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Chicken, Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya. For anyone who has never made jambalaya at home, this recipe is straightforward and nearly foolproof, and is a worthy contender to be in your regular dinner rotation.

Ingredients
2½ 3- pound chicken thighs (about 5)
Creole Seasoning
8 ounce Andouille sausage (sliced thick)
8- oUnce extra large shrimp peeled and deveined.
1 medium onion

Ground pork and canned beans make this green chili a great weeknight dinner option. We want to learn to make homemade chili. This easy homemade chili recipe is full of satisfying.

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb organic, grass-fed ground beef (85/15)
1 yellow onion, (diced)
1 green bell pepper, (diced)
1 red bell pepper, (diced).

This comforting soup is flecked with Swiss chard, tomato and whole-wheat elbow pasta and seasoned with a deeply flavorful but mellow mix of Middle Eastern spices. It is a one-pot wonder that is easy to make on a weekend so we have a nourishing meal to reheat during the week.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 bunch Swiss chard (6 ounces) leaves and stems separated, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups brown or green lentils, picked over thoroughly and rinsed
8 cups no-salt-added chicken broth (may substitute vegetable broth)
One 28-ounce can no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes, plus their juices
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dried whole-wheat elbow macaroni.

Wine-Braised Pot Roast, above. The beauty of a good braise lies in its relative effortlessness. Aside from a quick sear and deglazing, this mostly hands-off recipe is sure to delight once it hits the table.

Avoid fad diets and extreme or unconventional nutritional schemes. If it's too good to be true, it's not true. And remember that these guidelines are intended for healthy people, people with medical problems should consult their doctors to develop individualized nutritional plans.

Adjust our caloric intake and exercise level to maintain a desirable body weight. If we need to reduce, aim for gradual weight loss by lowering your caloric intake and increasing our exercise level.

If we choose to eat red meat, try to reduce our intake to two 4-ounce servings per week. Avoid prime and other fatty meats, processed meats, and liver. Switch to chicken and turkey, always removing the skin. Be sure our meat and poultry are cooked to 160° or more, but not charred.

Eat more grain products, especially whole-grain products, aiming for at least 6 ounces a day. Count one cup of dry cereal; ½ cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta or one slice of bread as 1 ounce. Whole grains and brown rice should provide at least half our grains; the more the better.

Restrict our sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day, particularly if our blood pressure is borderline or high, by reducing our use of table salt and processed foods such as canned soup and juices, luncheon meats, condiments, frozen dinners, cheese, tomato sauce, and snack foods. Men with blood pressure above 120/80 mm Hg should aim for 1,500 mg a day, as should men above age 50.

Eat protein in moderation. Favor fish and skinless poultry. Experiment with soy and beans as a protein source. Aim for 5½ ounces of protein-rich foods a day; count ¼ cup of cooked beans or tofu, ½ ounce of nuts or seeds, or one egg as equivalent to 1 ounce of cooked fish or cooked lean meat or poultry.

We choose our fats wisely. Cut down on meat, the skin of poultry, whole-fat dairy products, stick margarine, fried foods, processed snack foods, and commercial baked goods made with trans fat. Think about dressings, sauces, and cooking oil. Use olive or canola oil to cook whenever possible, and moisten our bread with olive oil or soft margarine. Good fats from fish and nuts.