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January 2026 Recipes of the Month

Cooking Demonstration

Be Well Illinois hosts a variety of virtual cooking demos throughout the year. Among the most popular webinars are the live cooking demonstrations, which show you how to prepare simple, healthy and tasty meals. The live cooking demo will post on the Be Well Webinars web page.

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Tuna and White Bean Salad

Ingredients                                                                            

  • 1 can of tuna (packed in water, drained)
  • 1 can of white beans (rinsed and drained)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or vinegar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 slice of whole grain bread (optional)

Directions

  1. In a bowl, combine the tuna and white beans.
  2. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and oregano, then mix well.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve as a salad or on whole grain toast.

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Thai Turmeric Coconut Braised Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1-pound Ground Chicken
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/3 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons Ginger Root, minced
  • 3 teaspoons Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Lime Juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Lime Zest
  • 2 tablespoons Coconut Milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric, ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon Thai Red Chili Pepper, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Thai Basil, chopped

Directions

  1. In a bowl, mix ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 1/2  teaspoons garlic evenly distributed.
  2. Divide into 1 tablespoon portions (1-1.5 oz. raw weight each) and roll into round meatballs.
  3. In a shallow pot, combine chicken broth, lime juice, lime zest, coconut milk, remaining ginger, remaining garlic, turmeric, and sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Carefully add meatballs into simmering broth, leaving space in between each meatball. Gently simmer until meatballs are cooked through and tender, 30-45 minutes.
  5. Stir in Thai chilis and Thai basil before serving.