10 Healthy Recipes To Spice Up Your Diet & Get More Protein!

Not all of us are on a super hardcore intense bodybuilder diet, but we still watch what goes in our mouths, and care about what we eat. And of the same token, it can be said that we're all equally concerned about getting enough protein in our diets; especially if we're weight training.

The benefits of protein include metabolism boosting, lean muscle, possible fat loss (that comes from boosting metabolism), increased energy... I could go on. However, the same old plain chicken breast, bland egg-whites, and boring fish gets tiresome after a while.

This is where I come in. I have 2 recipes for 5 different kinds of protein sources. Use this as a way to spice up your diet, and the healthy foods you've come to know and love.

Five-Spice Chicken

• 2 tbsp (25 ml) lemon juice
• 2 tsp (10 ml) liquid honey
• 1 tsp (5 ml) five-spice powder
• 8 chicken pieces

1. In large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil, honey, five-spice powder and 1/4 tsp (1 ml) each salt and pepper. Remove skin from chicken if desired. Add chicken to marinade, turning to coat; let stand for 5 minutes.
2. In ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken, in batches and adding more oil if necessary. Drain fat from skillet.
3. Return all chicken to skillet. Roast in 425ºF (220ºC) oven until juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

Marinated Grilled Chicken

• 1/4 cup (50 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) grated lemon rind
• 3 tbsp (50 ml) lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp (5 ml) dried dill weed
• 1/4 tsp (1 ml) each salt and pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. In bowl, whisk together oil, lemon rind and juice, garlic, dill weed, salt and pepper. Add chicken, turning to coat; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.) Place chicken on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until no longer pink inside, about 12 minutes.
3. Top grilled chicken with lettuce and tomatoes, if desired.

Beef

Steak Diane

• 1 pound sirloin steak
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 (8-ounce) package sliced button mushrooms
• 2 (5-ounce) packages prepared fresh green beans
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Trim excess fat from steak, cut in half, and cut across the grain (or perpendicular to the lines in the meat), into 1/2-inch strips. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In heavy skillet add olive oil; add the steak strips and stir-fry until brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove meat from skillet with slotted spoon to a plate.
2. To drippings remaining in skillet, add onion and garlic; stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and green beans; stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes longer. In small bowl combine Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, lemon juice, beef broth, and cornstarch. Add to skillet and bring to a simmer.
3. Return meat to skillet; bring back to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes longer, until meat and vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

South Seas Steak

• 1/2 cup pineapple preserves
• 1/4 cup teriyaki baste and glaze sauce
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• dash white pepper
• 4 beef T-bone or Porterhouse steaks
• 1 Tbsp. Caribbean jerk seasoning

1. Prepare and preheat grill. In small saucepan, combine preserves, teriyaki glaze and lime juice and cook over low heat until melted and combined, stirring frequently.
2. When ready to grill, rub steak with jerk seasoning. Place on grill over medium heat 4-6" from coals. Cook for 12-18 minutes, turning once or twice and brushing with glaze during last 2 minutes of cooking time. Bring any remaining glaze to a rolling boil, boil for 2 minutes, and serve with steaks. 4 servings

Cottage Cheese

Pancakes

• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• Honey/Splenda/Banana
• 1 cup uncooked oatmeal

Optional

• Banana
• A sprinkle of cinnamon
• A splash of vanilla

1. In the blender, put the ingredients in, in the order they appear - Eggs in first, then start the blender. As it's blending, pour in the cottage cheese, then the banana if you're using it, then whatever sweeteners and spices you like, then the oatmeal.
2. Once this is nicely blended, cook as you would pancakes, in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat.

Cottage Cheese Smoothie

• 1/2 cup of cottage cheese (low or nonfat)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 cup of milk (low or nonfat)
• 1 scoop of protein powder (optional)
• 1 packet of Splenda or sweetener of choice

1. For those that use flax oil, you can add a tablespoon to this and it doesn't really change the taste. Blend for 1 to minutes, serve and enjoy!

Protein Powder

Protein Peanut Butter Balls

• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup raw oats

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and form into small 1" balls. Place in the fridge for a few hours and then enjoy.

Oatmeal Pancakes

• 1 cup raw oats
• 1 scoop protein powder
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 packets sweetener
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds.
2. Then pour onto a hot grill and cook like a normal pancake.
3. An optional addition is to add some frozen fruit after the batter is blended.

Fish

Grilled Halibut

• 1/2 cup fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 (8 ounce) steaks halibut
• 4 sprigs fresh marjoram, for garnish

1. Mix together grapefruit juice, olive oil, 2 teaspoons marjoram, salt, and pepper, in a shallow glass dish. Add fish, turn once to coat both sides, then cover dish.
2. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, turning once or twice. Preheat barbecue or gas grill.
3. Reserve marinade, and place fish in lightly oiled wire basket. Place fish 4 to 6 inches above hot coals.
4. Grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once and brushing twice with reserved marinade, until steaks are barely opaque in thickest part. Arrange on a platter, scatter grapefruit sections around steaks, and garnish with sprigs of marjoram.

Baked Mahi-Mahi

• 4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Rub the fish fillets with the crushed garlic, then place them in a shallow, non-reactive dish.
2. Spoon the olive oil over the fish until they are coated. Place the onion on top of the fish.
3. Cover the fish and refrigerate overnight to allow the fish to soak in the marinade.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. If baking the fish, transfer it to a 9x13 inch baking dish along with the olive oil, garlic, and onion. Sprinkle the fish with the cayenne or white pepper.
6. If you are grilling the fish, wrap the fish and oil, garlic, onion, and pepper in aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees F) for 30 minutes.

Ten Healthy Protein Recipes PDF (112 KB)

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