My Health Daily

Chicken Florentine recipe:
Classic chicken Florentine--creamy spinach served atop sautéed chicken cutlets--is a fast and easy meal. To keep calories lower, this recipe uses cornstarch to thicken the cream instead of cheese. This chicken recipe is simple enough for weekdays but also elegant enough for a dinner party.
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound chicken breast, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon salt, divided

½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided

¼ cup finely chopped shallot

2 large cloves garlic, minced

⅓ cup dry white wine

1 pound baby spinach

⅓ cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions:
Step 1
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add to the pan and cook, turning once, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Step 2
Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shallot and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine, scraping up any browned bits. Add spinach in batches and cook, stirring often, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk cream, cornstarch and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a measuring cup. Stir into the spinach and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes more. Serve with the chicken.

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup recipe:
This easy soup recipe cooks up quickly thanks to the use of an electric pressure cooker or multicooker, like the Instant Pot. It packs in tons of filling veggies without packing on the calories. Plus, it happens to be entirely plant-based. If you aren't eating vegan, top it with a little Parmesan cheese or pesto to add even more flavor.
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cups chopped green cabbage

1 ½ cups small cauliflower florets

1 cup chopped carrots

½ cup green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 (14 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon salt

4 cups chopped fresh spinach

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed

¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Directions:
Step 1
Place 2 tablespoons oil in a multicooker. Heat on sauté mode until hot. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring often, until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cabbage, cauliflower, carrots and green beans and continue cooking, stirring often, until starting to soften, 4 to 6 minutes more. Add broth, tomatoes, bay leaf and salt. Turn off heat. Close and lock the lid. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes.

Step 2
Release the pressure. Remove bay leaf, then stir in spinach, beans and basil. Serve with a drizzle of oil, if desired.

Sweet Potato Pad Thai recipe:
Sweet potato "noodles" (spiralized sweet potatoes) are a nutritious, gluten-free alternative to starchy rice or wheat noodles. Look for them in the produce department of your supermarket. If you have a spiralizer, you can certainly make your own "swoodles" (start with 2 medium sweet potatoes).
Ingredients:

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce

1 teaspoon peanut oil plus 1/4 cup, divided

4 large eggs, beaten

2 12-ounce packages sweet potato "noodles" (11 cups), long strands cut into 2 or 3 pieces

1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 bunch scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces

3 large cloves garlic, minced

3 cups bean sprouts

¼ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 lime wedges
Directions:
Step 1
Combine vinegar, fish sauce, honey and chile-garlic sauce in a small bowl. Place near the stove.

Step 2
Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat until hot. Swirl in 1 teaspoon oil. Add eggs and cook, without stirring, until set on the bottom, 30 to 45 seconds. Flip over and cook until completely set, about 30 seconds more. Transfer to a cutting board and slice or chop.

Step 3
Swirl the remaining 1/4 cup oil into the wok (or skillet). Add sweet potato noodles, bell pepper, scallions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add bean sprouts, the reserved sauce and the cooked egg; toss until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve, garnished with peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges.

One-Pot Pasta with Tuna recipe:
Use the one-pot pasta cooking method to make this tuna pasta recipe that calls for just 5 ingredients and is ready in just over half an hour. For extra crunch and a tuna noodle casserole feel, sprinkle this speedy pasta dish with toasted whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs.
Ingredients:

3 ¼ cups water

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

½ cup Castelvetrano olives, cut away from the pit

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest, plus juice of half a lemon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

2 (5 ounce) cans unsalted tuna, drained and flaked

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Step 1
Combine water, spaghetti, olives, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large deep skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the water is absorbed and the pasta is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in tuna, dill and oil.

Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatoes recipe:
Chicken and sweet potatoes unite with the delicious taste of rosemary in this easy, one-skillet meal. Because we use parcooked and unseasoned sweet potatoes, the cooking time is much shorter--making this recipe perfect for weeknight cooking.
Ingredients:

4 teaspoons canola or olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 20-ounce package refrigerated diced sweet potatoes, such as Simply Potatoes®

2 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, halved crosswise

1 lemon, thinly sliced
Directions:
Step 1
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat 3 teaspoons of the oil over medium. Stir in garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Add potatoes; toss to coat. Cook, covered, 5 minutes (do not stir).

Step 2
Push potatoes to one side of skillet. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to other side of skillet. Arrange chicken in skillet alongside potatoes. Cook, uncovered, 8 minutes.

Step 3
Stir potatoes and turn chicken. Sprinkle chicken with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Top with lemon slices. Cook, covered, 8 to 10 minutes more or until chicken is done (165 degrees F) and potatoes are brown. (If needed, remove potatoes as they are done and continue cooking chicken until done.) If desired, sprinkle with additional rosemary.

Adobo Chicken & Kale Enchiladas recipe:
Put out your favorite toppings for these quick and healthy layered enchiladas. We like cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and jalapeños.
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 cups chopped kale

¼ cup water

2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce (1 1/4 cups)

¼ cup sour cream

2-3 tablespoons minced chipotles in adobo

12 corn tortillas

¾ cup diced white onion, divided

1 ½ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
Directions:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Step 2
Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet (12-inch) over medium-high heat. Add kale and water; cook, stirring, until bright green and wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, cumin, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl.

Step 3
Combine enchilada sauce, sour cream and chipotles to taste in a small bowl. Spread 1/2 cup of the mixture in the pan. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping them to cover the bottom. Top with half the chicken mixture, 1/4 cup onion and 1/2 cup cheese. Layer on half the remaining sauce, 4 tortillas, the remaining chicken, 1/4 cup onion and 1/2 cup cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas, sauce and cheese.

Step 4
Bake the enchiladas until bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup onion before serving.

Easy Vegetarian Chili recipe:
Canned beans and tomatoes make this quick vegetarian chili recipe ready to go in just 30 minutes. Serve over rice or couscous, or with tortilla chips for added crunch, and add extra toppings as you see fit--sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices.
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

¾ cup finely chopped white onion

½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 (15 ounce) cans low-sodium black beans, rinsed

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

¼ cup water

½ cup shredded cheese, such as Cheddar or pepper Jack
Directions:
Step 1
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano and coriander; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add beans, tomatoes (with their juice) and water and simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 2
Serve the chili sprinkled with cheese.

Slow-Cooker Moroccan Lentil Soup recipe:
Like most soups, this Moroccan lentil soup recipe gets better with time as the complex seasonings have time to develop. Make it a day ahead if you can--this easy slow cooker/crock pot recipe variation makes it a cinch to get the soup cooking while you do other things.
Ingredients:

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped carrots

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

6 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

3 cups chopped cauliflower

1 ¾ cups lentils

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cups chopped fresh spinach or one (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
Step 1
Combine onions, carrots, garlic, oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and pepper in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker (see Tip). Add broth, water, cauliflower, lentils, tomatoes and tomato paste and stir until well combined.

Step 2
Cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 4 to 5 hours on High or 8 to 10 hours on Low.

Step 3
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in spinach. Just before serving, stir in cilantro and lemon juice.

Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts recipe:
Roasting salmon on top of Brussels sprouts and garlic, flavored with wine and fresh oregano, is simple enough for a weeknight meal yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. Serve with whole-wheat couscous.
Ingredients:

14 large cloves garlic, divided

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano, divided

1 teaspoon salt, divided

¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

6 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced

¾ cup white wine, preferably Chardonnay

2 pounds wild-caught salmon fillet, skinned, cut into 6 portions

Lemon wedges
Directions:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Step 2
Mince 2 garlic cloves and combine in a small bowl with oil, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Halve the remaining garlic and toss with Brussels sprouts and 3 tablespoons of the seasoned oil in a large roasting pan. Roast, stirring once, for 15 minutes.

Step 3
Add wine to the remaining oil mixture. Remove the pan from oven, stir the vegetables and place salmon on top. Drizzle with the wine mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges.

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole recipe:
This one-pan chicken-and-broccoli recipe comes out of the oven all browned, cheesy and bubbling like a casserole, but is really prepared more like a skillet meal on the stovetop. Serve with a crunchy green salad
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups reduced-fat milk, divided

2 (9 ounce) packages precooked brown rice

3 cups broccoli florets

1 ½ cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

½ cup store-bought crispy fried onions
Directions:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

Step 3
Whisk flour and 2/3 cup milk in a small bowl. Add the remaining 3 1/3 cups milk to the pan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in the flour-milk mixture. Return to a boil and cook, stirring often, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in rice and broccoli; return to a boil and cook until the broccoli is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken, cheese, salt and pepper. Sprinkle onions on top.

Step 4
Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the casserole is browned and bubbling, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Slow-Cooker Chicken & Chickpea Soup recipe:
This set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker recipe simmers away all day so you come home to a warm and healthy dinner the whole family will love. Using bone-in chicken is the key to making rich soup without adding broth.
Ingredients:

1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight

4 cups water

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

4 teaspoons ground cumin

4 teaspoons paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

¼ cup halved pitted oil-cured olives

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Directions:
Step 1
Drain chickpeas and place in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add 4 cups water, onion, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, paprika, cayenne and ground pepper; stir to combine. Add chicken.

Step 2
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.

Step 3
Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let cool slightly. Discard bay leaf. Add artichokes, olives and salt to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Shred the chicken, discarding bones. Stir the chicken into the soup. Serve topped with parsley (or cilantro).

Tilapia & Poblano Tacos recipe:
Here's a quick take on fish tacos: just sauté fish, onions and peppers and serve with tortillas and some simple toppings. Poblano peppers vary immensely in heat level and tasting them is the only way to judge how hot they are. So before cooking, taste your poblanos and add a pinch of cayenne or a jalapeño if you want more heat. Use green bell peppers if you want a milder taco.
Ingredients:

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound U.S. farmed tilapia fillets (see Note)

2 cups diced poblano peppers (about 2 large)

1 medium onion, diced

1 jalape& #241;o pepper, minced (optional)

1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 1 large ear; see Note) or frozen (thawed)

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¾ teaspoon salt

12 6-inch corn tortillas

1 avocado, cubed

¾ cup prepared salsa, preferably green

¼ cup chopped cilantro for garnish
Directions:
Step 1
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tilapia and cook until opaque in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and flake with 2 forks.

Step 2
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add poblanos, onion and jalapeno (if using) and cook, stirring often, until softened and starting to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in corn, lime juice, cumin, oregano and salt. Cook, stirring often, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the fish and any accumulated juice from the plate.

Step 3
Wrap tortillas in paper towels and heat in the microwave on High until warm and pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of the tilapia mixture and top with avocado, salsa and cilantro (if desired).