5 easy and healthy recipes for your hectic work week 

1. Asian style chicken soup

4 cups of homemade chicken broth (See recipe)

½ chicken (thigh and breast), cooked

1 onion, minced

3 carrots, sliced in juliennes

3 baby bok choy, sliced

1 pkg of mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 TBSP of fresh coriander, chopped

3 TBSP of soya or tamari sauce

½ pkg of asian noodles- Yet Cat Men

• Cut the cooked chicken in small pieces. Reserve.
• At medium heat, warm the chicken broth in a large saucepan
• Prepare all the vegetables
• Add chicken and onion to broth and bring to a boil.
• Add the noodles. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for20 minutes.
• Remove from heat. Add the coriander, vegetables and soya sauce.
• Allow soup to rest for 5 minutes before serving, or cool completely before transfering to freezer.

1. Beef lasagna with grilled vegetables and cottage cheese

1 lb of extra lean minced beef

3 TBSP of olive oil

1 onion, minced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 TBSP of fresh parsley

1 red pepper, cut in strips

1 orange pepper, cut in strips

1 pkg of mushrooms, sliced

2 zucchinis, peeled and cut in strips

2 carrots, peeled and cut in strips

500G of cottage cheese

250G of grated mozzarella cheese, partially skimmed

1 box of oven ready lasagna noodles (Catelli-red box)

• Prepare the vegetables: Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, covered in parchment paper. Drizzle lightly with olive oil (around 2 TBSP), salt and pepper.
• Place in oven at BROIL, until vegetables are well roasted.
• Meanwhile, in a deep frying heat the rest of the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, and sautée for a few minutes, until onion begins to soften.
• Add meat and cook until completely brown..
• Add tomatoes and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.
• In a deep, oven proof dish, spread half of the meat sauce. Cover with half the grilled vegtables.
• Add a layer of pasta.
• Cover the pasta with all the cottage cheese.
• Complete layering the lasagna in this order: pasta, meat sauce, vegetables, and finally mozzarella.
• Bake in oven at 400F, for 40 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.

1. Thai pork stir fry

1 ½ lb of pork cutlets, cut into strips

3 TBSP  of coriander, chopped

4 TBSP of soya or tamari sauce

Zest and juice of 1 lime

4 TBSP of olive oil

1 TBSP of honey

1 TBSP of fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 red pepper, cut into strips

1 orange pepper, cut into strips

1 pkg of mushrooms, sliced

2 zucchinis, peeled and cut into strips

2 carrots, peeled and cut into strips

½ pkg of asian noodles- Yet Cat Men

• Prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, combine coriander, soya or tamari sauce, lime juice and zest, olive oil, honey, ginger and garlic. Mix well.
• Reserve half of the marinade in a small, plastic container.
• Add the pork to the large bowl, and mix well. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (and up to 3 days).
• In a wok (or large frying pan), heat a little olive oil. When very hot, add the pork.
• Sautée the pork for 5 minutes or until completely cooked.
• Add the vegetables and the reserved marinade.
• Sautée a few more minutes, just to lighty soften the vegetables.
• Meanwhile, cook noodles.
• Serve the stir fry on a bed of noodles.

1. Chicken pot pie, crusted with potatoes

½ chicken (thigh, breast), cooked

1 TBSP of olive oil

1 onion, minced

3 carrots, diced

3 celery branches, diced

1 pkg of mushrooms, sliced

½ TBSP of powdered sage

3 TBSP of parsley

Salt and pepper

2 TBSP of butter

2 TBSP of flour

2 cups of homemade chicken broth (see recipe)

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced

• Cut the chicken into small pieces.
• In a large frying, heat the olive oil.
• Add the onion and sautée a few minutes, until tender.
• Add the carrots, celery and chicken. Continue sautéeing to color the vegetables.
• Add the mushrooms, the sage and 2 TBSP of the parsley.
• In the meantime, prepare the sauce: In a large sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and mix well with a whisk. Add the chicken broth, a little bit at a time, while mixing vigourously to avoid clumps. Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to medium, and simmer for a few minutes, until sauce thickens (around 3 minutes). Remove from heat.
• Add the chicken mixture to sauce and mix well.
• In a deep, oven proof dish, pour mixture. Cover with potatoes, and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.
• Bake in oven at 400F for 30 minutes..

1. Beef enchiladas au gratin

1 TBSP of olive oil

1 LB of extra lean minced beef

1 onion, minced

1 bottle of salsa (500 ml)

1 can of black beans, rinced

1 red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

8 whole wheat, soft tortillas

250g of grated mozzarella, partly skimmed

• In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, and sautée a few minutes until golden.
• Add meat, and cook until completely brown.
• Add the peppers and black beans and continue cooking a few more minutes.
• Add 1 cup (250ml) of salsa, and mix well.
• Remove from heat, and let cool for 10 minutes.
• In an oven proof dish, layer half of the remaining salsa (125ml)
• Place the tortillas in the microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds, to soften.
• Prepare the enchiladas. In each tortilla, place 4 TBSP of meat mixture. Roll tightly. Place the tortillas side by side in dish. Cover with the rest of the salsa and mozzarella cheese. (You can transfer dish to freezer at this point)
• Bake in oven at 375F for 30 minutes.

To prepare all of these dishes in a few hours, here are the step I suggest you follow

1. Prepare the chicken broth:

Remove the skin from the chicken. Place in a very large, oven proof saucepan. Add 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, and 1 onion, all diced (mirepoix). Add a few sprigs of parsley and rosemary. Cover with 7 cups of cold water. Cover and simmer in oven at 400F for 2 hours. Remove chicken and cut in half. Discard of all the vegetables, and strain the broth. Reserve.

1. Prepare all of the vegetables
2. Prepare the marinade for the pork stir fry. In a ziplock bag, pour half of the marinade and add the pork strips. Seal. Place the vegetables in another large ziplock bag., and the rest of the marinade in a small plastic container. All of this will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
3. Cook all of the minced beef with the onions (2), and the garlic (3 cloves). When completely cooked, remove half and reserve. Continue enchiladas recipe, and freeze.
4. Grill the vegetables for the lasagna.
5. In the meantime, continue the meat sauce for the lasagna. Assemble the lasagna, and bake.
6. Cut all the chicken into small pieces. Reserve half.
7. Prepare the soup.
8. Prepare the pot pie and bake.