Fitness Recipes Reviewed Nutritiously Gourmet Style

This week I am taking a look into a few recipes from one of my favorite health and fitness magazines. Being a part of the Health and Wellness Industry, I am constantly reading up on new trends and new meal ideas that will keep us healthy and happy.  I love flipping through the different recipes these magazines provide, but I never actually try them. I thought, why not try a few of them and share them with my followers!

When I create a successful recipe or plan a successful menu I take the following four important points into consideration, health, flavor, time and the price. I think many people agree that when they cook for their families, significant other, kids, etc. these considerations are also in the forefront of their thoughts. Unfortunately, most of the time one trumps the other and you end up compromising your meal. That being said, whenever I recreate or review a recipe that isn’t my own I use my four points to help me decide if it is a recipe worth keeping. With the following recipes I’ve done all the work for you!  I have recreated, reviewed and of course, tasted them to give you my honest opinion on what worked and what didn't. Let’s get started!   

Mushroom & Kale with Poached Eggs
Yields: 4 servings 

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 lbs. of mixed mushrooms, chopped (I used baby bella and shiitake)

1 med. onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. tomato paste

2 tsp. chopped thyme

 ¾ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. pepper

1/3 cup Marsala wine

4 kale leaves, ribs removed, chopped 

4 eggs

4 slices of Multi-grain bread

1 garlic clove

Instructions

1.       In 12 inch skillet heat oil over medium- high heat, add mushrooms and onions. Cook until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic cook until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste, thyme, salt, pepper and wine. Cook until liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add kale and continue to cook until leave are wilted.

2.       Create four large indentations in the mushroom and kale mixture (still in the skillet). Drop a egg in each individual indentation. Cover skillet with aluminum foil and cook eggs until they have set, about 2 minutes.

3.       Meanwhile, place bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle ¼ teaspoon of oil on bread. Toast until golden brown and then rub with ½ garlic clove. Server with ragout.  

   My Review: 

 Health: This recipe is packed with two of my favorite vegetables, mushrooms and kale. Mushrooms are a great source of B vitamins including riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. All of these vitamins help to provide energy to your body by breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates.  As you already know, I have a very healthy obsession with kale. Kale is packed with a ton of cancer fighting vitamins and anti- inflammatory antioxidants.  When I recreated this recipes I actual doubled the amount of kale because, WHY NOT!?!  I chose to use red kale (which is actually a deep purple color) instead of regular kale. Red kale has all the great benefits as regular kale and added a nice color contrast to the mushrooms.  

 Flavor:  This recipe is really delicious. The mushrooms and kale have a very earthy flavor which balances well with the creaminess from the yolk in the eggs and the sweetness/acid from the Marsala wine. 

Time:  When considering prep time and cooking time, this dish took me about a total of 15-20 minutes. Healthy, delicious and easy to make!

Price: The cost of this recipe, broken down by serving was about $8.00 per person. This is a very reasonable price, especially if your alternative is going out to eat where you are guaranteed to spend 5 times this amount per person. In terms of cost, the only thing I didn’t like about this recipe was the Marsala wine, because it was the priciest thing on the shopping list. Unfortunately this product has a very unique flavor and taste, making it difficult to replace with just any wine. That being said, you can try using a sweet red wine.It will provide a slightly different flavor profile but will be equally delicious!     

Shrimp and Orzo Paella  
Yields: 4 servings

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Tbs. smoked paprika

½ medium onion, chopped

2 Tbs. pimentos, chopped

1 cup of whole wheat orzo

1 ½ cup chicken broth

1 pinch saffron threads

1tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 Tbs. Sherry

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Instructions

1.       In a large cast-iron skillet heat 1 Tbs. of oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shrimp and paprika. Cook until shrimp turn pink (I used frozen shrimp, if you choose to as well, cook shrimp until warmed). Once cooked, transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside.

2.       Heat remaining oil in cast-iron. Add onion, pimentos, and cook until onions are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add orzo, stirring once. Add chicken broth (I used vegetable broth-less sodium, more delicate flavor), saffron, salt and pepper. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. 

3.         Add sherry, removing the fond from the bottom of the pan. Remove skillet from heat. Add peas and shrimp and toss to combine until warm.

Culinary Note: Fond is from a French term, meaning bottom. In the culinary world, FOND is the “roasted bits“ found on the bottom of a pan.

My Review: 

Health:  I love this recipe in terms of its health benefits because it uses one of my favorite healthy cooking tools and incorporates a lean protein with frozen vegetables.  When you cook in a cast iron skillet, it can actually BOOST your iron intake by about 10%. Your iron levels have a major role in your energy level and brain function so any chance you get to boost your iron intake, I say GO FOR IT! Like most fish, shrimp are high in protein, low in fat and low in calories, making shrimp a great option for any Nutritiously Gourmet meal! I also loved the use of frozen peas. Using frozen vegetables is a quick and inexpensive way to add nutrition to each dish.  When vegetables or fruits are frozen they are picked at their peak of ripeness. This means you are sure to get optimal nutrition and flavor from your frozen product.   

Flavor:  Paella is traditionally made with three different types of shellfish, chicken, chorizo (a pork sausage), peas and Spanish rice. It can a heavy and calorie packed dish. This twist on paella removes more than half the fat without losing all the flavor. You will not be disappointed with this smokey, sweet meal.           

Time:  Another quick dish! With prep time and cook time this dish took me about 25 minutes. If you want to cut the time by 5 minutes, buy frozen fully cooked shrimp, thaw them and throw them in at the last 3 minutes.

Price:  In terms of price this recipe was similar to the Mushroom Ragout, costing about $7.00 per serving. One thing I did not buy for this recipe was the saffron. This ingredient can be difficult to find and costly. I really don’t like to spend a lot of money on one single ingredient that I feel does not make or break a dish. I think you can cut this item, save some money and still have a delicious meal!  

Bottom Line, these recipes are healthy, delicious and under $10 per serving so EAT UP!

WHAT'S NEXT:

I hope you all enjoyed the warm weather this past weekend but it looks like we are headed back into a Polar Vortex! Keep warm with  my hearty, healthy, Nutritiously Gourmet soup recipes.