Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous (4 page)

8
Serve the salad warm, or chill it for 1 hour first. It will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.

OYSTERS BORBA

Makes 6 Servings

S
lurp to beauty with this option for the oyster curious! Buy oysters fresh from your local fish market. Oysters contain two amino acids that are said to raise levels of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen. Low fat, zinc-loaded for hair health, and functional! Dig in.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

2 cups wilted and chopped spinach—phytonutrients

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

3 cloves garlic, minced—intense heart helper

Juice and zest of 1 large lemon

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 pinch kosher salt

Ground black pepper, to taste

24 large fresh oysters, with juice, tightly closed in shell

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1
In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously until a thick, smooth paste forms. Remove from the heat and add the water, spinach, basil, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and hot sauce. Whisk quickly until a thick sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Shuck the oysters, reserving the shells. Put one oyster per shell in the deepest reserved half-shells. Top with a spoonful of the spinach mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

3
Place the half-shells on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and carefully place in the oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the oysters are cooked inside, the filling begins to brown, and the oysters are no longer translucent but still tender. Serve immediately.

ISRAELI COUSCOUS SALAD
WITH PAPRIKA

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

Y
ou don’t have to travel far to get a taste of the Old World with this simple side dish. Couscous [koos-koos] is light and tasty, a good-for-you grain pasta with lots of fiber and selenium, too.

Ingredients: Dressing

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons paprika—contains vitamin C and capsaicin, a powerful anti-inflammatory for skin and body

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Couscous

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces Israeli couscous

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups coarsely chopped, packed baby spinach leaves—higher in nutrient content than virtually any other food

12 ounces (about 2 cups) grape or cherry tomatoes—low-cal superfruits

4 ounces (about 1 cup) feta cheese, coarsely crumbled or chopped into ½-inch pieces

1 cup coarsely chopped, jarred red bell peppers, drained

1/2 cup chopped, fresh, flat-leaf parsley—vitamin K helps diminish bruises, scratches, and stretch marks

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted—protein

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation: Dressing

Whisk the oil, vinegar, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.

Preparation: Couscous

1
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Cook the couscous in the oil, stirring frequently, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the couscous is just tender and the liquid is absorbed, 9 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

2
Mix together the spinach, tomatoes, cheese, peppers, parsley, almonds, and mint in a large bowl. Add the couscous and the dressing. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. Salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a large serving bowl and serve.

TIP:
If you like the look of a suntan but have sworn off those damaging rays, you can mix iodine with your moisturizer to increase skin color and glow. If you opt for a shimmery moisturizer, you’re ready for a night on the town.

WARM ORZO PASTA SALAD

Makes 4 Servings

O
rzo is a small pasta that resembles grains of rice. Orzo dishes can be quite dense, as the pasta will compact into a solid mass when cooked. Orzo is a low-fat food high in iron and fiber. This recipe also calls for a generous helping of spinach, which is a powerhouse of nutrients. Among vegetables, spinach contains the most protein! And cooking it releases beta-carotene and lutein, which your scalp and hair need for health, glow, and strength.

Ingredients:

6 ounces orzo (about 1 cup)

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

7 cups baby spinach (about 6 ounces)

1/3 cup chopped black olives—
helps smooth skin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1-1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup soft goat (chèvre) cheese—
calcium

Preparation:

1
Boil the orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2
Sauté the onion and garlic in oil in a skillet over medium-low heat until softened. Add the spinach and olives and turn the spinach with tongs until just wilted, about 1 minute. Add the salt and pepper.

3
Add the orzo to the spinach mixture along with the tomatoes and lemon juice. Toss and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with small dollops of goat cheese on top.

POMEGRANATE BERRY JELL-O

Makes One 12-Cup Mold

H
ello, Jell-O! Where have you been? Getting a dose of gelatin in your diet is great for increasing the shine in your hair. In addition to a host of benefits, gelatin is known to keep hair healthy and to help hair grow stronger, faster, and longer. Using gelatin as a major dietary protein is an easy way to restrict the amino acids that are associated with many of the problems of aging, too. The high amounts of protein in Jell-O are what work the wonders. Your hair will start to look glossier and healthier within weeks of eating gelatin on a regular basis. It’s a great dessert that’s virtually fat free. If you don’t feel like making this delicious recipe every time your hair needs a boost, you have my blessing to buy Jell-O straight off the shelf, or simply try the Gelatin/Pectin Hair Mask instead.

Ingredients:

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin powder or pectin—my preference—right next to gelatin in the Jell-O aisle. (Pectin is made of plant solubles that mimic the consistency of gelatin.)

1/2 cup cold water

4 cups boiling pomegranate juice—antioxidant rich for heart health

3 cups ginger ale

2 cups mixed fresh blueberries and strawberries

Preparation:

1
In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water and allow the gelatin to absorb the water for 2 minutes.

2
Add the boiling pomegranate juice to the gelatin mixture and stir until the gelatin is fully dissolved.

3
Stir in the ginger ale, transfer to a mold, and refrigerate until just thickened but not set. Be sure to be mindful of how much time the mold is chilling down—you don’t want it to harden yet. . . .

4
Fold the berries into the mold. Return to the refrigerator and let it set overnight.

GELATIN/PECTIN HAIR MASK

Mix together 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin, 1 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar. Massage the gel-like mixture through shampooed hair and leave on for 5 minutes, then rinse. Great for fighting frizz.

PRO TIP:
After applying hair masks or leave-in conditioners, wrap your hair with plastic wrap. It locks in moisture, helping to repair hair by smoothing hair cuticles. Try it!

APPLE PIE PITAS WITH WALNUTS

Makes 4 Servings

A
n easy treat to assemble, no cooking required, and rich in vitamin E. Walnuts provide heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3s, which help to keep your hair shiny and your scalp from drying to the point of flaking. Walnuts are a great “grab food” for a quick healthy snack. In this recipe, you also get the benefit of wheat germ, an excellent source of fiber. Wheat germ is near flavorless and makes for a wonderful healthy add-in to virtually any recipe. Wheat germ also adds an extra bit of crunch. You also get the benefit of flaxseed, also known as linseed, a reddish brown seed that’s full of alpha-linoleic acid, a type of omega-3.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cream cheese

2 teaspoons chopped walnuts,

1 teaspoon ground flaxseeds

2 tablespoons wheat germ

4 teaspoons chopped apple—leave skin on for added fiber

1 teaspoon cinnamon—antibacterial properties

3 teaspoons raisins or craisins

4 mini whole wheat pitas

Preparation:

Mix cream cheese, walnuts, flaxseed, wheat germ, apple, raisins or craisins, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stuff mixture inside pitas. Eat immediately.

ALMOND BUTTER AND BANANA BLAST

Makes 1 Serving

T
his is a quick-prep snack that’s the perfect combination of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates. The almond butter is high in nutritional value, loaded with protein and omega-3s that help sustain energy and concentration. The banana adds that touch of sweetness you crave and the potassium-rich density to make this a filling snack. You can also use almond butter and bananas as home-spa hair treatments—see recipes that follow.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon salted almond butter

1 slice sprouted raisin bread, toasted—flourless

1/2 banana, sliced—potassium

Drizzle of honey

Sprinkle of cinnamon—skin-care benefits

1/2 teaspoon ground flaxseed

Preparation:

Spread the almond butter on the raisin bread. Top with the sliced bananas. Drizzle on the honey; sprinkle with cinnamon and the ground flaxseeds.

HOME-SPA ALMOND BUTTER CONDITIONING HAIR MASK