Easy, Healthy Dinners For Energy

Photo: Courtesy Of Cooking With Cakes.

Christine Fischer of Cooking with Cakes may not be a pro chef, but that doesn't mean she's a mere novice in the kitchen. The self-taught culinarian — who's all for healthy, accessible recipes — knows that succumbing to your five-day bacon craving does not make you weak. It just makes you human.

We get it. After a long, stressful day, we know that cooking dinner is pretty high on the list of things that you really, really don't want to be doing. Like, it's up there with doing your taxes or getting a root canal. And, it's never been easier to order as many egg rolls as your growling stomach desires with Seamless.

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But, we think we might just be able to turn you around on dinner. We joined forces with Cooking With Cakes to bring you four simple, delicious dinner recipes that are designed to maximize energy, keeping you full all the way to breakfast without weighing you down. Click through for extreme yumminess.

Photo: Courtesy Of Cooking With Cakes.

Crispy Coconut Chicken With Coconut Rice
A tropical sweet delight, Crispy Coconut Chicken is the perfect healthy dinner dish. Indulgent yet lean, this is one dish even your most finicky eaters will go crazy for.

Ingredients
Serves four.

Chicken:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup whole wheat panko crumbs
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup flour
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste
PAM cooking spray to grease

Coconut Rice
2 cups Basmati white rice
1½ cups cream of coconut
½ tsp Sea Salt

Directions Generously salt and pepper each chicken tender on either side. Set aside.

In small bowl, combine panko crumbs and shredded coconut. In another bowl, whisk egg and egg white. Finally, place flour in a third bowl.

Dip each tender into flour, shaking over the excess. Next, dredge in egg, then coat with coconut crumbs. Rest tenders in well-greased baking sheet as you go.

When all tenders have been prepped, lightly spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake at 400F degrees in the middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes, turning midway and bake until golden crispy. When ready, immediately plate and serve over coconut rice.

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Rice
In large saucepan, bring six cups of salted water to a boil. When boil is reached, reduce flame to medium before adding one-half cup of cream of coconut, allowing to dissolve before adding in rice. Allow rice to cook uncovered for approximately 15 minutes at a rolling boil.

When rice is nearly cooked, add remaining cup of cream of coconut, stirring well. Add additional salt if needed. Reduce flame to low, letting rice simmer for approximately five more minutes. When a thick, creamy texture has been reached, immediately plate and serve.

Photo: Courtesy Of Cooking With Cakes.

Crispy Speck and Fried Egg Arugula Salad
Beyond the nutritional pluses, this salad is seriously easy to prepare. Crisp up the speck, dress the arugula, and fry up your eggs — in just 20 minutes you’ve got a complete meal that’s all sorts of savory delicious. There’s just something about the EVOO dressing that plays wonderfully against the bitter arugula and salty speck. It packs just the right punch from every angle.

Ingredients
Serves four.

4 cups arugula
4 large eggs
6 oz. cubed speck
1 1/2 tbsps plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
Salt and coarse black pepper to taste

Directions In large skillet, cook speck in one teaspoon EVOO over medium high heat, tossing for 10 minutes until browned and crispy. When ready, transfer to paper-towel lined bowl to cool.

While speck cooks, in small bowl whisk one-and-one-half tablespoons EVOO, lemon juice, and sugar, combining well. Pour over arugula and toss until evenly coated. When speck has cooled, combine with arugula and incorporate well. Set aside.

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Rinse and drain skillet before returning to stove top. Two eggs at time, cook over medium heat until whites are set, or approximately three minutes. Plate arugula and speck, then top with fried egg. Season with salt and pepper, then immediately plate and serve.

Photo: Courtesy Of Cooking With Cakes.

Cheesy Greek-Style Baked Quinoa
This is a pretty little dish, isn’t it? I just love how all those Mediterranean goodies look mixed together. We’ve got some tomato, spinach, and artichoke action going on here, and this combination with the quinoa creates a seriously hearty side dish that can easily double as a main course.

Ingredients
Serves four.

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/4 cup fat-free feta cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella or cheddar
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts (in oil)
1 cup chopped spinach
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp crushed or minced garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp onion powder
Sea salt and course black pepper to taste

Directions
Prepare the quinoa as directed. While quinoa cooks, dice cherry tomatoes and chop spinach leaves, then set aside. Next, in food processor combine feta, skim milk, garlic, lemon juice, and parsley — blending until smooth.

When ready, stir artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, and spinach into quinoa, plus one tablespoon oil from artichokes, stirring well. Pour over with feta sauce, then season with onion powder and salt & pepper, combining thoroughly.

Transfer mixture to oven-safe casserole dish, spreading evenly. Top with remaining feta and mozzarella (or cheddar), then bake at 400F degrees for 15 minutes until top has melted. Immediately plate and serve.

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Photo: Courtesy Of Cooking With Cakes.

Creamy Chipotle Shrimp
I’ve long loved chipotle for its special smokey spice. I’m partial to the real peppers, but a chipotle-flavored hot sauce would work just fine with this recipe, too. And, if you’re not a cream cheese person, feel free to use sour cream or greek yogurt to make your marinade. But, whichever route you take, you absolutely must top this with panko and cheddar cheese. It’s crispy, it’s crunchy, it’s cheesy. It’s perfection, basically. And, bonus points: This dish is low-fat, low-carb, and loaded with protein.

Ingredients
Serves four.

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 1/2 cups canned corn
1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese
2 tbsps chipotle peppers in adobo
1/4 cup whole-wheat panko crumbs
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp lime juice
2 tsps cilantro
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions In food processor, puree chipotle peppers until smooth. Transfer two tablespoons of this puree into a small bowl, then combine with cream cheese and lime juice, stirring thoroughly. Next, add shrimp to large bowl before seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour over with sauce, then allow to marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour.

Before cooking, combine panko crumbs, cheddar cheese, cilantro, and one-half teaspoon EVOO in small bowl. Set aside.

In oven-proof skillet, sauté onions in remaining EVOO over medium-high heat until soft and translucent. Next, stir in corn, sautéing for several minutes before adding in shrimp. Cook until shrimp just begins to turn pink on one side, then remove from heat.

Evenly sprinkle panko mixture atop skillet, then bake at 350F for 12 to 15 minutes until crispy and browned. Immediately plate and serve.

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