Hi and happy Feel-Good Monday!
This is where we share our favorite tips, tricks, secrets, and ways to "think like a healthy person" so that you can find your own delicious path to healthy living.
"Feel-Good Mondays" are meant to help us get back into that place of feeling energized, nourished, and ready to take inspired action for the week ahead.
It's summertime and the cooking is easy.
Here in NYC, it's hot and steamy. Like, really steamy. And also, my oven is broken (well, not the range part, but the inside baking part).
All of that means that I've taken to creating quick, light, and easy meals that don't require much (if any) cooking, beyond a delicate sauté or brief sear in the pan.
And that's just fine by me!
I'm all for easy, convenient, light meals this time of year (most times of the year, if you want to know the truth). And it got me thinking that you might enjoy some easy dinner inspiration, too. Cause who wants to be slaving over a hot stove in August, right?!
We hear this from clients all the time: At the end of the day, you can feel overwhelmed, tired, and un-inspired when it comes to putting food on the table. When faced with the idea of cooking or snacking on a glass of wine and a couple of bites of cheese, the vino and cheddar have a good chance of winning…
But as my "menu" below will demonstrate, you don't have to spend a ton of time in the kitchen to create a healthy, nutritious, delicious meal.
(Cue "She saves the day!" music now.)
Here are some of the meals I've been cooking up lately, and I hope they inspire you to do some kitchen experimentation yourself!
Monday: Smoked wild salmon slices, a couple of scrambled eggs, and sliced avocado. Served with a simple green salad with olive oil and lemon juice.
Cooking time: 5 minutes Prep time: Around 10 minutes.
Tuesday: Explore Asian-brand mung bean noodles (just beans and water! amazing!) sautéed with quickly chopped broccoli and topped with a simple tahini dressing (tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt, quickly whirred in the blender).
Cooking time: 10 minutes Prep time: 10 minutes
 |
Wednesday: Leftovers turned into noodle salad! I took the leftover Explore Asian mung bean noodles and heated them in a little olive oil and butter, scrambled in a couple of eggs and chopped cherry tomatoes, and served over chopped, bagged romaine hearts.
Cooking time: Around 5 minutes Prep time: 10 minutes
Thursday: Big salad of boxed baby lettuces served with chopped sugar snap peas, corn shaved fresh off the cob, chopped cherry tomatoes, jarred artichoke hearts, and slices of smoked duck breast (sold already cooked at my local food co-op. You can sub in shredded rotisserie chicken, or go vegetarian with canned chickpeas and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds).
I served this with a simple sherry vinaigrette (1 part sherry vinegar to 3 parts olive oil, some sea salt, ground fresh pepper, and a minced garlic clove).
Cooking time: None! Prep time: 10 minutes
Friday: We ordered in! Even a nutrition coach likes a break from the kitchen every now and then 😉 We had sushi from a favorite local resto. I love to use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce for a soy-free, wheat-free, healthier alternative. Love the slightly sweet flavor, too. And I use this as a quick and easy marinade ALL the time.
Remember: keep things light, easy, quick, convenient. And a dose of kitchen fun never hurt anyone, either.
You can feel good every day. And we are here to support you.
P.S. What are some of your favorite kitchen shortcuts? I'd LOVE to hear from you. I'm always looking for more inspiration for myself and our clients.
Tell me about it on our FB page. 
