The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (22 page)
Read The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth Online
Authors: Jonny Bowden
Nutritious Hummus-in-a-Hurry-Stuffed TomatoesFrom Dr. Jonny
: One of the big misconceptions about hummus is that it’s fattening. Yes, a cup of conventional prepared hummus is high in calories (435), but who eats a cup? More important, it’s rich in protein, healthy fat, and fiber (from those wonderful chickpeas), plus it has a decent amount of calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. In this dish, Chef Jeannette uses a hint of orange to lighten up the classic hummus in this nontraditional salad. The recipe makes a terrific light, cooling meal, perfect for a summer afternoon or evening. Brimming with antioxidants from the heirloom tomatoes and the red onion, this dish is refreshing and satisfying without being heavy.
1 can (15 ounces or 425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons (45 g) roasted tahini (or raw)
1 teaspoon minced prepared garlic (or 2 cloves, minced)
1/2 cup (120 ml) orange juice (fresh-squeezed, if possible)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons orange zest, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon prepared ginger juice)
Pinch ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large heirloom tomatoes
1/4 cup (28 g) toasted sliced almonds or pine nuts, optional
In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, orange juice, vinegar, zest, fennel, ginger, cardamom, and salt, and process until smooth, scraping down the sides, as necessary. Set aside.
Slice off the tops of each tomato and, using a spoon, remove and discard (or eat!) the seeds, hollowing out the centers.
Spoon each tomato full of hummus and garnish with nuts, if using. Any extra hummus can be added to the suggested salad greens or refrigerated for later.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 538 Calories; 17g Fat (26.6% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 78g Carbohydrate; 22g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 317mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Nestle the tomatoes in a bed of tender lettuce, mild sprouts (such as clover or alfalfa), and sliced red onion. Drizzle olive oil over all, if desired.
From Dr. Jonny
: The first time I tasted an heirloom tomato I couldn’t believe it was a tomato. If you’re used to the commercial, pink, crunchy, and tasteless tomatoes that populate the supermarket aisles, you’ll be astounded to learn what a real tomato can taste like. Tomatoes are loaded with a powerful antioxidant known as lycopene. (A Harvard Medical School study that examined the dietary habits and health of more than 47,000 men found that four foods were associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer—tomato sauce, pizza (with tomato sauce!), strawberries, and…tomatoes! In this study, men who ate ten or more servings of foods containing tomatoes each week were 45 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer, and even those who ate four to seven weekly servings were 20 percent less likely to develop the disease.) While association is not necessarily cause, it does make you think! The lycopene in tomatoes is better absorbed with fat (hence the olive oil), and the white beans add not only a perfect taste complement, but a ton of fiber and nutrients as well. With its deceptively rich flavor from the touch of salty anchovy paste and the “quick” garlic rosemary oil, you’ll love this easy-to-put-together dish.
3 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes, halved
2 1/2 tablespoons (40 ml) rosemary olive oil
3/4 teaspoon prepared minced garlic (or 1 clove, minced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Pinch Sucanat
1 1/2 tablespoons (25 ml) red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste, optional
1 can (15 ounces or 425 g) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup (33 g) fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cups (120 g) baby greens mix (spring mix, arugula, spinach, etc.)
Preheat the broiler. Place the tomatoes cut side up on an ungreased broiler pan and cook for 10 minutes or until soft.
While the tomatoes are broiling, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the oil, garlic, salt, pepper, Sucanat, vinegar, and anchovy paste, if using, until lightly emulsified. Stir in the beans to coat well and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until warm. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking, if necessary.
When the tomatoes are soft, remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Pour the warm bean mixture over a bed of greens and nestle the tomato halves in the mixture.
Serve immediately.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 509 Calories; 13g Fat (22.9% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 73g Carbohydrate; 23g Dietary Fiber; 6mg Cholesterol; 467mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Serve this warm, tasty salad with bowls of hot, high-quality, low-sodium canned soup. Minestrone and lentil are great choices. We like Muir Glen or Health Valley. For an additional nutrient boost, grate some fresh vegetables into the soup while it is warming. Try zucchini, yellow squash, or colored bell peppers.
If You Have 10 More Minutes
: Make your own rosemary garlic oil. Heat 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of olive oil with 4 crushed garlic cloves and a 4-inch (10 cm) sprig of fresh rosemary in a small sauté pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the rosemary starts to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the rosemary starts to brown. Remove from the heat, remove and discard the solids, and use the oil as directed.
NUTRITIONAL NOTE
There is a lot of controversy about whether or not to use the vegan “meatless meat” products out there. Though they are a processed food, we chose to include them in this book because of their generally high protein content and convenience of delivery. We love the fact that many are frozen and thus you can always have a ready protein at hand without needing to thaw it overnight (as with meats). Also, their cook time is only a few minutes, so they are among the fastest “pantry to plate” proteins in town. In addition, when incorporated into a recipe, they have a comparable look, mouth feel, and taste to many types of meats. This is particularly helpful if your family is used to eating conventional, factory farmed meats and you are trying to wean off of them. They are also very low in saturated fat, generally low in calories, and relatively inexpensive. We prefer the soy-free Quorn products over any that are made primarily from TVP (textured vegetable protein). We recommend keeping your consumption of these products to a minimum, but think they are a good choice for taste, familiarity, and variety in speedy dinner prep. When you have the time, go for grass-fed and wild caught meat and fish, but in a pinch, using the meat substitutes can get a good, nutrient-filled dinner on the table in a hurry.
NUTRITIONAL NOTE
Keen on Quinoa
Quinoa—pronounced
keen-wah
—is a seed that looks like a grain, cooks like a grain, and tastes like a grain. It originated in the Andean region of South America and has been an important food for more than 6,000 years. High in protein, it can be served in place of a starch or as a substitute for morning cereal.
So what’s with the “heirloom” quinoa mentioned occasionally in this book? Well, in 1998, a group of families in Los Angeles agreed to cultivate quinoa in the traditional, organic way for a group called the Heirloom Quinoa Project. It is grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. It has a nice red shade, tastes delicious, and is as healthy as the day is long.
Quick and Hearty Vegetable-Bean QuinoaFrom Dr. Jonny
: If you’re a vegetarian and have wondered whether you’re getting enough high-quality protein, this dish is perfect for you. In fact, even if you’re like me and not a vegetarian, this is a great way to get your protein fix. Unlike most protein dishes, this one also comes with a ton of fiber. Beans are high in fiber, with all the accompanying benefits such as blood sugar control, digestive health, and a lowered risk of many illnesses. It’s probably no accident that in all the areas of the globe where people live the longest, beans of some kind are a staple in the diet. And quinoa is the highest in protein of any cereal-type food on the planet. Quick and hearty, this dish tastes just as good reheated the next day as it does when you first make it!
1 cup (170 g) quinoa
2 cups (475 ml) vegetable broth
1 can (15 ounces or 425 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar (15 ounces or 425 g) high-quality prepared salsa
1/4 cup (12 g) chopped chives, optional
1/2 cup (8 g) chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup (70 g) toasted pepitas
In a medium saucepan, toast the quinoa dry for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the broth and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 12 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and the tails have popped. When the quinoa is done, add the beans, salsa, chives, if using, and cilantro, stirring gently to combine well. Cover and cook for 1 minute or until the dish reaches desired temperature. Fold in the pepitas and serve.
