5 easy recipes under 15 minutes
HEALTHY DINNER IDEAS
QUICK AND EASY RECIPES
BY ASHLEY DANIELS
INSTAGRAM: @missashleydaniels
As someone who works late nights I don't have the patience or time to plan meals but I also don't want to end up at In n Out Burger a 11pm, so I came up with a list of my favorite delicious, fast and healthy recipes that I hope you'll enjoy as much as I do.
Guiltless Pasta
This guilt-free pasta is healthy enough to eat at all hours of the day--even late at night. And why? Because it's made of zucchini. You're welcome. =)
(2 Zucchini per serving)
What you will need:
2 peeled zucchinis
salt, pepper & olive oil
Prep:
Using a vegetable peeler, peel slices of zucchini in long strips and discard the seeds. Turn zucchini over and continue peeling until all the zucchini is in long strips and looks like spaghetti.
Cook:
Once all of the zucchini is prepped, grab a large skillet, turn it to medium heat and pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil in it. Add the zucchini and cook it in the olive oil for 1 minute. Then add a 1/4 cup of water and cook 5 to 7 minutes until the zucchini is soft. Season with salt and pepper.
Killer Kebabs
If you're someone who wants to entertain but all of your friends are a diverse mix of vegans, meat lovers and vegetarians then this next dish is the perfect way to please them all.
(Serves 4)
What you will need:
Bamboo skewers
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil 3 tbs
Super-firm tofu – 1 lb
Top sirloin steak – 1.5 lbs
Chicken breast – 1.5 lbs
Brown mushrooms – 8-10
White onion – 1
Pepper – 1
Balsamic Vinegar – 3 tbs
Dijon mustard – ½ tbs
Baking sheet
Tinfoil
Prep:
-Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
-Soak bamboo skewers in water to prevent them from burning during roasting
-Chop the mushrooms in half and the onions and peppers into cubes.
TIP: I buy my veggies cut and boxed from Trader Joes which saves a ton of time.
-Chop the protein and tofu into cubes
-Season the meat with salt and pepper.
Mix the dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar in a medium bowl, then whisk in the olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
-Toss the chicken, steak, tofu and veggies in the bowl until they are well coated.
-Line the baking sheet with tinfoil and assemble your skewers alternating between protein and veggie and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cook
-Place in the 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.
-If you would rather grill them, then grill on high heat for 3 minutes per side, then lower the heat to medium for 10 additional minutes.
-Always check that the chicken isn't pink inside before taking it off the grill.
Savory Eggplant Burger
If it looks like a burger and it smells like a burger, then who's to say it's not a burger? Well, with this recipe it will definitely be hard to tell the difference!
(Serves 4)
What you will need:
Salt & Pepper
Eggplant – 1
Diced Red Onion – 1
Cannelloni Beans – 1 can
Crushed Garlic – 1 clove
Diced Green Pepper – 1/4 cup
Olive Oil – 3 tspn
Breadcrumbs – 1 cup
Fresh Parsley – 1/4 cup
Hummus – 1/2 cup
Pinennuts – 1 tbsp
Cumin – 1 tsp
Food Processor
TIP: You can buy the veggies and eggplant pre-cut and boxed from your local grocery store to save time.
Prep and Cook:
-Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
-Cut the eggplant in 1/4 slices and coat with olive oil.
-Bake eggplant for 10 minutes on one side then flip and bake another 5 minutes.
-While the eggplant is cooking, pour 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a pan and cook the onions for 15 minutes on medium until they're softened.
-Once the eggplant is removed from the oven and the onions are removed from the pan, add them together in a large bowl along with the bell pepper, beans, hummus, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, cumin and a pinch of salt.
-Blend everything together in a food processor then remove and put back in bowl.
-Add the breadcrumbs to the mixture with your hands and make 4 patties.
-Turn the oven down to 400 degrees.
-Line the baking sheet with tinfoil and bake the patties for about 22 minutes and then flip and cook them for another 22 minutes.
-Remove from the oven and add the patties between two pieces of your favorite bread.
Baked Salmon & Broccoli
For those of you who love salmon but don't want to spend hours cooking it.
(Serves 4)
What you need:
Salt & Pepper
Salmon fillet – 6 ounces cut into 2 pieces
Salt & Pepper
Lemon – 1 tbsp
Fresh Parsley – 1 tbsp
Basil – 1 tspn
Garlic – 2 cloves minced
Olive Oil – 6 tbsp
Glass baking dish
Tinfoil
Broccoli florets – 1 bag
Prep:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-In a medium bowl, mix the garlic, olive oil, basil, lemon juice, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the salmon filets and coat them with the mixture.
-Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
-Remove the salmon from the fridge.
-Place each fillet in tinfoil, coat with the marinade and seal the tinfoil shut.
Cook:
-Place the sealed filets in a glass baking dish.
-Bake for 40 minutes in a 375 degree oven until they're flaky.
-While the salmon is cooking, steam the broccoli until it is tender. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Grilled Cheese with Sourdough Bread, Buttery Avocado & Gruyere Cheese
It's delicious, it's fast, it's buttery, it's crunchy and it oozes with cheese. Need I say more?
(Serves 1)
What you will need:
Avocado – 1
Butter – 2 tbsp
Sourdough Bread – 2 slices
Gruyere Cheese – 6 oz
Salt & Pepper
Prep & Cook:
-Cut avocado into thin slices and set aside.
-Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add butter to the pan.
-Coat the 2 slices of bread in the butter until they're golden brown.
-Remove the bread from the pan.
-Place the cheese on the browned side of the bread and stack slices of avocado on top of the cheese. Then repeat this until you've used up all of the cheese and avocado.
-Add the top layer of bread to the sandwich with the browned side facing down.
-Add more butter to the pan and cook the sandwich in the pan for 3 minutes on each side until the cheese melts and the bread is golden brown.