How Easy Healthy Recipes for Dinner Revived My Love for Cooking

As I grew older I learned how to experiment with dishes that I loved. We had this Sunday barbecue tradition in the family wherein I would showcase the best marinade for chicken that I mixed or my easy pork marinade variant for the week. I learned how to prepare fresh garden salads using my mom's secret raspberry vinaigrette dressing recipe. In support of my culinary inclination, my parents gifted me with an herb garden that I diligently cultivated throughout high school. It provided me a ready stash of fresh basil, rosemary, thyme and oregano whenever I needed it for the dishes I cooked.

 

But things changed when I went to college. I lived on-campus and became too busy with academic responsibilities that I started neglecting my love for cooking. There simply wasn't anytime to experiment in the kitchen if you have a gazillion of term papers to write. I lived off fast food and would sometimes skip meals if I was pressed for time. I wasn't eating right. I became unhealthy and had to be hospitalized several times because of it.

 

When I landed my first job, I resolved to start eating healthy again. Aside from daily exercise, I began preparing my own food using recipes I've researched on the internet. Food magazine subscriptions also came in handy. What I gathered were easy to prepare, low-fat, low-calorie dishes that are perfect for people with a busy lifestyle. It felt good to be cooking again. I've always felt really comfortable working in the kitchen that I once thought of taking some culinary courses if I had some time. Anyways, allow me to share one recipe I've found online that is now a weekly staple on my menu for the week.

 

Grilled Curried Shrimp with Mango Couscous

(Recipe developed by Anna Berman from Fitness Magazine) - http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/dinner-in-20-easy-healthy-dinner-recipes/?page=7

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

 

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat couscous

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon finely diced jalapeno pepper

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons red curry paste

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic

3/4 pound shrimp, cleaned and shelled, tails on

1 7-ounce container 2 percent Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon grated ginger

Lime wedges (optional)

 

Directions

1. Cook couscous according to package directions. Combine with mango, jalapeno pepper, 1 teaspoon of the lime juice, and half the cilantro. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together red curry paste, vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of the garlic, and remaining lime juice. Add shrimp; toss to coat.

3. Mix together yogurt, ginger, and remaining cilantro and garlic in a small bowl. Season to taste with black pepper.

4. Heat a grill to medium high. Grill shrimp until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

5. Arrange shrimp and couscous on a platter and serve with the yogurt sauce. Garnish with lime wedges if desired.

                                                                                                                                                 

Just remember, have fun in the kitchen and make every meal count. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}