The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (15 page)

From Dr. Jonny
: Honestly, I don’t make soup very often because, let’s face it, it’s a big project. So tell me about a healthy, delicious soup that tastes of cilantro and can go from conception to table in 15 minutes, and you’ve got my attention. Cilantro is an underappreciated herb that has a long and honorable medicinal history. It’s a terrific detoxifying agent. It contains components, such as borneol and linalool, that help cleanse the liver, as well as many natural anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. It also tastes phenomenal, and in the high concentrations used in this soup, is a power pack of vitamins K, A, and C. The shrimp and coconut are a match made in culinary heaven. The two combine to make a light, mild soup deliciously suffused with the sweet, citrusy tang of fresh cilantro. Can’t beat that!

4 cups (950 ml) vegetable broth, divided

1 bag (1 pound or 455 g) frozen chopped red and green bell peppers and onions (or colored bell pepper strips)

10 ounces (280 g) fresh cilantro (about 2 bunches)

1 can (14 ounces or 400 g) light coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 pounds (567 g) small shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice, preferably fresh squeezed, or to taste

1 cup (180 g) chopped tomatoes (grape or plum work well)

Combine 2 cups (475 ml) of the broth with the frozen vegetables in a large soup pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Let it boil for about a minute or until the vegetables are just tender.

While the soup is cooking, lay the cilantro bunches side by side, chop off the stems, and discard. Make two more cuts across the bunches and submerge the roughly chopped cilantro in cold water to rinse well, and spin or shake to remove excess water.

Place it in a blender with the remaining 2 cups (475 ml) of the veggie broth, and blend until the cilantro is well pureed, 1 to 3 minutes (just over a minute in my Vita-Mix). Pour the mixture back through a double-mesh sieve into a large bowl, swirling the fibers around to drain out all the liquids. Discard the fibers.

Add the cilantro broth, coconut milk, salt, and shrimp to the boiling soup and cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through. (Do not overcook! See Superspeed Tip.)

Stir in the lime juice and top with the tomatoes to serve.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 603 Calories; 15g Fat (20.8% calories from fat); 52g Protein; 76g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; 218mg Cholesterol; 2289mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: Cabbage and broccoli are both vegetable royalty. As members of the brassica family, they contain valuable chemicals called indoles, which are known as cancer fighters because of the positive effect they have on the metabolism of hormones. If that sounds a little technical, don’t worry about it. These foods are really good for you, and best of all, the whole process of putting together this superlight stir-fry takes all of about 10 minutes. And you can’t beat shrimp for low-calorie protein! The seeds offer a nice crunchy note to this already delicious dish!

1 1/2 (25 ml) tablespoons peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon (8 g) fresh grated ginger (or 3/4 teaspoon powdered)

1 pound (455 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (fresh or frozen, thawed)

1 bag (12 ounces or 340 g) fresh slaw mix (shredded cabbage, carrots, and broccoli)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) mirin

2 tablespoons (28 ml) low-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon (8 g) toasted sesame seeds

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté 2 for minutes. Add the shrimp and sauté for 1 minute. Add the slaw veggies, mirin, and tamari, stirring well to coat, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through and the veggies are hot and just wilted, but still crunchy. Remove from the heat, add the sesame oil and seeds, and toss to coat.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 224 Calories; 10g Fat (37.7% calories from fat); 30g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 173mg Cholesterol; 475mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: Sure you love fried rice at the local Chinese joint—who doesn’t? But healthy? Come on. What if you could have that same delicious taste in a dish that wasn’t a nutritional nightmare? Well, you can. Our version is light, made with healthy oils, and seasoned with all sorts of things that are good for you, such as garlic! And the dish is pretty complete: You get protein from the shrimp and eggs; a great assortment of health-packed vegetables such as cabbage, peas, and onions; and a healthy whole grain in the brown rice. No MSG added! And as a bonus, you can use low-sodium tamari and not lose an eyedropper of taste!

1 1/2 tablespoons (25 ml) sesame or peanut oil

1 teaspoon prepared minced garlic (or 1 large clove, minced)

2 tablespoons (12 g) prepared minced ginger (or finely chopped fresh)

2 cups (140 g) prepared shredded broccoli slaw mix (or use 2 cups [140 g] shredded Napa cabbage)

1 cup (130 g) frozen peas

2 cups (330 g) cooked brown rice (prepare frozen cooked or parboiled brown rice if you don’t have leftovers on hand)

1 egg

3 tablespoons (45 ml) low-sodium tamari

2/3 cup (110 g) sliced scallions, optional

3/4 pound (340 g) cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons (16 g) toasted sesame seeds, optional

Heat the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and slaw mix and sauté for 3 minutes or until the cabbage is slightly wilted and reduced. Add the peas and rice, stirring to combine well, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until hot, stirring occasionally.

While the rice is heating, whisk the egg and tamari together in a small bowl.

Increase the heat to medium, pour the egg mixture over all, mixing well and stirring rapidly to distribute the egg as it cooks. Fold in the scallions, if using, and shrimp. Cover and remove from the heat. Let it rest for a couple of minutes or until the shrimp are heated through.

Stir in the sesame seeds, if using, and serve.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 328 Calories; 11g Fat (28.9% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 182mg Cholesterol; 621mg Sodium

Swift and Savory Shrimp Sauté with Chèvre and Roasted Reds

From Dr. Jonny
: One of the best pieces of nutritional advice I ever heard was also one of the simplest: Shop for color. When that conveyer belt at the supermarket checkout looks like a postcard of one of those big, overflowing French vegetable markets, you know you’ve hit pay dirt. And the reason is simple: The pigments that give fruits and vegetables their color belong to a family of plant chemicals called anthocyanins, and they contain powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that help protect the plants from predators. These plant chemicals offer the same kind of protection inside your body. There are thousands of them, and different ones are found in red, yellow, orange, and green plants, making a combination of colors (such as the red peppers and green spinach) an ideal mix for longevity. The only thing you need to add is protein—oh, wait, there it is in the shrimp! Bon appétit!

1 1/2 tablespoons (25 ml) olive oil

1 1/4 pounds (567 g) medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/2 teaspoon ground fennel

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper Salt, to taste

1 bag (6 ounces or 170 g) baby spinach

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

3 prepared roasted red peppers, drained and sliced

1/3 cup (50 g) chèvre (or feta)

2 tablespoons (28 ml) lemon juice (fresh squeezed is best)

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with fennel, black pepper, and a few pinches of salt. Sauté for 30 seconds and add the spinach. Sprinkle with salt, to taste, and white pepper, and cover for 1 minute. Remove the cover and stir in the red peppers. Cover for 30 seconds or until the shrimp is just cooked through and the spinach is mostly wilted. Remove from the heat, stir in the chèvre, and sprinkle lemon juice over all.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 257 Calories; 11g Fat (39.1% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 227mg Cholesterol; 384mg Sodium

15-Minute Low-Cal Shrimp and Citrus Ceviche

From Dr. Jonny
: The definition of
ceviche
, in case you’re wondering, is “a citrus-marinated seafood.” The acid in the citrus actually “cooks” the seafood. If you think that sounds fresh, light, and healthy, you’re right. Ceviche was believed to have originated in Polynesia, but its true birthplace remains a subject of controversy. Many countries claim to have invented the idea of light seafood seasoned with limes or lemons, and no wonder—it tastes great. This version is made with precooked shrimp, so it’s not technically traditional ceviche—but on the plus side it takes only 15 minutes to get it to the table. That’s a compromise we’re willing to make, and you will be, too, once you serve it. The cucumber and orange are a brilliant touch. They fit in perfectly, adding extra juiciness and crunchiness to an already-light dish packed with nutrition. The cucumber has almost zero calories—okay, 19, I mean really!—and a fair amount of nutrition: half the potassium of a banana, 22 mg of calcium, 19 mg of magnesium, and 1 mg of fiber. Overall this high-protein, low-calorie dish is a winner in every way.