Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous (19 page)

Ingredients:

Canola oil for coating the pan—omega-3s

1-1/2 cups buckwheat flour

3 tablespoons Truvia Baking Blend

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground flaxseed

3 tablespoons salted butter, melted, plus more, for topping

1 tablespoon honey

1 egg

2 cups buttermilk—probiotic for pearlescent skin

1 small crate strawberries—about 4 ounces

Maple syrup, for topping

Preparation:

1
Heat a well-seasoned griddle, cast-iron skillet, or a stick-free pan on medium heat. The pan or griddle should be oiled with canola oil and ready for the batter as soon as it is mixed.

2
Whisk together the dry ingredients—the flour, Truvia Baking Blend, salt, baking soda, and flaxseed—in a large bowl. Pour the melted butter and honey over the dry ingredients and start stirring. Beat the egg with a fork and stir it into half of the buttermilk. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, then slowly add in the rest of the buttermilk as needed to get to the right consistency for your batter (you may not need all of the buttermilk, depending on what type of buttermilk you are using and the brand of flour). Stir only until everything is combined. Do not overmix. A few lumps are fine.

3
Ladle the batter onto the hot surface to the desired size, about 4 to 5 inches wide. (A 1/4-cup measure will ladle about a 4-inch pancake.) Reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the pancake to cook for 2 to 3 minutes on this first side. Watch for bubbles on the surface of the pancake. When air bubbles start to rise to the surface at the center of the pancake, flip the pancake. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until nicely browned.

4
Keep your pancakes warm on a rack in an oven set on warm, or stack them on a plate and cover with a towel as you make more. Spread more oil on the pan as needed between batches of pancakes. Serve with butter, maple syrup, and strawberries.

Camu Camu Popovers

SERVINGS 6

T
hese are the classic popovers with an anti-aging twist. Camu camu is a superfruit bursting with ultrahydrating vitamin C.

Ingredients:

Flour, sugar, or Parmesan cheese for dusting muffin tray

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Truvia

1 teaspoon camu camu powder

Preparation:

1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease each cup on a muffin tray and lightly dust with flour, sugar, or Parmesan cheese, your choice.

2
Have all ingredients at room temperature. In a blender, beat the eggs, add the milk and melted butter, and slowly blend in the flour, salt, Truvia, and, lastly, the camu camu powder.

3
Fill each popover (muffin) cup ¾ full and bake for approximately 50 minutes.

4
Remove and serve immediately. For a drier popover, prick the top of the popover with a toothpick in the last five minutes of baking.

Berry Blast Pizza

Makes 4 Servings

T
he go-to food to help reduce loose skin and increase muscle tone is . . . BERRIES! Here’s the simple takeaway: eat sweet berries, and do well by your body. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, black raspberries, red raspberries, cranberries, and purple grapes (with skin) are rich in antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins, which help the skin with elasticity and full-body glow. Berries are a marvelous natural sugar treat.

Ingredients:

4 fajita-size (6-inch) flour tortillas

1/3 cup seedless raspberry all-fruit jam

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup raspberries—low-cal superfruit

1 cup blackberries—low-cal superfruit

1 cup hulled and halved, or quartered if large, strawberries—low-cal superfruit

1 cup blueberries—low-cal superfruit

Preparation:

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and top each with a tablespoon of jam, spreading it almost to the edge. Bake until the tortilla is crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.

2
Spoon ¼ cup of ricotta over each tortilla, spreading it almost to the edge. Divide the berries among the tortillas, making alternating rows of raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Brush the tops with the remaining jam. Serve immediately, cutting into wedges like a pizza.

Strawberry-Kiwi cupcakes

Makes 10 to 12 Muffins

H
ealthy and delightful. The New Zealanders had it right when they assumed the nickname “Kiwi.” As for the fuzzy kiwifruit, it’s the national fruit of China and is rich in vitamins C, K, and E. Paired with strawberries, vanilla, and almond milk you get a cupcake with nutrition—and body benefits, too.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1-1/2 cups Truvia Baking Blend

2 eggs—protein brain-boosters

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup almond milk—light, nutty, crisp—magnesium, potassium

1-1/2 cups diced strawberries

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

Preparation:

1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and Truvia Baking Blend until fluffy.

2
Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

3
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir for a minute with a whisk or fork. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk into the mixing bowl. Stir just until combined, being careful not to overmix.

4
Carefully fold in the strawberries and kiwis.

5
Scoop the batter into greased muffin tins and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

Frosting:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon red palm oil (turns frosting pink and powers it up!)

Beat the cream cheese and butter until combined. Add the vanilla and the red palm oil and mix well.

Grilled Salmon with
Fruit Salsa

Makes 4 Servings

Hero Recipe!

A
tropical topping on a cold-water fish dish makes for a delicious pairing of sweet and savory—one of my favorite combinations. Salmon is a great source for heart-healthy omega-3s. Anytime you can get another omega in your body, the better. Add this to antioxidant-rich fruit and you’ve got an anti-aging body benefit recipe.

Ingredients: Fruit Salsa (Makes 2 Cups)

3/4 cup diced pineapple

3/4 cup diced mango—tropical superfruit rich in prebiotic dietary fiber

1/2 cup diced strawberries

1/4 cup small diced red onion

1 jalapeño stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves—can help eliminate toxins from the body when included in the diet regularly

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon iodized salt

1 teaspoon honey

Salmon

4 (6-ounce) salmon filets, skin on

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons Zatarain’s Creole seasoning

Preparation: Fruit Salsa

In a medium porcelain or glass bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir to blend. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the salsa to marinate for 30 minutes before serving with the fish.

Salmon

1
Preheat the grill to medium.

2
Brush both sides of the salmon with the olive oil. Season the salmon on both sides with the Creole seasoning. Place the fish on the grill skin-side down, and cook for about 3 minutes, then turn the fish 45 degrees and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until cooked through to the desired degree of doneness.

3
Remove the fish from the grill and serve with the fruit salsa spooned on top. Serve immediately.

HONEY-MANGO FACIAL

Honey retains moisture so your skin feels hydrated and fresh all day. It also absorbs impurities from the pores in the skin, making it a very effective chemical-free remedy to help clear skin blemishes like acne and pimples. You will need 4 tablespoons of finely chopped mango pulp, 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey, and 1-1/2 tablespoons of almond oil. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Using a clean foundation brush (or your fingertips), apply to a clean face and neck. Leave the mask on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse off thoroughly with lukewarm water. Good for all skin types.

Lime-Chicken Satay with
Tropical Salsa

Makes 4 Servings

T
he addition of lime to these skewers adds a bright taste. The abundance of lime in this recipe is beneficial for skin. Internally and externally, lime rejuvenates skin, keeps it shining, protects it from infections, and can even reduce body odor due to its large amounts of vitamin C and flavonoids. Flavonoids are beneficial to skin due to their antioxidant activity.

Ingredients:

4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons lime marmalade

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1
Slice the chicken breasts into long, thin strips, and thread onto bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for 30 minutes.

2
Preheat the broiler. Mix together the lime marmalade, vinegar, lime zest, and lime juice in a small bowl. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

3
Arrange the chicken skewers on the rack in a broiler pan and coat generously with the lime marmalade mixture. Cook under the broiler for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, brush with the mixture again and broil for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside.

Tropical Salsa

Makes 2 to 3 Cups

A
simple healthy salsa that’s ready to eat. Use it as a dip for chips, or enjoy it right out of the bowl.

Ingredients:

4 medium tomatoes, cored, seeds removed, chopped

2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped sweet onion

1 to 2 tablespoons minced jalapeño

2 heaping tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice—vitamin-C antioxidant power

1/2 peeled, cored, and chopped fresh pineapple

1/2 cup chopped strawberries

Preparation:

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir to blend.