Try These Four Quick and Healthy Meals

Some people believe that to make a healthy meal the cook has to slave in the kitchen for half a day and this after spending another half a day looking for fresh or organic ingredients. But none of this is true. Some of the healthiest meals take very little time and even organic ingredients can be found at the local supermarket. More, anyone with even a small backyard, or who belongs to a community garden, can grow their own vegetables and herbs organically. Fried Zucchini Cakes 1 pound of zucchinisrn2 shallots, mincedrn1 Thai chili, crumbledrn2 cloves garlic, crushedrn1/2 cup of stone ground whole wheat flourrn1/2 tbs. baking powderrn1/4 cup olive oilrnOlive oil for fryingrnSea salt to taste Run the zucchini through a food processor until they’re well grated, but not mushy. They can also be grated on a box grater into a large mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients up to the whole wheat flour. Then, sift the flour with the baking powder into the other ingredients and mix. Add olive oil a little at a time till you have a batter that will hold its shape and isn’t too wet. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. With your finger, make little patties and fry them about three minutes to a side or until they’re golden brown. Fry in batches. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot. Ginger Beef and Vegetable Stir FryrnUse lean meat for this one. Marinating it first will make it tender and improve the flavor. 1 lb. boneless top round steakrn2 tbs. tamari (gluten free soy sauce)rn1 tbs. fresh, grated gingerrn1 tbs. minced garlicrn2 tsp. sesame oilrn1 cup julienned sweet red peppersrn2 scallions, slicedrn1/3 cup julienned celeryrn1/4 cup plus 2 tbs. waterrn1 cup snow peasrn1 tsp. potato starchrn3 cups hot cooked brown rice Place the steak in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This makes it easier to slice. Slice the meat across the grain and on the diagonal to make thin, 1/4 inch strips. Place in a mixing bowl and add tamari, ginger, garlic and one teaspoon of the oil. Mix well and let it marinate while you cook the vegetables. Heat a frying pan or a wok over high heat. Add the remaining one teaspoon of oil. Add the peppers, scallions and celery. Stir fry briskly. Add 1/4 cup of the water and stir fry continually for two minutes. Then, using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Add the meat and its marinade to the skillet or wok. Cook, stirring, for about five minutes or until the meat browns. Add the cooked vegetables and the snow peas. Combine the potato starch and the remaining one tablespoon of water. Add to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens, about one minute. Serve over the rice. Oysters FlorentinernFlorentine means that it’s served on a bed of spinach 2 lbs. spinachrn10 large oysters, well scrubbedrn1/2 small onion, mincedrn1 cup minced celeryrn2 tbs. butterrn1/4 cup minced fresh parsleyrn1 tbs. whole wheat pastry flourrn1/2 cup skim milkrn1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheesernDash of cayenne pepperrnParsley sprigs for garnish Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse the spinach till all the grit is removed. Then, place in a large saucepan with only the water left on the leaves. Steam until wilted. Let it cool a bit, then chop. Place the onions and celery in a medium sized skillet with one tablespoon of the butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, till the onions are translucent. Add the parsley and stir. When the parsley's a little wilted, remove it from the heat. In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat for one to two minutes, then whisk in the milk. Remove from the heat when thickened. Add the cheese and cayenne pepper. Stir till the cheese is melted. Mix the spinach-onion mixture and cheese sauce in a medium sized bowl. Open the oysters and arrange sixteen of the shell halves on a baking sheet. Place one oyster in each shell. Top each oyster with some of the cheese and spinach sauce. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with parsley. Portuguese Chick Peas 1 can of chick peas, drainedrn2 tbs. diced onionsrn2 cloves garlic, thinly slicedrn2 tbs. red wine vinegarrn2 tbs. minced fresh cilantrorn1 tbs. olive oilrn1 can of tuna packed in water and mashed into pastern4 thick slices crusty bread In a large bowl, toss the ingredients, save the bread. Chill, then serve with the bread.