Throughout my career, it’s become apparent to me that busy schedules and healthy eating are often adversaries.  And, in some ways, it’s rightly so.  Fast-food, TV dinners, and convenience foods leave a lot to be desired nutritionally.  But, there’s also some room for compromise.  This week, we’ll serve up a 3-step quick and easy dinner plan with a flavorful, healthy sauce to dress it up.  And, just in time for Thanksgiving, this curry sauce works perfectly to renew turkey leftovers!:

Recipe of the Week:  2-Minute Flavorful Curry Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (or for dairy free, use full-fat coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup natural Peanut Butter or Cashew Butter
• 1/4 cup green salsa
• 2 tsp curry spice
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ¼ cup water (omit if coconut milk used)
• 1/4 tsp salt (or salt to taste)
• cooked protein/meat such as organic chicken, turkey, baked tofu, lentils, beans, etc.

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together, except protein, in a bowl.
2. Spoon over protein and continue cooking until heated through.  If adding to grilled protein, first warm sauce on stove top or in microwave.

Comments:

I was recently asked by a client what’s my number one tip for saving time on dinner.  As a working mom of 3 kids 5 years and under, dinners are go-time in my household.  The children begin melting down at 5 pm like clockwork.  I begin getting hungry and cranky.  And, while I’m set on a homemade whole-food meal, I can’t be bothered with a time-consuming dinner recipe.

I have a secret weapon: flavorful homemade sauces.  If you’re looking for tips to save time on dinner and still have variety, flavor, and high-nutrition, here’s how the 3-step process works:

1. Protein: I thaw or have ready my protein source for the dinner.  It’s in the fridge and ready to be cooked.  This protein source can be meat such as chicken, turkey, grass-fed beef, non-GMO tofu, lentils, beans, etc.  Thanksgiving turkey leftovers.  Or, in a pinch a cooked rotisserie chicken.  If you need to cook it, though, simply stick the meat in the oven (400 deg F for 30-40 minutes), the slow cooker (if I’m home during the day – 3-4 hours on high), or on the outdoor or indoor grill for just 10-15 minutes.  It’s not so much that this doesn’t take some time, it’s that I don’t have to take time worrying about it or wondering what’s for dinner.  Simply start cooking the protein as needed, set the timer, and prepare the other portions of the meal.  Some of my clients cook several servings of protein on the weekends and refrigerate and freeze them for weekdays.  The protein portion of the meal becomes a no-brainer.
2. Vegetables: We always have ½ plate of vegetables (2+ cups).  It’s almost always a big, fresh salad with spinach and greens, broccoli, bell pepper, tomatoes, avocado, olives, and dressing.  Since I buy the pre-washed greens, this is easy prep…just wash and chop a few other vegetables in 5 minutes or less.  And, in a pinch, I’m not afraid to bust out the frozen vegetables.
3. Flavorful Sauce: This is where it gets more interesting.  I make a flavorful sauce in 10 minutes or less.  Really, this is the only work of the meal.  Everything else is the same most days, so it’s here that I’m creative.  It’s never overwhelming to simply make a sauce.  I can double, triple, or quadruple most sauces and freeze them.  I can go for Mexican, Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, or Italian sauces.  Homemade sauce can be full of flavor, full of antioxidants and nutrients, and without the chemical ingredients found in commercial condiments.

And, how does curry fit into a healthy dinner?  Curry Spice packs ingredients high in anti-inflammatory, healthful nutrients.  In fact, the turmeric in curry spice:

• Reduces inflammation, everyday damage to cells and risk of chronic disease
• Is a strong Anti-Cancer Agent inhibiting cancer cell growth, metastases, and reducing cancer risk
• Reduces Cholesterol and provides Cardiovascular Protection
• Improves Liver Function
• Protects against Alzheimer’s Disease

Even if you’re short on time, you can eat right and train hard.  Dinner can be as easy as 1-2-3.  And, while this dinner routine may seem a little monotonous, it allows plenty of room for variety with a flavorful sauce.  Streamline your meal and you’ll save time, save money, shop more efficiently, reduce stress, and enjoy a healthful, whole-food dinners while reducing inflammation and chronic disease risk.  Say goodbye to boring turkey leftovers…now you’ve got a delicious Curry Peanut Turkey entrée.  Training after work? No problem.  Dinner will be ready in a snap.

Fuel Your Adventure. Nourish Your Body.