Read The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth Online
Authors: Jonny Bowden
The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (17 page)
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 279 Calories; 9g Fat (30.3% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 270mg Cholesterol; 542mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Serve with a light, cooling salad of a large grated, peeled cucumber and 2 medium chopped fresh tomatoes dressed with 1 cup (230 g) of plain low-fat yogurt mixed 2 tablespoons (28 ml) of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, and a pinch of salt.
If You Have 5 Extra Minutes
: Chop 1/3 cup (5 g) of fresh parsley or cilantro and stir it into the shrimp just before serving.
NUTRITIONAL NOTE
You might expect this nutritional note to extol the benefits of the heart-healthy fat found in olive oil (technically called monounsaturated fat, and even more technically called oleic acid). Well, I’ll get to that part. But first let me give you my own personal opinion about why olive oil is so darn good for you, and, big surprise, my opinion is just a little different from the conventional wisdom.
Monounsaturated fat, the kind found in olive oil, macadamia nut oil, avocados, and so on, is a fat that causes you no harm whatsoever. Diets high in this fat, including the Mediterranean diet—have been associated with lower blood pressure, lower rates of heart disease, and even lower risks for dementia and Alzheimer’s.
My good friend Mark Houston, M.D., director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville, says that monounsaturated fats (like that found in olive oil) help make available to the body a miracle molecule called nitric oxide, which helps keep your arteries open. Houston even recommends 4 tablespoons a day of olive oil for his patients!
But here’s my not-so-secret theory, and it’s beginning to be shared by more and more of us on the cutting edge of nutrition. The real health benefits of olive oil have more to do with polyphenols, the class of plant chemicals found in olives and the oil that’s made from them. These olive polyphenols have been found to be effective against a host of microbes, and they are powerful antioxidants as well.
But the question of whether it’s the polyphenols or the monounsaturated fat is a moot point. You get both when you use extra-virgin olive oil, so who cares? Either way you win, and your health benefits.
And if you happen to be wondering what the heck
extra virgin
means, here’s the deal: Olive oil is one of the very few oils in the world that you can consume in its crude form, without a drop of processing. You could literally stomp around in a barrel of olives, gather up the liquid from the bottom of the barrel, and pour it on your salad. Not refining the oil conserves all the amazing antioxidants and other nutrients found in the plant.
But once you start machine harvesting, and processing the oil with heat, you start damaging a lot of those delicate compounds that are responsible for the health benefits.
Extra virgin
simply means it’s as close to the “stomp on the olives” type of oil as you can get—minimal or no processing, very low heat, and as rich in the health-giving properties of olives as you can get without going to Australia or Greece and plucking the olives yourself!
From Dr. Jonny
: For some reason, this salad reminds me of sitting in my favorite beach bar about thirty feet from the ocean’s edge in my favorite place in the world, the French side of St. Martin in the Caribbean. Maybe it’s the lightness of the fish with the fresh taste of coconut mixed with lime and the hint of crunchiness from nuts that somehow seem like they were just gathered this very morning. The whole thing just feels and looks so healthy you feel you should be eating it in a bathing suit under a beach umbrella in the afternoon sun. But maybe that’s just me. High in protein and low in calories, this salad is light and fresh no matter where you eat it. The zippy bite from the jalapeño is a delightful counterpart to the gentle sweetness of the coconut.
12 ounces (340 g) lump crabmeat, such as blue crab (drain if using canned)
1/2 pound (225 g) chilled cooked medium or small shrimp, shelled and deveined (okay to use thawed, frozen)
1 cup (175 g) prepared diced mango (or grapes or grape tomatoes)
1 small serrano pepper, stemmed and chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup (80 g) sliced scallions
1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
1 teaspoon macadamia nut oil (or olive oil)
1 teaspoon honey, optional
Pinches salt
1/4 cup (34 g) toasted macadamia nuts, lightly crushed, optional
1 head red lettuce, cored, leaves separated
In a large bowl, gently mix together the crab, shrimp, mango, pepper, coconut, and scallions. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, nut oil, honey, if using, and salt to taste and drizzle over the salad. Stir gently to coat. Lay out the lettuce leaves, spoon the seafood mixture over all, and garnish with the macadamia nuts, if using.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 259 Calories; 11g Fat (38.0% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 152mg Cholesterol; 339mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Serve with wedges of fresh, ripe melon, such as honeydew or cantaloupe, for added potassium and vitamin A.
If You Have 5 More Minutes
: Peel and dice half a medium cucumber for added low-calorie crunch. To brighten the flavor and add a little fresh herb punch, add 1/4 cup (7 g) of chopped fresh cilantro or mint.
From Dr. Jonny
: Couscous in coconut milk? You betcha. Coconut milk is used as a cooking base liquid in many cultures, especially in Thailand, but also in Africa, the West Indies, and Hawaii. And with good reason. First of all it tastes great. Second of all, it’s really healthy. The main fat in coconut milk (and coconut oil) is lauric acid, which has been shown to contain antimicrobial and antiviral properties, and the fat in coconut tends to be used by the body for energy rather than stored as fat. Best of all, coconut milk imparts a delicious, rich taste to anything you cook in it, such as, for example, couscous! Wait till you taste this surprisingly refreshing, light, nutty couscous with a hint of lime. Paired with high-protein, high-omega-3 wild salmon, this dish makes a stunning main course; for total perfection, add a vegetable side dish or salad. The whole thing comes together in minutes.
Salmon
4 boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon fillets (6 ounces or 170 g each; we like Vital Choice)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Couscous
1 cup (235 ml) light coconut milk
3/4 cup (132 g) whole wheat couscous
1 teaspoon honey, optional
2 tablespoons (15 g) dried, unsweetened coconut, optional
Zest of 1 lime
Sauce
3/4 teaspoon prepared garlic (or 1 clove minced)
2 tablespoons (28 ml) lime juice (fresh squeezed is best)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut oil, mostly melted
To cook the salmon: Preheat the grill to medium heat. Lightly season the fillets evenly with salt and pepper and grill for about 4 minutes per side or until desired doneness.
To cook the couscous: While the salmon is cooking, bring the coconut milk to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the temperature to medium low and stir in the honey, if using, couscous, and dried coconut, if using. Stir well to combine and cover for 1 to 2 minutes or until the couscous has absorbed most of the liquid. Stir in the zest, cover, and set aside.
To prepare the sauce: In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, and coconut oil until well combined and lightly emulsified. (Or you can use an immersion blender.)
Serve the salmon over the couscous with a dollop of the coconut-lime sauce, to taste, on the fish.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 476 Calories; 26g Fat (47.9% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 88mg Cholesterol; 532mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Steam-sauté 4 large fresh baby bok choys (separated into stalks) in 2 teaspoons of coconut oil with 2 tablespoons (28 ml) of water and sprinkles of salt and pepper until tender.
Superspeed Tip
: To juice a lime or lemon in no time flat, microwave the whole, unpeeled fruit for 10 seconds, then roll it under the heel of your palm for 5 seconds. Halve it, and use a reamer or press to extract the juice. It will burst right out of the fruit
From Dr. Jonny
: Here’s a riddle for you: What looks like a grain, tastes like a grain, cooks up like a grain, but is really a seed? Answer: quinoa! Considered a superfood by the Incas as far back as 6,000 years ago, it originated in the Andean region of South America and remains a staple food for the American Indians of South America. It’s the highest protein of the “cereal” grains (remember it’s really not a cereal or a grain), and way healthier than a straight pasta dish but just as filling. Real crabmeat (not the fake stuff used in California rolls) has a ton of protein—a mere 3 ounces (85 g) of canned blue crabmeat has more than 17 grams! This is a true “one-pot” dish, with the lemony tang uniting multiple flavors in this light-but-hearty and truly delicious meal.
2 1/2 cups (570 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
1 1/4 cups (213 g) quinoa, rinsed
1 cup (130 g) frozen corn, optional
3/4 cup (30 g) tightly packed fresh basil
1/4 cup (25 g) shaved or grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup (70 g) toasted pine nuts, divided
Zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice plus more, to taste
2 cans (6 ounces or 170 g each) white crab-meat, rinsed and well drained
2 large zebra tomatoes, diced
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 head red leaf lettuce, washed and leaves separated
Bring the broth to a boil over high heat in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender and the tails have popped, about 12 minutes. Stir in the corn, if using, and let it sit covered for 1 to 2 minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, make the pesto. Combine the basil, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, 1/4 cup (35 g) of the pine nuts, zest, and lemon juice in a food processor and process until well minced but not completely smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the hot quinoa, crabmeat, and pesto, to taste, and stir gently to combine well. Adjust the flavors with additional lemon juice, salt, or pepper, if necessary. Gently fold in the tomatoes and garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup (35 g) pine nuts.
Serve the quinoa over individual beds of red lettuce leaves.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 522 Calories; 24g Fat (41.0% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 46g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 71mg Cholesterol; 840mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
Superspeed Version
: To make this onepot meal even quicker, use an equal amount of whole wheat couscous in place of the quinoa: It cooks up in less than 5 minutes, and the whole-grain version has a little more fiber than regular couscous.
