Read The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth Online
Authors: Jonny Bowden
The 150 Healthiest 15-Minute Recipes on Earth (6 page)
Chicken Salad
From Dr. Jonny
: Here’s a little bit of interesting spice trivia for you: Tarragon has been used medicinally going back to 500 BCE. Its résumé includes helping to fight fatigue, calm the nerves, aid in digestion, and promote appetite. Not bad, huh? Replacing the mayo in a classic chicken salad with yogurt decreases the saturated fat content and adds protein and important bacteria known as probiotics, which are great for digestion and immunity. To make this work as a quick dish, all you need is a cooked chicken or cooked chicken breast. Easy to find in the grocery store—just look for organic rotisserie chicken.
1/2 cup (77 g) plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons (28 g) mayonnaise (we like Nayonaise or Vegenaise)
1 tablespoon (15 g) Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons (25 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (50 g) sliced scallions
2 cups (280 g) shredded cooked chicken
6 cups (330 g) spring greens
4 ripe heirloom tomatoes, quartered
In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, tarragon, and salt until well combined. Gently stir in the scallions and chicken.
Make four beds of spring greens and lay the tomato quarters in the center. Spoon the chicken evenly into the center of the tomatoes and serve.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 218 Calories; 10g Fat (39.1% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 62mg Cholesterol; 302mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
Make it Ahead
: If you don’t wish to buy precooked chicken, you can make it easily yourself in a slow cooker. simply wash a regular roasting chicken (or two, if your cooker is large enough), pat it dry, and place it in your slow cooker with a bay leaf and 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water or no-sodium chicken broth (double for two chickens). be sure to remove any giblets from the cavities before cooking! cook it on low for 7 to 8 hours (or 8 to 9 hours if two chickens) until cooked through. remove the chicken from the broth and cool it enough to handle. remove all the skin, cartilage, and bones, and you will have a few cups of tender meat, both light and dark. Freeze any extra you won’t need right away in an airtight freezer bag. And don’t throw away that cooking liquid! cool it in the fridge, remove the congealed fat (from the surface) and bay leaf, and use or freeze it as sodium-free chicken stock.
In addition to being less expensive, slow-cooking your own chicken at home is also healthier than purchasing prepared. You can buy the highest-quality free-range bird and control the level of extra fat (none!) and sodium (none!) that goes into it.
Seeded Honey-Mustard Sauce
From Dr. Jonny
: In this dish, the smooth richness of the yogurt perfectly complements the grilled chicken, and the seedy, sweet mustard pulls it all together. And it’s so darn easy to prepare, even I can do it. Chef Jeannette suggests a side of steamed Vidalias, so a word about Vidalia onions is in order. They’re actually named for Vidalia, Georgia, where they were first grown in the 1930s. They’re unusually sweet, probably because the soil in which they’re grown is low in sulfur. Interesting trivia: In 1986, Georgia’s state legislature passed the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986, which basically trademarked the name Vidalia onions and limited the production area to Georgia, where it has been the official state vegetable since 1990. And onions are a nutritional heavy-hitter. They’re a rich source of fructooligosaccharides, which basically “feed” the healthy bacteria in your gut and suppress the growth of potentially health-robbing bacteria in the colon.
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons (45 g) plain low-fat yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons (22 g) honey mustard
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
Preheat the grill to medium heat.
In a medium bowl, mix together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Toss the four chicken breasts in the bowl to evenly coat. Lightly spray the grill with olive oil and grill the chicken for about 6 minutes per side or until cooked through.
While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl mix together the yogurt, honey mustard, and mustard seeds until well combined. Serve the chicken with a dollop of the mustard sauce.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 174 Calories; 6g Fat (31.3% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 66mg Cholesterol; 445mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Serve it with sweet, steamed Vidalia onions. peel and slice two Vidalias across the middle. place them into a microwave-safe glass dish with 2 tablespoons (28 ml) of water and cover. cook for about 4 minutes, turning the dish once in the middle, or until soft. garnish each half with a thin slice of butter and a sprinkling of garlic salt.
From Dr. Jonny
: High in protein and fiber, low in fat and calories, bulgur offers everything you need to fill up without adding inches to your waist. (FYI: A cup of bulgur has 8 grams of fiber, twice the amount in brown rice!) Bulgur is what’s left after kernels of wheat have been dried, steamed, and crushed. It’s a minimally processed Middle Eastern staple that actually helps keep your digestive tract healthy, largely because of its rich fiber content. Combined with chicken for protein, a symphony of healthy spices, and some crunchiness from the mineral-rich walnuts, this dish makes a perfect hearty meal for all seasons!
1 1/2 tablespoons (25 ml) olive oil, divided
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces (or halve 1 pound [455 g] chicken tenders; or 1 15-ounce (425 g) can of drained and rinsed kidney beans, red or white, for a meatless, superspeed option)
2 shallots, chopped
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups (475 ml) chicken broth
1 teaspoon crumbled sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups (186 g) frozen succotash (lima beans, corn, and carrots or green beans)
3/4 cup (105 g) bulgur (fine or medium grind)
2 tablespoons (28 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
In a Dutch oven, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and shallots to the skillet, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for about 1 minute, turning frequently. Add the chicken broth, sage, and thyme and increase the heat to boiling.
Add the frozen veggies and bulgur, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes (fine grind takes less time than medium) or until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies and bulgur are tender. In a large bowl, wisk together the remaining tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add bulgar mixture, stirring gently to distribute the dressing and correct the seasonings if necessary.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 426 Calories; 13g Fat (26.6% calories from fat); 40g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 468mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
If you have 5 extra Minutes
: Add 1/4 cup (30 g) of toasted walnuts for a mineral boost and crunchy finish.
From Dr. Jonny
: Here’s a quick and easy dish that combines great nutrition with terrific taste. Everyone likes chicken tenders, which are rich in protein and relatively low in calories (assuming, of course, that they’re not deep-fried!). And the mushrooms are actually little nutritional powerhouses. Thousands of varieties are edible and hundreds have medicinal properties, but the best known—shiitake, maitake, reishi, and the plain old button mushroom—work just great. By the way, don’t discount that common white button mushroom—it’s loaded with potassium, ridiculously low in calories (15 calories per cup, if you can believe it), and even contains a nice dose of selenium, one of the most important minerals in our diet. But the real selling point of this recipe is the way Chef Jeannette cleverly used the black bean soup as the base of a sauce. It adds a richness that makes the dish taste like it was simmered for hours—no one will know you whipped up this baby in mere minutes!
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
1 1/4 pounds (567 g) chicken tenders
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup high-quality canned black bean soup (we like Amy’s or Muir Glen)
8 ounces (225 g) sliced mushrooms (baby bellas, white, button, or wild mushroom varieties all work well)
1/2 cup (80 ml) chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons (28 ml) Madeira wine (or Marsala wine)
1 teaspoon organic worcestershire sauce (organic to avoid high-fructose corn syrup—we like Annie’s)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tenders and lightly season with salt and pepper. Sauté the tenders for 1 to 3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Set aside.
While the chicken is sautéing, blend or process the soup until silky smooth. Once the chicken is removed from the pan, lower the heat to medium and add the mushrooms, sautéing for about 3 minutes or until they release their juices and are just tender. You can cover for the last minute to speed the cook time. Stir in the pureed soup, broth, wine, Worcestershire, and mustard, mix well, and increase the heat to medium high. Pour any juices released from the resting chicken into the sauce. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the sauce reaches desired thickness. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired, and pour the sauce over the tenders to serve.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 234 Calories; 6g Fat (23.7% calories from fat); 34g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 76mg Cholesterol; 668mg Sodium
From Chef Jeannette
To Complete the Meal
: Steam a 12-ounce (340 g) package of prepared broccoli florets for 3 to 4 minutes until tender-crisp. Remove from the heat and toss with a vinaigrette made from 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard. Top with a sprinkling of toasted sliced almonds, if desired. If you are looking for a heartier meal, this dish produces enough sauce to serve over a small amount of whole-grain vermicelli.
Chicken tenders, taken from the breast meat around the ribs, are the leanest meat on the chicken, and they cook up much faster than whole breasts.
From Dr. Jonny
: If you’ve read my newsletter for a while, you’ve undoubtedly heard me talk about how a higher-protein diet can help with weight loss. (I also talk about that at length in my book
Living Low Carb: Controlled Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss
.) But you don’t have to be on a low-carb diet to enjoy the occasional high-protein dish, and this one is a doozie. Also high in flavor, this is a great way to use leftover chicken, turkey, or tofu. The yogurt adds a tangy flavor note, not to mention a dose of healthy bacteria known as probiotics, which help build immunity and aid digestion. (Note: Choose yogurt that says “contains live cultures” on the label.) Superquick, assembly-style prep answers the question, “How do I make a tasty, satisfying meal or snack in virtually no time?”
1/2 cup (115 g) plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon (15 g) dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups (210 g) cooked chicken, turkey, or firm tofu, diced or shredded
1 cup (115 g) prepared cubed or shredded cheese (works well with Cheddar, Swiss, Colby, etc.)
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (see
page 48
for how to boil eggs)
3 tablespoons (19 g) diced pimiento-stuffed green olives
3 tablespoons (45 g) diced sweet pickle
3 tablespoons (27 g) finely diced red or green bell pepper
2 tablespoons (20 g) finely diced sweet onion
In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt and mustard until well combined. Add the poultry or tofu, cheese, eggs, olives, pickle, pepper, and onion, and stir gently to combine.
Yield
: 4 servings
Per Serving
: 322 Calories; 18g Fat (50.9% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 287mg Cholesterol; 477mg Sodium