The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (28 page)

Yield
: 4 to 6 servings
Per Serving
: 290 Calories; 2g Fat (4.9% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 339mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: These recipes are in Chef Jeannette’s “one main, two meals” series. Heirloom Quinoa Salad was actually inspired by a little side dish I found in a gourmet airport delicatessen. I bought it on a whim ’cause it looked healthy but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was one of the tastiest and most satisfying salads I ever enjoyed! This recipe combines quinoa, currants, and nuts, dolled up with Chef Jeannette’s special touches, and I’ll bet you love it as much as I do. The second recipe, Red Quinoa Burgers, is deliciously easy and there’s not a “moo” to be heard anywhere—“no animals were harmed in the making of this burger!” And quinoa and beans make a great, high-fiber protein!

Salad

2 cups (475 ml) vegetable broth

1 cup (170 g) red heirloom quinoa, rinsed (we like Ancient Harvest Organic Inca Red)

1/4 cup (38 g) dried currants

1/3 cup (45 g) toasted cashews or almond slices

2 tablespoons (16 g) toasted sesame seeds

1 1/2 cups (187 g) chopped apple (or presliced apples, such as green or crisp red)

1 1/2 cups (210 g) precooked protein (e.g., canned beans, diced chicken, cubed firm tofu, etc.), optional

1/2 cup (80 g) sliced scallions, optional

Dressing

Superspeed Option

1/3 cup prepared fruity dressing, or to taste (e.g., Annie’s Naturals Organic Pomegranate Vinaigrette, or Cuisine Perel Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette-just swap the currants for dried cranberries!)

Make-Your-Own Option

1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice
*

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) low-sodium tamari

1 tablespoon (15 ml) mirin (or sherry)

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

*
For the best flavor, use fresh-squeezed juice plus 1 teaspoon orange zest

In a medium saucepan bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa, stir, reduce the heat slightly (keep a strong simmer), and cook until tender and the tails have popped, about 12 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the dressing, if using make-your-own option. In a small bowl, whisk together (or use an immersion blender) juice, olive oil, tamari, mirin, and ginger.

In a large bowl, mix together the currants, nuts, sesame seeds, apple, protein, and scallions, if using. Set aside 1 cup (185 g) of the quinoa to refrigerate or freeze for the Red Quinoa Burgers (following) or something else. Add the remaining quinoa to the bowl and mix gently to combine. Pour in the dressing to taste and mix gently to thoroughly coat.

Yield
: 4 to 6 servings
Per Serving
: 341 Calories; 12g Fat (31.1% calories from fat); 12g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 794mg Sodium

(Superspeed Option)
Per Serving
: 326 Calories; 11g Fat (29.8% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 49g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 788mg Sodium

Place the beans, oats, cheese, and salt in a food processor in that order and pulse until combined and holding together but still chunky, about ten quick pulses. Turn the bean mixture out into a medium bowl, add the quinoa, and mix with your hands just until it holds together well.

Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat (or just below medium in a regular skillet to prevent sticking), and form the quinoa mixture into four patties.

Place the burgers in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until heated through. Patties will be soft, so handle gently.

While the burgers are cooking, place the salsa, yogurt, lime juice, syrup, cumin, and chili powder into a blender (or a small bowl and use an immersion blender), and blend until smooth. Serve the burgers with a generous helping of the dressing.

Burgers

1 can (15 ounces or 425 g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup (20 g) quick-cooking rolled oats

2 ounces (55 g) grated or crumbled cheese (or 1/4 cup [32 g] nutritional yeast for a vegan option)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (185 g) cooked heirloom quinoa

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

Dressing

1/2 cup (130 g) prepared salsa

2 tablespoons (30 g) plain low-fat yogurt

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lime juice

1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 565 Calories; 12g Fat (18.8% calories from fat); 35g Protein; 84g Carbohydrate; 31g Dietary Fiber; 12mg Cholesterol; 602mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: Though you would hardly know it from listening to commercials from the dairy industry, milk is not the only way to get calcium in your diet. (According to some folks, including me, it’s not even the best. But I digress.) Mozzarella cheese, for example, is an excellent source of calcium, ounce for ounce even better than milk! But this caprese salad has more to recommend it than just calcium, important as that nutrient is. Pine nuts, in addition to adding a wonderful taste and texture to the salad, are rich in minerals and fiber, and olive oil is loaded with healthy monounsaturated fat plus plant compounds known as phenols, which have multiple health benefits. Together with the greens, they make a rich, fresh-tasting pesto you could eat by the spoonful! Complement this salad with a great source of light protein such as fish and you have a flavorful, nutritious meal that comes together in minutes.

1/4 cup (35 g) pine nuts, plus extra for garnish

1 packed (20 g) cup chopped baby arugula

1/3 cup (13 g) fresh basil

2 tablespoons (10 g) Parmesan cheese (grated or shaved)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons (28 ml) balsamic vinegar, plus extra to drizzle

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil

1 pint (300 g) cherry or grape tomatoes

1/2 English cucumber, peeled and sliced

6 cups spring or mesclun mix

1 large or 2 medium balls fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced or diced (6 ounces or 170 g)

Place the pine nuts, arugula, basil, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and vinegar in a food processor and pulse five times or so to break down the greens. Process until well combined and at desired consistency, scraping down the sides as necessary. Pulse or process briefly as you add the olive oil in a thin stream to incorporate.

On a large platter or in a salad bowl, arrange the tomatoes and cucumber over a bed of the greens. Lay the mozzarella slices on top and spoon the pesto to taste over all.

Finish with an extra drizzle of balsamic and/or a sprinkle of pine nuts, if desired.

Serve at room temperature.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 343 Calories; 29g Fat (73.0% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 40mg Cholesterol; 372mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: I don’t have anything against a good hamburger, especially when it’s made from grass-fed, hormone-free meat. But how about a great nut burger, just for variety? What’s that, you say? Simply put, it consists of nuts and a whole grain held together with a little egg. (Some might call it a “veggie burger,” but a true nut croquette isn’t made primarily with veggies, though they make the perfect accompaniment, either as a cooked side dish or in a nice colorful salad.) You’ll find two outstanding variations on the nut croquette concept right here. The Asian Nutty features almonds, sesame seeds, and brown rice, and a (highly recommended) optional sauce with probiotic-rich miso and wasabi; the Middle Eastern Nutty is made from quinoa, the high-protein “food of the Incan gods,” cashews, and raisins. It’s slightly reminiscent of falafel, only, with its sweet nuttiness, even better. See the Nutritional Note on
page 158
on the additional benefits of nuts and seeds.

1 cup (160 g) prepared diced onion

3/4 cup (109 g) raw almonds

1/4 cup (32 g) toasted sesame seeds

1 cup (165 g) cooked brown rice

3/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 egg

1 1/2 tablespoons (24 g) sweet white or mellow miso

1/4 cup (4 g) chopped fresh cilantro, optional

1 tablespoon (15 ml) low-sodium tamari

2 tablespoons (28 ml) sesame oil

Optional Wasabi Sauce
(or just use a drizzle of prepared ginger dressing, such as Organicville’s Miso Ginger Vinaigrette, to taste)

2 tablespoons (30 g) plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons (28 g) high-quality mayonnaise (we like vegan: Nayonaise or Vegenaise)

1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder or paste, or more to taste

1 tablespoon (1 g) minced fresh cilantro, optional

Place the onion in a food processor and process until minced. Add the almonds and sesame seeds, and pulse a few times to chop. Add the rice and pulse a few times until a coarse mixture is formed. Avoid creating a fine texture by overprocessing. Add the ginger, egg, miso, and cilantro, if using, and process for a few seconds to combine, scraping down the sides to evenly mix. Add the tamari (if needed for moisture) a little at a time just until a moist mixture forms; it should not be too wet, but should hold together well.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet, and form 4 1/2-inch (11 cm)-thick patties.

Cook the patties for 3 to 4 minutes on one side and 2 to 3 minutes on the other until lightly browned and hot throughout. Reduce the heat to medium low if the patties are browning too quickly.

While the croquettes are cooking, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, wasabi, and cilantro, if using. Serve the croquettes with a dollop of the wasabi sauce, if using.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 373 Calories; 27g Fat (61.0% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 56mg Cholesterol; 442mg Sodium