5 Healthy Dinner Recipes That Will Fill You Up, Yet Leave You Feeling Light

Introduction

The hustle and bustle of the day often comes in the way of preparing breakfast and lunch, preventing you from investing much time in these meals. But dinner gives you time enough to whip up something worthwhile.

A good home-cooked dinner gives you a chance to experiment with ingredients and cooking techniques. Curling up cosily in a corner of your home with a bowl of something delicious can be a source of great comfort after a busy day.

Yet, dinner ought to be light and healthy. A healthy dinner contributes to better sleep. It also ensures better digestion, stable blood sugar, lower chances for inflammation, greater resilience to stress and lower anxiety levels.

From Air Fryers to Instant PotsKitchen Aids to Help You Cook Better

Culinary tools have come a long way, thanks to technological advancements that have made it easier and more fun to spend time in the kitchen. Here's our pick of trending tools that will help you prepare dinner quickly and easily.

An air fryer is a healthier alternative to the frying pan if you enjoy fried foods, but don't want the mess, hassle or health risks of deep-frying. This device cooks food by circulating hot air around it, doing away with the need to submerge food in hot oil.

For those who love the idea of quick and easy meals but don't want to sacrifice quality or flavor, an Instant Pot is a multi-functional kitchen appliance. It combines pressure cooking and slow cooking, can make rice and yoghurt and saute vegetablesall in one pot. The instant pot comes in many sizes, from 2.5 litres to 7 litres, and is perfect for a large or small family.

Cutlery is an important element of every well-stocked kitchen. A good set of knives can make prep work faster and safer, because each knife is designed for a specific use, from mincing herbs to slicing meat. Look for a comfortable grip and a blade that's easy to sharpen. Other useful kitchen cutlery include peelers, zesters, graters and cutting boards.

If you're looking for smaller kitchen gadgets, a spiralizer is what you should go for. In recent years, the popularity of vegetable spiralizers has increased dramatically. This unique kitchen gadget (originally invented in Japan), can be used to create vegetable noodleslow-carb alternatives to traditional pastafor recipes such as "zoodles" and stir-fries. Depending on the type of blade you use, a vegetable spiralizer can also be used to slice, grate, or shred.

And then there are handheld mixers. These versatile kitchen tools can whip, beat, and blend various foods, including eggs, cream, batter, dough, icing, salad dressing, and shredded chicken. Some handheld mixers come with attachments like whisks or dough hooks that make them multipurpose tools for a range of kitchen tasks. Most home cooks find them convenient and more affordable than stand mixers.

One Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

The traditional St Patrick Day recipe of corned beef and cabbage is a quintessential Irish-American dish that would do well for a family dinner. Get the recipe from any old cookbook, or follow our instructions for that tried-and-tested taste.

A tender, moist, and intensely flavored brisket with potatoes, carrots, and cabbagethis exceptionally easy one-pot meal is made in a Dutch oven on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. It can easily become one of your all-time favorite slow cooker recipes if prepared right.

Ingredients- (Serves 6)

600g of small red-skinned potatoes, two cups (400g) of peeled baby carrots, six sprigs of fresh thyme, one peeled big onion, two kg rinsed and trimmed corned beef brisket, two tablespoons (30g) of pickling spice, one teaspoon (six g) of minced garlic, half head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges, two tablespoons (30 ml) of honey and half a cup grainy mustard.

Instructions-

1. To prepare, cut the carrots into 1-inch long pieces and cut the onion into six equal-sized wedges. Put thyme, onion and carrots in the bottom of a six-quart slow cooker. Wash the potatoes and keep them aside.
   
2. Add the corned beef brisket on top of the vegetables with the fat side up, and cover with one quart of water. With the pickling spice and minced garlic sprinkled over, place the lid over the slow cooker and cook it on high heat for five hours. The brisket should not be completely drowned in the water.
   
3. Keeping the core of the cabbage intact, cut it into four equal-sized wedges. After five hours, place the potatoes around the sides of the corned beef and then top with the cabbage wedges. For tender and juicy corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, allow simmering for two to three more hours.
   
4. Take honey and mustard and mix with the whisker in a small bowl.
   
5. Remove the corned beef brisket from the cooker onto a serving platter and cut it into thick slices. Serve with the vegetables and garnishing of honey and mustard, and enjoy your St Patrick Day with your friends and family.
   

One Pan Chicken Fried Rice

Unlike most fried rice recipes that require the rice to be cooked ahead of time, in our one-pan chicken fried rice recipe, rice cooks simultaneously with the other fresh ingredients. This is one of those easy Chicken Recipes that take less than 30 minutes to prepare. So when you and your partner are out of dinner ideas, you should try this healthy, quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe.

Ingredients- (Serves 4)

One tablespoon (15 ml) of sesame oil or canola oil, 450g of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts chopped into big-sized cubes, two medium-sized (100g) green onions (light and dark green parts separately chopped fine), four big cloves of fresh garlic, one tablespoon (15 ml) of minced fresh ginger, two and a half cups (600 ml) of readymade chicken broth (low sodium), two cups (130g) of long-grain white rice, half cup (65g) of roughly chopped small broccoli florets, one cup (130g) of frozen peas, one cup (130g) of bell peppers (yellow and red mixed), half cup (65g) of mushrooms, half cup (65g) of finely chopped red onion and half cup (65g) of thinly sliced carrots.

Instructions-

1. First, rinse the rice and soak it for eight to ten minutes in a small bowl. Drain the rice and keep it aside.
   
2. Take a big nonstick skillet and heat the oil on a medium to high flame for three to four minutes. Stir fry the chicken cubes for six to seven minutes until it gets brown on all sides.
   
3. Add ginger, garlic, light parts of onions, red onion, carrots, and rice and stir fry them for two minutes on high heat.
   
4. Lower the heat to medium and add chicken broth to the skillet. Cover with the lid tightly and cook for 15 minutes. Add broccoli florets, peas, bell peppers, and mushrooms and continue cooking for five minutes until all the ingredients are tender and the broth is completely absorbed.
   
5. Let the skillet cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, and your one pan chicken fried rice is ready. Garnish it with dark green parts of onions and chopped parsley as per your taste.
   

Mac and Cheese Casserole With Ground Beef Recipe

This mac and cheese casserole with ground beef is a family favorite because it's full of great flavors and texture. Seasonings like garlic, onions, and green peppers add to the dish's appeal, while layers of Cheddar cheese make it hearty and flavorsome. It's ideal for one of those easy dinners when friends and relatives are home for the holidays. Enjoy this meal with a side dish like potato salad or stir-fried burned garlic green beans or steamed corn. It's a delicious fall and winter comfort meal.

Ingredients- (Serves 6)

Two cups (250g) of raw elbow macaroni, two teaspoons (12g) of kosher salt, one-fourth cup (30g) of finely chopped onion, one (50g) chopped green pepper, two cloves of minced garlic, two tablespoons (30g) of butter, half teaspoon (three g) of freshly ground black pepper, 450g ground beef, one bay leaf, one can (400g) of stewed tomatoes, and two cups (260g) of shredded cheddar cheese.

Instructions-

1. Take a big pot and put the macaroni in it. Add salt and pour enough water to submerge the macaroni. Cook for eight to ten minutes over low to medium heat until tender. Don't overcook it. Drain the macaroni, run it through cold water and keep it aside.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
   
3. Take a large saucepan, and over low to medium heat, add one tablespoon of butter, bay leaf, garlic, onion, black pepper, green pepper, and ground beef. Stir it often until the beef changes its color to brown. Add tomatoes and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, mixing in half the cheese in the end.
   
4. Use the remaining butter to grease a two-quart (2.25 lt) casserole dish, then flip the macaroni into it. Place the cooked meat mixture on top, then the remaining macaroni. Spread the cheese over the top and bake for 30 minutes.
   
5. Serve your Mac and Cheese with beef along with garlic bread.
   

Honey Garlic Pork Chops (Slow Cooker)

In this recipe, pork chops are slowly cooked in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce until tender. The sauce has just a handful of ingredients, yet it is complex in flavor. It's a perfect Sunday dinner recipe.

Use one and a half-inch thick-cut boneless pork chops for this recipe. Most people prefer to brown their pork chops before adding them to the slow cooker to obtain the right flavors. The sauce is made with tomato ketchup, dark soy sauce, honey and garlic.

Ingredients- (Serves 6)


Six thick-cut (one and a half-inch thick) 1200g of boneless pork chops, one tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil or canola oil, salt to taste and three teaspoons (18g) of freshly ground black pepper, two teaspoons (12g) of minced garlic, half a cup (120 ml) of tomato ketchup, one-third cup (80 ml) of low sodium dark soy sauce, one-fourth cup (60 ml) of honey, two tablespoons (30g) of cornstarch to thicken the sauce and two tablespoons (30g) of chopped parsley for garnishing.

Instructions-

1. Rub a generous amount of salt and pepper on both sides of the pork chops and keep it aside.
   
2. Take a big cast iron skillet and heat the oil over medium to high heat. Cook the pork for four to five minutes on each side until dark golden brown, and add the chops to the slow cooker.
   
3. In a small bowl, put tomato ketchup, garlic, honey and soy sauce and stir with the help of a stirrer. Pour this sauce all over the pork chops.
   
4. Cover the slow cooker with its lid tightly and cook on low heat for four hours.
   
5. After that, take a small bowl, pour 60 ml water, and mix it with cornstarch. Add this cornstarch mixture to the slow cooker.
   
6. Cook for another hour or until the sauce gets thickened and pork chops become fork-tender.
   
7. Garnish the pork chops with fresh parsley or chopped green onions (optional). Serve your honey garlic pork chops over mashed potatoes or rice or bread to soak up that amazing sauce.
   

Sheet Pan Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp scampi is a recipe that varies from region to region across the globe. However, to make this wholesome meal for easy dinners during a hectic week, you only need a sheet pan and a few basic ingredients. Shrimp scampi is a quick and easy meal that can be prepared with minimal effort. This simple meal is completed with lemon, shrimp, garlic, butter, vegetables, bread loaf, and parmesan cheese and does not take more than 30 minutes with just these basic ingredients.

Ingredients- (Serves 4)

One medium-sized diagonally sliced zucchini (one-inch thick slices), one medium-sized diagonally sliced (one-inch thick slices) summer squash (Crookneck, Yellow Straightneck, Green Tiger, Costata Romanesco, Cocozelle or Zephyr), four tablespoons (60 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, half teaspoon (3 g) of freshly ground black pepper, four tablespoons (60g) of unsalted butter, half teaspoon (3 g) of crushed red pepper flakes, two cloves minced garlic, zest of one medium-sized whole lemon, an additional couple of lemon wedges for serving, a half loaf of French bread which is split horizontally then halved crosswise, one-fourth cup (65g) of grated Parmesan, 700g peeled and deveined shrimp (without tails), and one-fourth cup (30g) of freshly chopped parsley leaves.

Instructions-

1. First, preheat the oven to 475 F. Cover the baking tray with an aluminium sheet and grease it with butter. Pace squash and zucchini on it, and then sprinkle some olive oil on the top. Throw some salt and pepper on it and roast for 15 minutes until the upper surface turns golden brown.
   
2. For the buttery dressing, take a large bowl and mix butter, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 15 ml of olive oil, the remaining black pepper, and a pinch of salt in it. Microwave it for one minute on low heat or until the butter melts.
   
3. Take a dish and place bread on it. Brush it with approximately half the butter dressing and put cheese on it; keep it aside.
   
4. Put the shrimp in that large bowl with the remaining butter dressing and toss it so that the shrimp is coated with the dressing. Set the bowl aside for five to seven minutes.
   
5. Once your zucchini and squash are done, remove the sheet from the oven, flip the zucchini and squash, and place them in the middle third of the baking sheet. Put the bread on one side of the vegetables and shrimp on the other. Adjust the bread and vegetables to make room for the shrimp to cook evenly. Bake it for around 10 to 12 minutes.
   
6. Once your shrimp is done and the bread is golden brown, your sheet pan shrimp scampi is ready to be served. Drizzle some olive oil (optional) and garnish it with fresh parsley and lemon wedges; enjoy your dinner with a glass of white wine.