Simple Recipes: Healthy and Fast Recipes

Cooking doesn't have to be a time-consuming hassle. These days, there are plenty of healthy recipes that you can prepare in a matter of minutes. To make your life even easier, many grocery stores now offer a number of items to make cooking as simple as possible. From rotisserie chickens to packaged stocks and broths to pre-chopped fresh fruits and vegetables, there are a number of ingredients available to make meal time a breeze!

Fast Recipes: The Well-Stocked Kitchen

In order to prepare fast and easy recipes, there are a few items that you should always keep on hand in your kitchen. By regularly stocking the following, you'll be able to cook up a fast and healthy meal in no time!

Freezer

• frozen fruit (any of your favorites)
• frozen vegetables, including spinach and corn.

Pantry

• balsamic vinegar
• canned or boxed chicken broth
• canned beans
• canned tomatoes
• couscous
• extra-virgin olive oil
• flour
• garlic bulbs
• honey
• hot sauce
• jams and jellies
• nuts
• onions
• pasta (a variety of dried pastas)
• peanut butter
• potatoes
• rice
• sugar
• vegetable oil
• Worcestershire sauce.

Refrigerator

• bacon
• butter
• cheeses
• eggs
• ketchup
• lemons
• milk
• mustard
• soy sauce.

Spices

• bay leaves
• cayenne pepper
• chili powder
• ground cinnamon
• ground nutmeg
• salt
• paprika
• pepper
• vanilla extract or vanilla beans.

With the above ingredients on hand, you'll be able to create a number of delicious and healthy meals without making a trip to the grocery store.

Simple Recipes: Dinner in Minutes!

Once you've stocked you're kitchen, you're ready to get cooking. Here are a few healthy recipes that you can create with minimal effort and very little time. To make things easier for you, in all of the recipes we've included ready-made ingredients that you can pick up from your local grocery store.

Brenda's Low-Fat Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 2 rotisserie chickens, breast meat diced, dark meat reserved for another use
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup no-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sliced red grapes
• 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers
• 1 tsp. pre-chopped garlic (You can typically find this in the produce section of your grocery store.)
• salt and pepper to taste
• whole-wheat bread and/or crackers for serving

Directions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.
3. Serve on toasted whole wheat bread or on whole-wheat crackers.

Spicy Thai Noodle Bowls

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken, breast meat diced, dark meat reserved for another use
• 1 lb. pre-cooked, shelled shrimp
• 3 cups shredded cabbage, preferably Napa cabbage
• 1 cup pre-shredded carrots
• 1 cup sliced red peppers
• 1/2 cup sliced onion, preferable red onion
• 1 English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced on a bias
• 1 bottle low-fat sesame dressing (You can typically find this in the salad dressing section of your grocery store.)
• 8 ounces thin rice noodles, prepared according to the package's directions
• 1/3 cup pre-chopped roasted peanuts, for garnish
• sliced green onions, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Combine the salad dressing with the ingredients in the bowl until everything is well coated or coated to your taste.
3. Divide the noodles between four bowls.
4. Top the noodles with the salad.
5. Top with chopped peanuts and sliced green onions.

Chocolate Banana Egg Rolls

Ingredients

• 4 pre-made egg roll wrappers (These are usually found in the dairy section of your grocery store.)
• 1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp. water
• 1 bottle chocolate syrup
• 2 bananas (ripe, but not overly ripe), cut in half
• 1 cup canola oil
• powdered sugar, for garnish
• vanilla bean ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Unfold the egg roll wrappers and place on a cutting board.
2. Lightly brush the edges of the wrappers with the egg wash.
3. Squirt a line of chocolate syrup down the center of the wrappers, leaving a small border along the edges.
4. Place a banana half in each wrapper.
5. Wrap the rolls as you would a burrito, folding in the short ends before rolling one long end toward the other.
6. Heat the oil in a skillet. Do not allow the oil to start smoking.
7. Gently fry the rolls, turning frequently, until golden and crispy.
8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with additional chocolate syrup.
9. Serve with vanilla ice cream.