Many of my personal training clients in LA have told me they where frustrated with plain, boring diet food. Here are five quick, delicious, and fun meals to give you energy, muscle, and over all a better body.
Open-Faced Prosciutto and Plum Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fig preserves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
- 1/3 cup (3 ounces) soft goat cheese
- 4 (2-ounce) slices country wheat bread, toasted
- 1 cup loosely packed arugula
- 2 ripe plums, cut into thin wedges
- 3 ounces very thin slices prosciutto
- 2 hard boiled eggs thin sliced
- 1 tomato thin sliced
Preparation
- Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
- Spread 3/4 ounce cheese evenly over each bread slice; divide arugula, plum wedges, eggs, tomato, and prosciutto evenly over sandwiches. Drizzle each sandwich with about 1 tablespoon fig preserves mixture.
Sweet fig preserves balance the tartness of the plums. Choose red or purple plums with bright, unblemished skin that are firm and plump to the touch.
Asian Grilled Salmon Salad
Ingredients
cooking spray
1 pound salmon, wild, steaks or filet, or other favorite fish or shrimp
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, black, ground
4 cups cabbage, Napa, chopped or shredded
4 green onion(s) , chopped
1/2 cup broccoli , chopped or sliced
1 carrot(s), peeled and grated
1 pepper(s), bell, red or yellow, chopped or julienne
1 cucumber(s), seeded and diced
1 tablespoon cilantro, fresh, chopped
1/4 avocado(s), Haas or any, as garnish
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, as garnish
1/2 cup salad dressing, Newman’s Own Lowfat Sesame Ginger
Preparation
Cut salmon into 4 equal servings . Season with salt and pepper. Spray a large non stick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Place salmon in skillet and cook for 4 minutes on each side until just cooked through. Remove to a plate to rest. In a bowl, combine cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, and green onions. Divide cabbage mixture among plates, top with salmon, add desired dressing.
Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 1/4 cups sliced mixed mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster and/or shiitake
- 4 1/4 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup dry sherry , or 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 cups low-fat milk
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 cup finely shredded Asiago cheese, plus more for garnish
Preparation
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until tender, 8 to 9 minutes. Drain, return to the pot and set aside.
- Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Put in mushrooms and Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 8 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add sherry (or vinegar), scraping up any brown bits; bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, 10 seconds (if using vinegar) or about 1 minute (if using sherry).
- mix milk and flour in a bowl; add to the skillet with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in Asiago until melted. Add the sauce to the pasta. Serve with more cheese, if desired.
Peach Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 medium fresh peaches, peeled and cubed
- 2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
- 1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- mini Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup minced fresh mint
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 5 lettuce leaves
Directions
- In a big bowl, mix together the peaches, chicken, cucumber and onion. In a blender, mix the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mint, salt and pepper. pour over chicken mixture. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Serve on top of lettuce leaves.
Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta and Spinach
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, diced
- 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
- 1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
- 3 1/4 tablespoons block-style fat-free cream cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 4 boneless center-cut loin pork chops, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Preparation
- Preheat broiler.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray pan with cooking spray. Add 2 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, tomatoes, and spinach; sauté until moisture evaporates. Remove from heat; mix in cheeses and rind.
- Cut a slit through thickest portion of each side pork chop to form a pocket. put about 1/4 cup spinach mixture into each pocket. put remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper over pork evenly. Place pork on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. mix remaining 2 garlic cloves, juice, mustard, and oregano in a bowl; stir well. Brush half of mustard mixture over pork. Broil 6 minutes; flip pork. Brush remaining mixture over pork; broil 2 minutes or until done.
DeCosimo Fitness 