20 Minute Meal

More healthy swaps being made in this house! As I have mentioned in recent posts, I am suddenly busy, busy, busy, so my healthy meals also have to be quick.

This one took just about 20 minutes from start to finish, and it was incredibly satisfying, tasty, and included some good nutritionals as well.

I started with soy chorizo from Trader Joe’s. The texture is kind of weird; I had planned on using slices of it, but it was very crumbly. It was all good though as it tasted like a nice blend of spices and added protein to our dinner.

I also made good on my promise to use more frozen vegetables. I added several cups of sweet frozen peas to the crumbled chorizo in a pan and cooked them together on medium heat.

Here’s where I started healthi-fying! Instead of the grated cheese I planned on, I threw in about 1/4 cup nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavor, less fat, and lots of vitamins and nutrients.

Stir, stir, stir. Then add in about a cup and a half of whole milk, subbed in for the heavy cream I planned on using.

Once the sauce was bubbling hot, I poured it over whole wheat penne. This dinner filled me right up and was speckled sweet bursts of green pea flavor, spicy, slightly salty sausage, and creamy cheese sauce.

This was a play on a traditional ham, peas, and cream sauce, and I felt it was far more flavorful. I really enjoy focusing on subtracting fat while adding flavor.

Be prepared to see more meal makeovers on the blog! I am going to do my best to make little changes in everything I cook going forward.

What little swaps are you making to make dishes healthier?