Best Quick Meal Contest Winners

cookingpractitioner ideas and...cooking demos
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

• Whole wheat pasta tossed with a jarred tomato sauce.  Shredded carrots, spinach, mushrooms are hidden in the sauce for added stealth nutrition!  Sara Schmitz, RD.• White chicken chili with only five ingredients: low sodium chicken broth, jarred salsa, cut up cooked chicken breasts, great northern beans, and low-fat mozzarella!  Sara Schmitz, RD.• Bag of greens, feta cheese, dried blueberries or cranberries, nuts and seasoned vinegar for a great salad meal! Darla Wilson.• Lemon Pepper Cod -  Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat on the stove top on medium heat. Squeeze lemon juice from 1/2 lemon over thawed or fresh cod fillets and sprinkle with pepper. After 5 minutes, flip and sprinkle juice from the other 1/2 lemon and pepper. Cook 5 minutes on each side and enjoy. Serve with a side of broccoli, cooked for 3-5 minutes in the microwave. Squeeze the juice of another 1/2 lemon over the broccoli along with 1 tablespoon light (trans-fat free) margarine and salt to taste. Dawn Clifford.• All food groups rolled into one meal! In a large skillet, sauteed onions, red peppers if you like, mushrooms and garlic in some olive.  Add rinsed and drained fresh spinach. Sprinkle with favorite herbs and Worcestershire, to taste. Cover and cook on medium for about 2 minutes. Fold in a can (drained and rinsed) of favorite beans -- garbanzos, kidney, white beans. Cover again and cook until beans are heated.  (You could also add leftover cooked meat or chicken pieces.) Top with grated or shredded cheese of your choice, and/or chopped nuts of your choice. Serve with cooked whole grain pasta or brown rice, or just a nice slice of whole grain bread, or pita bread toasted. Have fruit for dessert. Linda Drake.• Make a top of the stove or microwave one-dish-meal with a mixture of instant brown rice, frozen mixed vegetables, and frozen cooked chicken strips or leftover baked chicken.  Follow package directions for how long to cook and how much to cook based on how many will be sharing this meal. Season with your favorite salt-free herb mixture.  This dish takes only about 15 minutes or less from start to finish. Serve with a salad of crispy romaine lettuce and grape tomatoes with your favorite dressing.  Glenda Warren.• 1-1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in strips stir fried in 1 tablespoon. olive oil with a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables.  Season with ginger, garlic powder, black pepper and 1 teaspoon soy sauce.  Add 1 cup chicken broth and 2 tablespoon. corn starch.  Serve with brown rice. Joan Todd, RD, LDN.• Vegetables in foil - wrap vegetables (carrots, zucchini, red potatoes, mushrooms, red peppers, etc) in foil - drizzle with a little olive oil, spices (Italian or other favorite to complement the meal) and place on bbq - serve with broiled skinless chicken breast, salmon, or very lean (trimmed) flank steak. Elaine Long.• Salmon fillet and asparagus, roasted in a 450 degree F. oven! Canned white beans heated with sauteed greens & garlic, topped with diced tomato. Robin Kline.

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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