The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook (22 page)

To make the turkey burgers: Heat the 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Cajun Seasoning. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Add the ground turkey and salt to the vegetable mixture and combine thoroughly. Shape into four 3½-inch burgers. Place on a waxed paper–lined plate and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Wipe out the skillet with paper towels. Spray the skillet with the oil and heat over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook until the undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook until the other sides are browned and the burgers feel resilient when pressed on top with a finger, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the skillet.

For each serving, place a burger in a bun and top with some red onions, a tomato, and a lettuce leaf. Serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving, with a bun) 420 calories, 33 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 6 g fiber, 105 mg cholesterol, 698 mg sodium, 698 mg potassium. Food groups: 2 whole grains, 4 ounces meat, ½ vegetable.

(1 serving, without a bun) 269 calories, 28 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 14 g fat, 2 g fiber, 105 mg cholesterol, 427 mg sodium, 545 mg potassium. Food groups: 4 ounces meat, ½ vegetable.

Turkey Mini Meat Loaf with Dijon Glaze

Meat loaf gets a delicious makeover with this updated version using lean ground turkey, healthful vegetables, oatmeal, and a sweet-piquant mustard glaze. This recipe is a good example of how to take a standard dish and load it with vegetables and whole grains to pump up its nutrition. Shaping the turkey mixture into individual loaves cuts down on the baking time, too.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

2 teaspoons canola oil, plus more in a pump sprayer

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 medium celery stalk, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 tablespoon water

1¼ pounds ground turkey

¾ cup old-fashioned (rolled) oats

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with oil.

Heat the 2 teaspoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool slightly.

Add the ground turkey, oats, egg, rosemary, salt, and pepper and mix gently but thoroughly until combined. Divide into four equal portions and shape each on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, into a 5 × 3-inch loaf.

Bake until lightly browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a loaf reads about 160°F, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Mix the mustard and honey in a small bowl, then spread the top of each loaf with one-quarter of the mustard mixture. Return to the oven and continue baking until the mustard mixture is glazed, about 5 minutes more. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 335 calories, 32 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 3 g fiber, 147 mg cholesterol, 484 mg sodium, 193 mg potassium. Food groups: 4½ ounces meat, 1 whole grain, 1 vegetable, 2 fats.

NOTE:
If you need to restrict sodium further, eliminate the kosher salt. The fat content (and calories) of your turkey loaf will be much lower than shown in the nutritional analysis, since much of the fat will drip off the loaf.

Seafood

Spicy Cajun Catfish Bake

Cod with Grapefruit, Avocado, and Fennel Salad

Brown Rice Paella with Cod, Shrimp, and Asparagus

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Slaw

Halibut with Spring Vegetables

Roasted Salmon Fillets with Basil Drizzle

Salmon and Edamame Cakes

Sea Scallops and Vegetables with Ginger Sauce

Shrimp with Corn Hash

Greek Shrimp with Zucchini and Grape Tomatoes

Crispy Tilapia with Mediterranean Vegetables

Tuna with Fennel and Potatoes

Busy cooks love fish and shellfish because they must be cooked quickly—if you take much more than 20 minutes to cook them, something is wrong! And there is more good news: Salmon and other fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, whose nutritional benefits are well-known. Many people love fish, so serve this healthy protein-rich food at least three times a week. Most supermarkets now carry a large selection of fish fillets beyond the once ubiquitous flounder, so give something new a try. Most of the fish selected for each of the recipes
in this section are interchangeable. Unfortunately, shellfish is on the salty side, so keep an eye on your intake, and be sure to serve a small amount with lots of vegetables to limit the sodium. That being said, it can be a lifesaver to keep a bag of individually frozen shrimp in the freezer for that occasional quick meal.

Spicy Cajun Catfish Bake

The spicy flavors of Cajun dishes are perfect for low-salt cooking. Along with the traditional bell peppers, scallions, and garlic, I’ve added potatoes to create a one-dish meal.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more in a pump sprayer

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (8 ounces), scrubbed, unpeeled, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

1 large red bell pepper, cored and cut into ½-inch dice

2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice

3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 (5-ounce) catfish fillets

4 thin lemon slices, plus lemon wedges for serving

2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning (
here
)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with oil.

Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper, celery, and garlic and sauté until the pepper softens, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes and scallions and sprinkle with the salt. Spread in the baking dish.

Bake, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven. Arrange the catfish on the vegetable mixture and top each fillet with a lemon slice. Sprinkle the fish and vegetables with the Cajun Seasoning. Return to the oven and bake until the catfish is opaque when flaked with the tip of a knife, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve hot, with the lemon wedges.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 282 calories, 24 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 4 g fiber, 78 mg cholesterol, 412 mg sodium, 1,024 mg potassium. Food groups: 3½ ounces meat, 1 starchy vegetable, 2 vegetables, 1 fat.

Cod with Grapefruit, Avocado, and Fennel Salad

Although this dish is very simple, it has a sophisticated look that you would expect to find in a restaurant. Fennel has crunch and a mild anise flavor that can be adjusted by the amount of chopped green fronds you add to the salad.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Grapefruit, Avocado, and Fennel Salad

1 small fennel bulb

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into ½-inch dice

1 pink or red grapefruit, peel removed, cut between the membranes into segments

Cod

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 (5-ounce) cod fillets

To make the salad: Cut the fennel in half lengthwise. If the fronds are attached, cut them off and reserve. Cut out and discard the triangular core at the base of the bulb. Cut one fennel half crosswise into thin half-moons. Reserve the remaining fennel half and stalks for another use.