Posts tagged healthyrecipes
Chicken Schnitzel From Scratch

I don't eat a whole lot of bread but when I do buy it, it's that really dense, unprocessed, expensive stuff that's low GI goodness. Particularly on a weekend, I love grabbing an avocado and a couple of boiled eggs and popping them onto two pieces of rye toast. That there is my porn! "Get a life, Jason" . Washed down with a long black or two, that to me is perfection. I'm a simple guy...

But what do I do with the rest of the loaf? It will be stale bread by next weekend so it usually ends up in the freezer. But wait, I have an idea...

If you know anything about me, you'll know I LOVE chicken schnitzel. The problem is when you get it from the pub, it's deep fried and calorie-laden. That's why I prefer to make and bake it in the oven at home where I can eat more chicken and less shitty, cheap oil.

Usually I use just inexpensive, white breadcrumbs. I see them as a commodity that's like flour or sugar - "just get the cheap one". But would my schnitties taste better if I was to use a healthier bread? At minimum, it helps me use up the left over and I'm all about trying to use fresh ingredients I already have rather than buying more and more stuff. 

Well guys, I've got to tell you, the outcome was tremendous. It's hard to get baked schnitzels to taste exactly the same as their fried cousins but these were the bomb. Super-moist, it's almost as if somehow the home-made crumbs kept the chicken more succulent.

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Salmon Got Speared

I've grown up in a family that eats seafood on a frequent basis. Some of my fondest memories are of Dad taking my brother and I fishing as kids. We'd go out for 5-6 hours and have an absolute ball, whether we caught fish or not. I can also remember Dad going absolutely bananas when our lines got tangled... haha! He hated that but he's calmed down is his old age!

That childhood experience of fishing with the old man gave me an appreciation of two things:

  1. The opportunity we have to be able to source fresh, healthy seafood from our own means and the importance of preserving that opportunity by paying attention to size and quantity quotas. 
  2. That cooking seafood need not be hard at all. While we may pay hundreds to eat at a flash seafood restaurant, often you can cook a fillet of fish at home that is just as delicious, for a fraction of the cost. 

This recipe is an illustration of this. Could it not be any simpler to prepare a healthy, delicious dinner? I think not. 

Salmon is well known as a fantastic protein food to include on a weekly basis. It's heathy fat profile makes it great for the heart and when prepared properly, it's supportive of healthy weight management. Try this one as a quick meal this week; 20-25 minutes and you're done!

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Panko-Crusted Stuffed Chicken Breast

"PROTEIN-BIRD" - such an ugly creature that provides so much love to humans, chicken is just the tits! Low fat, high protein - it's the perfect choice food for those wanting to manage their weight without eating cardboard. Blokes generally don't like eating cardboard. 

Our favourite fowl is so versatile and I recon we should take a moment to appreciate just how lucky we are to have this god-given creature for our consumption. I say that with a half-tongue in cheek, but with also a serious belief that we as humans, should aim to connect more with our food. Where it comes from, how it's farmed, how it's treated. Having this consciousness makes you appreciate meal times that much more!

So this dish was a very simple, on-the-spot idea! So that means you too can whip it together in less than 10 minutes prep time and about 20 minutes of cooking. I am always worried about cooking chicken and making sure it's not still pink. Yet at the at same time, make sure you pull it out after 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven so your perfect little chicken pocket doesn't become dry!

Enjoy it guys...

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Coriander and Lime Slow-Cooked Chicken Wraps

Sure, slow cookers tend to be the domain of winter. True! But for some reason, I woke today and just felt like slow-cooked chicken wraps. By now, you're probably aware that I love lime and coriander as a combo and here's just one more example. 

Slow-cooked dishes are just so easy. Get a bunch of ingredients, tip them all in the cooker, cover and walk away Then, 6-8 hours later, come home and smell the deliciousness wafting up the stairs. Too bloody good! 

Slow-cooked dishes can also be super-healthy if you are using decent cuts and trimming some of the excess fat. In the case of chicken, simply trimming the visible white fat does the job and you're left with a tasty-as, shredded meat that can be eaten freely with rice or added to a wrap. 

The best part? As the left-over shredded meat soaks in its juice for a day or so, it just gets better. This recipe gives you enough for a good few sessions!

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Lime and Chilli Chicken With Black Rice

I don't know what it is, but the combination of lime, chilli and coriander gets me juicy! It smells like summer, feels fresh and healthy, and tastes the tits. 

The cool thing is that these three ingredients go so well with any "meat dish" - pork, lamb, beef, chicken, prawn or fish! I even had it with kangaroo a few nights back. You just marinade whatever meat you choose in these three ingredients plus some garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and BANG, you're on! 

In this recipe, I've used chicken and matched it with an avocado and tomato salad and some deliciously healthy black rice! Gosh, I guess this is a sign I'm getting old! Saturday night in with a meal for one?? haha! 

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Coffee-Infused Chia Pods

I love coffee and I'm an advocate of the benefits of caffeine in moderate amounts. Pair it with the delicious texture of chia seeds and you've got the perfect snack or dessert. 

So what are chia seeds? Derived from the South American plant Salvia Hispanica, chia seeds give true bang for their buck in a nutrient sense. In fact, 30g of chia provides around 12g of fibre, nearly 5g of protein and 5g of Omega-3 healthy heart fat! Add to this the fact that they are a super-antioxidant food and at only a moderate calorie contribution, there's a reason why the popularity of this innocuous little bugger has spiked. 

When you see chia pods in a supermarket being charged at around $5 a small tub, it would be right to assume that there's a fair bit to making them. NOT SO! I want you to try making this simple recipe! The chia forms a gel when soaked in a liquid and takes on the flavours of whatever you submerge it in. GET AMONGST!!!

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Fried Egg Rice Cakes

Sometimes you don't feel like a whole meal huh? You're peckish but a snack will hit the mark just perfectly. The issue is, so many of us will grab for that packet of chips or cheese and crackers. As an indulgence, that's cool but if this becomes your norm, weight management will always be an issue. 

So try on this simple snack idea. It'll take literally 5 minutes to do up and is one of those super tasty, super simple things you'll ask yourself why you've never done before. 

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Berry Bash Bowl

I remember the first "bowl" I ever had was in Bali at the famous Nalu Bowls near Single Fin in Uluwatu. I'd always thought of these as kind of 'girly' but one taste got me hooked. I'd joined the "superfood rebellion". Haha! Not...

I've got to say, I don't really believe in the concept of superfoods being magic silver bullets to health as that little magazine in the Sunday paper may have you believe. I do however believe in nutrient density and the fact that some foods are just packed with goodness if you eat them in their rawest state. 

The thing about acai, chia and other bowls is that in Australia, they cost you and arm and a leg to buy. Interestingly though, when you have the ingredients, they are super easy to make and the PERFECT anecdote for a hot summer day. 

To demo what I mean, check out this simple recipe below...

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Almond Butter Squares

Every now and then you have got to treat yourself huh! What fun is life without a little indulgence? Well these Almond Butter Squares are just the tits and the perfect way to cap off a top day. I'm eating mine right now with a cup of tea whilst I write! 

The recipe is super simple and will be ready to devour in no time! Sure, these are not an every day food but what's life without a little indulgence huh? 

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Panko-Crusted Honey Mustard Salmon

So when your mate puts on you at the gym that he's very hungry and has nothing to eat, what do you do? Of course, you offer him dinner at your pad - with one condition: he must cook. 

So in this simple but tasty recipe, I've got hold of my buddy Keil and commissioned him to whip up dinner for the two of us. Like a dancer with two left feet, his cooking skills are moderate at best. But when you cook in JS's kitchen, shit goes down! 

Salmon has got to be my favourite fish. It's proper BANG for the buck. High in both protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fats, it's muscle and brain food. And it's so versatile - this recipe is just the start of my salmon collection! 

Enjoy... J

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Paleo Nutty Bread

Is this the sexiest thing you've ever laid eyes on? Yeah, I think so. Judging by the instant "Give Me That Now" response that I got through Instagram when I first posted it, I know you've been hanging for this one...

My inspiration for this recipe is an AWESOME cafe in Newcastle, Australia called Talulah Bar where I recently had breakfast and after tasting their one, I came up with my own take on it! Here you go!

High in heart healthy fats and protein, put simply, you need this in your life!

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Tomato Baked Eggs

Breakfast or dinner, eggs are my healthy 'go to'. But have you ever thought about the fact that at most cafes, you'll pay around double what it costs you to make them at home? Well this is what inspired me to cook this one. I could either go and pay $20 to have it done for me or have a go at making it at home for an easy, cheap dinner at half the price. 

This simple recipe requires minimal ingredients and will take only 25-30 minutes to get together. 

And for you Instagrammin', hashtaggin' Facebookers, the end product is a very sexy looking dish to take pics of and share for a little social proof of your cooking skills...

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