The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (33 page)
Read The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth Online
Authors: Jonny Bowden
From Dr. Jonny
: Let’s talk turkey. If you’re looking for a healthy, low-calorie, generally excellent all-around protein source, look no further. It’s not hard to find free-range turkey, and even the regular kind tends to be less loaded with the chemicals and hormones put into factory-farmed beef. Cranberries are another of these great fruits that don’t get enough attention, although that’s beginning to change. They’re high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, low in calories, and they bring a terrific taste to almost anything they’re added to (especially turkey). And for the second meal you’ve got barley, a “good carb” because it’s a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which makes it a terrific grain for the heart. For those who are concerned about cholesterol, barley is a great way to bring it down naturally. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently gave food companies the okay to make a health claim on foods containing barley! And soup is a proven weight-loss food, adding to this recipe’s healthy résumé.
Turkey
2 tablespoons (40 g) honey mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon (6 g) orange zest
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 boneless, skinless turkey tenderloin
(2 pounds or 900 g)
Salsa
2 cups (200 g) fresh cranberries (or 1 bag [8 ounces] frozen, unsweetened, thawed)
1 large navel orange, peeled and halved
1 small jalapeño, stemmed and roughly chopped, optional
1/4 cup (85 g) raw honey, or to taste
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6). Spray a roasting pan with high-heat cooking oil.
In a small bowl, mix together the honey mustard, cumin, curry, allspice, and zest and set aside.
Lightly salt and pepper the turkey tenderloin and coat it evenly with the honey-mustard mixture (use your hands or a brush). Roast the turkey uncovered for about 35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 160°F (71°C). Remove the turkey and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Slice half of the turkey thinly for tonight’s meal, and shred or dice the other half into bite-size cubes (for tomorrow’s soup).
Once the turkey is in the oven, prepare the salsa and let it rest while the meat is cooking so the flavors can develop. Place the cranberries, orange, jalapeño, if using, and honey in a blender or food processor and blend well, to the consistency of relish. Serve the salsa with the sliced turkey.
Yield
: 4 servings plus extra relish
Per Serving
: 437 Calories; 15g Fat (31.3% calories from fat); 46g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 132mg Cholesterol; 253mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Scrub four garnet yams (or regular sweet potatoes if you can’t find yams) well, pierce once with a fork, and place them in a microwave oven. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Remove the yams and place them on a sheet of aluminum foil (to catch any drippings) on the rack next to the turkey. Cook with the turkey for 30 minutes or until soft to the squeeze. Serve with a sprinkle of salt and a tiny touch of butter or ghee.
Heat the oil in large, heavy-bottom soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, mirin, and barley, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn, turkey, and raisins, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the veggies and barley are tender.
1 1/2 tablespoons (25 ml) olive oil
1 1/2 cups (240 g) prepared diced onion (or 1 yellow onion, diced)
1 1/2 cups (165 g) prepared shredded carrots (or grate 2 whole carrots)
6 cups (1.5 L) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons (28 ml) mirin
3/4 cup (150 g) quick-cooking pearl barley
1 1/2 (195 g) cups frozen corn
1 pound (455 g) leftover (or precooked cooked) turkey, shredded or cubed
1/2 cup (75 g) golden raisins
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 329 Calories; 11g Fat (28.6% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 38g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 41mg Cholesterol; 996mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
Planned leftovers
: This soup makes a big pot. If you aren’t serving company, freeze the extras for a third meal. Cool it thoroughly in the fridge, then freeze it in a tempered-glass container, such as Pyrex. Cover the surface of the soup with a layer of microwave-safe plastic wrap and seal it with the lid, squeezing out any excess air. You should leave about an inch (2.5 cm) of space for expansion: It will expand as it freezes.
To Complete the Meal
: Serve soup with a salad of crunchy greens, such as romaine hearts, diced green apples, raisins, toasted sliced almonds or chopped walnuts, and a light fruity prepared vinaigrette, such as pomegranate. (Or use our recipe for a quick apple dressing on
page 48
.)
If You Have 10 More Minutes
: To add additional fiber to the soup for more staying power on a cold night, add 1 1/2 cups (186 g) of 3/4-inch (1.5 cm) cubes of any peeled and seeded winter squash (e.g., prepared butternut). Add the squash when you add the broth and simmer it for an extra 10 minutes before you add the barley—you may need to add a bit more broth.
No mystery meat here! Chef Jeannette’s iron-rich, grass-fed beef recipes sizzle with Latin and South American flavors that put your favorite Mexican restaurant’s calorie-laden menu to shame. With super-healthy additions like chile peppers, olives, cumin, and fire-roasted tomatoes, these recipes will satisfy your taste buds without breaking the calorie bank.
Totally Fast Tamale Bake
Almost-Instant, Iron-Rich Picadillo
One-Pot Fiber Fiesta Taco Soup
Wild about Venison Stew with Savory Mushrooms
From Dr. Jonny
: Nothing personal, Taco Bell, but this recipe has you beat on every count, starting with taste and ending with nutrition. With this recipe, the term “healthy fast food” is no longer an oxymoron! It’s light, tasty, easy to prepare, and with its combination of chili powder, corn, and cumin, distinctly Mexican. Loaded with fiber and protein, it also contains healthy compounds called phenols from the black olives, blood pressure–lowering garlic, and cancer-fighting antioxidants such as lycopene from the tomatoes. Best of all, because you make it yourself, you get to choose the protein source—grass-fed beef (instead of mystery meat), turkey, or even a vegan option! Take that, Taco Bell chihuahua!
1 1/2 cups (240 g) prepared diced onion (or 1 yellow onion, diced)
2 teaspoons prepared minced garlic (or 3 cloves, minced)
1 1/2 cups (225 g) prepared diced tricolor peppers (or 1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced)
1 pound (455 g) leanest ground beef, turkey, or vegan “beef crumbles” (12-ounce [340 g] bag)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 ounces or 425 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (14.5 ounces or 413 g) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup (50 g) sliced black olives, optional 2 cups (260 g) frozen corn
1 tablespoon (7.5 g) chili powder, or to taste 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ancho chile pepper (or cayenne)
1/2 cup (70 g) cornmeal
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4).
Lightly spray a 9 × 13-inch (23 × 33 cm) baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, meat, and salt, and sauté until no pink remains, 6 to 7 minutes. (If using veggie crumbles, add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 28 ml) olive oil and sauté the onion and pepper for 5 minutes, then add the “beef crumbles” and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. If the crumbles are frozen, no need to thaw ahead.) Drain the meat and spoon into a large bowl. Add the beans, tomatoes, olives, if using, corn, chili powder, cumin, chile pepper, and cornmeal, and stir gently to mix well. Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.
Yield
: about 8 servings
Per serving
: 140 Calories; 4g Fat (23.6% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 20mg Cholesterol; 269mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
If You Have 5 More Minutes
: Sprinkle 1/2 cup (58 g) of shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top for a shot of calcium.
Planned leftovers
: This recipe makes two dinners for four people. To freeze the leftovers, cool for 2 hours to overnight in the fridge, remove any condensation, lay a layer of microwave-safe plastic over the surface of the casserole, sealing it tightly against the sides to prevent air contact, seal the cover over all, and store in the freezer. When you’re ready for round two, thaw the frozen leftovers overnight in the fridge and bake, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes at 350°F (180°C, gas mark 4) or until heated through.
To Complete the Meal
: Serve this with a generous helping of steamed broccoli.
From Dr. Jonny
: Picadillo is a traditional Latin American dish also found in the Philippines, where it goes by the name of
giniling
. Chef Jeannette calls it Latin American chili. It’s usually made with ground meat and tomatoes and other regional ingredients. Picadillo has been called “a party on your tongue” as it contains a mix of both sweet and
picante
(translated: hot!) flavors. Our version is made of lean ground beef (grass-fed, please!), pimiento olives, and iron-rich raisins. And let me say a word about plantains. Plantains could be thought of as a cousin to the sweet, overripe bananas we usually consume in the United States, except that they tend to be much lower in sugar, somewhat higher in fiber, and loaded with vitamin A and potassium. We suggest you plan ahead—take the time to make the plantains. They’re supersimple to prepare but need a little cooking time. It’s worth it.
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup (160 g) prepared diced onion (or 1 small yellow onion, diced)
1/2 cup (75 g) prepared diced tricolor peppers (in the refrigerated section)
2 teaspoons prepared minced garlic (or 3 large cloves, minced)
1 pound (455 g) leanest ground beef (96 percent)
1 can (14.5 ounces or 413 g) diced tomatoes (great with fire-roasted), undrained
1/2 cup (50 g) pimiento-stuffed olives, roughly chopped
1/3 cup (50 g) raisins
3 tablespoons (27 g) capers
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 bay leaf, optional
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, and beef and sauté for 5 minutes or until nearly cooked through (very little pink remaining). Drain any excess oil, if necessary. Add the tomatoes, olives, raisins, capers, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaf, if using, stir gently to combine, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes or until all veggies are tender and the beef is cooked through. Stir in a little beef broth or water if the liquid level drops too low. Remove the bay leaf, if using, before serving.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 382 Calories; 23g Fat (54.8% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 78mg Cholesterol; 478mg Sodium
