Healthy Recipes to Start the New Year Right

Easy, Healthy Recipes to Start the New Year Right

When the ball has dropped and the Christmas cookie dust has cleared, many of us start thinking about trying to eat healthy in the new year. To help you start the year on a nutritious note, I've put together this collection of easy and healthy dinner recipes that prove that eating what's good for you isn't about deprivation or dieting -- it's about tweaking your favorite dishes to cut back on fat, sodium and cholesterol and add nutrient- and fiber-rich ingredients. And since it hardly feels like salad season -- at least where I live -- I've chosen recipes that are robust and comforting, such as casseroles, soup and chili. See below for healthier takes on old favorites -- and perhaps you'll find a few new favorites too!

Elegant Yet Easy Chicken Dinner

Mustard Tarragon Chicken Cutlets
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts get dressed up with a simple sauce of white wine and Dijon mustard -- the combination adds a tremendous amount of flavor to the dish, without an overload of fat, sodium or cholesterol.

·  Prep Time:

20 mins

·  Total Time:

2 mins

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets (a.k.a. thin sliced chicken)
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

Arrange cutlets in 1 layer on a tray or baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet (not non-stick) over moderately high heat until hot. 
Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat bottom. 
Cook chicken in batches (don't crowd pan), turning once or twice, until just cooked through (adjust heat lower as necessary to keep bits on bottom from burning and add remaining tablespoon oil if pan begins to look dry in subsequent batches), 2 to 3 minutes total per batch.
Transfer chicken as cooked to a platter and keep warm loosely covered with foil.
Add wine to skillet and boil, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half. 
Whisk in water, mustard, and chicken juices that have accumulated on platter. If sauce seems too thin, simmer, whisking, until thickened slightly. 
Whisk in tarragon and spoon over chicken.

about this recipe

Chicken in mustard sauce is a French classic and ooh la la, it's not hard to see why. By whisking Dijon mustard into the pan sauce, you instantly thicken it to the consistency of liquid velvet. When you spoon it over the chicken, it drapes the cutlets like an haute couture coat, transforming otherwise mild-mannered chicken breasts into something with a little French sass.

Healthy Pasta Meal

Roasted Cauliflower Farfalle

Don't let cauliflower's pale color fool you -- it's a bright star in the nutritional sense. Cauliflower is in the same cancer-fighting cruciferous vegetable family as broccoli; plus, a cup of cauliflower has almost a day's worth of vitamin C. Roasting the vegetable brings out its sweet and nutty flavors. Up the nutritional ante on this dish by using whole-wheat or multi-grain pasta. 

·  Prep Time:

15 mins

·  Total Time:

40 mins

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds cauliflower
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup (2 ounces) golden raisins
• 3 tablespoons brined capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 pound dried farfalle

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle position.
Cut cauliflower into 1-inch pieces and toss on a 4-sided baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. 
Roast in oven, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is browned in spots and tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Cook garlic, raisins, and capers in remaining 6 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, until garlic is golden. Stir in vinegar and cauliflower.
Boil pasta in well-salted water until al dente. 
Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. 
Drain pasta then toss with cauliflower mixture, parsley, cheese, and then thin as desired with pasta cooking water.

Romaine-Parsley Salad

Unlike some fresh herbs, parsley is easy to find in most grocery stores year-round. It also has lots of vitamin C, so load up if you feel a cold coming on.

·  Prep Time:

0 mins

·  Total Time:

3 mins

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 pinch salt
• 12 large romaine heart, torn into pieces, about 6 cups
• 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

Whisk together vinegar, oil, 1/4 teaspoons pepper and a pinch salt in a large bowl, then toss

A Healthy Steak Dinner

Basic Grilled Flank Steak

Flank steak is a flavorful and relatively lean cut of beef, but with all meats, it's best to keep portions small -- vegetables and whole grains should take up most of the space on your plate. If looking at the word "grilled" makes you shiver, don't worry -- this steak can be cooked on an indoor grill.

·  Prep Time:

10 mins

·  Total Time:

30 mins

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 2-pound piece of flank steak
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

Place the garlic and oil in a small dish and stir to combine. 
Place the flank steak on a sheet of wax paper. 
Sprinkle both sides of the meat with the salt and pepper. Then rub with the oil garlic mixture.
Heat a large grill or grill pan over high heat. When the grill pan is hot, coat with cooking spray (if you're using a grill, spray the steak). 
Place the steak on the grill and turn the heat down to medium. 
Cook the steak 7 to 8 minutes until well browned. 
Turn once and cook an additional 7 to 8 minutes. 
Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes so the juices can

Sizzled Garlic Broccoli

Garlic and hot red pepper flakes amp up the flavor of broccoli, a well-known nutritional star that boasts plenty of fiber and a host of vitamins and nutrients, including C, K and A. If you don't feel like fussing with garlic and chiles, serve simple steamed broccoli with a squirt of lemon.

·  Prep Time:

0 mins

·  Total Time:

15 mins

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli crowns, stems peeled, then cut into spears
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste

Directions

Cook garlic in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until sizzling and pale golden, 3 to 4 minutes. 
Transfer garlic with a slotted spatula to a plate. 
Add broccoli, pepper flakes, 1 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoons salt and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is tender and water is evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. 
Toss broccoli with garlic and salt to taste.

about this recipe

Red pepper flakes and golden garlic liven up broccoli.