10 Tips To Make It Fast

Here are 10 tips from Cooking Light to remember when you are trying to get a healthy meal on the table fast.

1. Use a food processor or mini chopper to quickly chop, slice or shred onions, potatoes, celery or carrots.
2. When cooking in a skillet, allow the pan to preheat while you season the food to go in it.
3. Lean, healthful cuts such as flank stead and pork tenderloin cook in less than 30 minutes.
4. To save prep time, purchase precut vegetable and packaged pre-washed salad greens.
5. Choose portion-sized boneless cuts--chicken breasts or thighs, pork chops, or fish fillets.
6. Thing ahead.  Grill more chicken breasts than you need and freeze the rest for later.
7. In general, when you're in a hurry, stick to sauteing and broiling instead of roasting or braising. 
8. After sauteing chicken or pork in a skilled, deglaze the pan with chicken broth or other liquid for an easy sauce.
9. Turn to quick-cooking starches for go-to sides; couscous, egg noodles, and polenta.
10. Start longer tasks first and complete shorter ones in the meantime.

Fast and Fresh: Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Sometimes you just don't have a lot of time to get dinner on the table.  That makes things difficult when you are trying to feed you and your family healthier meals and you don't want to just run out and grab some take-out.  These fast and fresh recipes from Cooking Light are delicious and healthy and you can have them on the table in 30 minutes or less.  Give them a try, you will love how easy and delicious they are!

Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

A three minute dip into a pungent marinade is all that you need to put big flavor into chicken breasts.  Serve with rice.

Chicken:
2 T minced fresh cilantro
2 1/2 T fresh lime juice
1 1/2 T olive oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp salt
Cooking Spray

Salsa:
1 cup chopped plum tomato
2 T finely chopped onion
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

To prepare chicken, combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand for 3 minutes.  Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.  Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 tsp salt.  Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.

To prepare salsa, combine tomato and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Add avocado; stir gently to combine. Serve salsa over chicken.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast and about 1/4 cup salsa)

Oriental Chicken Wraps-from the Titanium Chef

I don't know about everyone else out there but I hate trying to figure out what to take to work for lunch every single day.  I don't like to eat out much because that gets pricey and its hard to find healthy fast foods.  So I have started making a big batch of something on Sunday and then having it for lunches the entire week.  I have great healthy food to take with me everyday now!  Try this recipe out, you can alter it with any veggies that you like, its delicious, fast and fresh!

Oriental Chicken Wraps

1 chicken breast, grilled, and shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 package bean sprouts
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 cup prewashed spinach, packed
4 flour tortillas (I love the uncooked ones from Costco)
Sriracha Chili Sauce (optional)
2-3 T reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T honey

You can either keep the veggies fresh and uncooked to put in the wraps or you can cook up some of them.  In a hot skillet, toss the shredded chicken, carrots and bean sprouts.  Add a few tablespoons of soy sauce, a little chili sauce and the honey.  Stir and cook over medium high heat until the veggies are soft and everything is warm.

Lay tortillas flat and put 1/4 of the chicken mixture in the center.  Top with a good handfull of spinach, some sliced cucumbers and tuck in the ends.  Roll up the tortilla and enjoy!