The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (37 page)

1 bottle (32 ounces or 905 g) tomato vegetable juice (e.g., Knudsen’s Very Veggie Organic)

2 cups (475 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth or water)

2 tablespoons (28 ml) mirin (or use 1 tablespoon [20 g] honey)

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon (9 g) garlic granules (or 1 tablespoon [10 g] prepared minced garlic)

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 3/4 cups (336 g) dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon (15 ml) sherry, optional

8 ounces (225 g) any style whole grain pasta (e.g., Barilla Plus)

In a large soup pot, combine the veggie juice, broth, mirin, basil, oregano, garlic, and pepper and mix well to combine. Stir in the lentils and heat over high heat. When the soup is boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender. In the last 10 minutes of cook time, stir in the sherry, if using, and prepare the pasta al dente according to the package directions. Serve the sauce over the hot pasta.

Yield
: 4 full servings plus 4 of sauce to freeze—will need another 8 ounces (225 g) of pasta to complete the meal
Fiber-Friendly Protein Pasta
Per Serving
: 389 Calories; 2g Fat (3.9% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 73g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 438mg Sodium

Fiber-Friendly Protein Pasta (Sauce)
Per Serving
: 178 Calories; 1g Fat (3.8% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 14g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 434mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: Enchiladas are always a crowd-pleaser. This special “Planned Leftovers” version is perfect for a Super Bowl party or for dinner tonight and a heat-and-eat next month! By using whole-grain wraps, vegetarian refried beans, vegan “beef” crumbles, and tricolor peppers, you wind up with an enchilada that’s just as tasty as Taco Bell (maybe more!) but with less than half the fat and, I venture to say, twice the nutrition. This is a taste of the Southwest that will please just about anyone. Once you make it, it keeps really well and can fill in for a meal or a snack anytime. Even for breakfast!

2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil

1 cup (160 g) prepared diced onion

1 cup (75 g) prepared diced tricolor peppers

1 package (12 ounces or 340 g) frozen vegan “beef” crumbles (e.g., Quorn Meatless and Soy-Free grounds)

1 packet (1 ounce or 28 g) high-quality taco seasoning (e.g., Simply Organic Southwest Taco Seasoning)

1/2 cup (235 ml) water

2 bottles (8 ounces or 225 g each) natural enchilada sauce

8 whole grain wraps (8 inches or 20 cm) or soft corn tortillas (e.g., the 12-ounce package of whole-grain Wrap-itz by Tamxico’s)

1 can (16 ounces or 455 g) nonfat, vegetarian refried beans

2 cups (225 g) shredded Mexi-mix cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC, gas mark 4).

Spray two 7 × 11-inch (18 × 28 cm) Pyrex (or other tempered glass) baking dishes lightly with olive oil and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the crumbles, taco seasoning, and water to the dish, stirring well to incorporate, and simmer for about 6 minutes.

Toward the end of the cooking time, set up your enchilada station: Pour a little enchilada sauce into the bottom of each dish and spread it evenly to form a thin layer. Lay your wraps, beans, and half the cheese out near your oven. When the grounds mix is ready, evenly divide the ingredients among the middle of eight wraps in this order: layer of beans, layer of crumbles, sprinkling of cheese. Then fold the far edge of the wrap toward you, up and over the filling. Tuck in the two sides and fold the full section toward you to close the wrap. Lay the wrap seam-side-down on the sauce in the prepared baking dish, nestling the wraps together, four to a dish. Pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas in both dishes and top each with half of the remaining cheese. Bake each dish for 30 minutes.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 586 Calories; 26g Fat (37.0% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 75g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 37mg Cholesterol; 1626mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: This incredible, rich dish preserves the classic flavor of lasagna while lightening up the carb load (not to mention the prep time) by simply skipping the noodles. But you’ll hardly notice. The layers of hearty sweet potatoes will make you forget you ever cared about pasta in the first place (okay, maybe not, but close). Sweet potatoes are loaded with nutrients, especially vitamin A and beta-carotene, and while they’re not exactly a “low-carb” diet staple, they’re a lot better than white potatoes from a nutritional point of view. Mixed with cheese, onions, and veggies, the overall dish has a low glycemic load and won’t put you in blood sugar hell. It may, however, put you in taste bud heaven!

1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut in half lengthwise (or use unpeeled Yukon gold)

1 medium zucchini, stemmed

1 medium Vidalia or yellow onion

1 jar (24 ounces or 680 g) high-quality pasta sauce (e.g., Rao’s Homemade Arrabiata for a spicier bite or Amy’s Family Marinara for a milder basil flavor)

1 package (12 ounces or 340 g) frozen vegan “beef” crumbles (e.g., Quorn Meatless and Soy Free grounds), thawed (microwave in a covered glass dish with 2 tablespoons (28 ml) water for 1 to 2 minutes until warm)

1 1/2 cups (175 g) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC, gas mark 4).

Lightly spray a 7 × 11-inch (18 × 28 cm) baking dish with olive oil.

Using a mandoline, slice the potato halves into thin half-moon slices, the zucchini into thin slices lengthwise, and the onion into thin rounds. (Or use the slicing attachment on a food processor—just slice the potato into thirds and zucchini in half
lengthwise
, to fit, and make half-moon slices. It’s easiest to slice the onion into thin rounds by hand.)

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and cover with a layer of half the sweet potatoes. Make a layer with half the zucchini and cover with a layer of half the onion. Cover with half the crumbles, half the sauce, and half the cheese. Repeat the layers in that order with remaining ingredients, making sure all crumbles are covered by sauce to prevent scorching. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 239 Calories; 12g Fat (43.4% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 39mg Cholesterol; 280mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: Here’s one thing to know about soup—it’s one of the best diet aids in the world. Studies by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., at Penn State University show that people who eat a vegetable-based soup before dinner consume significantly fewer calories during the dinner itself. It seems to be a great way to blunt your appetite. But that’s not the only reason to eat this great-tasting, superlow-calorie soup. It’s loaded with cancer-fighting onions, blood pressure–lowering garlic, heart-healthy olive oil, and nutritious zucchini, which are loaded with vitamin A and potassium.

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

2 cups (320 g) prepared chopped onion (or 1 large sweet onion, chopped)

3 teaspoons prepared minced garlic (or 4 cloves, minced)

2 teaspoons curry powder

3/4 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 to 2 tablespoons [4 to 8g] fresh, added at end of cook time)

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced or grated (use the slicing or grating attachment on a food processor to do this in a snap)

3 cups (710 ml) chicken or vegetable broth

1 package (8 ounces or 225 g) Tofu Shiratake fettuccine, rinsed and drained
*

1 1/2 cups (345 g) plain low-fat yogurt

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, curry, turmeric, dried dill, salt, pepper, and zucchini, and sauté for 2 minutes, turning and stirring frequently to coat. Add the broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until tender (will take less time if zucchini is grated). Puree the soup with an immersion wand or in a blender (carefully!) and return to the heat. Add the fresh dill now, if using. Add the noodles and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the yogurt.

Yield
: 4 to 6 servings
Per Serving
: 140 Calories; 3g Fat (21.9% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 608mg Sodium

*
Find Tofu Shirataki fettuccine in the refrigerated section of natural food stores and high-end grocers. At 40 calories, 6 carb grams (4 of them fiber), and 4 grams of protein for the
entire package
, these precooked noodles are a kind of fast-food, low-carb, low-cal miracle! They are also very inexpensive. To use them, drain the water they come in and rinse. They have a bit of a fishy odor, so parboil them for 2 to 3 minutes to remove it. But if I’m putting them into a cooked product, I just rinse and use. This is not a delicate noodle; it has a firm bite, al dente, so you really feel like you’re eating something. Use them in other light, brothy soups to give them a toothier feel without changing the carb or calorie count much. How many noodles can you say
that
about?