Lunch Time

Before my time here at Drexel, I was a student at Temple University living in an off-campus apartment with four friends. Sometimes, I  would eat such a large breakfast that I would skip lunch, grab a chewy bar, and run out the door for my next class. On the other hand, at times, I would skip breakfast and end up eating a huge lunch. Neither of these lunch time habits is healthy, especially because we all have extremely busy schedules and our bodies need to be kept satisfied and working their best. I learned quickly that the 'three meals a day' rule is an extremely important aspect of staying healthy in college. Hopefully, you will have some time to create the delicious chicken and tuna recipes listed below, but if not, some quick alternatives include small salads with chick peas, tomatoes, cheese, carrots, or a variety of other vegetables with lowfat dressings. You could pair them with a yogurt, whole grain bread, side of fruits/veggies or one of the snacks Allie has posted in the "Snack time" section. 

Teena's Spicy Pesto Chicken and Pasta

Prep Time:
15 Minutes

Ready In:
40 Minutes

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked farfalle (bow tie) pasta

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon hot chile paste

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch pieces

6 tablespoons prepared basil pesto

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place farfalle pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the chile paste and chicken. Cook and stir chicken 10 minutes, or until evenly browned and juices run clear.

3. Toss the cooked farfalle, pesto, Parmesan cheese, and cilantro into the skillet, and continue cooking just until heated through.

Amount Per Serving 

Calories: 400 | Total Fat: 13.7g | Cholesterol: 38mg

A Good Easy Garlic Chicken

Prep Time:
10 Min

Ready In:
20 Minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.

2. Add chicken and sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoning salt and onion powder. 3. Saute about 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 214 | Total Fat: 10.1g | Cholesterol: 91mg

Tuna Sandwich

This is a recipe I have been making myself for years, and one I'm sure many of you have had a variation of before. I just HAD to list it because of how nutritional of a sandwich it truly is. Tuna has loads of Vitamin D and protein, which are essential in any diet. Packing lettuce and tomato on top is a great way to incorporate vegetables, and adding a couple slices of cheddar or american cheese gives you a dose of calcium and vitamin D, both of which are important nutrients that college students tend to lack in their diets. To top it all off, two slices of whole grain bread, as opposed to white, potato, or rye, give you a healthy serving of fiber. The recipe below is the way I have been making it forever, but change up the amount of ingredients however you like! 

*I like to pair this meal with a serving of fruit- such as a cup of grapes or chopped up apple with cinnamon sugar on top.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 5 Minutes

Ingredients

1-2 packets of pre-drained tuna (so cheap and on sale a majority of the time!)

1-1 1/2 tablespoons light or low-fat mayonnaise - optional

2 slices American or Cheddar cheese

1/2 tomato, sliced

2 big leaves Romaine lettuce

2 slices whole grain bread

Directions

1. Place 1 slice of cheese on each slice of bread and toast

2. Spread mayonnaise onto one slice and add tuna from packets

3. Add lettuce, tomato, and top off with other slice of toast. Cut in half

4. Enjoy!

25 Minute Chicken and NoOdles 

*Adding some Cajun seasoning, a bit of garlic and more veggies can add more flavor to this recipe- don’t be afraid to experiment with any and all of the recipes- make them your own!

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Ready In: 25 Minutes

Ingredients

1 (14 ounce) can Swanson® Chicken Broth or Swanson® Natural Goodness™ Chicken Broth

1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots) - Don't know whether to buy fresh or frozen veggies? Here's some advice!

2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

Directions

1. Mix broth, basil, pepper and vegetables in skillet. Heat to a boil. Cover and

cook over low heat 5 minutes.

2. Stir in noodles. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add chicken and heat through.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 261 | Total Fat: 10.1g | Cholesterol: 73mg




*All of these recipes involve chicken, but there are plenty of healthy meat substitutions in this article to check out!




Source: www.allrecipes.com

Dinner recipes

Coriander Salmon

Salmon, sometimes nicknamed "brain food", is one of the most commonly eaten fish. Salmon is a great and tasty source of Omega-3 (which is important for brain function and structure), Vitamin D, and Protein. It is advised to have some kind of fish about once a week to be sure to get the proper nutrients provided by fish. This is why I have included this quick, easy recipe for Coriander Salmon.


Don't be scared away if you haven't used coriander before! It's just a spice that has a mild, distinctive taste similar to a blend of lemon and sage. Depending on how many you are cooking for, you will need less or more ingredients. This recipe will be for two, but if you go to this site you can change the number of servings you need accordingly. 


Prep Time: 5 Min. Cook Time: 15 Min. Ready In: 20 Min.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 (6 ounce) salmon fillets
• 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I don't like spicy foods so I don't add the hot sauce but if you like it then go right ahead!)

Directions:

In a small dish, combine the salt, pepper and coriander. Sprinkle over salmon. In a nonstick skillet, cook salmon in oil over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side. Add the garlic, lime juice and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat; cover and cook 3-4 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Nutritional Analysis:
One fillet equals 335 calories, 21 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 100 mg cholesterol, 396 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 34 g protein.


As a side for this dish I made a big salad with fresh strawberries sliced and walnuts tossed in. As a dressing I used a light balsamic vinegrette. The salad and salmon combo was fresh and just filling enough so I was satisfied without being overstuffed. 


If you need a recipe for the salad, this one is great.

Turkey Burger with Brie and Grilled Apple

This is one of my favorite recipes to make. The brie is a mild cheese and the apples really pull the tastes of the burger together nicely. Also, turkey is a good, lean substitute for red meat. Whenever I make these, I don't need any condiments because the apple and the arugula is enough. This one takes a little bit more time but is definitely worth it when you have the time to spare. A Bobby Flay recipe I found on www.foodnetwork.com . Recipe yields four servings. To cut some time out on a busy night you can buy preformed turkey burgers from the frozen section of the grocery store. 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds freshly ground turkey
• Brie cheese cut into small cubes about a 1/4-1/2in thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large granny smith apple, cored and sliced 1/2-inch thick crosswise
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Four rolls 
• fresh arugula (just a bit for topping the burger)

Directions

To prepare the burgers:

Shape the meat firmly into 4 round uniform patties about 1 1/2inches thick. Stick the brie bits in throughout the burger and round out the burgers again. Brush both sides of the burgers lightly with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Cook the burgers to your liking. Next, brush the apples on both sides with the vegetable oil. Grill (in a grill pan) until golden on both sides. Place a burger on the bottom of each roll, top with 1 or 2 apple slices and arugula. Add a dollop of ketchup if you like. 




Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes,
Eggplant, and Basil

If you're not a turkey burger fan, have no fear, this chicken recipe is perfect for you. This recipe I found browsing on www.foodnetwork.com. I find a lot of recipes on there and its great because I can search what kind of food I want and the difficulty level I plan on cooking at. This one is Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Basil. 
Cook time: 11mins Level: Easy
Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 baby eggplant, halved
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 4 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 pound total)
• Freshly ground pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained,rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• Rustic bread, for serving

Directions

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the eggplant halves in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle with salt. Cover with a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a skillet over high heat, about 1 minute; transfer to a bowl and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add to the skillet and cook until brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken, add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Remove the eggplant from the microwave, cool slightly and slice into chunks. Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low; add the sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant, basil, nuts and chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a simmer.

Transfer the chicken to plates; top each with ricotta and the eggplant mixture. Serve with the bread.

Speedy Mushroom and Spinach Soup

Sometimes on those chilly days it's nice to have something to warm you up. If you have ten minutes to spare to make this soup and a few minutes to spare to eat it, you'll be toasty in no time. This recipe is really simple and can be a light meal or a warming mid-afternoon snack without the extra salt and preservatives of canned soup. The mushrooms in this soup are packed with Vitamin D which is not found in many vegetables so take advantage of mushrooms whenever you can.The spinach in this soup is high in iron so the Vitamin D in the other vegetables, like the mushrooms, help your body absorb the iron from the  spinach. Also, whatever you have on hand works if you don't have or don't like the peas. Carrots would work great, leftover chicken from dinner or lunch, any kind of beans will work, cooked grains instead of pasta (barley, brown rice, cous-cous, etc.) will all work as great alternates for this speedy soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth- can use vegetable broth, just make sure it's low sodium
• 1 cup whole wheat pasta (of your choice)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 6 medium mushrooms (about 3/4 cup) cut into quarters
• 2 cups Baby Spinach

In a medium sized pot, bring broth to a simmer over medium heat. Add pasta to the broth and heat for 5-6 minutes until slightly tender. Add peas stirring gently until mixed through broth. Add the mushrooms and baby spinach then cover for 2-3 minutes. Ladle 1-1 1/2 cups of soup into a bowl and top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese then voilà! You have a light, quick soup. This soup freezes very well, so freeze it in individual portions and reheat when you are in need of a warm pick me up. Soup freezes for up to one month. 

This recipe was also found on foodnetwork.com 

Snack Time!

A typical college student’s schedule is packed with classes, homework, extra-curricular activities, and a social life! There’s hardly any time to fit three full meals into your already busy schedule, so here are some delicious snack recipes that can be made quickly. Instead of buying candy or ice cream from the 711 on campus, make one of these simple, healthy, and tasty snacks!

Lemon Raspberry Muffins



 Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes

1 Dozen Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 large (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

2. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar. Add buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and pulse until blended.

3. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.

4. Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

Nutritional Info

Per Muffin: 185 calories, 7g fat, 18mg cholesterol, 27g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 2g fiber.

Berry Pizza

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

·         4 fajita-size (6-inch) flour tortillas

·          1/3 cup seedless raspberry all-fruit jam

·         1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

·         1 cup raspberries

·         1 cup blackberries

·         1 cup strawberries, hulled and halved, or quartered if large

·         1 cup blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and top each with a tablespoon of jam, spreading it almost to the edge. Bake until tortilla is crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.
2. Spoon 1/4 cup of ricotta over each tortilla, spreading it almost to the edge. Divide the berries among the tortillas, making alternating rows of raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Brush tops with remaining jam. Serve immediately, cutting into wedges like a pizza.

Granola Bars



Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

24 Bars

Ingredients

• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

2.      In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sweetened condensed milk, butter, coconut, almonds, chocolate chips and cranberries with your hands until well blended. Press flat into the prepared pan.

3.      Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on how crunchy you want them. Lightly browned just around the edges will give you moist, chewy bars. Let cool for 5 minutes, cut into squares then let cool completely before serving

Nutritional Info

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 144 | Total Fat: 5.9g | Cholesterol: 8mg