The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (4 page)

•
Meat and seafood
. Whenever possible, choose fresh organic, cage-free chicken breast, tenders and boneless skinless thighs; organic, nitrate-free chicken sausage; very lean grass-fed beef; and fresh or frozen, wild-caught cold-water fish.

•
Vegan meat substitutes
. We use refrigerated or frozen “chicken” breast and strips, “beef” crumbles, and “sausage” patties in these recipes.

To save an enormous amount of time, lay out your kitchen in an orderly fashion. Even if you have limited space, you can still save time if you store your ingredients and equipment efficiently.

Start by grouping related pantry items together in categories that make sense to you, such as baking ingredients together, herbs and spices in a single area, and so on. This is also important in the fridge as you don’t want to waste time hunting around for the mustard every time you need it. To help, consider using external wall racks so you can readily see important and often-used items. In addition, keep your most-used kitchen tools (food processor, blender, immersion blender, mixer, knife block) on the counter and plugged in. Keep smaller hand tools either on wall-mounted hooks or shelves or in easy-to-reach containers.

Let the French expression
mise en place
, which means “everything in its place,” guide you in laying out all the ingredients and tools you will need to make a dish before you begin. Because my kitchen is so well organized and many staples are visible, this step takes me only minutes. It is a crucial step for speed, however, and also has the double benefit of letting you know if you’re missing an ingredient before the dish is half cooked!

When you’re running in from work, the kids are screaming, and the dog needs to go out, this is not the time to contemplate creating a luxurious five-course meal. Instead, think simple: one or two dishes that will cover all the macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fats), provide many micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, etc.), and feel satisfying to you and your family. One-pot meals, featured in this book, are perfect, both for easy prep and easy cleanup.

For entrées that don’t stand alone, keep a ready stock of dishes that will provide a quick and tasty complementary side, such as mixed frozen veggies, salad fixings, fresh fruits, and quick-cooking grains. You can mix and match fruits, veggies, and grains with different seasonings to keep things interesting. Try a little dried fruit and baby greens stirred into parboiled brown rice in the last minute of cooking time. Or pour a little salad dressing or cooked marinade over simple steamed veggies for a flavor twist. A sprinkling of toasted nuts adds flavor variety, crunch, and healthy nutrients to salads, veggies, or grains.

Although many people use the microwave oven to help them get dinner on the table in minutes, Dr. Jonny and I both use it as little as possible. Microwaved food tastes flat to me, and doesn’t have the same freshness of cooking with external heat. I prefer to reheat leftovers using the steamer and toaster oven, but there’s just no denying that the microwave can be a meal-saver in a time crunch. There is no other way to get steaming, baked sweet potatoes on the table in ten minutes. So while we use it sparingly, there are a few recipes that call for its use.

We hope the information and recipes in this book will give you new ideas for preparing tasty, healthy meals in less time, or inspire you to return to home cooking if you have strayed from the kitchen.

To your good health!

—Jeannette Bessinger
Portsmouth, RI, 2010

Speedy and Spicy Curried Apricot
Chicken Salad

From Dr. Jonny
: I love curry for two reasons. One has to do with the brain, the other with the heart (at least metaphorically). My heart loves curry because it just tastes so good—as spicy as you want it to be (you can adjust the spice levels to your own liking), always pleasing to the palate, somehow rich and light at the same time. But my brain loves it because I know what’s in it—turmeric. If you read my book
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth
, you probably already know that turmeric is the closest thing to a superfood in the spice kingdom. The active ingredients in turmeric are called curcuminoids, and in the laboratory they’ve been found to have anticancer activity. Plus turmeric is one of the most anti-inflammatory foods on the planet. Curry goes beautifully with chicken, and the apricots and almonds make a perfect complement to the mix. A little apricot trivia: Apricots are one of the lowest-calorie fruits on the planet (17 calories per fruit!) and yet deliver a surprising amount of nutrition, containing potassium, magnesium, and calcium. This dish is great for picnics!

1/3 cup (77 g) plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 cup (60 g) high-quality mayonnaise (we likevegan varieties such as Nayonaise or Vegenaise)

1 to 2 tablespoons (20 to 40 g) raw honey, to taste

1 tablespoon (6.3 g) curry powder

3 cups (420 g) cooked chicken, diced or shredded

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cups (220 g) prepared sliced green apples, chopped

1/2 cup (43 g) dried unsulfured apricots, chopped (by hand or with a few pulses in the food processor)

1/2 cup (55 g) toasted sliced almonds

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, honey, and curry powder until smooth and well incorporated. Gently stir in the chicken, celery, apples, apricots, and almonds.

Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 501 Calories; 26g Fat (46.0% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 94mg Cholesterol; 196mg Sodium

From Dr. Jonny
: Let me be perfectly clear and consistent with everything I’ve written in the last ten years: I am not afraid of saturated fat, which has gotten a bum rap and been unfairly blamed for a lot of things it doesn’t do (such as cause heart disease, but don’t get me started). Even though I’m in the minority on this issue, most people would still like to reduce their intake of saturated fats. Here’s the perfect way to do it without compromising flavor. Using tofu in place of heavy cream gives you plenty of protein, a creamy texture, and zero saturated fat. (Even if you’re not afraid of a little saturated fat, you’ll still love it—I certainly do!) Quinoa has eight essential amino acids, is one of the highest-protein “grains” (it’s technically a seed, but who cares?), and is quick-cooking and delicious.

What’s not to love?

1 cup (170 g) quinoa, rinsed

2 1/2 cups (570 ml) chicken or vegetable broth, divided

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 shallots, diced fine

1/2 cup (230 g) silken tofu, drained and blended until smooth (quickest with immersion blender)

1/2 teaspoon chicken or vegetable Better Than Bouillon (or you can use 1/2 tea-spoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast)

1/2 cup (235 ml) dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon tarragon, optional

1/2 cup (37 g) sliced sun-dried tomatoes in oil, well-drained

2 cups (280 g) diced cooked chicken (use leftovers, Trader Joe’s prepared diced chicken, or 1 package [8 ounces or 225 g] meatless frozen Morningstar Farms Chik’n Strips)