Food pyramid recipes

Everybody can easily refer to the Improved American Food Guide or simply known as the Food Pyramid in order to create a balanced meal every day. So if you are like others who want to consume the essential foods on a daily basis, you can try cooking some of these recipes that incorporates the use of the food pyramid.

Tomato Feta Sauce and Baked Shrimps

You need the following ingredients:

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of olive oil

15 ounces of tomatoes, diced (you can also buy canned diced tomatoes)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ cup of fresh parsley, minced

1 teaspoon of dried dill

1 pound of raw shrimp, deveined and peeled

2/3 cup of feta cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

What you need to do:

1. Heat the oven until it reaches 425 degree Fahrenheit. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions for 3 minutes or until cooked. Put in the garlic and sauté it again until it becomes brown or until you start to smell its distinct aroma.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes and leave it for a few minutes. Let everything simmer on a medium heat. After 10 minutes, look if the juice has already thickened then start reducing the heat.

3. Take the skillet away from the stove. Stir in all the herbs, the feta cheese, and the shrimp. Include also a dash of pepper and salt to taste as well.

4. If your skillet cannot be used in an oven, transfer it in a pan that can be used for baking. Put it inside the oven and bake it without any cover. Wait until the shrimp is cooked. It usually lasts from 10 to 12 minutes.

5. Serve it with pasta, rice, or bread.

Chicken with ginger and almonds

You need the following ingredients:

4 pieces of boneless chicken breasts (do not include the skin)

1 tsp of freshly grated ginger

¼ cup of julienned ginger

2 teaspoons of ground coriander

4 teaspoons of canola oil

Half teaspoon of osher salt

2 teaspoons of white-wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon of ground pepper

6 small trimmed scallions

Half cup of chopped mango chutney

¼ cup of chicken stock

1 teaspoon of garlic, minced

¼ cup of sliced and toasted almonds

Here’s how to cook:

1. Slice the chicken breast and cut it crosswise. Make it at least half in thick every piece. Toss in the grated ginger ground coriander, vinegar, pepper, salt, and the oil. Let it stand for 15 minutes or longer.

2. Slice thinly the white scallion parts then put the julienned ginger. Set this aside for a while.

3. In a separate bowl, put together the chicken stock or broth, garlic, and the chutney.

4. Use a non-stick skillet and heat at least 2 teaspoons of the canola oil. Set the stove on a medium to high heat before adding mixture of julienned ginger and the scallion whites. Just stir it for 30 minutes to prevent it from toasting.

5. Put the chicken and keep on stirring until the meat is cooked thoroughly.

6. Add the chutney mixture and the green parts of the scallion. Cook it for 2 minutes and continue to stir.

7. If you want a high-carb diet, you can accompany it with cooked rice.

8. Simply sprinkle the sliced toasted almonds at the top before serving.