Full Healthy Menu For Friends Party

Before you decide that a “healthy barbecue” sounds about as fun as actually working on Party or labour day, check out HealthyLife. Our surf-and-turf options are sure to make any carnivore/pescetarian drool, and we’ve got vegetarians covered, too, with our watermelon salad, guac, couscous and cucumber salad. And before you break out the beer cooler or decide you’re going to drink the tears you’re shedding over summer’s end, check out our Gin Gin cocktail. We’ve got something for everyone without skimping on nutrition or taste. (Note: Make sure your grilling this weekend is eco-friendly.

Skillet Chicken and Shrimp Paella

Ingredients

•  4 teaspoons canola oil
•  12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size strips
•  1 small red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips
•  1 small green sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips
•  1 medium onion, chopped
•  2 garlic, minced
•  1 14 1/2 - ounce can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes
•  3/4 cup frozen peas
•  1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
•  1/2 teaspoon paprika
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  1/4 teaspoon black pepper
•  1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
•  1/8 teaspoon ground saffron or ground turmeric
•  1 8.8 - ounce package cooked brown rice or 2 cups cooked brown rice
•  6 ounces frozen, peeled cooked shrimp, thawed

Directions

1.  In a large skillet heat half of the oil. Cook chicken strips in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet. Set aside.
2.  Add remaining half of the oil to the skillet. Add sweet pepper, onion, and garlic to skillet; cook and stir until peppers and onion are tender. Add undrained stewed tomatoes, frozen peas, oregano, paprika, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and saffron or turmeric. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
3.  Stir in the brown rice, shrimp, and cooked chicken. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Makes 4 servings (1-1/2 cups each).

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Servings Per Recipe: 4
PER SERVING: 349 cal., 8 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 132 mg chol., 371 mg sodium, 35 g carb. (5 g fiber, 10 g sugars), 34 g pro.

Diabetic Exchanges

Lean Meat (d.e): 3.5; Vegetables (d.e): 1.5; Starch (d.e): 2

Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup

Whenever I talk to someone about shopping in bulk, I always start with lentils. Good protein, easy to cook, and are a staple in my kitchen. This recipe was made on a very snowy evening when I couldn’t leave the house to grab extra ingredients but the base/recipe I adapted from was Heidi’s Coconut Red Lentil Soup. 

Crunchy Taco Kale Salad.

Hello and why don’t you do a salad bowl dive?

In what is perhaps the most shocking plot twist of this four-day old year so far is that I’m not just eating kale salad because the year is only four days old. For once, I’m not being a total cliché… well, at least not THAT much of a total cliché.

If you follow me on snapchat or instagram, then you know that we’ve been eating these huge kale salads at least once – and sometimes twice! – a week for a few months.

With my absolute favorite and the one that sealed the deal for Eddie, being this one. Greek yogurt Caesar kale salad. At this point I could probably make it with my eyes closed.

Two salads come to mind when I think of the salads that made me be okay with eating salads.

You know what I mean. Like actually eating salads and enjoying them and loving them and not wishing there could be some magic voodoo explosion that turns your lettuce and shredded carrot bag mix into a bacon cheeseburger or pizza slice come 12:30 on every Monday.

And Tuesday.

Crab and Avocado Grilled Cheese

Uh-oh. Looks like I’ve entered an eating contest. It won’t be for hot dogs. It won’t be for pie and it’s not for chicken wings. SERVES: MAKES 2 SANDWICHES

Ingredients

• 4 slices sourdough bread
• 2 slices Havarti cheese
• ½ avocado, pitted and sliced
• 8 ounces fresh snow crab meat
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Instructions

1. Spread ½ tablespoon of butter on one side of each slice of the bread, then stack buttered sides together. Cut the Havarti slices in half and layer 1 half slice on top of each bread stack, then a few slices of avocado, then half of the snow crab on each bread stack then the remaining Havarti cheese slices. Place bread buttered side down in a fry pan over medium heat. Cover with a lid and let cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and flip sandwich to the other side and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bread is toasty golden and cheese has melted. The second side will cook faster than the first so watch carefully.
3. Cut in half and enjoy hot.

Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup seasoned, dried breadcrumbs
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 cup spaghetti sauce