Jessica's Healthy Recipes

Healthy omelette

2008-05-26T18:57:00.006+01:00

Ingredients:

1 spoon of olive oil

3 eggs (3 whites and 2 yolks)

2 spoons of chopped parsley

1 chopped fresh tomato

a little salt and pepper

Cooking instructions:

Beat together the eggs and season with little salt and pepper

Heat a small non-stick pan over medium-high heat

Put the oil in the pan and pour in the egg mixture

As the mixture sets at the edges, with a wooden spatula, gently push cooked portions toward the centre

Tilt and rotate the pan to allow uncooked egg to flow into the empty spaces

When egg is almost set on surface but still looks moist cover one half of the omelette with the tomatoe and the parsley

Slip the wooden spatula under the unfilled side, fold the omelette in half and slide onto a plate

Enjoy!!!

Jessica

Healthy fish soup italian style

2008-02-10T17:53:00.000Z

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 leeks , cleaned and sliced
2 cloves of garlic , minced
1 onion , peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks , chopped
250 g mushrooms , sliced
1 ltr fish stock
250 g tinned tomatoes
150 ml dry white wine
450 g white boneless fish , cod, sea bass or monkfish, cut into small chunks
900 g mixture of crab, shrimp and mussels
fresh parsley , chopped
salt , to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Cooking instructions:

Heat up the olive oil in a large pot and add the onions, garlic, leeks, celery and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are clear and soft

Next add the stock, tinned tomatoes and white wine. Bring it all to simmering point and season to taste

Put all the fish, including the shellfish with the shells still on, into the pot. This adds to the flavour of the soup. Continue to simmer until the fish is cooked (15-20 minutes)

Once the fish is thoroughly cooked, serve in bowls with sprinkled parsley on top and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy!!

Loosing weight in the right way its possible!

2007-09-08T20:21:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone,

sorry I have been away for a while. I wanted to share with you this great product which will help you loose weight healthily and consistently. Have a look at this video and write to me all your comments or if you want more information:

http://www.usanapresentationpro.com/usana/stw/index.php?pid=23567

I look forward to your comment.

'Til next time

Jessica

Guides for Eating in Season

2007-03-18T22:27:00.000Z

What does this mean for you? Eat in season! Does it mean to enjoy the full nourishment of food? Does it mean to understand why strawberries at Christmas are just a no-no?

Imagine a vegetable garden in the dead of winter, now imagine this same garden on a sunny, summer day. How different things are during these two seasons of the year? For ecologists, seasons are considered a source of natural diversity and sustainability of the planet. For nutritionists there is nothing more nutritious than seasonal foods.

Changes in the growing conditions from spring to summer or from fall to winter are considered essential for balancing the earth's resources and its life forms. But today, unfortunately, it's so easy for us to forget about seasons when we eat, since we are living in a "forever summer time". Modern food processing and worldwide demands of food make foods available all year around and supermarkets shelves look much the same in December as they do in July or any other season for that matter. Next time you go to the supermarket please look around you and compare it to December, notice any difference? I doubt it!!

Here are some principles you can follow to ensure optimal nourishment for the next season:

In spring focus on tender, green leafy vegetables that represent the fresh new growth of this season. Try to eat more of swiss chard, spinach, asparagus, green beans, peas, Romaine lettuce, fresh parsley, basil and other fresh herbs.

'Til next time and enjoy your "SEASONAL" foods!!!

Jessica

Winter and Soups

2006-11-19T23:03:00.000Z

Do you want to know what I like about Winter? Soups.

Imagine that you have a mug of hot home-made soup and you sit in front of the fireplace watching your favorite TV programme, uhmm, nice! :-)

One thing that is very important, though when making a home-made soup, is the quality of the vegetables. Yes, since Winter vegetables are mainly root vegetables they have the higher amount of pesticides and heavy metals, so it is paramount to use only organic ones.

Here is one of my favorite recipe, try it:

Ingredients

2 large potatoes
3 or 4 large carrots
1 swede or celery
1 turnip or 3 parsnips
2 large onions
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 chicken (skinned) or Tofu
2L of hot water
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

Peel all the vegetables and roughly chop them. Heat the olive oil in a large cooking pan, toss in the onions and briefly sauté them to bring out the flavor. Add all the rest of the vegetables, the bay leaves and the chicken. Add the water to cover and allow to simmer until well cooked - (about 1 hour).

When cooked add pepper and salt to taste. Remove the bay leaves, take half the soup and puree to the desired consistency. Put all the soup together and enjoy with crusty bread sprinkled with some olive oil.

'Till next time!

How to make yogurt at home

2006-08-29T21:28:00.000+01:00

Well, you will need a commercial yogurt maker with an electrically heated base. This, I think, is the easiest way. Yes, you can do it without a yogurt maker, but it is time consuming and I think that not many people will be up for it.

Ingredients

1 litre of semi-skimmed pastorized cow's or goat's milk (but you can use any kind of milk)
125ml of unflavored cultured yogurt, live yogurt starter

Instructions

Sterilize the jars and lids which will be used to make the yogurt by boiling them in water for 10 minutes, do not remove the lid on the pot.

Stir to blend the live yogurt starter into the milk until homogenious in a sterilized bowl (just fill the bowl with boiling water before using it and leave it for 5 minutes to be sterilized).

Once throughly mixed, distribute the inoculated milk into the sterilized jars. Do not fill to the neck, but a little lower. Put the jars open into the yogurt maker and close the plastic lead.

Leave it on over night (8-10 hours) so that the probiotics can work their magic.

When ready close each jar and leave them to cool. Store the yogurt in the fridge for 3-4 days.

When you would like to consume your home-made yogurt, why don't you try it with some ripe peaches. Skin them, dice them and place them on top of your yogurt.

Mix trough and enjoy it!

USANA supplements for good health

2006-08-27T10:01:00.000+01:00

You cannot turn your head, the evidence is there! Hundreds of research studies around the world have shown that a diet rich in plant foods leads to increased health benefits and reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, eating a well balanced diet is one of the best investments you can make for long-term health benefits. Unfortunately, more recent studies have also shown, and no doubt about this, that fruits and vegetables grown today do not contain the same level of nutrients as they did in the past, far from it.

Like in any other competitive industry, modern farming techniques to increase production and profits have led to this. Fruits and vegetables are nowadays grown at a faster rate, leaving less time for the crops to develop the right amount of nutrients. Also, farmers are paid by the weight and/or appearance of a crop, not by the amount of nutrients it contains, which moves the focus from quality to quantity. And since the human body cannot manufacture vitamins and minerals (essential nutrients), the role of nutritional supplements in human nutrition is undisputed.

Pleople are unaware, but on the market 95% of the nutritional supplements are not bio-available to the human body. As a qualified nutritionist myself (MSc) I truly believe that the USANA supplements are readily bio-available and a great quality product.

Go to my website and have a look for yourself:

http://nutritionals4health.usana.com

Do feel free to contact me for any further information and remember invest in your health now for an enjoyable future!

What are Courgettes or Zucchini?

2006-08-20T16:27:00.001+01:00

Courgettes, the French name for Zucchini, are part of the summer squash family. This vegetable is really good for you since it contains only 31 calories, very little carbohydrates and virtually no fat. A very good source of potassium (513mg), vitamin C (33mg), calcium (29mg) and vitamin A (392mcg), courgettes are very easy to make and are very tasty.

Why don't you try this easy and quick recipe:

Ingredients

500g of courgetts (zucchini), diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 chopped medium onions or 6 spring onions
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking instructions

Place 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-sticky pan with 2 tbsp of water.

Add the onion and garlic and mix well.

Add the courgettes or zucchini.

Cover and cook gently stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until ingredients are soft but not brown.

When ready season to taste and serve with a sprinkle of olive oil and the chopped parsley.

ENJOY IT!

Steamed salmon with fresh vegetables

2006-08-16T14:47:00.000+01:00

Ingredients

1 medium salmon tranche
2 medium carrots
4-5 brasilian nuts
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
The juice of 1 lemon

Cooking instructions

Wash the carrots, peel them and cut them into fine strips.

Steam the salmon tranche in a steamer or as you like it.

When cooked put the salmon in a bowl and sprinkle with the lemon juice.

Create a nest with the carrots and place the salmon on top. Sprinkle with the seeds and the Brasilian nuts.

Finally cover with the olive oil :-)

Healthy Chicken Skewers

2006-08-06T09:57:00.000+01:00

Ingredients:

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, diced
2 red peppers, seeded and cubed
1 courgette, diced
3 tbsp soy sauce
Lemon juice
Black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Cooking Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, black pepper and garlic, mix well

Add the chicken to the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours

If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them, while the chicken is marinating, in water for one hour so they will not burn on the grill

Pre-heat your oven grill or the barbecue

Prepare the skewers by threading the chicken onto them and in between each piece add a cube of bell pepper alternating with a cube of courgette

Grill skewers turning once for 4 to 6 minutes or until just browned and cooked through

Enjoy them with a side salad in your garden!!!

Grilled salmon with salad

2006-07-29T19:27:00.000+01:00

Hey there, who does want to cook at lenght in this heat? Well, here its a quick, healthy and tasty recipe.

Ingredients:

4 pieces of boneless, skinless salmon
2 tbsp of chopped mixed fresh herbs (e.g. parsley and dill)
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of mayo light or mustard
2 red tomatoes
Green salad
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 lime
Salt and pepper

Cooking instruction:

Put the salmon on a foil-lined grill pan and cook under a pre-heated moderate grill until the salmon is cooked turning the pieces halfway through

Prepare the mixed salad and season with the olive oil, salt and pepper

Mix together the lime juice, the herbs and the mayo (or mustard)

Place the cooked salmon onto a plate and cover with the sauce

Enjoy with your friends and family!!!

England is melting away!

2006-07-22T19:30:00.000+01:00

Hi there,

hopefully you are not melting away as I am doing here in the South of England. Can you believe your termometer? Yesterday was 31C, too hot for me!

Here are some good tips to keep up with the heat:

Always keep hydrated by drinking at least 2L of water or juice a day. Remember your drink does't have to be too cold or you will shock your body
Do not overdue with fatty and rich mealsIncrease your fresh fruit/vegetables intake
Eat plenty of fish which is easy to digest, instead of meat

I hope to find you well next time.

Ciao

Jessica

Sea Bass in Tomato Sauce

2006-06-25T22:37:00.000+01:00

Ingredients

1 lb. sea bass fillets
1 spoon of olive oil
Paprika
White pepper, to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
4 basil leaves, shredded
8 oz. can tomato sauce, no salt added
Chopped parsley to garnish

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the pan. Put a spoon of olive oil in the pan and add the fillets. Sprinkle with paprika and pepper

Cook for 5/10 minutes

Meantime in a small non-stick saucepan sauté the garlic and onion until softened

Add the peppers, squash, basil and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes

Spoon a little of the tomato sauce in the centre of four plates, top with a fish fillet and another spoonful of the sauce

Garnish with chopped parsley.

Enjoy it!!!!

Summery Salads

2006-06-15T13:07:00.000+01:00

Summer is at the door and what is nicer than a fresh salad? Low calories and a lot of taste, can you ask for more?

Apple and Walnut Chicken Salad
Ingredients
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
10 black peppercorns
juice of 1 lemon
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about
2 apples, cored and chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced red onion (if you like)
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley
mixed salad greens
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cooking Instructions
In a large saucepan combine the wine, peppercorns, lemon juice and thyme. If you wish season with little salt and ground pepper. Add the chicken breasts and enough water to cover them. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the chicken cool in his liquid

In a large bowl mix the apples, celery, red onion and parsley together

When the chicken is cool enough to handle remove it from the liquid and cut it into small pieces, add it to the fruit mixture and toss. Add a couple of spoons of the cooking liquid

Divide the salad greens among 4 plates. Top the greens with the chicken salad and garnish with walnut. Add some more liquid if you like, enjoy.

Skipping breakfast will make you fat!

2006-05-31T16:08:00.000+01:00

Yes, you heard me right: "if you skip breakfast you will become fat". This according to the latest research. If you skip breakfast our muscles are short of fuel, sugar, and they start to decrease. Slowly but surely the muscle mass decreases and the fat mass increases, are you going to skip breakfast again? I think not!

By the way, sorry I haven't wrote in a while, but I am having a few health problems. But here I am now, did you miss me??? I hope so.

Try this:

yogurt mixed with whole grain cereals, such as muesli, oats flakes or bran, and fresh fruits
a whole grain cereal bar, there are so many on the market, with a glass of low fat milk or a couple of pieces of fresh fruit
a peanut butter sandwich with a glass of low fat milk
take some low-fat plain yogurt and some berries and whiz them together to create a healthy fruit smoothy

The options are vast, just use a bit of imagination and enjoy your breakfast

The Golden Rules of Nutrition Part 5

2006-04-24T23:37:00.000+01:00

Hi there,

I know that some of you out there don't like rules, but take it more as advices on healthy eating habits, ok?

Here are the next five:

Drink no more than 1 coffee or black tea per day; switch to herbal teas (camomile, peppermint, green tea, ginger tea, etc) and use fructose or honey if you must
Try to eat only seasonal foods such as fruits and vegetables
Try to eat always at the same time, your body needs to find an internal rhythm
Sleep at least 8 hours per night
Try to go to sleep always at the same time and to wake up always at the same time

The Golden Rules of Nutrition Part 4

2006-04-20T01:03:00.000+01:00

Hi there,

its me again, I really hope you are following the rules since I can tell you, you will feel much better of you do. Here we go:

Avoid eating pasta and bread every day
If you eat pasta or bread better to have it only at lunch
Introduce alternatives: instead of cow’s dairies switch to soy dairies, use also oat or rice milk; instead of wheat pasta or wheat bread switch to rye, soy or oats, eat also quinoa, millet or brown rice; instead of mars bars switch to plain dark chocolate (no less than 75%) or good quality protein bars
Eliminate or drastically reduce salt and sugar, use spices and herbs instead or fructose which is 200 times sweeter than sugar so you need less
Avoid foods containing "aspartame".

Salmon and Vegetables Recipe

2006-04-12T22:38:00.000+01:00

Here is another nice recipe!

Ingredients

1 salmon steak
same fresh green beans, cut in half
5 cherry tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh basil
Anchovies (if desired)

Cooking Instructions

In a large pan put 2 spoons of water and a sprinkle of olive oil and place the salmon on top

After 5 minutes add the green beans, the cherry tomatoes, the olives and the basil

Cook for 10-12 minutes on a low flame depending on the thickness of the fish

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze it on top of the fish

Add anchovies if desired and serve hot

The Golden Rules of Nutrition Part 3

2006-04-11T20:00:00.000+01:00

Hi there,

here are the next five "Golden Rules of Nutrition":

Eat more oily fish (mackerel, salmon, anchovies, sardines, tuna)
Eat fats in moderation and avoid saturated fats (butter, margarine, cookies, cakes, pastries). Use only extra virgin olive oil
Drink at least 2 litres of still water a day. Avoid tap water, best of all would be filtered water. Drink away from meals
Avoid all junk and refined food (also ready meals)
Avoid all soft drinks (permitted coca-cola light no more than 2 per week)

See you again next week!

The Golden Rules of Nutrition Part 2

2006-04-04T13:40:00.000+01:00

Hi there,

I hope that you have put the first five rules into practice. Now, are you ready for the next five "Golden Rules of Nutrition"? Here they are:

Eat fresh fruit preferably on its own as a snack
Alternatively to the salad at the start of a meal, drink ½ glass of tepid water with ½ squeezed lemon ½ hour before meals
Decrease all simple carbohydrates to no more than 3 times a week (white pasta, white bread, biscuits, cakes, white rice, and white cereals-based meals) and increase all complex carbohydrates (brown rice, brown pasta, fruits and vegetables)
Eat bananas, grape, parsnip, potatoes and tomatoes in moderation
Increase good protein such as fish, white meat, eggs, beans and soy products and decrease or better avoid all dairy products (if you must, eat only low-fat dairy products no more than 3 times a week away from citrus fruits). Eat lean red meat, lamb or lean pork in moderation

See you in a week!

Healthy Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Mushrooms and Onions

2006-03-29T12:05:00.000+01:00

Here we are again with another healthy breakfast, I hope you enjoy eating it as I did.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup sliced onions
4 large eggs (use only 2 yolks and discard 2 yolks)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

Cooking Instructions

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat (do not over heat the oil)

Add the mushrooms and the onions to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes (adding a tablespoon of water if necessary)

Whisk the eggs (4 whites and the 2 yolks) with some freshly ground black pepper until well blended

Pour the eggs onto the vegetables into the frying pan and stir constantly over low heat with a rubber spatula

When the eggs begin to get firm add the parsley and continue stirring until the eggs have reached the desired degree of doneness

Enjoy it!

"Please remember that all the breakfast recipes serve one".

Healthy Soft Boiled Eggs and Soldiers

2006-03-27T16:02:00.000+01:00

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 slice of dark rye or whole-grain bread
1 spoon of extra virgin olive oil

Cooking Instructions

Soft boil the eggs by placing them in a pan of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Put the eggs in cold water to stop them from cooking any further. Place them into an ‘egg-holder’ and open the top

Sprinkle the bread with the olive oil and cut into strips

To eat, dunk bread "soldiers" into the egg

Healthy Porridge Recipe

2006-03-25T17:57:00.000Z

Ingredients

1 cup water or oat/soy/rice milk (use non-dairy milk alternatives)
1/2 cup oatmealsome
dried fruits (you choose!) or ½ piece of fresh fruit
1 tablespoon chopped nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts or cashewnuts, etc)
1 tablespoon seeds (sunflower/pumpkin/linseeds, etc)
1 teaspoon maple syrup

Cooking Instructions

Combine the water/non-dairy milk and the oatmeal in a small saucepan
Add the dried fruits and cook stirring occasionally over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. If you are using fresh fruit add it at the end
Stir in the nuts and seeds
Spoon into a serving dish, pour the maple syrup on to it and serve warm

Enjoy it!

The Golden Rules of Nutrition

2006-03-25T17:39:00.000Z

Hi there,

every week for 6 weeks I will give you five new "Golden Rules" to be followed. Are you ready for the first five? Here they are:

At awakening drink ½ glass of tepid water with ½ squeezed lemon in it
Never skip breakfast or any other meal
Eat 5-7 small meals daily (every 2 ½ -3 hours) to keep your metabolism going
Finish all meals without feeling completely full
Start meals with a small salad and never eat fresh fruit at the end of a meal

The hidden calories

2006-03-22T19:55:00.000Z

What looks like a “healthy” food, sometimes contains a high amount of hidden calories and harmful substances. It is general knowledge that alcohol, sweets, soft drinks and crisps contain many unwanted calories and are unhealthy, but what about ready meals or even the so called “healthy alternatives”? Ready meals in particular are packed with fats and sugar in order to make the food more palatable. Many of us do not know how to read a food label and therefore buy foods that are labelled as “healthy” when in reality they are not. To give an example, a can of soft drink can contain between 9 and 12 spoons of sugar, 2 pints of alcohol can give more calories that a meal, crisps contain more saturated fats and preservatives than potatoes and so on.

So this is the time to start thinking about home made recipes!

What is a healthy and balanced diet?

2006-03-22T19:44:00.000Z

The Concise Oxford dictionary describes the word "healthy" as “promoting good health” and "balanced" as “establish appropriate proportions of elements”. From these definitions we can begin to understand what a healthy and balanced diet is, but there is certainly more to it.

Nutrition science is used to promote good health and to prevent diseases in our everyday lives, and our diet is a major tool to achieve good health. The word "diet" has been used by the media to increase awareness over the obesity epidemic, but it is a very misleading word. For someone will mean reduce food intake almost to the point of starvation to loose that heated fat. For some others, such as nutritionists, diet just means an “intake of foods common to humans”.

Healthy eating starts within our families and if we have a basic understanding of nutrition we can eat well without avoiding all our favourite foods. Eating has to be enjoyable and fun and there is not happiness in trying to restrict our food intake if what we eat makes our stomach turn.

So if you have any healthy and tasty recipe, do let us know!