Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous (13 page)

1 pound turkey, ground, at least 90 percent lean—lean protein

26 ounces marinara sauce—look for low sodium—vitamins and minerals

1/2 cup pumpkin purée

1 cup shredded cheese, reduced-fat sharp cheddar or 4-cheese Mexican blend

Preparation:

1
Prepare whole wheat rotini or penne pasta according to the box directions, drain, and set aside in a covered pot.

2
Brown the ground turkey meat. When the turkey is cooked through, add the marinara sauce and canned pumpkin purée. Mix thoroughly until bubbly hot.

3
Add the turkey mixture to the pasta and toss. Top with reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese or 4-cheese Mexican blend. Thoroughly mix until the cheese is melted and blended throughout the pasta.

Asparagus and Chicken
Enchiladas

Makes 12 Enchiladas

E
nchiladas is Spanish for comfort food. Or, maybe it’s Borbafood. Either way, this recipe for tortillas wrapped around a delicious filling is another favorite of mine that I prepare at home often. Asparagus is packed with antioxidants, high in fiber, and loaded with age- and disease-fighting vitamins and minerals. This is my go-to dish when I need extra fiber in my diet. The recipe calls for fiber powder, too, which can be “sneaked” into so many recipes to get its benefits. Fiber powder helps draw toxins from the body, thus clarifying and controlling oil on the skin.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken broth

8 ounces sour cream—lactic acid

1/2 cup green taco sauce

1 cup black beans—fiber

12 (8-inch) flour tortillas

12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

3 cups cooked and shredded chicken—protein

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2-1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and blanched—don’t precook asparagus for too long; it should still be firm and crisp

2 tablespoons Metamucil fiber powder, unflavored, or the brand of your choice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Tabasco sauce, to taste

1 pink grapefruit, cut in triangular wedges, as garnish

Preparation:

1
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray two 9 x 9 glass dishes (or one large 9 x 13 glass dish) with nonstick spray.

2
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Gradually add the broth and cook, whisking, until thick (5 minutes). Remove from the heat. Whisk in the sour cream and taco sauce, add the beans, and set aside.

3
Lay out the tortillas on your counter or work surface. Place 2 tablespoons of Jack cheese, ¼ cup of chicken, onions, and asparagus down the center of the tortilla. Spoon 3 tablespoons of sauce on top of the mixture, and sprinkle on the fiber powder. Roll and place seam- down. Place six enchiladas in each dish. Sprinkle with Jack cheese, spoon on extra sauce, top with Parmesan and Tabasco, to taste.

4
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a light golden color and bubbly. Remove from the oven, plate, and serve with a grapefruit wedge.

Shrimp BBQ

Makes 5 Servings

T
his is a simple recipe that yields head-to-toe skin benefits, especially from the high protein content, vitamin C, and antioxidants. The vitamin E is a natural preservative that also acts as an anti-inflammatory emollient and protects against free radical damage. This dish is especially great for aging skin.

Ingredients:

20 large shrimp—protein

1 cup olive oil

Juice of 3 lemons

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1/4 cup lychee syrup with pulp solids

3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon—essential oils

Preparation:

1
Use cooking scissors to cut down the back of each shrimp shell and remove the black vein, keeping the shell intact. (Alternately, when you buy shrimp from the fishmonger, you can request that they be “cleaned.”) Wash the shrimp thoroughly and place in a large bowl.

2
Pour the olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, parsley, lychee syrup, and tarragon over the shrimp. Let the shrimp stand for 2 hours, tossing occasionally to marinate equally. Refrigerate.

3
Heat up the grill while the shrimp are marinating.

4
Arrange the shrimp in basket grills, or thread through skewers, and cook over hot barbecue coals for 5 to 6 minutes, turning twice. The shrimp should be tender and moist with charred shells.

Cranberry Shrimp Cocktail

Makes 12 Servings

E
very day, our skin is under assault—from UV rays, pollution, or cigarette smoke, for example. That damage causes free radicals, which are oxygen molecules that have lost an electron. The result is visible skin damage, in the form of lines, wrinkles, and redness. Luckily, antioxidants can supply those missing electrons, calm attacking molecules, and prevent damage. And cranberries provide us with antioxidants. In fact, antioxidants are among the most important preventive ingredients in the skin-care arsenal.

Ingredients: Cocktail sauce

1 (14-ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce—antioxidant benefits

1/2 cup chile sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish—potent gastric stimulant; aids in digestion

1 pink grapefruit, peeled, and sectioned with skin and white fibers removed

Pink grapefruit slices, as garnish

Shrimp

48 cooked, medium, shelled, and deveined shrimp with tails left on (about 1 pound)

Preparation: Cocktail sauce

1
Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.

2
Reduce the heat; simmer for 10 minutes or until the onion is tender and the sauce thickens slightly, stirring frequently.

3
Cool; refrigerate until cold.

4
Fill a large bowl with crushed ice; place the bowl of cocktail sauce in the center of the ice.

Shrimp

Arrange the shrimp and pink grapefruit slices on crushed ice around the bowl of sauce.

Year-Round
Minestrone Soup

Makes 5 Servings

A
savory, steaming hot soup is replenishing, satisfying, and good for the soul. This one happens to be great for skin clarity, too, due to its superfoods and decidedly healthy ingredients. Cannellini beans are very popular in Italian cuisine; their low cost, long shelf life, and gastronomic versatility make them useful in any kitchen. This recipe uses the canned variety. If you already have them raw in your pantry and prefer to use those, take note that when soaked, they double in size—so less beans go a long way. Here’s a hearty meal that’s low in calories and high in taste. You may even want to double the ingredients to make enough soup to freeze and save for a rainy day.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil—skin soother

1 medium zucchini, diced—high in manganese, good for wound healing

1 medium sweet potato, diced—superfood

1 large carrot, diced

1 small onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

32-ounce carton vegetable broth

16 ounces tomato sauce—lycopene

1 box seashell pasta

1 teaspoon ground cumin—antibacterial properties for skin

1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tablespoon honey—skin saver

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 shakes Tabasco sauce, or hot sauce of choice

Parmesan cheese, to taste

1/4 cup cut, loosely packed fresh basil (optional)

Preparation:

1
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

2
Add the zucchini, sweet potato, carrot, onion, garlic, and cook. Stir frequently until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. (You may want to use a spatter guard against
the oil.)

3
Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, pasta shells, and cumin; cover, and bring to a boil.

4
Add the beans and thyme. Cook, uncovered, at a low boil until the pasta is done, about 10 minutes.

5
Remove the thyme sprigs, add the honey, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

6
Serve in individual bowls and top with Tabasco, Parmesan cheese, and basil (optional).

TIP:
For treating the T-zone, muddle (mash/mix together) the basil in a small bowl and then place on the T-zone for about 1 minute. Rinse off. This should keep the oil zone balanced all day.

Turkey Burger Sliders
and Yogurt Sauce

Makes 8 Mini-Sliders

T
his recipe uses cumin, a distinct spice present in almost every Indian dish. Cumin is rich in vitamin E, a nutrient widely known for its ability to rejuvenate skin. Middle Eastern and Mexican cuisines use a lot of cumin, too, perhaps because of its pungent flavor, or for its amazing antiseptic properties. Cumin is high in iron and is good for the digestive system. Many people mix cumin with warm water and drink it at night as a tea to curb digestive troubles. Cumin is high in antioxidants, such as vitamin C and vitamin A, which provide numerous benefits to the skin. The antiseptic properties help fight infection and make cumin a useful treatment for skin challenges. In this recipe, its nutty, peppery flavor adds zing to the turkey meat. Turkey meat is a good blank canvas for spicing and tastes delicious with a spike of cumin. Selenium is another superfood your skin needs to thrive. Whole wheat breads, turkey, and Brazil nuts are great sources of selenium.

Ingredients: Burger

1 pound ground turkey—protein

1/2 teaspoon rock salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon crushed Brazil nuts

Tabasco, to taste—capsaicin

Pinch cumin powder

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Sauce