Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous (20 page)

LIME BODY SCRUB

When applied directly on the skin, the acids in lime scrub away dead cells, help reduce rashes, and make for a refreshing bath if lime juice or oil is mixed into your bathing water. Slice open a lime and rub it on the skin. Wash off and follow with a rich shea butter moisturizer.

Broccoli, Spinach, and
Cheese Quiche

Makes 8 to 10 Servings

Q
uiche is a bona fide comfort food ideal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can even eat quiche as a cold leftover with a dash of Tabasco sauce. Broccoli, surprisingly, has more vitamin C than oranges. It is a good source of fiber and plant omega-3s. Broccoli is also high in folic acid, which is of particular importance for pregnant women.

Ingredients:

1 prepared 12-inch piecrust or homemade piecrust

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese—
calcium

1-1/2 cups frozen broccoli, defrosted

1/3 cup spinach

3/4 cup half-and-half

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of pepper

Preparation:

1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a cookie sheet in the middle of the oven. Poke the piecrust with a fork a few times. Place the pie pan on the cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven to set the crust.

2
While the crust is baking, heat the oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté them for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned.

3
Remove the crust from the oven. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the bottom of the piecrust, then add the onions. Place the broccoli florets around the outside of the crust with the stems facing the center. Next lay the spinach circling in toward the center of the crust. Finally, add a couple of small florets in the center.

4
In a medium-size bowl, combine the half-and-half, eggs, and salt. Mix until smooth, then pour into the piecrust. Return the pan to the oven.

5
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350°F and continue cooking until a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean, about 50 minutes.

6
Remove and let the quiche stand for a few minutes before cutting.

PRO TIP:
Eating one daily portion of super leafy greens hydrates you more than drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water. The greener the veggie the more hydration/moisture.

TIP:
Diets high in cruciferous veggies help reduce risk of memory loss and cancer. Try broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, spinach, and Swiss chard. Open your hand, stack your green three layers high, then eat. These veggies also contain lutein, which helps protect the skin from sun-induced inflammation and wrinkles.

Tofu Spinach Dip

Makes 4 Servings

T
ofu is nutritious enough to replace meat—not that I recommend that you do—but if you are vegetarian, tofu’s got you covered. Tofu (and soy) have flavonoids that are great for skin and have been found to be a great source of calcium and vitamin E as well. This recipe also calls for water chestnuts, an aquatic veggie that is crunchy and nutty. Water chestnuts add fiber and potassium, are low in sodium, and go beyond Asian-food dishes.

Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) packages extra- or medium-firm tofu—protein-packed soy

1 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1 lemon, juiced

3 to 6 cloves of garlic, to taste

1 packet Lipton’s onion soup mix, dry

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons white chickpea miso—live lactobacilli enhance the body’s ability to extract nutrients from food

1 tablespoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon dried basil—anti-inflammatory properties

Ground pepper, to taste

10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

4 green onions, sliced—chromium, sulfur, and B6 for heart health

Sourdough or olive bread

Preparation:

1
Blend all the ingredients
except
the spinach, water chestnuts, green onions, and bread in a food processor until smooth. Scrape down occasionally.

2
Add the spinach to the processor after the other ingredients are smooth and pulse until the spinach is chopped and well blended. Put the mixture into a bowl and stir in the water chestnuts and green onions. Chill overnight. Serve with sourdough or olive bread.

Spicy Curry Dip

Makes 4 Servings

T
his one’s egg- and dairy-free, with a bite of Indian spice. Makes for a unique, low-calorie hors d’oeuvre.

Ingredients:

1 cup well drained, soft tofu

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon cayenne powder—can help clear clogged arteries

2 tablespoons curry powder—skin superfood with antibacterial properties

1/2 teaspoon salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Preparation:

In a blender, blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
Serve with veggies cut into sticks, or crackers.

Bok Choy Salad

Makes 8 Servings

G
et back your salad days! Bok choy is Chinese for “white vegetable,” a leafy green and white-stem veggie that’s loaded with vitamins A and C, which are good for your skin. This type of Chinese cabbage is commonly found in markets around the world. The combination of ingredients in this salad lends itself to a decidedly “Asian” flavor—tangy, bright, and gently spiced. It’s a scrumptious salad, very low in fat and yet extremely satisfying. I served it in a massive cut-crystal punch bowl at a pool party, and it was completely devoured.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 heads bok choy

1 bunch scallions—low-calorie antioxidant

Noodle Mixture

1 to 2 package(s) soba noodles

1/4 cup raw sesame seeds—rich in monounsaturated fatty acid and oleic acid

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Salad Dressing

1/4 cup grapeseed oil—love this, so healthy—great for skin and hair glow

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup rice or cider vinegar

Generous squeeze of agave syrup or raw sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce—digestive tract benefits

1/4 cup fresh ginger

1 to 2 cloves garlic

Preparation:

1
Wash and cut the white and green parts of bok choy into bite-size pieces. Dry the bok choy well using a salad spinner. Wash and slice the scallions into thin rings (white and green)

2
Crush the soba noodles by hand. Heat the oil over medium heat to brown the noodles, sesame seeds, and sliced almonds. Season with garlic salt. Set aside.

3
Combine the salad dressing ingredients in a food processor. Toss and mix the 3 mixtures together just before serving. The three mixtures can be made ahead and stored in separate containers.

Chapter 5

How Low Can You Go?

Just because the lower regions of the body
are mostly covered by clothing doesn’t mean they’re unimportant, or unseen. If you like warm-weather climates and summertime (I think we all do), sooner or later, your raised, red, or irritated skin; dry feet, cracked heels, yellowing or striating toenails; and orange peel–like skin will be revealed! Even dry hands (from washing hundreds of times a day with kids, for example) can be a prime target for age obviousness. Brown spots on the hands are another age giveaway.

Think about it: You aspire to protect your face and nourish your body but neglect SPF on the hands? And those fabulous, long-lasting color gel manicures where you put your hands in the UV light box? This is the same type of UV light from a tanning bed—akin to setting the Benjamin Button–button full speed ahead! A friend of mine who partakes in these long-lasting color gel manicures coats her hands in sunblock first and proceeds to wear fingerless gloves during the UV light-box time—a bit obsessive, or smart protection? You be the judge.

In this chapter, you will learn how to boost your beautiful skin and body, and target common challenges. The journey toward luminous beauty runs neck and neck with the long and winding road toward aging. But here’s some basic drugstore wisdom: You can stave off looking old. We all eventually suffer the damaging effects of gravity, repeated sun exposure, and countless treats and cocktails that were less than salubrious. Damaging. Dam-aging! So, what can you do to undermine these challenges without the aid of a scalpel? Sure, a new pair of hot boots might make you feel like a million bucks, as could a trip to the barber for an old-fashioned hot shave with an old-fashioned straight-edge razor and some neighborhood gossip. But why not start by simply feeding your body what it craves?

TOP

5
Hero Foods for Loving Thy Body

Peppers (sweet and/or hot, red, green, chiles)—contain thermogenic capsaicin to help burn fat.

Olive Oil—contains a series of compounds beneficial to most functions of the human body.

Papaya—rich in antioxidants.

Mushrooms—help protect the immune system.

Honey—offers incredible antiseptic, antioxidant, and cleansing properties for body and health.

Chicken Sauté with
Bell- and Chile-Pepper Kick

Makes 4 Servings

Hero Recipe!

L
ots of healthy things are happening in this dish. A great source of protein among slenderizing veggies, such as tricolored bell peppers, rich in antioxidant carotenoids, heart-healthy garlic, and vitamin C–rich chile pepper.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup grapeseed oil, divided

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into strips

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 medium-size red chile pepper, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, divided

Preparation:

1
Heat 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

2
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat, and stir in the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, onion, and chile pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in the garlic, and cook and stir for about 1 minute. Mix in the basil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.

3
Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Stir in the remaining balsamic vinegar just before serving.

Baked Tilapia
with Bell Peppers

Makes 4 Servings

T
he most commonly found bell peppers are green, red, orange, or yellow, but purple, blue, brown, and white bell peppers are out there, too. Green bell peppers are more bitter than the other colors, giving them a slightly sharper flavor that’s more acidic. When cooked, the acid is absorbed by the juices and the fish. Go with the color you like.

TIP:
If you buy fresh tilapia fillets, avoid musky scents. If you buy frozen tilapia, carefully check the fish when thawed and discard it if it feels mushy, or if its smell makes your nose crinkle. The fish should also have moist, shiny, and tightly adhering scales.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 tablespoons tomato paste—lycopene to protect cells from free radicals