I want to eat right butam tired of food fads & dont want to go all organic. What's REAL food? Recipes welcome!

Question

I don't have the time to cook gourmet dinners and I don't have the money to buy fancy designer organic food but I also don't want to eat cheese wiz or hungry man dinners. I'm not so concerned about losing weight but I would like to feel healthy and satisfied. I just want some good tasting, healthy and wholesome real food. Help! What is real food today? What are real food recipes? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I have answered this question before, and I am confident that these are good recipes, I hope you find it helpful.

Always stock these items: pre-bagged salad, veggies (prepare them when you get home, wash, cut and store), italian dressing, pasta, rice, prepared sauces (terriaki, asian, anything you like), pre cooked chicken strips (in a bag at your grocery store, not frozen), beans (lima, chickpea, butter, anything you like), black beans, chopped garlic. BUY SPICEs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, parsley, paprika, chili powder, cumin, whatever YOU LIKE.

Now for some ideas.

On any given night, you cqan come home and take out the bag of salad, add veggies and dressing and have a chicken sald.

Saute some veggies in oil and butter, add to rice and top with your favorite sauce....stir fry.

Make pasta, add any combo of veggies, add italian dressing, chill, pasta salad.

Buy tortillas, add cooked chicken strips, cheese and veggies, roll up and chill, you have a dippable veggie wrap.

Take black beans, red and green pepper, red onion, rotel, taco packet, cumin, parsley, garlic, water, paprika, chili powder, add all together cook for an hour, instant black bean chili or nacho topping.

Italian dressing and any bean thats light....lima, chickpea, butter, add dressing and chill...yummy lunch.

Search my answers, you will find alot of stuff.

Also, you could make pasta, any shape, add any meat, cheese and spaghetti sauce and bake for 30 minutes at 350 uncovered, instant spaghetti bake...ver good left over too.

Have fun and enjoy, hope this was helpful. I love all the difficult answers you recieved!!!!!

Answer 2

HEALTHY POTATO SOUP

3 cups potatoes, cubed
1 cup water
1/2 cup carrot, sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 lb cheese, grated

Cook the vegetables (first 5 ingredients) until done. Don't drain!
Add next 4 ingredients (bouillon through cheese). Cook until thickened.

Makes 3 - 4 servings.

Answer 3

buy raw foods and cook them yourself, using little oil or salt. Get a cook book.

Answer 4

The 7-Day Menu Planner http://www.uclick.com/client/adv/mu/ is a great site that features a wide variety of foods and menus. It is written by a registered dietitian.

You don't have to go organic to eat healthyily. Think "variety" every time you plan a meal or decide what to eat. Vary up your intake of seasonal fruits, veggies, meats, condiments, breads (or wraps), and so on to glean the best they all have to offer you.

Here's a few "real food" recipes for you.

Balsamic Lemon Chicken

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. dry basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 whole boneless chicken breasts, halved

Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken. Broil in 9x13” pyrex dish for 15 minutes each side. Lest rest 10 minutes, slice in strips. Serve over salad, in wraps, or on a sandwich.
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Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Marinade:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
Vegetable oil, for grilling
Butter lettuce leaves
Fresh cilantro leaves
Peanut sauce, recipe follows

Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a shallow mixing bowl, stir to combine. Place the chicken strips in the yogurt marinade and gently toss until well coated. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at up to 2 hours.

Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle of the piece, so that it stays in place during grilling. Place a grill pan over medium heat and brush it with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Grill the chicken satays for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through. Serve the satays on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and cilantro; accompanied by a small bowl of peanut sauce on the side.

Peanut Sauce:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons red chili paste, such as sambal
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish

Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, red chili paste, brown sugar, and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Puree to combine. While the motor is running, drizzle in the hot water to thin out the sauce, you may not need all of it. Pour the sauce into a nice serving bowl and garnish with the chopped peanuts. Serve with chicken satay. Yield: 3 cups

--Tyler Florence, FoodTV
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Chinese Imperial Shrimp

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (can use chicken)
1 medium carrot, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 can bamboo shoots, drained
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp. dried red chili pepper, chopped into small pieces
1 Tbsp. oil
salt to taste

In a small mixing bowl, mix sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water and cornstarch. In wok, add oil, ginger and garlic. Stir fry in high heat. Add shrimp, stir fry until shrimp is cooked. Add onion and carrot stir fry until onion is cooked. Add bamboo shoot, stir fry for one minute. Add salt to taste Add sauce mixture and chili pepper, stir fry for one to two minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.
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Grilled Snapper Orleans, Pappadeaux
-- Houston Chronicle.

Butter Sauce:
1/2 lb. unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. Chicken Bouillon
1/4 tsp. White Pepper
3 Tbsp. Onion, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. Garlic, chopped fine
1 tsp. Oregano
3 Tbsp. White Wine
Salt to taste

Spices for fish:
1 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. White Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Thyme
1 1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder

4 (8 - 10 oz) Snapper filets
1 lb. Crawfish Tail Meat
1/2 lb. Lump Crab Meat
1/2 C. melted unsalted Butter

To make the butter sauce, allow unsalted butter to soften to room temperature. Combine all other ingredients with butter and blend till smooth. Refrigerate until needed. To make the spice mix, combine all spice ingredients and mix well. Place in a spice shaker. Preheat oven. Melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and brush the belly side of each fillet evenly. Sprinkle spices on fish. Place fish on grill belly side down and repeat this step for the opposite side of fish. Frill each side approximately 3 to 4 minutes. While fish is cooking, melt half of the refrigerated butter sauce from the first step in a sauté pan. Add crawfish and crabmeat to sauté pan and stir occasionally until hot. Set aside. When the fish is ready, reheat the butter sauce and add additional butter sauce from the first step to make the sauce creamy. Serve sauce immediately over the fillets.
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Brisket with Carrots and Onions

6 to 7 pounds beef brisket
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
8 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks
6 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
6 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 (46-oz.can tomato juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the brisket in a heavy roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Rub the mixture on the brisket. Pile the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves on the brisket and pour in enough tomato juice to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat and vegetables. Cover the top of the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, then with aluminum foil. (The tomato juice will react unpleasantly with the aluminum foil if they touch.)
Bake for 3½ hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the pan and keep it warm. Place the pan on 2 burners and boil the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for another 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.

To serve, slice the meat across the grain. Serve with the vegetables.

--Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa