The Sexy Forever Recipe Bible (63 page)

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound sugar snap peas

2 tablespoons soy sauce

¼ teaspoon cayenne

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oils in a large sauté pan. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, until both are golden brown. Add the snap peas and sauté, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and continue cooking for 1 additional minute. Add the cayenne, stir, and transfer to a bowl. Toss the peas and let stand, loosely covered, for 5 minutes. Season with pepper and serve.

SERVES 4

smashed tuscan potatoes

HEALTHY FATS, INSULIN TRIGGERS
LEVEL 2

8 Yukon Gold or small red potatoes

Sea salt

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 3 teaspoons dried

¼ cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1 dried red chile (chile de arbol)

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add about 2 teaspoons salt and 1 sprig of the rosemary (or 1 teaspoon of the dried). Place over high heat just until it comes to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes. The potatoes are done when pierced easily with a fork.

Drain the water, then set the potatoes aside to cool. When cool enough to touch, smash each with the heel of your hand.

Place a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the whole garlic cloves. Let the garlic get crusty on one side, then turn to cook the other side. Add half the potatoes at a time (this keeps the temperature of the oil hot so the potatoes don’t stick). Shake the pan to loosen the potatoes. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the remaining potatoes, the remaining 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried), and the dried chile. Once the potatoes get crusty on one side, about 4 minutes, turn them with a spatula and cook the other side. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

SERVES 2 TO 3

sinful scalloped potatoes

PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS, INSULIN TRIGGERS
LEVEL 2

1 cup sour cream

½ cup mascarpone cheese or cream cheese

2½ cups heavy cream

½ cup chicken stock or broth, preferably
homemade

½ tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced in rounds on a mandoline

¼ cup freshly grated fontina cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the potatoes and fontina cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle one fourth of the cream mixture into the bottom of a Pyrex or other heavy baking dish. (The baking dish can be 9 × 9-inch or 9 × 13-inch, depending on how thick you want the finished dish.) Place the potato slices overlapping one another by one-fourth. After finishing each layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper. When finished layering all the potatoes, pour the remaining cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the fontina cheese and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Lift the foil and press the potatoes with a spatula to make sure they are evenly covered. Return to the oven until cooked completely through, about another 15 minutes. Remove the foil and cook until the potatoes are golden brown, about 15 more minutes. Serve immediately.

SERVES 6

grilled radicchio

HEALTHY FATS, VEGETABLES
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2