The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (27 page)

Quick-Fix Stuffed Peppers with Chèvre

From Dr. Jonny
: Everyone digs stuffed peppers, but they usually take a heck of a long time to make. Not these babies. Our vegetarian quick-fix version is high in the flavor department but low on prep time—a winning combination if you’re in a time crunch. Barley is high in fiber, the peppers are loaded with cell-protecting antioxidants, and the shiitake mushrooms are one of the most immune-boosting foods on the planet. And oregano doesn’t just make food taste great, it also contains two important plant compounds, carvacrol and thymol, which have been shown to inhibit the growth of all kinds of microbes. (That’s one reason oregano oil is considered such a good “purifier” for the system and one of the first things I turn to when I feel like I’m getting a stomach bug.) The pecans nicely balance the texture of the peppers and grain with a sweet crunchiness, all the more satisfying because it comes from one of the healthiest nuts on earth.

2 cups (475 ml) vegetable broth (add 1/4 tea-spoon salt if using low-sodium broth)

1 cup (184 g) quick-cooking barley

2 large green or colored bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and halved

1 tablespoon (14 g) butter

4 ounces (115 g) presliced shiitake mushrooms

2 shallots, chopped

3 tablespoons (48 g) tomato paste

3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/3 cup (37 g) toasted pecan pieces

1/4 cup (38 g) chèvre

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the barley, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender.

Place the pepper halves face down in a sealed glass, microwave-safe container and microwave on high for 6 to 7 minutes or until tender-crisp.

While the barley and peppers are cooking, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. In a medium bowl, gently mix together the hot, cooked barley, mushroom mixture, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, and pecans until combined. Stuff each pepper half with one quarter of the barley mixture and top with 1 tablespoon (9 g) of chèvre to serve.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 385 Calories; 14g Fat (30.5% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 59g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 13mg Cholesterol; 978mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: All the areas around the globe where people routinely live the longest, known as the Blue Zones, have one dietary staple in common: beans. They’re one of the few foods that just about every healthy, long-lived society eats. And in the Nurses’ Health Study, one of the longest-running studies of dietary habits and health, women who ate four or more servings of legumes a week decreased their risk of heart disease by 22 percent and their risk of colorectal adenomas by 33 percent. Not bad for a few servings of these fiber-rich beauties! Adding fava beans to peas, pesto, and spaghetti is a fabulous and tasty way to get beans into your diet. The crushed walnuts add some plant-based omega-3 fats to boot!

8 ounces (225 g) whole-grain or sprouted spaghetti (we like barilla Plus)

3/4 cup (195 g) prepared high-quality pesto

2 tablespoons (30 g) whole-grain dijon mustard

1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup (24 g) snipped chives

2 cups (512 g) skinned fava beans, frozen or canned, drained and rinsed
*

1 cup (100 g) cooked peas

1/2 cup (60 g) crushed walnuts

Prepare the spaghetti according to the package directions.

While the spaghetti is cooking, place the pesto, mustard, and broth in a large skillet over medium heat and whisk to combine. Sir in the chives, fava beans, and peas, and cook for about 2 minutes or until hot throughout. Stir in the walnuts.

Spoon the pesto mixture into the hot pasta and toss well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 688 Calories; 35g Fat (43.5% calories from fat); 30g Protein; 72g Carbohydrate; 13g Dietary Fiber; 15mg Cholesterol; 1299mg Sodium

*
It can be a little tricky to find prepared fava beans (or broad beans). If you are lucky enough to have a Middle Eastern market nearby, you will likely find both the canned and frozen variety. Most Whole Foods stores sell frozen favas. Fresh is far better for flavor, but they are labor and time intensive and generally only available in the spring and part of summer. If you have no luck, substitute canned white kidney beans or Great Northern beans.

From Dr. Jonny
: Okay, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a huge fan of the sandwich as a go-to meal. Why? Because your basic deli sandwich uses junky, low-quality, high-carb bread and meats that are filled with nitrate and sodium, not to mention sauces loaded with sugar. But there’s no doubt that a sandwich can make an excellent quick (and healthy!) meal, providing you build it with the right materials.

We use sprouted-grain wraps and pockets, but you can also use whole-grain options. Sprouted grains retain their natural plant enzymes, which are beneficial for digestion and are also nutrient rich. Some argue that the nutrients in sprouted-grain breads are easier to absorb, but others claim that the effect is minor. No matter. Sprouted, and whole-grain, wraps are preferable to the bulky rolls made with refined white flour that come with the average deli sandwich. Whole grains are fine, but make sure the first ingredient is whole wheat or whole oats, and look for at least 2 grams of fiber per slice, preferably 3. As a vegetarian protein source it’s hard to beat beans. Sprouts add enzymes and nutrients, and the avocado is not only creamy and smooth, it’s also a wonderful source of heart-healthy fat, and—surprisingly—fiber!

2 sprouted corn tortillas (6 inches or 15 cm; we like Food for Life Organic Sprouted Corn Tortillas)

1/2 cup (119 g) no-fat, vegetarian refried beans

1/2 peeled and pitted avocado, sliced

1/4 cup (65 g) prepared, high-quality salsa

4 thin heirloom tomato slices

1 cup (50 g) broccoli sprouts

1 tablespoon (9 g) toasted pepitas, optional

Toast the tortillas briefly in a toaster oven to warm and soften them. Spread each tortilla with half the refried beans and top with half the avocado slices. Spoon half the salsa on each and top with tomato slices. Top with the sprouts and a sprinkling of pepitas, if using.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 481 Calories; 23g Fat (40.6% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 60g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 808mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: I’m always amused by “absolute truths” in the food world, like the belief that it’s always better to eat raw foods. Tomatoes are a perfect case in point. They’re actually better for you lightly cooked, as the cooking breaks down their cell walls and releases the valuable antioxidant lycopene, which is far more available to you in the cooked version than in raw form. (Not that raw tomatoes are bad, mind you!) Tomatoes are always a go-to vegetable where soups are concerned, and this tomato soup has the added benefit of being high in fiber and protein, largely because of the wonderful white beans that feature both important constituents of a healthy meal. This is a great low-calorie meal with all the familiar comforting flavor of Mom’s tomato soup. And it passes the “Jonny” test for being really easy to make. Enjoy.

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1 1/2 cups (240 g) prepared diced onion (or 1 yellow onion, chopped)

2 cups (475 ml) vegetable or chicken broth

1 can (28 ounces or 795 g) crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon (15 ml) balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Sucanat, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 can (15 ounces or 425 g) small white beans (e.g., cannellini, navy, etc.)

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, vinegar, Sucanat, salt, and pepper, increase the heat, and bring to a low boil for 5 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth (or process in batches using a regular blender). Add the beans and leave intact for a thinner soup, or puree them partially or fully into the soup for a thicker consistency—cook’s choice. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary, to serve.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 551 Calories; 7g Fat (10.8% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 97g Carbohydrate; 23g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 1364mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: I’ll be honest: I’d make soup a lot more often if it didn’t take so darn long to make. Why? First, soup is one of the great secrets of weight control—something about eating our nutrients in a liquid base fills us up more and signals “full” to the appetite centers in the brain in ways that aren’t fully understood but make it a lot easier to resist overeating. Second, soup can be incredibly nutritious, especially when made with beans or vegetables as a base. But there’s that pesky issue of time. Now Chef Jeannette has conquered the problem and come up with a fabulous soup that takes—get this—only 15 minutes of prep time. If you make the (recommended) grits as well, you’ll wind up with a corn-and-beans combo reminiscent of a core staple dish for many indigenous peoples around the globe. Whip it up and enjoy over and over again—it reheats really well!

4 cups (50 ml) vegetable or chicken broth

1/3 cup (37 g) shredded carrots

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

3 cans (15 ounces or 425 g each) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup (60 ml) sherry

2 teaspoons prepared garlic (or 2 large cloves, minced)

3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon onion powder

1 cup (130 g) frozen corn (roasted, if possible—try Trader Joe’s)

1/3 cup (5 g) chopped fresh cilantro, optional

In a soup pot over high heat, combine all ingredients from the broth through the onion powder and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly, cover, and simmer for about 8 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), puree the soup to a chunky-smooth consistency. Always have caution working with hot liquids. Stir in the corn and cilantro, if using. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Let the soup rest for 1 minute (to heat the corn) before serving.