Hi Fit Chick NYC readers! I’m Erica Sara and I’m so excited to be Jess’s guest post today. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a runner, a gluten free foodie, a jewelry designer and I blog at Erica Miss America. So nice to “meet” you. And thank you Jess for this great opportunity. I’m so grateful to have met you and honored to consider you my friend.
The other day, Jess and I were hanging out before our weekly hot yoga girl date, discussing how difficult it can be to cook healthy meals with our crazy schedules. So I thought it would be a great idea to offer you all one of my favorite, easy go to meals. I’m a huge fan of preparing food in advance so I can throw together delicious meals in a matter of minutes. During the winter months, I typically make a large bowl of soup or stew on Sundays and eat it for lunch or dinner all week long. But as the temperatures get warmer, I’m less in the mood for soup and more likely to crave lighter recipes like salads with grains and beans or tofu.
One of my new favorite go to meals is tofu with mixed vegetables, brown rice, and a honey ginger soy dressing drizzled on top. Sound like a lot of work? I promise you it isn’t! Just take the time to make a few minor preparations in advance and you’ll have the dish at your fingertips within minutes the rest of your week.
Here are the steps I take:
1- Prepare the dressing and store in a glass jar in my refrigerator:
Combine 1/2 cup soy sauce (I used gluten free tamari), 2 tablespoons of honey or agave, 2 small chopped garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp ginger powder. Taste and adjust flavors according to your liking. Store and then shake well before using.
2– Make a large pot of brown rice, divide into serving portions in plastic bags and freeze them. Or, you can purchase frozen brown rice at Trader Joe’s that can be microwaved in minutes.
3– Have extra firm tofu on hand. Drain, press if you desire, slice and store in your refrigerator until you’re ready to use.
4– Keep bags of frozen veggies on hand in your freezer. Or have fresh veggies cut & chopped in your fridge.
When you’re ready to eat, grab a serving of frozen brown rice, some veggies and several tofu slices. Place on a microwave safe plate and heat for 3-4 minutes to warm through. Depending on the strength of your microwave, you may need an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from the microwave, drizzle with the dressing and enjoy. I find preparing my meals this way especially helpful during marathon training season. I pop everything in the microwave after my run, before my shower, and when I’m clean and ready to eat, my food is waiting for me.
Thank you, Erica! I can’t wait to try this recipe while I’m in KY this week.
Erica is an amazingly talented woman. You can check out all of her creations at Erica Sara Designs. Because she is an all around awesome woman and friend she has offered to give one of you one of her beautiful pieces of jewelry.
The giveaway is for an engraved plaque necklace– winner gets to pick whatever they’d like engraved (monogram, name, word, etc…)
You have two chances to enter the giveaway. Please leave a comment for each entry.
#1) Leave a comment on the post telling us what’s your favorite quick healthy meal.
#2) “Like” Erica Sara Designs on Facebook.
Giveaway ends on Friday, April 22 at midnight EST.
When I’m craving Chipotle or something equally indulgent, for a more nutritious quick fix, I make a “healthier quesadilla” using two whole wheat tortillas, defrosted frozen grilled asparagus and chicken breast strips from Trader Joe’s, low fat shredded cheese and top it with salsa.
My favorite is an egg burrito. Scrambled eggs, salsa, cheese, tortilla – can’t get much easier!
a spicy tuna wrap is my new, quick fix for lunch! canned tuna, a little greek yogurt, louisianna hot sauce, and 1 wedge of laughing cow cheese – mix it all together & then shmear it on a whole wheat wrap! wrap up & enjoy!
I love a good egg white omlette with spinach and red onion with some salsa on top.
That quick meal looks DELISH!
For us, it’s gotta be a salad.
I love topping a spinach salad with whatever we have on hand in the fridge – like a fried egg – or in the pantry – like a can of tuna or chickpeas, then topping it off with other kitchen randoms, like fruit / nuts and then some balsamic vinegar!
I like a salad topped with avocado, cucumber, hemp seeds, and a simple olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing.
If I have some tofu cooked up in the fridge, it’s usually tofu on top of a spinach salad.
For me it is spinach sauteed in garlic and whole grain pasta tossed with balsamic dressing. It sounds weird but I love it!!
If I want something cool, I’ll throw together a salad.
If I want something warm – I LOVE roasting veggies. Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower – they all just taste so much better roasted in the oven.
I whip up a quick omelette or egg scramble for nights I’m in a hurry or don’t want to cook — yummy!
My favorite quick easy meal is an Amy’s Burrito with a side salad and vegetables!
Ohhh that sounds like an awesome go-to quick meal! My husband wouldn’t touch it but it would be great for me when I’m in a pinch during the week. MM. My favorite go-to quick meal is a simple throw-anything-you-want-in-it stir fry. Usually involves chicken sausage from trader joe’s and whatever veggies I have on hand. Saute in chicken stock and your favorite spices and voila! done!
LOVE your jewelery btw, gorgeous stuff!
I love nachos, with lots of black beans, green peppers, kale, onions, tomatoes, salsa, and of course, cheese. 🙂
wow – gorgeous necklace! great giveaway.
My favorite quick healthy meal is a giant salad-throw together whatever I have on hand for veggies-add some nuts, raisins etc and dig in! My stand by dressing is similar to Erica’s recipe too! soy sauce or Ponzu, apple cider vinegar, hot sesame oil, fresh grated ginger and olive oil. Delish!!
My favorite quick and healthy meal is a stir fry! I like to load it up with as many veggies as I can fit in my wok. 🙂
I also “liked” you on facebook! Beautiful pieces! I may have to buy something!
Liked Erica on FB
My fav quick healthy meal is a salad made with arugula, watercress,romaine and spinach as the base topped with beets, celery, cherry tomatoes cucumbers, feta, dried cranberries,apples and walnuts and drizzled with balsamic.
My favorite quick healthy meal is ordering brown rice sushi. Does that count? No? Okay, then my favorite go-to meal is black bean, kale and chicken-sausage soup in the crock pot. Quick, easy, and delicious over brown rice as another way to enjoy it!
My sort of cheating quick healthy meal is that I cook in big batches, then store the meals in individual-serving tupperware, so that I can go grab it from the fridge super quickly. Otherwise, I do love yogurt with Grape Nuts mixed in.
Greek Yogurt breakfast. This is a FILLING and nutritious way to start your day! I love it and crave it all day long.
1 7oz tub of 2% Greek Yogurt (I prefer Fage)
drizzle over…
1 Tbl honey
chop on top
1 banana
And if you’re really feeling crazy – sprinkle with some granola for a great crunch.
Lovely!
I liked on FB! And then I was told my comment was too short so here I am lengthening it.
#1) My favorite quick healthy meal is anything eggs! or greek yogurt with some go lean crunch cereal
I like to make concoctions with beans – usually with quinoa, pasta, rice… And just a small amount of cheese, hence the “healthy” meal aspect.
My favorite quick and healthy meal is a green smoothie. Just get some spinach leaves, frozen fruit, a little honey and I normally throw in some flax or chia seeds and put it all in the blender and you have a healthy quick meal in minutes
I also liked Erica Sara Designs, cute jewelry!!
I am so simple always – I make things ahead of time BUT in a pinch & yes, I know boring, I mix up some protein powder with water or almond milk & add to that depending on my tats buds! 😉 I am a mini meal eater…
Liked on FB! Very cool stuff!
I think this meal sounds amazing!! However, I would use tempeh instead of tofu (personal preference!).
what a beautiful necklace! My favorite easy go-to meal is oatmeal, loaded with veggies, a bit of soy sauce and sriracha. seriously!
My favorite quick & easy meal is tofu (I really like the trader joe’s teriyaki ones!), fresh spinach, and frozen corn, peppers, edamame or any other frozen veggies! I just throw the tofu and frozen veggies on a skillet, season them a little bit and then put them on top of the spinach. Throw some balsamic dressing on (or something else! I just use balsamic vinegar) and you are good to go! I also love putting some goat cheese in it too – it melts with the hot tofu & veggies and is delicious!
White bean stew!! It’s quick and easy, and it’ll make your life.
-Saute a couple chopped shallots and 1 garlic clove in 1 tsp of olive oil (you can add a little bit of pancetta at this point for flavor, but also delicious without).
-Deglaze with a splash of white wine, then add 4 cups chicken or veggie stock, 2 cans of cannellini beans, 1 sml can diced tomatoes & the rind of a piece of parmesan (I always save these in my freezer). The rind adds a ton of flavor.
-Simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Then use a fork to mash up some of the beans to give the stew a slightly heartier consistency (I use a couple pulses of an immersion blender).
-Add half a bag of baby spinach & cook for 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Season to taste & sprinkle w/ parmesan and lots of black pepper.
My healthy go to recipe is salad with chopped tomatoes, red onions, avocado (sometimes grilled chicken) and a sauce that consists of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and grey poupon mustard whisked together.
I also really like roasted brussels sprouts or asparagus.
Anything with beans! Whether it’s a healthy quesadilla (whole wheat or spinach tortillas, beans, peppers, lettuce, mushrooms and whatever else is in the fridge!), a healthy pasta dish with beans and vegetables, bean burgers, etc! Easy-peasy! 🙂
I liked her on Facebook! 🙂
My favorite quick meal is whole wheat cous cous, trader joe’s soycatash frozen veg, and some parmesean cheese!
My fav easy healthy meal is sesame encrusted cod and roasted veggies. I am a horrible cook, so if i can do this anyone can! The veggies take longer so i prepare them first. 2 of my favs ate sting beans and eggplant. Line baking pans w/parchment and cut up veggies and place on there. Spray a bit of olivio spray, sea salt and garlic powder over the top, place in oven. While they are roasting prepare the fish- Brush a teeny bit of olive oil over the cod fillets and then dip them in sesame seeds. I then add a bit of fresh parsley and basil. Put in the broiler…10 mins you are done! amazing!
I LOVE simple meals like that. My simple go to is baking fish in tin foil (so it doesn’t stink up my apartment…) and steaming veggies quickly. Usually w/lemon juice and a little olive oil!
I love a hummus and veggie sandwich/wrap, yum!
My favorite healthy meal would have to be a stir fry with a mix of veggies and chicken over brown rice 🙂
Oh my, this is like wine and cheese- 2 of my favorites (Jess and Erica) in one blogpost. Ha! Love Erica’s creations both wearable and edible. This dressing (soy/garlic) sounds great. I make a “scramble” when short for time. I find omelets dry so I use any veg (frozen peas and monterrey artichokes are timesavers), heat them in a pan, scramble in 2 eggs( I don’t even beat the eggs when hungry) and I add some flavoring such as nutritional yeast or hot sauce or avocado sliced when done.
I usually make eggs with whatever veggies I have on hand or a spinach salad with avocado, tuna, and egg, and veggies. this looks easy and delicious!
i already “like” on FB. I love her jewelry-I am planning on buying a piece soon.
I love making panko-crusted salmon with dijon, spread, top, bake and you have fish for dinner!
I love whipping up a spinach salad with apples, craisins, nuts and some avocado if I have any. Top with a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing and I’m a happy girl!
With a newborn and a toddler quick easy meals are important. However, meals don’t seem to be happening right now. I’m living on hummus and veggies and apples with peanut butter.
I’m heading over to Facebook to “like” Erica Sara Designs now.
My favorite quick meal is a Buddha Bowl. It’s great when I’m feeling lazy in my kitchen and I have a lot of veggies in my fridge that I want to use up, but I’m not sure how to put it all together. First, I use any leftover whole grain as my base like brown rice or quinoa. Then I lightly steam whatever leafy green vegetable I have in my fridge – kale, spinach, bok choy. If I have a sweet potato on hand, I’ll dice it up and steam that too then throw it on. Then I’ll had some sauteed tempeh, tofu or some canned chick peas or black beans depending on what is available. Sometimes I’ll mince a clove of garlic and add that too (for good measure) Next, I’ll dig out any veggies I have in my fridge and grate them raw on top – cucumbers, carrots, leeks, scallions. If I have oil cured olives, I’ll toss a few of those on and then sprinkle with ground hemp or flax seeds, drizzle some olive oil, and season with cayenne or sea salt and pepper to taste. It’s so tasty and usually I can make one and eat twice!
I love steamed broccoli with a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper with grilled chicken and avocado slices. Easy to make, light but filling and yummy!
My favorite quick healthy meal is seared tuna + grilled asparagus. I have the tuna already marinating the night before in the fridge (in a soy sauce + ginger mix) and throw it on the grill pan. It takes less than a minute to sear to perfection and then I throw the asparagus on the same grill after for about 5 minutes. Perfect!
My favorite easy healthy meal is definitely rice with beans and cheese always so good and healthy!
My favorite quick, healthy meal is an easy salad! I chop romaine, green peppers, and cucumbers on Sunday nights, and grill some chicken, too! Then use the mix and chicken to make salads all week long! By adding sliced walnuts, cherry tomatoes, a light balsamic dressing and feta cheese — I have a satisfying salad perfect for a mid-day snack 🙂
Hey Fit Chick In The City,
My favorite meal to cook is Chicken, Brussel Sprout and Potato stew thats cooked in a crock pot or slow cooker. The ingredients are simple: (1) Container of Brussels Sprouts, (1) Pack of Chicken Breast, (1) Bag of Red Potatoes, (1) Jar of Marinara Sauce, Spices, Herbs, and seasoning to your liking.
You place all those ingredients in a crock pot and let it cook all day. You will have a healthy, low-fat and tasty crock pot meal!
Thanks.
Quick go to: Wendy’s apple/pecan salad w/grilled chicken, and it’s plenty enough for 2.
quick healthy meal: monster salad with beans!
i liked Erica Sara Designs on facebook!