The month of New Year’s resolutions is officially here!
We can certainly plan healthy meals any time, but for those who want to start the new year with few new habits, here is a sprinkling of healthy dishes that are also hearty enough for a Texas appetite.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Curry Dinner
- 2 lbs sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups fresh cauliflowerets
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons curry powder, divided
- 1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning, divided
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2-1/4 lbs), skin removed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a 15″x10″x1″ baking pan with heavy duty foil. Place sweet potatoes, cauliflower, onion and garlic on prepared pan. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon curry powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper; toss to coat.
Arrange chicken over vegetables. In a small bowl, mix paprika and remaining 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper; sprinkle over chicken. Roast until vegetables are almost tender, 30-35 minutes. Drizzle with broth; bake until thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°-175° and vegetables are tender, 7-10 minutes longer.
Tex-Mex Potato Salad • Dianna Ackerley, Cibolo, Texas
- 2 medium ears sweet corn
- 1 large sweet red pepper
- 2 pounds small red potatoes
- 1 med ripe avocado, peeled/cubed
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream or fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chopped pickled jalapeno slices
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Dash cayenne pepper
- Fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Place corn and red pepper on a greased baking sheet. Roast until lightly charred, 20-25 minutes, turning once. Let cool. Peel off and discard skin from pepper. Remove stem and seeds. Cut pepper into 1/2-in. pieces. Cut corn from cobs; set aside.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut potatoes in half; place in a large bowl. Add sliced red pepper, corn, avocado, tomatoes and green onions.
Place sour cream, mayonnaise, salsa, lime juice, vinegar, jalapenos and spices in a blender. Cover and process until blended. Pour over potato mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled. Serve with cilantro.
Beetroot Chocolate Cake • Emma Broome
Beetroot adds sweetness and keeps cake moist.
- 1 c raw beetroot
- 4 medium eggs
- 1/4 c white sugar
- 1/4 c ground almonds
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 c plain chocolate (melted)
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
Grease 8″ springform cake tin.
Top and tail beetroot; peel and cut into quarters. Place into a food processor and blend until coarse.
Transfer blended beetroot to a mixing bowl and add sugar, ground almonds, and melted chocolate. Mix together.
Separate eggs, stirring yolks into beetroot mixture and placing the whites in a large mixing bowl.
Use electric whisk on the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
Add 1/4 egg whites to beetroot mix and gently fold in, to loosen the mixture. Add remainder of the egg whites in the same manner.
Transfer the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40 minutes, testing with a skewer to ensure that it comes out clean. Remove from cake tin and cool.