The Dash Diet Weight Loss Solution: 2 Weeks to Drop Pounds, Boost Metabolism, and Get Healthy (A DASH Diet Book) (22 page)

Makes 4 servings.

Baked Salmon with Honey

½ cup honey

3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

3 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced-sodium

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons white wine

2 pounds salmon filet

Mix all the ingredients except the salmon in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Then

place the salmon in the pan, cover, and marinate for 30 minutes to 6 hours in the

refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until easily flaked with a

fork. Baste a few times while baking. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Baked Halibut with Sherry

vegetable oil spray

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium Bermuda onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons sherry wine (can substitute other wine if not available)

1½ pounds halibut filets

1 15.5-ounce can vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken stock

fresh-ground pepper

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Spray a baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Heat the oil and onion in a sauté

pan over medium heat. Taking care to avoid burning the onions, cook about 10

minutes, until golden brown. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the minced

garlic and sherry; cook another 3 minutes.

Place the halibut in a single layer in a baking pan, add stock, sprinkle with the

lemon zest, and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the fish easily flakes with a fork.

Serve each filet topped with sherry-onion sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Tilapia with Salsa

2 diced medium tomatoes (in winter, you can use no-added-salt diced

tomatoes)

½ medium Vidalia onion, diced

1 medium jalapeño, veins and seeds removed, minced

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon red vinegar

4 tilapia filets

To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients except the tilapia. The fish can be

cooked either on the grill or in a sauté pan. To grill, use a fish grill pan and cover with vegetable oil spray, to prevent excessive sticking. Top with salsa and cook

about 3 minutes. Then flip the fish, top again with salsa, and cook for another 3

minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.

Makes 4 servings.

Hint:
If you are pressed for time, a commercial salsa can be used. This is a

great way to add flavor to a very mild-tasting fish.

Vegetarian

The Frittata That Makes a Meal

Creamy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Orange

Green Beans with Toasted Almond Slivers

Glazed Carrots

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Dressing

Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots

Romaine and Blood Orange Salad

Green Beans and Peppers

Zucchini Lasagna

Mango-Melon Salsa

The Frittata That Makes a Meal

6 whole large eggs (or equivalent egg substitutes)

1 teaspoon dry basil (or 1 tablespoon diced fresh basil)

2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

1 cup sliced bell peppers

¼ cup sliced onion

1 cup frozen extra-sweet corn

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

4 ounces shredded Colby-Jack cheese or other cheese blend

Lightly stir the eggs. Add the basil.

Pour the oil into a nonstick frying pan with a metal handle, over medium heat.

When the oil is hot, add the pepper strips, onion, and corn. (You can substitute a

frozen mixture of pepper strips and onions, instead of fresh, if desired.) Sauté for

3 minutes, with frequent stirring. Then add the tomatoes and continue to stir.

Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Pour the egg-basil mixture over the vegetables. Use a spatula to lift the edges or

separate slightly in the interior, and allow the eggs to fall to the bottom of mixture as the frittata cooks. When egg mixture is thickened all the way through, top with

cheese. Then brown under a broiler for 2–3 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Hint
: Be sure to use a pan with a metal handle; plastic will melt under the broiler.

We used an All-Clad pan.

Creamy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

1 medium head cauliflower (or frozen florets), to make about 8 cups

4 cloves garlic, peeled (optional)

cup skim milk, buttermilk, or nonfat sour cream (not containing titanium

dioxide)

1 pat soft butter or margarine, about 1 teaspoon

½ teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

Chop the cauliflower into florets. Place them in boiling water in a saucepan along

with the garlic, if desired, and cook about 6 minutes, or until soft.

Drain off the liquid and put the florets in a blender, food processor, or medium

bowl. Add about half of the skim milk (or buttermilk, or nonfat sour cream) and the

butter or margarine. Puree mechanically or by hand until mostly creamy but with

some slight lumps for texture. Add the extra liquid as needed during the blending.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Hint
: You can also use a microwave. Cook 5 minutes on high, or until soft. Stir halfway through the cooking cycle.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Orange

4–5 large sweet potatoes or yams

½ cup heated milk

1 ounce butter or margarine

¼ cup maple syrup

cup orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet covered with nonstick aluminum foil,

and bake until well softened, about 60 minutes. (Hint: My clue that they are done

is when I start to see sugar seeping out of the potatoes.)

Let cool a few minutes, then cut in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the interiors or peel away the exteriors and place in a large bowl. Start to mash the potatoes, then add

¼ cup of the heated milk, the butter or margarine, syrup, orange juice, and zest.

Continue to mash until you have your desired consistency. Add the rest of the

milk if needed.

Makes about 8 servings.

Green Beans with Toasted Almond Slivers

½ cup almond slivers

1 bag frozen haricots verts (very thin, whole French green beans)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 thin pat of butter

Preheat a toaster oven (or a regular oven) to 350°F.

Toast the almond slivers on a toaster pan or baking sheet about 10 minutes, or

until you smell the almond fragrance.

Either microwave or quickly boil the green beans until slightly softened. Drain (if

needed), drizzle with olive oil, and top with the pat of butter. Sprinkle the almond

slivers over the top.

Makes 4 servings.

Glazed Carrots

¼ cup margarine

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

6–7 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch diagonally sliced sections

fresh minced parsley and/or chives

In a medium skillet, melt the margarine over medium heat, taking care to avoid

burning. Add the brown sugar, honey, nutmeg, and cinnamon; mix together. Add

the carrots. Cover; cook on medium-low to medium heat about 15 minutes,

stirring occasionally. If you prefer softer carrots, continue cooking until your

texture preference is reached. Serve hot, topped with the parsley or chives.

Makes 4 servings.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Dressing

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 bag frozen Brussels sprouts, or 2–3 cups fresh

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Whisk the vinegar, onion powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly add the

olive oil and whisk well after each addition.

Place the Brussels sprouts in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with

nonstick aluminum foil. Drizzle the dressing over the sprouts, coating well. Bake

for 25 minutes, turning once about midway through. The sprouts are done when

they are moderately soft and are mildly browned in spots.

Makes 4 servings.

Hint
: Instead of the onion powder, you could add diced or sliced onions to the Brussels sprouts and allow them to roast and add more intense flavor.

Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots

2 medium stalks broccoli, cut into florets

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

4 large carrots, sliced into about 1-inch chunks

cooking spray, preferably olive oil

paprika

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil. In a single layer, place the

broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Spray with the cooking spray, then sprinkle with

the paprika and garlic slices. Bake 25–30 minutes.

Makes 4–5 servings.

Hint
: You could use a bag of frozen mixed cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots if you are pressed for time.

Romaine and Blood Orange Salad

4 cups sliced romaine lettuce hearts

3 blood oranges, peeled and sliced

½ cup pomegranate seeds

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1½ teaspoons vanilla

dash salt

ground black pepper to taste

dash cinnamon

3 tablespoons slivered almonds (or crispy rice noodles if you have a nut

allergy)

Top the lettuce with the blood orange slices and pomegranate seeds. Mix the rest

of the ingredients except the almonds (or noodles). Dress the salad with the

dressing and top with the almonds or noodles.

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from Paula Wolfert’s
The Food of Morocco
.

Green Beans and Peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces (by weight) whole green beans

1 each red, yellow, and orange bell peppers cut into strips

1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beans and peppers.

Sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the minced garlic as you are getting

close to your desired degree of softness or firmness, that is, nearer to the end of

cooking. You will want to continue cooking about 3 minutes after adding the

garlic.

Makes 4 servings.

Zucchini Lasagna

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large zucchinis, sliced about ¼-inch thick

4 large tomatoes, sliced about ¼-inch thick

2 medium onions, sliced very thin

1 sprig fresh basil, 6–8 leaves, chopped or thinly sliced

Italian seasonings

ground black pepper

8 ounces shredded 2% mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a 2½-quart oval bakeware dish (such as Corningware), pour the olive oil (or

spray with olive oil cooking spray). Cover the bottom of the dish with sliced

zucchini. Then, spread a layer of tomatoes and a layer of onions. Top with half of

the sliced basil, Italian seasonings (or other herbs from your garden), and ground

pepper. Then add a layer of about half the shredded cheese. Repeat (except for

the olive oil).

Bake about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Hint
: This recipe is especially great for using up end-of-summer veggies. An

easy way to slice the basil is to roll up several leaves (stem edges inside), and