Top 5 Healthy Geek Recipes

Everyone knows that even our favorite superheroes and characters need to eat to stay healthy and fit! That’s why I made a list of the top 5 healthy geek recipes to embody some of our favorites while at the same time being health-conscious of the food choices we make. Eating like a superhero doesn’t mean we can’t eat well! We can make good choices and our meals can still be super tasty. So without further adieu, let’s get started!

You can always modify these meals to meet your needs and wants! You can use gluten-free or different kinds of meat. Whatever your super-character hearts desire!

#1 Avenger’s Shawarma

We all know the famous scenes of Iron Man talking about Shawarma to the rest of the Avengers! But have you ever had it before? It’s really quite delicious and not that hard to make either. You can substitute the meat for beef, or lamb as well, but here I’ve decided to go with chicken. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 2lb chicken thigh fillets

Marinade:

• 1 large garlic clove (minced)
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground cardamon
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Black pepper
  

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• 1 tsp cumin
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

To Serve:

• 6 pieces of flatbread (Lebanese or pita bread)

Directions:

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large zip-lock bag (or bowl).
2. Add the chicken and use your hands to make sure each piece is coated. If using a zip-lock bag, close the bag and massage the bag to disperse the rub all over each chicken piece.
3. Marinate overnight or up to 24 hours.
4. Combine the yogurt sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Cover and put in the fridge until needed (it will last for 3 days in the fridge).
5. Heat grill/BBQ (or large heavy-based pan on the stove) on medium-high. You should not need to oil it because the marinade has oil in it and also thigh fillets have fat. But you can add a little oil if you are worried about it.
6. Place chicken on the grill and cook the first side for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely charred, then turn and cook the other side for 3 to 4 minutes (the 2nd side takes less time).
7. Remove chicken from the grill and cover loosely with foil. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.

To Serve:

1. Slice chicken and pile onto platter alongside flat-breads, salads, and the yogurt sauce.
2. To make a wrap, get a piece of flat-bread and smear the yogurt sauce. Top with a bit of lettuce and tomato and chicken shawarma. Eat up and enjoy!

#2 Naruto’s Miso Ramen

We all love Naruto! He is happy and strong and has a great humorous personality. Even we know he needs to eat, and what better meal to make than his favorite dish… Miso Ramen! It’s always exciting to make new dishes with some of the materials we have lying around our house. Although this recipe can take a while, sometimes it’s best to wait around for the dishes we love!

Ingredients:

Broth + Noodles:

• 1-2 pounds pork bones
• 4 liters of water
• 1 inch of fresh ginger
• 1 3-inch strip of kombu
• 2 1/2 tbsp sake
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 8 tbsp miso
• 1/4 tsp chili bean paste (optional)
• Fresh ramen noodles, or fresh Chinese egg noodles

Chasu Pork:

• 1 pound slab pork belly (not cut into strips, like bacon)
• Salt
• 1-inch fresh ginger
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup sake
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsp sugar

Soft Boiled Ramen Eggs:

• 6 eggs (count on 1 egg per bowl-cook eggs accordingly!)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cut mirin
• 1 cup water

Additional Toppings:

• Green onions
• Naruto (fish cake)
• Menma (preserved bamboo shoots)

Directions:

A note: get the broth started, and make the chasu and the eggs while you’re waiting for the broth to fully cook. You can make up the broth, pork, and eggs the night before, and then assemble on the day of.

1. Start with the broth. Throw bones, ginger, and water into a stockpot. Begin to boil. As it boils, strain off any scum that floats to the top. Reduce to a simmer, and let simmer about 6 hours. Replace water as needed, so that it is always at the same level and bones are covered. When it is ready, strain the broth to remove the ginger, bones, and any debris in the broth.
2. Throw kombu into the pot with the strained broth, and bring back up to a simmer. Let simmer about 15 minutes. Remove kombu, and add in sake, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir well, and then take a ladle full of broth, and mix it into the miso to thin it out. Add in parts, tasting as you go, until you’re happy with the saltiness of your broth.
3. Finally, add in the chili paste to the broth as desired. The purpose is to add a little complexity and give it a slight kick but add at your own discretion. Set aside in the fridge overnight, or set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
4. While the broth is cooking, soft boil the eggs. Bring a pan of water to a boil. Pierce the fat end of the eggs with a pin to allow the air sac in the egg to be pushed out as the egg cooks. Add in the eggs to the boiling water, and let the water simmer for seven minutes (do not let it come back to a full boil!). Do this by dropping the eggs in and leaving them alone – the temperature of the eggs will reduce the heat of the water enough. But control your heating as you see fit. After seven minutes, remove from water and immediately deposit into an ice water bath.
5. When eggs have cooled, gently peel the eggs. The white will be delicate, so go slowly and carefully!
6. Mix up the liquids in a bag or bowl, and pop the eggs inside. Allow to sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours at least, overnight is the best.
7. Work on the Chasu now. Salt the entirety of the slab of pork belly. Roll up, and use a skewer or butcher’s twine to secure the roll.
8. Heat a neutral oil (like a vegetable) over high heat in a pan. When hot, brown the pork roll, about 4-5 minutes each side, and 1-2 minutes on the edges of the roll. When ready, remove from pan, and wipe the pan out. Put in the liquids, the sugar, and the ginger, and place the pork back in the pan. Bring up to a simmer. Cover with a foil lid to promote even distribution of cooking.
9. Flip once, halfway through cooking, which should take about 45 minutes to an hour. It is ready when the sauce is thickened and you can see the bottom of the pan when you push the pork around. When the sauce begins to bubble up, and the pork has a nice shiny coating, it’s ready. Remove from pan, with sauce, and set aside or store in the fridge until you are ready to use. Before moving onto the next step, bear in mind that the broth, eggs, and pork should all be ready to use after their cooking/marinating times.
10. Prepare toppings. Slice the green onions finely, slice the Naruto, get out the menma (they usually come prepared in a jar or tin), slice eggs in half, and slice the pork so that you get thin slices of swirled pork.
11. Put a pot of water on to boil. When boiling, place fresh ramen noodles into a strainer, and deposit into the water. Allow to cook about 90 seconds, or until noodles are bouncy. Immediately remove from the water with the strainer, and put in a serving bowl.
12. Ladle broth over the noodles, and then top with the toppings as you see fit. For the proper Naruto ramen, you need five slices of chasu, a handful of chopped green onions, some slices of naruto, menma, and one half of a soft boiled egg.
13. Take a picture and enjoy the meal!

*Thanks to Penguin Snacks for the recipe, here is a video on YouTube to guide you along the process!

#3 Ninja Turtles Mini Paleo Pizzas

Who doesn’t love pizza, right? However, sometimes we want to take a healthier route when it comes to pizza. We love our Ninja turtles and their obsession with pizza, so here is a recipe to try to be on the healthier side of things. Of course, you can choose your topics and switch it up to make your own pizza favorite. Enjoy this recipe and wear your favorite Ninja turtle character outfit! Always remember to take pictures for evidence!

Ingredients:

• 4 portobello mushrooms
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• A sprinkling of Italian spices
• Red pepper flake to taste (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic or 1/2 tsp of pre-minced garlic
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 2 tbsp sliced black olives
• 1/4 red onion
• 1/8 cup mozzarella cheese
• 4-5 leaves fresh basil (optional)
• 1/2 cup cooked Italian sausage (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash your hands and your veggies. Brush the dirt off mushrooms with a paper towel.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
4. If you’re using sausage, this would be a good time to cook it. Preheat pan over the stove and place your ground sausage or a sausage link into the pan. Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally until there is no more pink meat visible.
5. Turn your mushrooms over and pull out the stem of the mushroom. You can use your hands for this. It should come out fairly easily.
6. Place the mushrooms on your baking sheet. Brush the tops and bottoms with olive oil first and then vinegar.
7. Place your mushrooms bottom side up and sprinkle with Italian spices, red pepper, and salt and pepper.
8. Take your minced garlic and spread some onto each cap.
9. Your oven should be preheated. Take your mushrooms and place them in the oven for about 7 minutes.
10. 10. While you’re waiting for the mushrooms to cook, it’s time to prep your other ingredients.
11. Cut your bell peppers into slices, slice your onion, and your basil if using. If your olives aren’t sliced, you can slice those as well.
12. Once you’ve finished prepping your toppings, move the pan of par-broiled mushrooms to your table with the toppings. If your pan is still hot, set it on a kitchen towel or hot plate.
13. Now you can place your toppings on the pizza any way you like, but usually starting with the sauce. Spoon your sauce onto the mushrooms and spread it around.
14. Then take your toppings and divide them among your mushroom caps.
15. When you’re done adding toppings to your pizza, pop them back in the oven for 15 more minutes.

Enjoy your delicious paleo pizza!

#4 Harry Potter’s Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

Eating together is such a wonderful experience when eating at the dinner table! Even when an owl comes to steal your food, or you just happen to drop something down on the ground for your dog! At Hogwarts, there is always the classic dish of Shepherd’s Pie. Although we are making it a little different here, you can always find a recipe to get the classic way. Here we will use a paleo recipe to help keep our trend of healthier choices during dinner time. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp coconut milk (optional, other non-dairy milk will do as well)
• Few shakes of paprika and cinnamon (also optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Filling:

• 2 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
• 3 carrots
• 4 cloves of garlic – peeled
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 8.5oz package of white button mushrooms (to save time, buy them pre-sliced)
• 2 lbs grass-fed ground beef
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp thyme (dried)
• 2 tsp oregano (dried)
• 2 tsp basil (dried)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Heat up your frying pan on low. You don’t want it getting too hot while you chop your veggies.
2. Fill your soup pot with water, turn on the heat and begin to bring to a boil.
3. Chop your veggies. This includes carrots, mushrooms, and your onion.
4. Mince your garlic.
5. Melt 2 tbsp butter in the pan. Make sure it’s just melting and not burning. If your pan is heated too much, just take it off the heat for a little bit.
6. Once your butter is melted, toss in your onions and garlic. Mix it up and get the onions and garlic coated with butter. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Cook the onions and garlic until they become somewhat translucent. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Stir them frequently so that they do not burn.
8. Add your carrots and mushrooms to the pan. Mix them in.
9. These will need to cook another 5-7 minutes until they get soft.
10. At this point, we’re going to add the meat.
11. Once your meat has started browning, stir in the 1 tbsp of tomato paste per pound of meat that you’re cooking. Also, stir in 1 tsp of each of the dried herbs.
12. Once you finish the batch of meat and veggies, pour that into your cake pan. Flatten the top.
13. Now we are going to make the mashed sweet potatoes. First, peel your potatoes. You can put them in a large pot to boil, or you can cook them in the microwave. Poke holes in the potatoes with a fork then put them in the microwave on the potato button. Remove them from the microwave and let them cool for a few minutes. Then cut them in half.
14. Dice your sweet potatoes into cubes.
15. Then put potatoes into a large mixing bowl and start mashing!
16. Once they are nice and mashed, it’s time to add your coconut milk and spices.
17. Mix milk and spices, then pour the potatoes over the meat mixture in your cake pan. Smooth out the top with a spoon and spatula so that the potatoes evenly cover the meat.
18. Pop into the oven for about 20 minutes, and you’re ready to have your delicious Harry Potter shepherd’s pie!

#5 Wonder Woman’s Atlantis Ambrosia Fruit Salad

Okay so maybe she doesn’t eat fruit salad all the time, but the colors are totally Wonder Woman. Where she comes from, there has to be some special tasty fruit! So for this last one, we have to make a delicious easy fruit salad for parties or on the go, because we know that Wonder Woman has to keep that rocking body for the fighting action. This is always a summer BBQ favorite, so take is as your potluck dish! Add your own flavor to it. Here is the recipe for a tasty Wonder Woman fruit salad to add to any of our other great recipes. Yum!

Ingredients:

• Cut strawberries
• Sliced bananas
• Blueberries
• Pineapple chunks (drained if from a can or jar)
• Honey Greek yogurt

Directions:

• Blend all together in a bowl and serve. Or you can arrange them all on a tray so it looks like Wonder Woman’s outfit and serve the yogurt dipping sauce on the side. (Suggestion: arrange the pineapple chunks around the dip bowl to resemble the magic lasso.)

Now you have some of the favorite recipes of your favorite heroes and Geek characters. They all love adventure and action, but of course, they all need to fuel their energy with some of the healthiest. We can all be the heroes in our lives too, but we need the proper energy so we can be useful to ourselves and others. I hope you enjoyed all these recipes as much as I do, and I look forward to seeing all of your recipes and pictures that you take of your delicious home-cooked meals! Until next time!