The Sexy Forever Recipe Bible (37 page)

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

4 slices crusty, whole wheat bread

¾ cup
Red Pepper Rouille

Drizzle olive oil onto the bread slices and broil or grill until golden. Cut each slice on the diagonal and drizzle the toast with the rouille.

MAKES 8 CROSTINI

endive spears with apple, prosciutto, and gorgonzola

PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS, VEGETABLES, FRUIT
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2

Olive oil

4 slices prosciutto, julienned

16 Belgian endive spears, washed

1 cup baby spinach leaves, julienned

1 head radicchio, julienned

1 Fuji or Gala apple, julienned (omit for Detox and Level 1)

4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, cut into small pieces

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium sauté pan, add olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat on medium high. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

To assemble, lay endive spears on a platter and top each spear with small amounts of spinach, radicchio, apple, if using, prosciutto, and a sprinkling of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

MAKES 16 SPEARS

stuffed mushrooms

HEALTHY FATS, VEGETABLES
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2

1 pound large white mushrooms

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

4 shallots, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped lemon thyme (or parsley or tarragon)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ to ½ cup dry white wine (use vegetable or chicken stock for Detox)

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

Trim the very ends off the mushroom stems and discard. Then carefully pull the stems off the mushrooms. The mushroom stems will be used as part of the stuffing. Finely chop the mushroom stems. Select the 12 largest mushroom caps and set aside. Thinly slice the remaining mushrooms, then chop.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom stems, chopped mushrooms, lemon thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until the mushrooms are browned and crusty, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and let it cook off for about 3 minutes, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan to release the flavor. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the broiler.

Place the mushroom mixture in a mixing bowl with ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined.

Lightly rub the reserved mushroom caps with olive oil and place on a cookie sheet with the cavity side up. Fill each cavity with a heaping mound of the mushroom stuffing. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan over the top.

Place the cookie sheet under the broiler for approximately 5 minutes.

Keep a close eye on them. Cook until the cheese bubbles and the mushroom caps get a little brown. If your broiler is very hot, the cheese may start to burn before the mushroom caps are cooked. In that case, lower the rack to allow the mushrooms to cook longer without burning the tops. Transfer to a platter and serve sizzling hot.

MAKES 12 CAPS

roasted mushrooms with spinach, cheese, and pancetta

PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS, VEGETABLES
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2

16 whole mushroom caps, stems removed and discarded

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons (1⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound fresh spinach, washed and stemmed

½ cup finely diced onion

½ cup finely diced pancetta or bacon

1 cup fresh goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the mushrooms, stem side up, in a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper and place a small piece of butter in the center of each cap. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

While the mushrooms are roasting, in a sauté pan over medium heat, add ½ tablespoon of the olive oil and the spinach. Sauté until the spinach is wilted. Set aside.

In another sauté pan over medium heat, use the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to cook the onion and pancetta until the pancetta is rendered of fat and the onion is slightly caramelized. Drain excess fat and set aside.

When the mushrooms are cooked, remove them from the oven. When cool enough to handle, fill each with a spoonful of goat cheese, then top with spinach and the pancetta mixture. Serve immediately.

MAKES 16 CAPS

wild mushroom risotto in mushroom caps

PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS, VEGETABLES, INSULIN TRIGGERS
LEVEL 2