The Sexy Forever Recipe Bible (77 page)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 celery stalk, very finely diced

½ yellow onion, very finely diced

2 garlic cloves

1 cup French de Puy lentils (or any other dried lentils)

½ cup dry white wine

3 to 4 cups chicken stock or broth, preferably
homemade

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Juice from ½ lemon, for garnish

Place a large saucepan on low heat. Add the oil, celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté the vegetables for about 10 minutes, until they become soft. Add the lentils and stir to coat with the oil. Turn the heat up to medium and add the wine. Continue cooking until the wine reduces by half. Add 3 cups of the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, checking frequently to make sure the liquid does not completely evaporate. (Add more broth as needed.) Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve warm or cold.

MAKES 2 CUPS OR 4 SERVINGS

black bean chili with spicy tomato salsa

VEGETABLES, CARBOHYDRATES
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2

BLACK BEAN CHILI

1 pound dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained, or fresh black shell beans

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 serrano chiles, finely chopped (see
Note
)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

SPICY TOMATO SALSA

4 medium tomatoes, diced

½ medium cucumber, diced

1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 red onion, diced

2 serrano chiles, finely chopped (see
Note
)

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice from 2 limes

For the chili:
Place the beans in a large stockpot. Add water until the level is 2 inches above the beans. Add the onion, garlic, and chiles. Turn the heat to high. As the beans heat up, skim the foam off the top. When the beans come to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.

For the salsa:
Gently combine all the salsa ingredients in a glass or other nonreactive bowl and set aside for the flavors to combine, about 30 minutes.

Serve the chili in bowls with a large spoonful of salsa.

SERVES 6

poultry

Out of all the recipes in this book,
when it came to selecting one for the cover shot, I went for my ultimate signature dish,
Zannie’s Lemon Herb Chicken
. On Sunday nights, when I can gather my brood, I like to have the family over for dinner, and I almost always serve chicken. I have to say, in my circle of family and friends, I’m kind of known for it. My family will tell you—of all my jobs, they think I am best at making chicken. That’s a high compliment! I guess it started because Alan’s son, Stephen, doesn’t eat red meat, so chicken became the one dish that pleases everyone. And there are so many ways to prepare it, which is good, as often we eat it several nights a week.

Poultry is like the mushroom of the meat world; it takes on whatever flavors you add to it. My favorite seasonings are lemon, olive oil, onions, garlic, fresh tarragon, thyme, rosemary, and a generous coating of sea salt and pepper. Alan likes the legs roasted and crispy. My cool stepdaughter, Leslie, loves the
Tuscan Flattened Chicken
. Bruce likes it pounded thin, like my
Chicken Piccata
or the
Turkey Prosciutto with Port Glaze
.
And all the grandkids go nuts for my
Thanksgiving Turkey with Mushroom Sausage Stuffing and Tarragon Gravy
and also my
Chicken Pot Pie
!

When I first started these books, my daughter-in-law, Caroline, said to me, “You have to teach people to make their chicken at home taste like yours.” So I’ll remind you: it’s all in the quality of your ingredients! Purchase the best-quality food you can afford. The fresher, the better; the closer to its original source, the better; the more naturally it’s raised, the better. And again, buy organic if you can.

Poultry is the ultimate mom food. Every bite tells my family they are loved. It’s comfort food. It’s nurturing. It’s nutritious. There is no better meal, or job, on the planet.

zannie’s lemon herb chicken

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