The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (21 page)

1/4 cup (60 g) plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon (15 g) prepared horseradish sauce, or more to taste

2 teaspoons dijon mustard 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

4 roasted red peppers, drained (prepared) and diced

2 cold-smoked trout fillets (7 ounces or 195 g each), flaked

4 large whole-grain wraps (or serve open face on toasted slices of hearty bread, such as Mestemacher Sunflower Seed or Rye bread)

4 cups (220 g) watercress or baby spring greens

1/3 English cucumber, peeled and grated, optional

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, horseradish, mustard, lemon juice, and black pepper. Add the diced red peppers and flaked trout and mix gently to combine. Lay out the wraps and place 1 cup (55 g) of greens in the middle of each one.

Divide the cucumber, if using, equally among the wraps and add to the greens.

Spoon one quarter of the dressed trout mixture over the greens and cucumber, roll the wraps closed, slice in half, and serve them, edges down, on the plate.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 273 Calories; 9g Fat (30.2% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 61mg Cholesterol; 336mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: Being something of a low-carb guy, pasta isn’t something I eat every day, but I do confess that I love the stuff. Here’s a fast way to get your pasta fix in a healthy way. Artichokes are high in potassium, folate, and the eye-healthy nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin. The cheese adds protein (and rich flavor!), the olives add monounsaturated fat and a bunch of compounds known as phenols that have all kinds of health benefits (anti-inflammatory, immune boosting), and the beans add a ton of fiber. The result is a superfast, supereasy, heart-healthy Mediterranean meal that won’t send your blood sugar skyrocketing.

12 ounces (340 g) whole-grain spaghetti or linguine (e.g., barilla Plus)

4 packed (80 g) cups baby arugula, baby spinach, or combo (6-ounce [170 g] bag)

1 can (14.5 ounces or 413 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 jar (10 ounces or 280 g) high-quality artichoke hearts in oil, drained and roughly chopped

1/3 cup (37 g) sun-dried tomato strips in oil, drained (optional)

1/3 cup (33 g) chopped black olives, optional Olive oil, to taste

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Crumbled feta or fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta al dente as directed on the package. As soon as it is drained, pour it back into the empty pasta pot. Stir the greens into the hot pasta and allow them to wilt for a minute or two. Gently stir in the beans, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and olives, if using.

Warm over low heat for a couple of minutes, if desired, adding a drizzle of olive oil to moisten. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cheese.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 708 Calories; 4g Fat (5.3% calories from fat); 40g Protein; 137g Carbohydrate; 28g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 202mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: I’m generally an advocate of lower carb consumption. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy pasta. When I do eat it, I try to go for a dish that is balanced in protein and fat, not necessarily a carb orgy like your typical pasta dish. Well, this isn’t your typical pasta dish. The cheese is high in calcium, and the beans—well, let’s just say that eating beans on a regular basis is one of the greatest predictors for long life. This dish has a taste of Italy with its light, immune-boosting sauce, high-protein pasta, and rich, lacy cheese wafers!

8 ounces (225 g) whole grain penne (e.g., barilla Plus)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1 cup (160 g) prepared diced onions (or 1 yellow onion, diced)

1 small zucchini, unpeeled, grated (food processor is fastest for this)

3 teaspoons prepared garlic (or 3 large cloves, minced)

2 prepared roasted red peppers, drained and quartered

1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon [2.4 g] minced fresh)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 can (14.5 ounces or 413 g) diced fire- roasted tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons (32 g) sun-dried tomato paste, or regular

1 can (15 ounces or 435 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, optional, to taste

Cook the pasta until tender according to the package directions. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Add the onions, zuccini, and garlic, and sauté them for 4 minutes. Stir in the peppers, thyme, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and tomato paste, and simmer for 3 minutes. Puree the sauce with an immersion blender—or in batches in a regular blender—adding a few tablespoons of water (or vegetable broth) if it’s too thick. Add the beans, correct the seasonings, and simmer for 1 minute to heat through.
*

Toss four equal servings of the pasta with sauce, to taste, topping with cheese, if using.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 673 Calories; 7g Fat (8.9% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 127g Carbohydrate; 21g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 300mg Sodium

*
If you have finicky eaters who won’t be excited about beans in their pasta sauce, puree them. Tender white beans will “disappear,” leaving you with a thick, flavorful sauce.

From Dr. Jonny
: One reason I managed to stay out of Mexican restaurants for years was that the gummy, starchy, tasteless white tortillas filled with boring old Jack cheese just didn’t do it for me. But as the saying goes, these ain’t your parents’ quesadillas! Chef Jeannette’s come up with some bold new flavor pairings coupled with whole-grain wraps for a new experience in fast food. This quesadilla is accompanied by melon salsa (the other version features chicken chutney—see
page 46
). Melon is the ultimate “high-volume” food, meaning it packs a lot of nutrients into very few calories—being mostly water, it helps fill you up without filling you “out.” The melon salsa takes a few extra minutes to make but hey, it’s worth it—it’ll be oh-so-fresh and you’ll love the way the creamy richness of cheese blends beautifully with the snappy freshness of the melon salsa. Pears are very low on the glycemic load scale, and high in the fiber department, delivering 6 full grams per fruit.

4 large whole-grain tortillas

1 1/2 cups (240 g) ripe, fresh cantaloupe or honeydew melon chunks (or frozen, thawed)

1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeded, chopped, or to taste, optional

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed)

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional Pinch salt

4 ounces (115 g) Camembert cheese, sliced thinly

1 ripe Anjou pear, cored and thinly sliced

Preheat the broiler. Lay the tortillas out in a single layer on a large broiling or baking sheet. When the broiler is almost at full heat, slide the sheet under the broiler for about 1 minute to quickly toast the tortillas and set aside.

While the broiler is preheating, place the melon, jalapeño, if using, lemon juice, honey, zest, if using, and salt in a blender and process until well combined but still a little chunky. Set aside.

Heat a large, dry griddle over medium heat and lay out two of the tortillas. Place one quarter of the Camembert slices over half of each tortilla. Place half the sliced pear over the same half and spread a layer of salsa over the other half, to taste. Fold the quesadilla closed and grill until hot. You can flip it once, if desired, to toast more evenly.

Repeat with the remaining two tortillas. Cut each tortilla into two pieces and serve.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 277 Calories; 11g Fat (33.7% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 20mg Cholesterol; 382mg Sodium