Japanese Chicken Meatballs

Wow–I haven’t blogged in forever! I have been cooking up a storm but haven’t gotten to blog any of the amazing (not included the not-so-amazing…and there’s been just as many of these…) meals that I’ve made recently.

I know people are weary of Gwyneth Paltrow after hearing the comments she made about her children’s diet, but her new cookbook It’s All Good has some amazing looking recipe ideas that aren’t as scary as you might think. They’re all gluten-free and healthy but still retain the comfort food feel that she loves.

Ginger Chicken Jook

I have professed my love for Chrissy Teigen countless times before but it was awesome to watch her in action cooking, rather than just reading her blog and hilarious tweets when she appeared on “On the Table with Eric Ripert.” This girl is my kind of chick: funny, obsessed with Bravo, and loves food even more than I do.

So when I saw her on Ripert’s show making Jok Moo, I got inspired give cooking rice porridge a try. My boyfriend will eat almost anything but is in a definite Asian food mood lately thanks to a great local restaurant making authentic (and spicy!) Schezuan food, Han Dynasty but he and I had never had jook before.

Turkey and Balsamic Onion Quesadillas

I thought I was having a good healthy week. I’ve cooked three nights this week and really believed that I was making good choices that meant I was being super healthy. I used turkey sausage instead of regular old sausage in one recipe and on this recipe used lean turkey meat instead of ground beef. But then I realized that I’ve used CHEESE in every. single. meal. I’m not that healthy after all am I?

Quick and Easy Sweet and Sour Pork

My photography skills suck. I know, I know. It only gets worse…

After finding the recipe for Baked Panko Crusted Shrimp in my mom’s Cook Yourself Thin cookbook, I perused through to see if I could find something to make with some leftover pork chops we had in the freezer. When I found this one for Sweet and Sour Pork, I was excited! I had almost all of the ingredients already so it would cost me the price of some ketchup and a red onion and sounded delicious!

Baked Panko Crusted Shrimp

I feel like it’s been a long time since I shared a healthy recipe. My last posts were about deep fried Oreo cookie dough heart attacks and sandwiches with cheese sauce, so I am giving my cholesterol a rest and proving that I do sometimes eat like a normal human being! And it doesn’t get much healthier than this–baked, not fried, Panko crusted shrimp! The recipe came from the Cook Yourself Thin cookbook I stole from my mom so it’s legit.

This is so easy to make and it’s super quick, too! If I hadn’t over-Panko crumbed the little shrimps and didn’t have to scrape off the burnt crumbs, I would say this was a major success! It seems nothing goes perfectly smoothly…especially the first time I try out a new recipe.

Spinach and Zucchini Soup

For the holidays, we got a whole bunch of new kitchen gadgets and I’ve managed to use most of them so far except for the immersion blender! I was waiting until I found the perfect, healthy soup that would require one. I turned to the healthiest food blog I know for this one: 101 Cookbooks for her Spinach and Zucchini Soup!

It tasted so fresh! I’m not a huge fan of cilantro unless it’s concealed enough within other ingredients that it doesn’t takeover my taste buds. In this soup, it literally made the soup taste fresh and clean. I think my body felt better after consuming so much “good for you” food! The only bad thing in here was salt…and of course the bread and butter…but this was a conscious choice to ruin a perfectly healthy meal with the obvious accompaniment…and I don’t regret it. Even if it takes away some of the healthy cred I tried to establish with posting this recipe!

This soup is hardy enough to eat as a meal, I think. I was full after one bowl….and many pieces of the beget (maybe that’s why I was so full…) Either way, this soup is delicious and chock-full of healthy ingredients that your body will love. I think anything that’s green has to be good for you right? And the soup turned out to be the prettiest shade of green I’ve seen! As always, my terrible iPhone pictures do it no justice…

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• big pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 cups potatoes (2 medium) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 1/2 cups zucchini (2 medium), loosely chopped
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 4 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
• 1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
• one lemon

Directions: 

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with pinch of salt – just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt, just ten seconds or so. Now stir in the cilantro. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Whisk in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Now taste, and add more salt if needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Berry Smoothie

My favorite smoothie is simple: strawberries, blueberries and a banana made with Greek yogurt and a touch of honey.

Two of the main ingredients: bananas and blueberries gross me out like no other. I think blueberries are just funky and I don’t really care for them at all when eaten alone. And bananas are the bane of my fruit existence…if that even makes sense as I described here.

There’s no real science to this recipe: I just throw 1 whole banana, a handful of blueberries and a few strawberries into the blender with 1 cup of Greek yogurt (Trader Joe’s vanilla bean is my favorite) with a few ice cubes. I add in a little honey and blend.

I don’t care what anyone says–this is NOT a meal replacement. It’s barely a snack replacement. I had this last night and went to bed with my stomach growling. It’s tasty and healthy and all of that good stuff but it also leaves me wanting a slice of pizza an hour later.

What are your favorite fruit smoothies? I am trying to branch out a bit!