The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (43 page)

1 package (12.3 ounces or 350 g) soft silken tofu

1 large ripe banana, mashed

1 can (15 ounces or 425 g) pumpkin puree

1/3 cup (113 g) maple syrup, or to taste

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Blend the tofu in a food processor for about 15 seconds or until smooth. Add the banana, pumpkin, syrup, spice, and vanilla, if using, and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Yield
: about 3 cups
Per Serving
: 82 Calories; 2g Fat (17.9% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 5mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: I had a few favorite dishes as a kid, and one of them was pudding. Chocolate pudding. Which my mother sometimes burned, leaving a thick little film on the top, which I absolutely loved to peel off and eat separately. So when I see a dish with “pudding” in the title and “chocolate” in the description, I’m in. This isn’t exactly chocolate pudding, but it’s a brilliant twist on the traditional version, using sweet potato puree as the base, sweetening it with maple syrup, and flavoring it with real, high-quality cocoa. The incredible ease of making this dish and the speed with which it comes together make it a winner. It’s low glycemic (meaning it doesn’t knock your blood sugar for a loop), high in fiber, and loaded with nutrients such as beta-carotene and eye-healthy lutein and zeaxanthin from the sweet potato. Best of all the taste is heavenly. Note: Grade B maple syrup sounds like it’s not as good as grade A, but it’s actually better and has more minerals!

1 can (15 ounces or 425 g) high-quality sweet potato puree (e.g., Farmer’s Market Organic)
*

1/4 cup (20 g) high-quality cocoa (e.g., Ghirardelli), sifted

1 tablespoon (20 g) maple syrup (or melted frozen apple or orange juice concentrate)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon orange extract (or vanilla)

3/4 teaspoon orange zest, optional

Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a mixer and whip at medium speed until perfectly smooth.

Yield
: about 1 2/3 cups (roughly 4 servings)
Per Serving
: 107 Calories; 1g Fat (7.1% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium

*
The quality of the ingredients definitely counts with this recipe. Choosing an organic puree will help to ensure a more flavorful, nutrient-rich base.

From Dr. Jonny
: Who doesn’t like peanut butter and banana? Raise your hands, please. No hands? Not surprised. You’ve probably thrown together a peanut butter and banana sandwich at some point in your life either for yourself, your kids, or someone in your family, and why not? The combination of protein and carbs is a winner—good fat, lots of potassium, and a ton of taste. Well, Chef Jeannette has taken that fabulous taste and transported it into a pudding. Loaded with protein and high-quality fats, this lightly sweet, dense, and creamy concoction hits the spot every single time. A satisfying snack if there ever was one!

1 package (12.3 ounces or 350 g) silken tofu

1 ripe banana, peeled
*

1/4 cup (60 ml) unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or soy or cow’s)

1/3 cup (87 g) peanut butter (or nut or seed butter of your choice)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Process the tofu and banana together in a food processor until smooth. Add the milk, nut butter, and cinnamon and process until well incorporated and smooth.

Yield
: about 2 cups (4 servings)
Per Serving
: 234 Calories; 16g Fat (56.8% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 2mg Cholesterol; 116mg Sodium

*
Use a larger banana for a sweeter flavor, smaller for less. To boost the sweetness even more, add raw honey 1 teaspoon at a time until you hit your mark

Light Honey Melon Salad with Chèvre and Pistachios

From Dr. Jonny
: In my humble opinion, great chefs and great musicians have a lot in common. Great musicians take the same twelve tones that exist in the Western scales and rearrange them in constantly surprising, novel, interesting ways that ordinary mortals would never think of. Chefs do the same with ingredients. I love honeydew melon (and cantaloupe, too), but never in a million years would I think of pairing it with goat cheese and pistachios. (That’s why Chef Jeannette is the chef and I’m the nutritionist!) What a burst of flavor and texture! Fresh, light, and sweet, this dish has got something for everyone—the sweetness of the melon, the tartness of the cheese, and the crunchiness of the nuts. It’s surprisingly reasonable in calories, too, largely because the salad is mostly water by weight. And pistachios, like most nuts, are high in minerals (potassium and phosphorus) as well as being a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Note: Get melon at the peak of the summer season so it’s bursting with flavor!

3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons (40 g) raw honey

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup (31 g) roasted, salted, shelled pistachio meats

1 ripe cantaloupe or 1/2 large ripe honeydew melon, unpeeled, seeded, and cut into 4 slices

2 cups (290 g) ripe strawberries, stemmed and halved

1/4 cup (38 g) chèvre

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, and zest until well incorporated.

In a sandwich-size plastic bag, lightly crush the pistachios with a mallet or rolling pin.

Lay out the melon slices and fill with even portions of the strawberry halves. Dot evenly with chèvre and drizzle the dressing over all, to taste. Top with the crushed pistachios.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 152 Calories; 4g Fat (24.3% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4mg Cholesterol; 49mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: Ever hear of traditional Indian lassi? No? I’m not surprised. I confess I’d never heard of it either, but from what folks tell me it’s delicious. Problem is, it’s also loaded with white sugar. Chef Jeannette came up with a version that has no added sugar but is still sweet and silky. If you like mangoes—and who doesn’t?—you’ll love this dish. Mangoes are the most adored fruit in India. Mangoes are used in India as “blood builders,” probably because they are high in iron and are considered especially beneficial to women during pregnancy and menstruation. And their high potassium and magnesium content can help with muscle cramps, stress, and even heart problems. They’re also high in beta-carotene, the important precursor for vitamin A, and as an added benefit: A single mango has 3.7 grams of fiber! P.S. Don’t forget to use yogurt that contains live cultures to get the benefits of probiotics in this tasty drink!

1/3 cup (40 g) dried mangoes, chopped
*

3 ripe mangoes, peeled

1 cup (235 ml) light coconut milk (or use cow’s, unsweetened vanilla soy, or almond)

1/2 cup (115 g) plain low-fat yogurt

2 cups ice cubes

Pinch ground cardamom

In a small bowl cover the dried mangoes with water, soak for 10 minutes, and drain.

While the dried mango is soaking, slice the two “cheeks” (broad sides of pit) and two thinner sides (narrow sides of pit) from each peeled fresh mango. Halve each fruit slice. Add the soaked mango and fresh mango chunks to a powerful blender and process until smooth. Add the coconut milk, yogurt, and ice and process to desired smoothness.