During the transition from late summer to early fall, many of us want to spend as much time outside as possible, and that means less time in the kitchen. To help you take advantage of this beautiful time of year, we’ve rounded up some healthy meals that come together in 30 minutes or less.
The best part? These meals all use simple produce that can be easily substituted to fit your preferences, or can also be adapted to work with whatever you have left in the fridge.
Shrimp and asparagus pasta recipe
This healthy pasta dish proves that simple recipes don’t have to be boring. Besides the protein you’re getting from shrimp, asparagus is a vegetable loaded with fibre, and vitamins A, C and E – making this dish just as nourishing as it is delicious!
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 oz farfalle (bow tie) pasta
- 1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice + zest from ½ lemon
- 1 lb medium shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and pasta, and cook al dente, roughly 10 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare other ingredients.
- Place a large skillet on the stove and add oil, lemon juice and zest to skillet, bring to medium-high heat. Add asparagus and sauté for two minutes. Stir often.
- Stir in shrimp and garlic. Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes or until shrimp is no longer grey.
- Stir in parmesan, parsley, and 1 tbsp of pasta water.
- Drain pasta and add to skillet, stir to mix everything together.
- Add salt, pepper and an extra squeeze of lemon if desired. Enjoy!
Healthy chicken cobb salad
This recipe is a healthier take on the classic cobb salad. Swap out some of the usual heavy ingredients of a cobb salad for tasty pieces of juicy chicken, blue cheese, creamy avocado, eggs, corn and fresh greens.
Note: the original recipe doesn’t include a dressing (thanks to the creaminess of the avocado and cheese).
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 12 oz chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 10 grape tomatoes, cut in half
- ½ cup corn, canned or cooked
- ½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
- 4 cups of greens of choice
Directions
- Grill the chicken breasts on your stovetop (with your choice of oil) for roughly 10-15 minutes per side. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces once finished cooking.
- While chicken is cooking, bring a pot filled with one inch of water to boil and add the eggs. Lower heat and let simmer for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove eggs, take off shells and cut eggs into smaller pieces.
- Slice avocado and tomatoes.
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl or divide between four plates. Add dressing if desired. Enjoy!
Tip: when picking your lettuce, opt for nutrient-filled dark green lettuces like arugula, spinach and kale. Also, quickly cool your eggs before peeling the shells off by running them under ice cold water after boiling.
Tofu stir fry
Not only is this recipe easy to prepare, but it’s extremely versatile. You can make it with any type of vegetable you have on hand and choose to serve it on its own or with a grain base like rice or noodles. Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free soy sauce and hoisin sauce.
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
Stir fry
- 1 pack extra-firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2-3 tbsp avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup broccoli florets
Stir fry sauce ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tbsp honey (substitute maple syrup for vegan)
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Serve with rice or rice noodles.
Directions
- Mix all sauce ingredients in a small dish. Place to the side.
- Put a large pan on the stove, add oil and bring to medium-high heat.
- In a separate bowl, toss the tofu cubes and cornstarch together, evenly coating the tofu.
- Add coated tofu to pan, let the tofu cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.
- Push tofu to the side. Add a little more oil on the pan, cook onion and garlic for about 2 minutes.
- Add vegetables to the pan and cook for roughly 3-4 minutes.
- Mix the tofu back into the veggies, add sauce to the pan and stir.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tip: gently press the liquid out of your tofu with a paper towel or cheesecloth before cooking to keep it firm.
Did you try one of these recipes? Share your final dish on social media and tag us @UHN.foundation!