Healthy Summer Recipes Part 2 (2015)

by Charles Platkin, PhD

Every  I reach out to healthy chefs, healthy cookbook authors and culinary institutions to provide healthy  using summer’s best offerings.  The recipes need to be low calorie, whole ingredients, and little or no unnecessary sugar and fat.

Chicken, Orange, and Pomegranate Salad
Healthy Recipe from The Paleo  by Daniel Green (Kyle Books, 2015)

Serves 4

4 large oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
5 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Handful of cilantro, chopped
1 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 large pomegranate)
4 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the orange slices in a large mixing bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds. Toss well to combine, and set aside to marinate while you cook the chicken. Heat the remaining olive oil in a nonstick grill pan, and sear the chicken over high heat for about 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Turn off the heat, and set aside to rest for a few minutes. To serve, divide the salad among four plates, top with the warm chicken slices, and finish with a few grinds of black pepper.

Nutritional information (per serving): 364 calories; 15.6g fat (2.4g saturated); 18.1g sugar; 0.3g salt; 38.3g protein; 5.7g fiber

Grilled Radishes, Zucchini, and Asparagus with Herbed Mayo

Healthy Recipe from Greens 24/7: More Than 100 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes for Eating Leafy Greens and Other Green Vegetables at Every Meal, Every Day by Jessica Nadel, (The Experiment, 2014)

Serves 4 to 6

For the vegetables:
6 to 8 radishes
1 zucchini
12 asparagus spears
Olive oil
Sea salt

For the herbed mayo:
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chives
1 cup vegan mayonnaise

Heat your barbecue grill to high. Trim the greens from the radishes, leaving an inch or two. Slice the zucchini and snap off the woody ends of the asparagus. Place the vegetables in a large dish and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat and sprinkle with salt.

Grill the vegetables in a grill basket with the barbecue cover open, until tender and beginning to char. You may need to cook them in two batches­if so, keep them warm on the warming shelf of the barbecue, or in an oiled baking dish covered with foil.

For the herbed mayo, chop the herbs and mix with the vegan mayonnaise in a small bowl. Serve alongside the veggies for dipping.

Nutritional information (per serving): 181 calories; 1.9 g protein; 17 g total fat; 7.5 g carbohydrates; 2 g dietary fiber

Kale and Chickpea Salad with Ginger-Tahini Dressing

Healthy Recipe from Let them Eat Kale!: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Everyone’s Favorite Superfood by Julia Mueller (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014)

Serves 4

For the rice and salad:
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked brown rice
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
6 cups tightly packed dino kale leaves, sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, pitted and diced

For the Ginger-Tahini Dressing:
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
Pinch of salt

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the brown rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.

Once the rice is finished , add the nutritional yeast and stir well to make “cheesy” vegan rice.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside (the dressing will be a thick paste). Combine the sliced kale leaves, onion, chickpeas, and avocado in a large salad bowl.

Toss the salad with the ginger-tahini dressing and serve with the brown rice.

Black Bean & Frisée Salad

Healthy Recipe From: Healthy Latin Eating by Angie Martinez and Angelo Sosa (Kyle Books, 2015) (Recipe contributed by Adrienne Bailon)

Serves: 4

For the dressing:
2 teaspoons toasted whole cumin seeds
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar

For the salad:
1 head frisée lettuce
2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
1 ripe avocado, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 strips turkey bacon, cooked and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Set aside while you make the salad. Separate the leaves of the frisée and tear into smaller pieces, if desired. Place them in a large bowl and toss lightly with the beans, onion, jalapeño, avocado, cilantro, and bacon. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss with tongs, being careful not to bruise the greens. Serve immediately.

Blackbean, Mushroom, and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Healthy recipe from the 10th anniversary edition of Vegan with a Vengeance: Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes that Rock! by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2015)

Makes 4 large stuffed peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the peppers
1 medium-size yellow onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups finely chopped cremini mushrooms
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for the peppers
1 2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
4 large red bell peppers
1 1 2 cups cooked black beans OR 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms; sauté for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their moisture. Stir in the chili powder and salt. Add the quinoa and 1 cup of the tomato sauce (reserve the rest) along with 1 4 cup of water. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare the peppers. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Lightly coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and place upside down in a baking dish. Bake for about 10 minutes, just to soften, then remove from the oven, but don’t turn the oven off.

When the quinoa filling is cooked, stir in the beans and maple syrup. Use a spoon to stuff each pepper with filling, and stand them upright in the baking dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the peppers and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Mango & Lemon Sorbet 

Healthy Recipe from DUDEFOOD: A Guy’s Guide to Cooking Kick-Ass Food by Dan Churchill (Simon & Schuster, 2015)

Serves 3

2 cups frozen mango chunks
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Plain yogurt (optional)

Place the mango, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a blender and blitz until smooth. If you feel like a bit of a treat, add a bit of plain yogurt for a smoother consistency. Scoop the sorbet into a bowl immediately to enjoy on a hot day, or spoon it into a container and freeze it to eat later.

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