8 Tips and 2 Recipes for Making Food Healthy but Not Boring

8 Tips

1. Experiment with an ingredient you’ve never tried or don’t know how to prepare. Leeks are currently waiting in my fridge… (How should I make them, friends?)

2.Get gutsy with spices. I have spices in my cabinet that I never thought I would know how to use!

3. Just because a recipe sounds fancy doesn’t mean it’s hard to make.

4. Get creative with finishing sauces/glazes.

5. Don’t be afraid to look at online recipes for guidance. Then make them your own!

6.Incorporate family members into food preparation – both in choosing ingredients and helping with prep.

7. Experiment with various cooking methods. It’s okay to use the grill while standing in snow!

8. You can half the sugar in many recipes without taking away too much sweetness.

2 Recipes

Below I’ve created two recipes to give you an idea of how to make food healthy without being boring. The flavor combinations are out of this world and I owe thanks to the Green Giant Seasoned Steamers for this. The corn bread is savory and would pair amazingly with a spicy chili. The salad is a flavor party in your mouth and John and I kept remarking, with full mouths during dinner, at how well the flavors complimented each other.

Featured Product: Green Giant Seasoned Steamers – Honey Roasted Sweet Corn

Product Description: A blend of corn and peppers with a touch of honey.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup agave
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup corn meal
• 1 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 cup frozen Green GIant Seasoned Steamers Honey Roasted Sweet Corn

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with baking liners.
• Using an electric mixer (hand or stand), cream together margarine, sugar, and agave.
• Beat in eggs, milk, salt, and baking powder.
• Slowly combine the cornmeal and gluten-free all-purpose flour, increasing mixer speed gradually.
• Fold in frozen corn by hand. I used a wooden spoon.
• Divide batter evenly among the 12 muffins.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Enjoy!

Featured Product: Green Giant Seasoned Steamers – Mediterranean Blend

Product Description: Potatoes, zucchini, and carrots with Mediterranean-inspired seasonings.

Ingredients

• Spinach
• Salmon + small amount of oil for pan searing
• Herbed feta (mine was tomato/basil)
• Green Giant Seasoned Steamers Mediterranean Blend
• A drizzle of Greek or garlic dressing

Directions

• This is more of a “no recipe” recipe, but here are the basic guidelines…
• Wash and dry your spinach. Place in the bottom of your salad bowl.
• Heat a small amount of oil with garlic powder and pepper. Pan sear your salmon. Approximately 4 minutes on each side. You do not want to over cook your salmon – over cooking leads to a more “fishy” fish.
• Throw the Green Giant Seasoned Steamers Mediterranean Blend in the microwave while you are pan searing.
• Assemble your salad. Warm veggies and salmon go atop the spinach and sprinkle feta all over!
• If desired, drizzle a very small amount of Greek or garlic dressing over dish.
• Enjoy!

For more information and flavors available visit the Seasoned Steamers page. We currently have the Backyard Grilled Potatoes waiting for us in our freezer. And I really wanted to try the Dijon Carrots, but since they contain wheat ingredients, that’s no bueno for my belly. If you try the carrots, I want to hear how you like them!

I’ll be adding these recipes to my recipage this week. Stay tuned!

Seasoned Steamers™, a new line of Green Giant® vegetables, gives you unexpectedly delicious taste in every vegetable bite. These chef-inspired, seasoned vegetables come in six new varieties ranging from smoky roasted cues to ethnic inspired flavors. By roasting, seasoning and freezing individual pieces, our vegetables lock in flavor so delicious, your family will ask for more. In less than 8 minutes, your family can enjoy new Seasoned to Delicious™ Seasoned Steamers™.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by General Mills via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of General Mills.