I welcomed my second child in March of this year, and it’s been an interesting few months for our family to say the least. With schools closed, a new infant at home, holed up in a two-bedroom apartment, I’ve had no opportunity to work out and get my pre-baby body back.
Before the pandemic and Shelter-in-Place order, I was working out everyday at the gym, doing yoga, and walking over 12 miles a day at work as part of the restaurant life. Now, I barely clock 1.5 miles a day, so that means it’s even more important to get working in the home kitchen.
Over the last few months I’ve had a few dishes on repeat as it’s easy, fast and healthy to make, regardless of how many mouths you have to feed or how busy your day can get.
The following healthy recipes that I have now on repeat can be found in my new Easy Asian Cookbook now available from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and Target.
Egg Flower Soup
What I love about this recipe is that it requires less than five ingredients and it takes less than ten minutes to make from start to finish. You can also turn this simple soup into a hearty meal by adding cooked pasta and shredded chicken to make chicken noodle soup with an Asian twist, or adding frozen wontons to make it a wonton soup. Toss in healthy cooked grains such as quinoa, brown rice, orzo or even oats to make savory oats. Don’t forget to toss healthy greens in, like spinach, peas, zucchini, kale.
Minced Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This healthy dish is light, but flavorful and super versatile. Make a large batch and use the leftovers for scrambles in the morning or as a filling for tortillas for Asian inspired tacos. It’s a great way to sneak in a ton of veggies for your family and it’s a one pot wonder. You can also change it up by using other types of ground proteins, such as beef, bison, turkey, or pork.
Steamed Scallops with Ginger Scallion Soy
I love how this dish sounds like a fancy restaurant style entrée when in fact it’s a super easy meal to make in the comfort of your own home kitchen. It’s high on protein and flavor but low on fat and virtually no carbs. Swap out scallops for shrimp, white fleshed fish such as cod, tilapia or bass. Serve it with steamed brown rice or cauliflower rice and you’ve got a super satisfying meal that you can feel good about when serving it to your kids and husband.
Gyudon
Shaved beef over rice makes perfect one bowl meals. Take your family to Japan within minutes by serving them this delicious beef dish. It’s sweet, savory and full of umami. Pair it with some tofu salad or vegetables and you’ve got yourself a great one pot wonder. The beauty of this dish is that it takes less than 20 minutes to make.
Matcha Parfaits
Although I try not to eat desserts often in hopes to trim back down to my normal weight, I do indulge myself once a week to stay sane. And I certainly don’t want to deprive my family of dessert either. This dessert is much lower in sugar and makes the indulgence feel less guilty. It is incredibly easy to make which scores bonus points for me as I have limited time in the kitchen between an infant and toddler.
All these meals have been on regular rotation for me and I hope new moms who are trying to cook clean at home while surviving these difficult times can find some joy in these recipes when they do have a few moments to themselves. While cooking can feel like a stressful or burdensome task at times, it is important to remember that it is something we dedicate time to feed our family, mind, hearts and tummies.
It’s the one moment we can sit down together, eat and catch up, unwind. So let’s take the stress out of cooking by finding easy recipes you can make with your eyes (basically) closed.
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
