Read The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth Online
Authors: Jonny Bowden
The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (18 page)
Crab-AcadosFrom Dr. Jonny
: Every so often Chef Jeannette comes up with ways to put some of my favorite foods together in a way you’d never think of doing, and the sheer magic of the result blows your mind. This is one of those times. Avocados are one of the greatest foods on the planet—most people know that they’re rich in healthy monounsaturated fat, but less well-known is that they are also fiber heavyweights (between 9 and 17 grams, depending on size and origin). The crab is high protein and low calorie, and the creamy avocado goes surprisingly well with the tart flavor of grapefruit (in the suggested side). Couple that with the slightly acidic taste of antioxidant-rich tomatoes and you’ve got a winning combo! Cold, fresh, and delicious, this dish requires zero cooking. It comes together in a flash and is perfect for a busy summer evening!
3 tablespoons (45 g) plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon (14 g) natural or vegan mayonnaise (we like Nayonaise or Vegenaise), or use more yogurt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice plus extra
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon (4 g) chopped fresh dill, tarragon, or cilantro, or to taste
2 scallions, sliced thin
12 ounces (340 g) lump crabmeat (or use three quarters of a 16-ounce [455 g] can blue-crab claw meat, drained)
2 large ripe avocados, carefully peeled, pitted, and halved
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice, salt, and herb until well combined. Gently stir in the scallions and crabmeat.
Sprinkle the extra lemon juice on the avocado halves and lightly coat using your fingers—lemon juice will slow the browning of the avocado flesh. Mound the crab salad evenly onto the four avocado halves.
Yield 4 servings
Per Serving
: 272 Calories; 19g Fat (61.9% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 70mg Cholesterol; 267mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Try a refreshing grapefruit and tomato salad. Combine 2 cups (340 g) of fresh prepared grapefruit sections (in the refrigerated section) with 1 pint (300 g) of grape tomatoes and toss with a simple tangy dressing: Whisk together 2 teaspoons each of olive oil and fresh-squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, pinches of salt and pepper, and, if desired, a teaspoon of fresh minced tarragon or mint.
From Dr. Jonny
: Most of my weight-loss philosophy could be summed up in two words:
protein
and
vegetables
. Case in point: scallops and collards. The scallops are a great source of protein mixed with a superstar vegetable that’s vanishingly low in calories (49 per cup!), relatively high in vegetable protein (4 grams), high in fiber (5 grams), and comes with a nice helping of both calcium and folate too. The quick sherry marinade helps to boost the buttery flavor of the dish and actually makes it taste much richer without globs of actual butter!
1 pound (455 g) fresh sea scallops
1/3 (80 ml) cup sherry
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1/2 cup (80 g) prepared diced onion
1 bag (1 pound or 455 g) prepared chopped collard greens (or 1 pound [455 g] fresh leaves, stemmed and chiffonade cut, which steam-sauté quicker)
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons (28 ml) mirin
1 tablespoon (15 ml) organic Worcestershire sauce (we like Annie’s)
2 teaspoons butter (or nonhydrogenated vegetable spread, such as Earth balance)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 fresh lemon, optional
Rinse and drain the scallops and pour the sherry over all, mixing well to cover, if possible. Let them marinate while the collards are cooking (they can marinate for up to overnight if you purchased them the day before).
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan (or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the collards, broth, mirin, and Worcestershire sauce, mixing well to combine. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until tender. Remove the cover and push the collards to the outer edge of the pan, forming a ring around an empty space in the middle. Add the butter to the middle of the pan and quickly drain the marinating scallops. Add the scallops to the butter and sauté, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes (30 to 45 seconds per side to seal). Do not overcook or the scallops will be tough: Leave a little pink in the centers. While the scallops are cooking, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste over all. Squeeze the lemon, if using, over all just before serving.
Yield
: 4 servings
Serving
: 232 Calories; 7g Fat (29.0% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 43mg Cholesterol; 388mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Serve over lemon brown rice if you’d like a heartier meal (this tastes great with brown basmati rice, so next time you cook a batch, try it with lemon!). Prepare 2 cups (330 g) of frozen cooked brown rice (or parboiled brown rice) according to the package directions, and stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons (25 ml) of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of butter, nonhydrogenated vegetable spread, or olive oil. Mix well to combine and serve.
From Dr. Jonny
: Barilla is a huge European food company that was founded in 1877 in Parma, Italy. You may have noticed that we’re very fond of Barilla Plus pasta. Why? Because as pasta goes, it’s high in protein and fiber, extremely high quality, and it tastes fantastic. This tomato sauce is easy to make (and awfully good), but I personally recommend that you check out the longer-cooking version with fresh littlenecks for a luxurious Saturday afternoon. Also recommended: the side dish of artichokes. Artichokes are a nutritional bargain. One cup provides an impressive 8 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and a measly 1 gram of sugar, all for a caloric cost of—are you sitting down?—76 calories. Can’t beat that!
8 ounces (225 g) whole-grain linguine or fettuccine (we like barilla Plus)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared garlic (or 3 large cloves, minced)
1 can (10 ounces or 280 g) baby clams, undrained (high quality, stored in their own broth)
1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine (great with a sauvignon blanc)
1 can (14.5 ounces or 413 g) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
2 tablespoons (5 g) chopped fresh thyme or slivered fresh basil (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or dried basil)
1/4 cup (15 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the clams and their broth and wine, increase the heat to medium-high, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, black pepper, and red pepper, if using, and simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes. (If using dried herbs, add them now.) Stir in the fresh herbs and toss with the hot pasta to serve.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 318 Calories; 5g Fat (14.6% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 51g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 24mg Cholesterol; 56mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Serve with steamed artichokes. Clean two medium artichokes and trim the stems close. Place them, stems down, in a microwave-safe glass container and fill to 1/2 inch (1 cm) with water. Seal with microwave-safe plastic. Microwave on high for 10 to 12 minutes or until a leaf at the base pulls away easily. Use caution when removing the plastic wrap—that steam will burn! Serve with a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar for dipping.
If You Have an Extra 45 Minutes
: Prepare the fresh-fest version of this dish. Swap the canned tomatoes for 4 to 5 chopped fresh plum tomatoes, and swap the canned clams for fresh. Scrub 24 littlenecks clean and steam in a large stockpot with 3/4 cup (175 ml) of white wine for 2 to 4 minutes or until they open (discard the ones that don’t open). Clean the clams and chop them roughly. Use 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the liquid in the pan for broth, but it will be sandy, so strain it before using (a double-mesh sieve lined with a damp paper towel works well for this).
From Dr. Jonny
: I’m not a drinker, so dark beer, or any other kind of beer, doesn’t speak to me in the same way it does to my drinking friends, but I can tell you this: When you use it to cook with, it’s a whole different experience. The alcohol cooks out and you’re left with a hearty flavor that works incredibly well with any of several families of
Bivalvia Mollusca
(the fancy name for mussels). Mussels are a high-protein dish that is also an excellent source of selenium, as well as vitamin B
12
. They also contain a few milligrams of zinc. Oysters, mussels, and clams don’t have a strong taste, so the sauce is what makes eating them a taste sensation, and in this case that’s exactly what it is. The anchovy powder lends a smoky, spicy bite to the dark beer and the bright tang of the cilantro. Highly recommended: Make the portobello mushrooms to complete the meal. This highly nutritious vegetable has almost no calories (35 per cup!), a surprisingly high amount of protein (nearly 4 grams!), and almost half the recommended minimum daily intake of selenium, one of the most important minerals on earth and one that has been consistently associated with lower rates of cancer.
2 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon prepared, minced garlic
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) high-quality dark beer
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile pepper, to taste (or cayenne pepper, or 1 small whole dried chile variety)
2 pounds (900 g) mussels (about 40), scrubbed
1/3 cup (5 g) chopped fresh cilantro
Heat the butter in a large soup or stockpot over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the beer, stir in the pepper, and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels, cover, and steam until just opened, 4 to 5 minutes.
*
Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro, and serve with some of the beer broth poured over the mussels.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 252 Calories; 7g Fat (28.0% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 670mg Sodium
*
Discard any mussels that do not open with the others.
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Sauté 2 prepared sliced portobello caps over medium heat in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of butter with a teaspoon of prepared minced garlic and a pinch of salt for 5 to 7 minutes or until soft. The rich mussels and beefy portobellos virtually cry out for a dark, sprouted-grain bread to sop with—just keep the portions moderate.
