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Healthy Meals for Busy Evenings

Maybe you’re wondering why I haven’t posted anything lately on my rapid weight gain. Maybe you were suspecting that I’ve been working hard behind the scenes, and right about this time I’d surprise you with a big “reveal,” showing how I cracked the code to my stunted metabolism and shed the 12-ish pounds I gained last year. And maybe you’re hoping to see some stunning “before” and “after” pictures just in time for swimsuit season, modeling my new svelte physique followed by a Fitness Friday post full of tips, tricks and recipes that aided me in my weight-loss success.

Or maybe you were suspecting that absolutely nothing has changed, except that I can’t seem to work in time to visit my personal trainer to save my life, thus, I’ve been seizing opportunities to workout whenever possible and accumulating an unprecedented amount of unused (non-refundable/non transferable) personal trainer visits. Maybe it’s just that I decided for a time that I didn’t want to fixate my thinking on those stubborn pounds and instead focus on other, more pressing matters, like what am I going to fix for dinner since my kids are playing ball four nights a week, and who in the world do I want to win American Idol now that my two favorite contestants made it to The Finale?!?!

That was a seventy-one word sentence, right there.  You’re welcome.

Well, I haven’t cracked the code on my stunted metabolism, nor do I know who I want to win American Idol (though Crystal IS from my hometown!). But I DO have some yummy and healthy meal ideas when weeknights get busy but I still want to make something healthy.
The first one is probably the only main dish I make right now that my entire family LOVES. I mean, no one complains. Everyone gets excited. When you are feeding a family of five, this NEVER happens. Except when you make this:
Easy and Healthy Chicken and Dumplings
(or as Elliana-age 3-says, “dum-pull-lins”)
3 or 4 fresh or frozen chicken breasts
8 cups organic/free range chicken broth, divided
1-2 cups fresh or frozen veggies of your choice
(I like fresh, whole baby carrots or frozen mixed veggies)
For the “dum-pull-ins”:
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour (you may use all whole wheat flour, if you prefer)

1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, chilled
½ cup water
Additional salt and pepper to taste
In a crock pot, cook chicken in 4 cups broth on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours. Or if you are in a hurry, you could boil the breasts in the broth until cooked through, about 30 min, but I like how tender they get in the crock pot. Remove cooked breasts from broth and set aside.

Skim broth until clear and add the remaining 4 cups. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, prepare the dumplings. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well by hand. Then cut up the butter into very small cubes, and in batches, distribute throughout the flour mixture with your hands. Add water and knead 8-10 times with your hands, until well- combined.

Roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch and cut into 1-inch squares.

Add the veggies of your choice to the boiling broth and bring back to boil. Next, drop the dumplings into the boiling broth. If you prefer, you can drop the dumplings into the broth by small spoonfuls instead of cutting. I’ve done it both ways.
Bring it back to a boil and then reduce to simmer and cover for 10 min.
While dumplings and veggies are simmering, cut the chicken into small cubes or shred—whichever you prefer. Add to broth and stir gently so as to not break the dumplings. Add additional salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Serve with a fresh green salad. The entire meal, including the salad with dressing is just over 500 calories.

This recipe serves about 6. It works well for a make-ahead recipe for reheating later in the day or even the next day. It also works well if you put it all back into the crockpot to keep warm and serve later in the day. Tastes even better the following day as leftovers.

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My second little healthy/quick meal trick is more of a side dish or a healthy snack to tide kids over until dinner, but again, one my entire family LOVES. I serve it as a side to pizza, tacos, chicken nuggets—any meal where I feel the need to add a punch of nutrition but still want to make it fun and tasty. I also give it as an after-school snack or something before bed after a late ball game game. I drink one after a hard work out or on-the-go when I don’t have time to sit down to eat.

What can this miracle meal be????
Fruit Smoothies!!
I make mine different every day depending upon what I have on hand, but it basically looks like this:

Frozen berries ( Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries)
Banana or pineapple (these two fruits provide sweetness so you don’t need sugar)
Skim milk or non-fat vanilla yogurt
Blend and serve!

Some yummy variations:
1. Add orange juice, apple juice or grape juice instead of milk for a slushy (instead of creamy) consistency.
2. Use fresh fruit instead of frozen and add a handful of ice.
3. Use other fruit, like oranges, cantaloupe and mango.
4. Add a scoop of vanilla meal-supplement/protein powder for added vitamins.
5. Add a handful of spinach for a burst of nutrition with no added flavor. No kidding. You can’t taste it—and neither will your children.
6. Add a big spoonful of peanut butter for protein.

Of course, you can add a big spoonful of peanut butter to almost anything and make it good. But then you will add a ton of calories and start to gain weight…which brings me back to my 12-ish pounds….uuugggghhh!!!

Thanks for never missing an adventure!