Archive for the ‘meal ideas’ Category

Post Workout Pic: 
Kate Seddon – she’s a landscape designer in Melbourne
www.ksldesign.com.au

The 2 Hasty-n-Tasty ideas below are specifically for left over roast chicken which, if you are like me, you will have bought at your local chicken shop the night before because you just didn’t have time to roast it at home. And, by the way, you actually do want left overs – they’re the beginnings of another meal! 

The whole objective with the meal ideas is to provide you with a repetoire of super quick, tasty & healthy meal ideas to draw on when time is tight and energy is low. These options will provide you with the nutrition you need to re-charge your body and mind – unlike fast fatty food options which will do the exact opposite.

All I’m suggesting is that you make the wisest choice possible at every meal.  

Oh, and if you haven’t exercised today why don’t you squeeze in a quick ‘Smiler’s Workout ‘   – 5 – 10 minutes is better than nothing and you’ll feel fantastic for it  – come on, your body needs it!  

Pesto Chicken Salad

Roughly chop the cold chicken and mix with good quality pesto.
Add generous amounts of grated cucumber, chopped tomatoes and whatever lettuce or fresh leaves you’ve bought. 
Eat with a piece of toasted rye bread or crackers.  
Enjoy.

Chicken Fried Rice 

Using your favourite pan, fry – in a small amount of oil - a crushed clove of garlic, a chopped onion – any kind- and a small knob of grated ginger
Add left over chicken, rice, a handful of frozen peas & a small tin of corn kernels
Add soy sauce, lemon juice, Mirin & a few drops of sesame oil  and chilli if that’s you
Enjoy.  

There are obviously plenty more ‘left over chicken meal ideas’, what’s yours?    

Also, TOMORROW I’ll be posting a back care & stretching clip so stay in touch - subscribe ! 

 
These ‘Hasty-n-Tasty Meal Ideas’ are just IDEAS so you can add/remove whatever takes your fancy. The whole objective is to provide you with a repetoire of super quick, tasty & healthy meal ideas to draw on when time is tight and energy is low. These options will provide you with the nutrition you need to re-charge your body and mind – unlike fast fatty food which will do the exact opposite. All I’m suggesting is that you make the wisest choice possible at every meal.  

Oh, and if you haven’t exercised today why don’t you squeeze in a quick ‘Smiler’s Workout ‘!!
5 – 10 minutes is better than nothing and you’ll feel fantastic for it  – come on, you know you need it!  

Warm Potato & Tuna Salad

Peel as many potatoes as you need for the amount of mouths you’re feeding.
Cut them in to bite size pieces and steam or boil. I prefer steam.
When cooked place in a bowl & gently mix through a tin of tuna in oil (drained & broken up)
Add finely sliced spinach & rocket leaves & a small tin of 4 bean mix
Squeeze half a lemon over the salad (optional) & season to taste. 
Enjoy.

5 Minute Hearty Tomato Soup

Put a can of tomato soup in to a saucepan.
Add 1 clove crushed garlic& whatever left over vegies, pasta/rice you have in the fridge.
(If no left overs you can add frozen peas & a tin of cannelini beans or similar)
Chop & sprinkle fresh parsley/basil, season to taste
Enjoy.  

Smoked Chicken Coleslaw 

Slice a smoked chicken breast & mix through store bought coleslaw (not dressed)
Add 1/2 continental cucumber, grated & the juice of 1/2 lemon
Add a dollop of low fat coleslaw dessing/mayo (the cucumber/lemon makes a lot of juice so you won’t need much)
Freshly chopped dill really tops this off if you can get your hands on some but no biggie if you can’t.
Enjoy.

Yesterday I filmed a ‘Pantry Make-Over’ segment for A Current Affair and this is the list I gave to Debbie who graciously let me rumage through her pantry and throw a lot of stuff out. It’s also the list I use for ‘real life’ pantry make-overs so check it out and check out your pantry or better still, ask me to come and do it for you - I may be ruthless but the result is invaluable.

Smiler’s Pantry List

Bottles & Jars – oils, vinegars, condiments & spreads

• Oils: EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil
• Vinegars – your choice. (My faves are Balsamic & Mirin)
• Tomato sauce/ketchup/Barbecue sauce/Worcestershire
• Soy sauce/Tamari – salt reduced
• Favourite Asian sauces – oyster, ketjap manis etc (low fat/low salt)
• Chilli sauce/sweet chilli sauce
• Honey, Vegemite, jam, peanut butter (pure is best)
• Natural vanilla extract 

 Packets & Boxes – dry goods

• Bread – wholemeal/grain/rye
• Wholemeal pita bread – for lunches & pizza’s
• Wholegrain crackers
• Rice & corn cakes
• Pasta – wholemeal, white, corn/rice
• Noodles – rice, buckwheat, instant
• Rice – brown, Basmati, instant
• Muesli/cereals – low fat/low sugar/low GI/high fibre – as natural as possible
• Instant soup – Miso is great
• Seasonings: sea salt, black pepper, dried herbs & spices (incl. cinnamon)
• Oats
• Buckwheat pancake mix
• A selection of unsalted nuts; dry roasted almonds, raw cashews & walnuts

 Tins & Tetras   

• Tomatoes, tomato puree/sugo & tomato paste
• Low-salt stocks – in cubes, powder & liquid form. > ‘Massel’ is the brand I use
• Canned legumes: baked beans, cannellini, kidney, chickpeas, lentils
• 4 bean mix – small & medium tins. > add to just about anything
• Tuna, salmon, sardines
• Soups > tomato is mandatory in my pantry!
• Corn – small  & medium tins
• Beetroot & artichoke hearts > great for salads

 Fridge & Freezer

• Milk – low fat
• Eggs
• Cheese: tasty, feta, Parmesan
• Yoghurt – low fat natural or vanilla
• Fruit boxes in natural juice
• Salsa, tzatziki, houmos, pesto > I alternate these
• Mustard, chutney, relish
• Frozen berries – for smoothies
• Frozen vegetables: peas, mixed steam bags
• Frozen meals: Lean cuisine or similar for emergencies only (fresh is best!)
• Frozen soups & casseroles – home made
• Frozen Stock – in ice trays for use in stirfry’s/noodle dishes
• Frozen wholemeal/grain bread for jaffles & soup dippers

Top 7 Tips for a Healthy & Functional Pantry

1. Stock all the healthy items at eye level
2. Treat/junk items either low down, up high or not all all!
3. Label & date dry goods which are kept in air tight containers
4. Stock the basic dried herbs, spices & seasonings – buy/grow fresh for ‘ooompf’ with flavour
5. Keep everything towards the front – if you have deep shelves use the back space to store rarely used utensils
6. Group contents as per list  – having a pantry in order makes it so much easier to come up with meal ideas
7. Make a note on your calendar at the beginning of spring every year – ‘Pantry Clean Out’

Last Monday I wrote about my ideal week of exercise and it was one of the most popular posts I’ve done to date (‘3 ways to lift your libido’ ranks highly as does ‘The top 10 reasons for becoming a regular exerciser’).

Here is part 2 in the ‘Mantra Series’: My idea of an ideal week of eating; my hope is that it will encourage you to ‘eat well’ every week for the rest of your life and you’ll be so glad to know that eating well most definitely includes all your favourite indulgences.

Breakfast 

I start every day with a banana and a coffee (skim milk). This is part 1 of my breakfast, part  2 is my main breakfast which I usually eat when I get to work.

Most Sunday nights I make a big batch of Bircher muesli which takes me through til Wednesday. I eat it with fresh or tinned fruit.

Fruit toast is another regular breakfast of mine, just with honey & sometimes a smidgen of ABC (almond, Brazil & cashew) spread.

At least one day each week I have what I call an ‘egg pancake’. I crack 2 eggs in to a nonstick pan, break and swirl the yolks around & cook for a couple of minutes on both sides. I eat it on a piece of grainy toast with tomato sauce on.

Mid morning/afternoon snacks (only if you are physically hungry)

I rarely eat snacks because I try to ensure my breakfast and lunch take me through however if I do get hungry I usually go for a piece of fruit, a small smoothie/vegie juice/yoghurt. If you feel reallyhungry it might pay to change what you eat for breakfast, either eat a bit more or a bit better – ie. most commercial cereals don’t keep you going very long, not like a good muesli does.  

Lunch

What I choose for lunch depends on what I have on my agenda for the afternoon/evening but as a general rule I eat a ‘light lunch’ of protein and vegetables.  I will either have a salad, sushi, soup or small sandwich (the sandwiches they make these days are far too big- share it with a friend). I often take left overs to work for lunch.

Dinner

I will always have some form of protein for dinner, mostly fish, legumes & chicken, occasionally a juicy eye fillet. I have no ban on carbs for dinner however I’m careful to keep the portion size in check – no more than a cup of rice, pasta or potato is what I work on.

Drinks

Most days I have a hot water & lemon when I first get up. Throughout the day I only drink water except for a strong coffee when I get to work. I don’t have any fizzy drinks/bottled juices/vitamin waters and generally only drink alcohol on weekends (it zaps me of energy). On days when I’m working late I’ll have an organic vegetable juice in the afternoon.

Indulgences 

My favourite treats/indulgences are dips & crackers, Andrew’s hamburger/chicken souvlaki, ice cream, licorice and mint chocolate. I try to keep my treat nights to 2 per week although I do tend to have 1 piece of licorice after dinner if it’s in the house. NB. I very rarely have treats in the house.

Portion sizes

If it’s fat – I work on a teaspoon/thumb tip

If it’s ‘heavy’ carbs I work on no more than 1 cup/fist

If it’s ‘light’ carbs I work on no more than 2 cups/2 fists

If it’s protein I work on ‘palm of the hand’ size

My philosophy

Eat fresh non-processed food, varying in colour and nutritional value. Eat only what my body needs and occasionally what my mind wants. 

Bon appetite!

Love,

Smiler

Eating well is so hugely important for well being, I just can’t encourage you strongly enough to ‘do it’ daily. It’s really not that hard to do and the benefits are so worth it. If you eat well you live well; you can expect good energy levels, quality sleep, better concentration and tolerance to stressors plus it makes weight management heaps easier! 

When you eat well your skin glows, your eyes sparkle and your smile beams as you breeze happily through your day conquering your ‘to do list’ without a glitch. You’re laughing? Please, this is how my life goes everyday! Ok, I admit there are exceptions like hangovers, PMT & SPT (sole parenting tension)  but as a general rule I can testify to noticing a major difference between eating well and eating poorly.

To eat well the one thing you really you do need is ‘fore-thought’. For instance, last night I cooked enough rice for Pip & I to have for dinner as well as some for her breakfast (brown rice pudding: brown rice with soy milk and vanilla) and some for my lunch (put rice in to a container with a tine of tuna, some kidney beans, left over broccoli and a healthy drizzle of sweet chilli sauce – my current addiction).

Eating well is also about making time for food preparation. For instance, on Sunday night I cut up the fruit I bought at the market plus I made a batch of Bircher muesli which will see me through til Thursday. I also made a bolognaise sauce which I’ll use for 2 different meals and I even washed, spin dried and stored a coz lettuce ready for Pip’s lunches and a couple of nights of salad.  None of this was overly time consuming or laborious because I know my week is partially set up. I have to be especially organised because Pippa is a Coeliac.

To eat well every week you also need to be passionate about nutrition. Don’t get me wrong, I’m also passionate about the 6 C’s – cheese, chips, chardonnay, chocolate, cake & cookies – however I know I can have from time to time and enjoy them without too much consequence if I eat well everyday ( and exercise and think good things)

The Point: Eat well – feel well. Eat crap- feel crap.  It is merely a choice you make everyday.

Your Turn: I’m curious…if you don’t eat well - why don’t you? I’d really appreciate your feedback to this so that I can post some stuff to help you get on track with it.

Smiler.

SMILER’S SUPER CHICKEN MEATBALLS – by request!

Step 1. Combine the following ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Roll in to balls, whatever size you fancy. I like mine about golf ball size, smaller is good if serving with pasta or rice.

1 kilo chicken mince (I use ½ thigh, ½ breast)

½ cup chopped basil

½ cup chopped parsley

1 egg

½ cup breadcrumbs

S & P to taste

Chilli can be added if desired

Step 2. Brown the balls in a large fry pan using a good olive oil and transfer to a baking dish.

Step 3. In the same fry pan sauté:-

2 brown onions – chopped

2 cloves of garlic – crushed

Step 4. When they are soft add:-

½ cup dry white wine and let it reduce then add

500ml chicken stock

250ml tomato sugo (a good quality tomato puree)

S & P to taste

Step 5.  Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes then pour over the meatballs.

Step 6. Cover with foil and cook at about 180c for 45 – 60 minutes. It’s a good idea to check the sauce level around the 30 minute mark, if it’s low you can add some more sugo and stock.

Serve with a salad or steamed veg.

Serve with spaghetti/pasta (1 cup of cooked pasta per serve!) SERVES 6

Of course, freshly grated Parmesan is a must – delicious!

Suitable for freezing.  SERVES 4

Bon appetite!

love,

Smiler