Time Saver – Page 2 – Get Cooking Healthy!

Roasted Turkey Thighs & Potatoes with Broccoli

Posted on April 30, 2013January 22, 2018 by Lisa P

Serves 2-4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hr 30 minutes

This weeknight meal is so effortless, it practically makes itself! If you use very large thighs you will have leftover meat to use in another meal later in the week.

Ingredients

1 package of (2) turkey thighs
1-2 Tbsp steak or other rub-type seasoning blend
2 baking potatoes (white or sweet)
1 bunch of broccoli (or replace with green beans or zucchini or salad or whatever greens you like)
olive oil
Salt & pepper or other desired seasoning
Potato fixings: Butter, chives, sour cream or plain greek yogurt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375F on convection, or 400F on regular.
Scrub the potatoes under running water, and wrap them in squares of tinfoil. Puncture with a sharp knife in several places. Set aside.
Remove turkey thighs from package and cut away any excess fat or loose bone materials.
Put the thighs skin-side up on a cutting mat or kitchen towel. Sprinkle with the seasoning mix and lightly rub the seasoning into the turkey.
Dribble some olive oil onto a small roasting pan. Place the thighs skin side down in the pan and sprinkle the exposed side with the seasoning. Lightly rub the seasoning in with your fingers.
Place the pan in the oven, along with the potatoes and set a timer for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, turn the thighs over (skin side up now) and rotate the potatoes. Set the timer for another 30 minutes.
Prep your broccoli (or other green vegetable) by trimming off the hard ends and little leaves, and cutting into mouth-sized pieces. Put into a sauce pan with a quarter inch or so of water in it (or use a steamer), and cover.
When the turkey and potatoes are done remove them from the oven and set aside.
Put a clean towel over the turkey (not foil).
Cook the broccoli about 6 minutes or until crunchy tender.
Serve all! Put some butter, plain greek yogurt (or sour cream), and salt and pepper on the table for dressing the potatoes.

Photos

Step 5 – Put turkey in pan.

Step 6 – Put turkey and potatoes in oven.

Nutrition Info

Oops, not here yet. Coming soon!

EZ Tri-Tip Roast Beef Stew (Slow Cooker)

Posted on April 19, 2013January 22, 2018 by Lisa P

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients

2 1/2 pound pre-marinated stew meat
- (I like the Asada Tri Tip roast from Trader Joe’s)
1 pound baby red potatoes cut in half or quarters
1 pound carrots, scrubbed and cut into large pieces
1 sweet onion cut into large slices
1 jalapeno, seeded and cut into 1 inch strips
4-5 garlic cloves, green shoots removed and chopped coarsely

Directions

Prep all ingredients as indicated in the ingredients list.
Place potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, & jalapeno in a large slow cooker (in that order).
Add meat and marinade juices into the cooker, directly on top of vegetables.
Add 1/4 C red wine or water into the roast bag. Roll the open end over to close it, and give it a shake (over the sink in case it leaks). Pour the liquid over the roast and discard bag.
Cover the cooker and turn to high setting. Cook on high for two hours then reduce heat to low and cook another 4 to 6 hours. The vegetables will be just tender, and the roast should be tender but not falling apart.

Photos

Step 1 – Prep Veggies

Step 2 – Add veggies to cooker.

Step 3 – Add meat to cooker.

Step 5 – Cook and serve.

Nutrition

Oops, coming soon!

Healthy Tip: Scrubbing Carrots

Posted on April 14, 2013April 18, 2013 by Lisa P

I grew up thinking potatoes and carrots needed to be peeled before eating. Somewhere along the way we woke up and realized that potato peel was good for us and we started eating potatoes with the skin on.

So how many of you still peel your carrots? Did you know that peeling carrots is not only unnecessary, but it strips MOST of the nutrition from the carrot!

I use an old Dobie which I’ve retired from dish cleaning duty after it gets too many tears. I usually cycle through them about once a month. You could use any plastic scrubber that fits comfortably in your hand.

Wrap the wetted scrubber around the carrot and simply rub up and down a few times. Then flip it over and do the other end. 10 seconds per carrot, and voila! If you do the whole thing in the sink it goes very fast.

When you’re done, leave the scrubber out to dry and then store it in a plastic baggy under your sink. I use the same scrubber for potatoes, carrots, and parsnips.

Scrubbing carrots is so easy, you’ll never go back to peeling. Making a beef stew the other day I had to clean a pound of carrots. They were pretty thin carrots, and peeling them would have taken me about 10-15 minutes and also would have left me a mess of peels to clean up. Scrubbing them took about 2 minutes and left zero mess.

Storing Fresh Bread

Posted on March 26, 2012December 19, 2017 by GrandmaJo

Whenever you have fresh-baked bread, let it cool completely before storing it in a plastic bag, ortherwise you’ll get moisture in the bag and the bread will absorb it & soften the crust.

Once I’ve cooled my bread, I cut a few slices and put a couple in a sandwich bag for easy access. I put the rest of the loaf in a bread bag and then suck all the excess air out with a straw before twist-tying it. Both bags go in the freezer. The couple slices thaw quickly for toast in the morning.

Quick and Healthy Steamed Zucchini Recipe

Posted on March 3, 2012March 8, 2018 by Lisa P

Steaming Zucchini — Zucchini, Ready to be Steamed

There are lots of ways to cook zucchini, but the most important thing to remember about cooking vegetables, especially the summer squash variety, is to cook it as little as possible.

I used to cook zucchini by sauteing it with oil and butter in a frying pan and then sprinkling it with salty parmesan cheese. Delicious? Yes! Filled with calories? You betcha!

How I cook zucchini now is not only a lot lower in fat and calories, it actually tastes better because I can taste the yummy and unique flavor of the vegetable instead of just the cheese.

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchinis (preferably organic) Continue reading “Quick and Healthy Steamed Zucchini Recipe” →

What Does “Cooking Healthy” Mean?

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Lisa P

Who do you know who’s NOT busy these days?

One of the first things we sacrifice when life gets too busy is our health. We push off doctors appointments, we postpone the morning walk, we work late and skip the gym, we stop at Subway on the way home and convince ourselves we’re eating healthy.

Eating a yogurt for lunch at your desk is not healthy. I actually know people who keep a stash of peanut butter crackers (yup, the packaged kind you get from the wholesale grocery store) in their desk drawer because they usually don’t have time for lunch.

Eating this way will hurt you. It will sap your energy and rob you of the nutrition your body needs to stay healthy.

Cooking Healthy is about quickly and (almost) effortlessly preparing your own food so that you can …

know exactly what you are putting into your body
be prepared with something good to eat when you run out of time
spend less time in the kitchen
have more energy
lose weight
feel happier about yourself
save money on food bills

Cooking healthy is not only about cooking. By planning ahead, using time-saving techniques, and focusing on preparation, the cooking part becomes nearly effortless. In some cases there’s no actual cooking involved.

So come on in and look around. I’m here to help you, so please ask questions. I hope you’ll also feel free to comment on what you read here. I’d love to hear your story, your thoughts, and your ideas for how to make things work better for you specifically.

Thanks for coming!

Lisa