The Sexy Forever Recipe Bible (48 page)

Sea salt

1 large eggplant, sliced paper-thin

2 medium zucchini, sliced paper-thin

4 pieces whole wheat lavash bread, or 4 whole wheat fat-free tortillas

1 cup nonfat ricotta cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

2
Roasted Red Peppers
or jarred roasted peppers in water

4 red leaf lettuce leaves

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Salt the eggplant and the zucchini slices on both sides and place in a colander to let the excess water drain. Rinse and pat dry. Place the slices in a single layer on cookie sheets. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove any smaller pieces as they become brown, so as not to burn any of the slices.

Lay the lavash or tortilla flat on a chopping block. Spread the ricotta cheese in a thin layer over each entire piece. Season with salt and pepper. Place the eggplant in a single layer over the ricotta. Then place a single layer of the zucchini. Place the peppers in a single row down the middle. Top with a lettuce leaf. Roll up the bread or tortilla and secure with a toothpick (or use a tiny bit of water to “glue” the tortilla to the other side). Slice on the diagonal and serve.

SERVES 4

dressings, sauces, and pesto

A drizzle, a puddle,
a toss, a dollop … sometimes it’s the extra special accessory to the food that takes it from good to spectacular. Many of the sauces or dressings in this recipe bible are already attached to their featured recipes, but these gems are placed here so you can use them at will with any of your favorite dishes.

The base for most of my salad dressings is a great quality oil. I was introduced to the Malibu Olive Company at a farmers’ market and have fallen deeply in love with their Romanelli Quattro Blend extra virgin olive oil. Not only a healthy fat with essential omega-3 oils, it’s great for your skin, hair, heart, organs, cell reproduction, and—did I mention making everything taste incredible?

If you are used to bottled dressing, it takes a quick shift in thinking to decide to make your own. We are talking about less than 5 minutes for most of these dressings. Wait until you see how easy it is to make
Blue Cheese Dip
. Just sour cream, blue cheese crumbles, salt and pepper, and a little red wine vinegar. Done!

This whole recipe section is worth reading for the
Basil-Parsley Pesto
alone. It’s the best pesto recipe I have ever used and it gets a lot of action in my house when my garden basil sprouts to its full glory. I make jars and jars of it, then freeze it so I have a supply at all times. Blanching the herbs first keeps their bright green pop of color. They are delicious and bursting with health-saving antioxidants. If you are planning to freeze the pesto, hold the cheese and add it at the last minute when the pesto is thawed and ready to enjoy. I use pesto liberally in soups, on meats, in salads, and tossed into quinoa or brown rice pasta.

Also not to be missed, my
Homemade Mayonnaise
; it’s light and delicious with just the right tang of citrus. My daughter-in-law, Caroline, makes it every year to serve at our family’s Crab Lunch with warm, just-steamed Dungeness crab. I have switched to grapeseed oil for this recipe. It’s another of the healthy oils and it has a neutral flavor that keeps the mayonnaise light and fresh.

Top that.

garlic vinaigrette

HEALTHY FATS, VEGETABLES
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2

2 to 3 garlic cloves, pressed

Juice from 1 lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix the garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly until combined.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.

MAKES 1¼ CUP

champagne mustard vinaigrette

HEALTHY FATS, VEGETABLES
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2