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| Homemade spinach and feta calzone - easy to make, delicious/nutritious to eat. |
2021 was definitely a year that includes lots of cooking, baking and drink making. It was also a year where we strived to live healthier. These foods and drinks aided that journey.
Shopping list
The shopping list included these staples:
- 1% milk
- beans - all kinds
- brown rice
- eggs
- feta cheese, cheddar cheese, parmesan and assorted other cheeses
- some crackers--healthiest we could find
- good breads--homemade and bakery/store bought (whole wheat/seeded breads mostly)
- lots of seafood
- lots of varied veggies and fruits
- frozen fruits
- 0% plain Greek yogurt
- honey
- baking supplies for treats
- nuts-all kinds
- a few meats now and then
- a few noodles now and then
Our meals included lots of salads, smoothies, stir fry, calzones, varied baked dishes and more.
Favorite cookware
- Ninja Power Blender
- Dutch oven
- big round surface cookware including one 22-inch diameter cast iron pan
- graters for cheese, fruits. . .
- juicer for limes, lemons, oranges
- indoor garden for growing herbs
Favorite recipes
Smoothie
One cup milk, one cup no fat Greek plain yogurt, 1 banana, a few ice cubes and either frozen berries or peanut butter. Sometimes we added slivered almonds, chocolate chips or coconut for more texture. The benefits of this drink is that it has lots of protein, little fat, and fewer calories. Filling too.
Calzones
It's easy to make your own dough or buy dough, then roll it out and fill it with healthy ingredients. Our favorite is is spinach-onion-pepper-feta filling. These are easy to make, serve, eat--very tasty and fairly healthy.
Stir fry
It's so easy and so healthy, to cut up lots of veggies very small and stir fry those veggies in a good oil with seafood or small pieces of chicken or meat for a delicious meal. Add it to a grain such as brown rice or farro for a nutritious meal.
Popcorn
Air popped popcorn is a terrific, crunchy treat.
Salads
Some great greens such as spinach or arugula with ribbons of red cabbage and cut-up veggies of all kinds makes a delicious salad and nutrious meal. Add cheese, chicken, beans or other proteins to get your protein fix.
One pot meals and soups
We've had a number of one pot meals including tasty beef stew, turkey chili and my brother-in-laws amazing paella. One pot soups such as clam chowder, seafood stew and chicken soup with couscous are favorites too.
Fish tacos
Our favorite fish tacos has us cooking fish in spices and adding a purple cabbage-corn slaw with avocado--delicious and nutritious.
Roast chicken
Our favorite chicken recipe means heating the cast iron pan at 425 degrees while slathering the chicken with salt and oil and letting it sit outside the oven for about an hour. Then plopping the chicken in the hot pan and letting it cook for an hour. The chicken tastes great, and the remaining parts can be used for a delicious chicken soup the next day.
No-need-to-knead homemade bread
This is a delicious bread that you cook in your dutch oven. The taste is wonderful. It looks and smells great too. I want to try the whole wheat version of this yummy treat.
Pasta and meatballs
We've made a few pasta and meatball dishes for large gatherings. They've been tasty, but don't feel quite as healthy as the other foods we eat more often.
Baked feta
Simply mix broccolini, lemons, red onions, and cherry tomatoes in olive oil with cumin, place on cooking pan, Add pieces of feta throughout, bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes--delicious/nutritious!
Chickpeas and tomatoes
Saute onions, garlic until soft, add chickpeas, tomatoes, spices--serve with brown rice or farro.