Monday Motivational Meal - No Cook Meal - Health Gazpacho with Chicken

As we begin September and are worn out from the heat, it is hard not to get stuck in the Summer Doldrums, especially when it comes to preparing healthy meals. We have just the refreshing solution! Try our cool and inviting no cook gazpacho soup. We served ours up in Halsa with its cool hues of blue...Enjoy!

 

Get the recipe here.

 

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Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Fresh Ginger

There is nothing more refreshing than a cold soup in the summer. It can be served as a first course or as the main course for a simple supper when it is just too hot to cook or put much effort into a meal. Soups are also handy because you can make them ahead of time so all you need to do is spoon it up when you are ready to eat.

Another wonderful thing about making cold soups in the summer is all the abundance of fresh produce so the soups can be made of vine ripened seasonal fruits and vegetables. We live in the land of Rocky Ford Cantaloupe. There is nothing more juicy or sweet. They make a great cold soup and a healthy summer meal.

Cantaloupe Soup with Fresh Ginger

Ingredients~
1 cantaloupe, ripe and large, skin pre-washed before cutting
1 tablespoons ginger, grated
2 teaspoons orange zest, freshly grated
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, plain (Chobani)
⅔ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Mint for garnish
Lemon zest for garnish


Directions~
1. Place cantaloupe, ginger, orange zest and honey in a food processor or blender and puree.
2. Add yogurt and blend until smooth.
3. Next add the orange and lemon juice. Pulse just until blended.
4. Pour into a bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
5. Serve when ready and garnish with fresh mint and lemon zest.


Serves 4 - 6 (1 cup for 1st course serving; 1 ½ cup for meal serving). Calories: 100 per 1 cup.

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No Cook Meal-- Healthy Gazpacho

No Cook Meal-- Healthy Gazpacho (photo by LivligaHome)

When it is hot outside it is nice to think of cool meals, especially those that require no cooking. An easy meal for a refreshing lunch or dinner is a no cook gazpacho. It is super easy to make and can be made from fresh ingredients or can incorporate canned ingredients, depending on the time of year, or your willingness to chop tomatoes. 

The traditional base of a gazpacho is tomato. Its origins are thought to be from Andalusia, a region of Spain.  Historic conjecture has it that the soup as we know it today was developed after Columbus returned to Spain from his voyages with peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.

The health benefits of gazpacho are numerous. According to an article written by Dr. Andrew Weil, this cold soup is great for your heart. The antioxidants fight heart disease and reduce blood pressure, if eaten regularly, by as much as 27 percent. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research all the ingredients combined in gazpacho make for a powerful, cancer fighting, concoction worthy of regular consumption, any time of year.
 
No Cook Healthy Gazpacho
 
Ingredients

• ½ sweet onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 7 cups tomato (or 1- 28 ounce can diced tomato)
• 3 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Toppings

• 8 ounces cooked chicken or crabmeat (for non-vegetarian version)
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• Remaining cucumber, finely chopped
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Cut prepared cucumber lengthwise and then into quarters. Place all but two quarters into the well of a food processor. Add all other ingredients. Process until ingredients are well blended and finely chopped.
2. Chill for at least ½ hour. Divide soup into four servings. Top each serving of soup with ¼ of each topping. Serve with grilled garlic bread or baked sweet potato fries.

Serves: 4. Serving size: 1½ cup. Calories: 277 (with toppings/crabmeat). Fat 12.5g (Saturated Fat 1.9g); Sodium  507mg; Protein 10.4g; Carbohydrate 36.3g; Fiber 6.3g; Sugars 17.5g.

Re-posted from Sheila's Blog on TheEpochTimes.com.

 

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No Cook Meal—Tunafish with Wasabi Mayo Sandwich

Tunafish with Wasabi Mayo Sandwich

 

I find it very satisfying to try new combinations of flavors and also be able to clean out leftovers from my refrigerator. We often think of leftovers as "has beens" and "less than perfect" seconds. I have found that by using the leftovers in a different way they become fresh and fun and worthy of keeping and using. I tried out a new combo this past weekend for a tasty lunch.

We had some wasabi dip leftover and I thought it might make a flavorful mayo for a tunafish sandwich for a Saturday lunch for the family.

How I did it:

1 6 oz can tuna
2 Tbls Wasabi Mayo
2 stalks finely chopped celery
2 tsp capers

I mixed all of the ingredients together and then divided it into 4 servings. I toasted 2 slices of bread (90 cal/slice) per person, added a slice of tomato and the serving of tunafish salad to make the sandwich.

It was delicious! The Wasabi Mayo added a little "umph" to an otherwise typically mild dish. I calculated the calories for the sandwich to be 291. To make it a meal I added an orange (87/cal) cut in quarters. Total calorie count for the meal was 378. A definite repeat. 

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Summertime cooking- avoiding too much heat in the kitchen!

For those of you who have enjoyed reading my blog regularly, you know one of my "tricks" for healthier eating is pre-planning my menus and grocery store visits. Another approach I have, particularly in the summertime, is to pre-think my cooking in the kitchen. It can get so hot in a kitchen when you use the oven and stove top during the hot months of the year.

As an example, I needed to boil some eggs for a tunafish salad I was preparing. Since I had to fire up the stove top for a couple of eggs, I decided to go ahead and boil a few extra. The extra eggs I plan on using in a Salad Niçoise, for snacks, and for an egg salad I will use for lunch.

By doing all the eggs at once, I don't have to get the kitchen hot later. The cooking is all done ahead for more than one meal. First thing in the morning, when it is still cool out is a great time to get any cooking done in the hot summer months, I have found. In the evening, after dinner, once the sun has set can also work depending on your daily routines.

Smarter cooking in the summer allows us to still enjoy well prepared meals without suffering through the heat.

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No Cook Meal- Apricot Turkey Salad Sandwich

No Cook Meal- Apricot Turkey Sandwich (photo by LivligaHome).

This was a beautiful meal. Visually, as you can see, it was so summery and colorful. This time I went for a No Cook Meal sandwich. The Apricot-Nut Turkey-Salad Sandwich (286 cal) appealed to me because of the unusual combination of ingredients. Not often you have apricots and cashews combined with celery & raisins in a poached turkey-meat based sandwich on Pumpernickel bread. Yum! I completed the meal with cold asparagus in a vinaigrette and leftover Fresh Tomato & Pepper Salad (yes, leftovers do come in handy, especially for a No Cook dinner!). This sandwich was so good it is now on the top of our favorite sandwiches list. A definite, frequent, repeat!

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No Cook Meal- Chunky Gazpacho

It was a day for another No Cook Meal. This time my daughter took on the challenge. It is always great to find recipes she can do first thing in the morning so she can get it done and get on with her day. The cold Chunky Gazpacho (95 cal) recipe looked like it would be a good way to accomplish the "get it done and get on with it" approach to the day. We added grilled bread (159 cal) and cherries (10 cherries = 40 cal) to complete the meal for a total of 294 calories for the meal. It required some chopping but I think she would say was otherwise easy to assemble. The base is a low sodium tomato juice. It was delicious! A big hit with everyone. A definite repeat...and great for a leftover lunch...if there are any leftovers!

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No Cook Meal- Thai Beef Rolls

These No Cook Meals have been a real treat! In the midst of my summer doldrums it is so nice not to have to face a hot stove. The Thai Beef Rolls (294/cal) have ingredients you can truly buy already prepared at the grocery store. How easy is that? I added roasted beets (1 beet = 44 cal) and a mixed berry salad (1 cup = 52 cal) to complete the meal for a total of 390 calories. It didn't take much time to prepare and yet the reaction from the folks eating the meal was a "high five". Almost makes me feel guilty it was so easy! No, not really! Another hit of a meal. A definite repeat...truly good for any time of year.

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No Cook-- Prosciutto Peach & Sweet Lettuce Salad

The first of my No Cook meals was the Prosciutto Peach & Sweet Lettuce Salad. It was so delightful not to have to "slave over a hot stove" for a change in order to fix dinner! This was an easy to assemble dinner.  The fresh, ripe peaches from the Farmer's Market were delicious in the salad. Adding goat cheese and prosciutto made the salad truly scrumptious. Using sunflower seeds as a crunchy "nut" was nice and refreshingly different. I served this with a slice of Pugliese bread to complete the meal. Total calories for the meal is 379. The only thing I would do differently is add additional lettuce to make the salad a little more bountiful, one bag of lettuce seemed a little light. No one had anything left on their plates. A great success and a definite repeat...soon!

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