and enjoyed.
I recently visited with a registered dietitian at the local Cancer Center. This is a service that is provided free to patients. She emphasized the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and we went over my current food choices and exercise routine. So today’s blog will be a fun share of a couple of those tasty dishes that are packed with nutrients but don’t take a lot of time to prepare. I think that time stops many of us from preparing fresh, whole foods. It’s easy to open a box and stir in some processed ingredients. Shopping, chopping and preparing fresh foods can take longer so I hope these recipes and the website I share will encourage you to do some healthy eating this hump day!
I am not a vegetarian but I have cut way back on my consumption of red meat. So I substituted black beans to provide protein in this dish instead of using hamburger meat for my tacos. I simply chose whatever veggies I had in the refrigerator.
Veggie tacos:
1 T. of olive oil
1/3 cup of chopped zucchini
1/3 cup of chopped yellow squash
1/3 cup of chopped red or green bell pepper
1 shallot, thinly sliced
½ of a medium carrot sliced thin with a carrot peeler
½ cup of black beans, rinsed and drained
Heat oil in pan. Add all vegetables and season with 1 T. prepared taco seasoning mix. Heat until crisp tender. Stir in black beans. Warm corn tortilla if desired. Place cooked veggies and black beans on a plate and top with grated sharp low-fat cheddar cheese, lettuce, fresh cilantro and your choice of salsa. You could even garnish with a squeeze of lime.
Broccoli and Kale Stir-fry
1/8 Cup of extra virgin olive oil
6-7 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 head of broccoli chopped
1 bunch of kale, stems removed and chopped
¼ tsp. of red pepper flakes
Salt & pepper
Heat olive oil in a large wok or skillet over medium high heat. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in broccoli; cook 1 minute. Add kale, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Toss well.
One of my favorite cuisines is Mediterranean food and in particular Greek food. I found a website that has some of my favorite dishes. There are definite health benefits to the Mediterranean diet so check some out here and enjoy! My fav…. the Lamb Meatballs served with tzatziki sauce.