Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous (21 page)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 (4-ounce) tilapia fillets—a fab, flab-fighting fish!

2 bell peppers, sliced into thin rounds

1 onion, sliced into thin rounds—flavonoids

4 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2
Use roughly 1/4 cup of olive oil to grease the bottom of a baking dish.

3
Mix the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil with the tomato paste, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

4
Place the tilapia fillets in a large baking dish with the skin-side up.

5
Use a spatula to spread the olive oil mixture over the fish.

6
Surround the tilapia fillets with bell peppers and onion.

7
Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake until the tilapia fillets can be easily flaked with a fork. This will normally take around 15 minutes.

8
Remove the dish from the oven and place 1 tablespoon of butter on top of each tilapia fillet. Set the oven to broil; broil the fish until the butter melts and becomes slightly brown, about 4 to 7 minutes.

Grilled Fish Tacos with
Radish-Cabbage Slaw

Makes 4 Servings

R
adishes are low in digestible carbohydrates, high in roughage, and contain a lot of water. They are a wee bit sharp in flavor—kind of like a potato-onion sans onion breath—and a good dietary option for those determined to lose weight. I think they balance and work nicely in this tangy slaw.

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for serving

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 lime, zested and juiced, plus 4 lime wedges for serving

1 lemon, zested and juiced, plus 4 lemon wedges for serving

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil

4 (5-ounce) red snapper fillets, skin on—selenium, vitamin A, omega-3s

8 radishes, julienned—rich in folic acid

6 ounces green cabbage, finely shredded (about 2 cups)

2 scallions, julienned

1 firm avocado, peeled and pitted

1/2 tablespoon honey

8 (4-inch) flour tortillas

Preparation:

1
Mash the garlic and salt into a fine paste and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the cilantro, chipotle powder, oregano, lime and lemon zest, and grapeseed oil. Cut 2 slashes in the skin of each fish fillet. Flip, and rub half the spice mixture onto the fish; reserve the remaining half.

2
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the fish, skin-side up first for about 4 minutes. Flip once, until cooked through, about another 4 minutes.

3
Remove the skin from the fish, and discard. Flake the fish into large pieces, discarding any bones. Combine the fish with the remaining spice mixture and toss with 1 teaspoon lime juice and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

4
Toss the radishes, cabbage, and scallions in a bowl. Mash the avocado in a separate bowl; stir in ½ tablespoon of lime juice, ½ tablespoon of lemon juice, and ½ tablespoon of honey.

5
Heat the tortillas in a skillet over high heat, and amass onto a plate.

6
Spread mashed avocado onto each tortilla. Top with the fish, slaw, and cilantro leaves. Fold the tortillas over the filling, and serve with lime and lemon wedges.

Cast-Iron Skillet Jalapeño
Mac and Cheese

Makes 4 Servings

T
his is my personal favorite dish. It satisfies that comfort food craving while offering health benefits, too. Cooking with cast iron is simply an option, but I find that the heat retention works nicely for this bubbly mac and cheese, and that it settles best when cooked this way. Jalapeños, a type of pepper, promote circulation. Ever notice how eating hot, hot peppers clears out your sinuses and makes your eyes water? That’s the heat of capsaicin working its magic (see Hot, Hot, Hot! on page 159). This recipe requires a 10¼-inch cast-iron skillet; I know it’s heavy, but I like cooking with cast iron because even the tiny flecks of iron the food may pick up from the skillet are good for you.

Ingredients:

8 ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni—fiber; digestion

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup heavy cream—lactic acid

1/2 cup white wine

2-1/2 cups extra sharp grated cheddar cheese

2 fresh jalapeños, muddled (mashed/mixed together)—combat nasal congestion

Drizzle of truffle oil—omega-3s; anti-inflammatory and anti-aging; great for overall health and vigor

Preparation:

1
Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water according to the box directions. Drain. Set aside.

2
Meanwhile, in a 10¼-inch cast-iron skillet over a large burner, melt the butter, add the onion, and sauté until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the cream and wine. Cook over low heat, stirring until thickened. Add the macaroni. Stir in the cheese until melted. Top with the jalapeños and a drizzle of truffle oil. (Take care not to touch your eyes or broken skin with errant jalapeño juice.)

3
Cook in the oven at 350°F until the top is browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

CHILE PEPPER WAKE-UP CALL

Use hot chile pepper on the skin to help with circulation—great for dimply skin on the legs, tummy, and the rest of the body. A quick, targeted body serum would be to muddle chile pepper or a chile paste with grapeseed oil and rub it on the skin before a hot shower. When you feel the tingle, that’s when you should wash it off. If you want to reap the daily benefits of this bump-busting serum, use an empty plastic cosmetic jar or lotion bottle (you can buy at the 99-cent store), fill it with shea butter, and add the serum to the shea butter. Two tablespoons serum added to about 8 ounces of lotion should suffice. By the way, the 99-cent store is the go-to place for cheapie versions of shea butter, cosmetic jars of all sizes, hair bands, mixing spoons, paint brushes you can get a few uses out of for makeup application, and so forth. Why not start your own home-spa beauty bar? Experiment and have fun with it.

Bacon-Jalapeño
Cornbread

Makes 4 Servings

W
hen I was growing up, we called this the BJC. If your mom made it, you were a BMOC (big man on campus). It is so savory and delicious, and I used to run home after basketball to devour entire portions of it. I don’t do too much devouring anymore, nor do I shoot many hoops these days, but I still love this cornbread and hope you will, too. It’s an easy preparation and you get body benefits from the jalapeño, cornmeal, milk, and garlic.

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal—rich in antioxidants

1 cup flour

2-1/2 cups milk

1 onion, grated—disease fighter!

3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil—can increase HDL [good] cholesterol

3 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons Truvia Baking Blend

1 small can of cream corn (or 3 ears of fresh corn cut and scraped)

1/2 cup chopped jalapeño peppers

1-1/2 cups grated cheese, your choice

1/4 pound bacon, fried crisp, dried on paper towels, and crumbled

1/4 cup chopped canned pimento

1 to 2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mix all the ingredients together and bake in a large greased rectangle baking pan for 35 minutes.

Vegetarian Chili

Makes 4 Servings

B
ecause they’re high in soluble fiber, beans help fight cholesterol, and for those who don’t eat meat, this vegetarian chili dish gets a good hearty flavor that is robust and satisfying. I like the black bean and chickpea combination, but use your favorites to satisfy your taste buds and those of your family.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks—full of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins

1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder—rich in minerals, iron, niacin, thiamin, magnesium, and riboflavin

Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes in juice

1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed—protein

1 (19-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed—fiber

1 (8-ounce) can button mushrooms, drained

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided—essential oils

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation:

1
In a Dutch oven or 5-quart saucepan with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the squash, bell pepper, and chile powder; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 7 minutes.

2
Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, breaking them up with a spoon; add the chickpeas, black beans, mushrooms, 1/4 cup cilantro, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until lightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

3
Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining cilantro and spoon into serving bowls. Serve with lime wedges.

Papaya Carrot Salad

Makes 1 Serving

I
f this fruit reminds you of the tropics and you can envision yourself lying on a sandy beach with an exotic cocktail in hand, then eat it quick! You need fruit like papaya to help target bumpy skin and improve skin elasticity, which should be of interest to you if you are, well, lying on the beach. Talk about an anti-aging superfood! This antioxidant is one of nature’s wonders, improving digestion and arthritis, among many other bodily challenges. Papaya will help you fight off cold and flu viruses and help keep you healthy through the winter due to its high content of flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. The ripe fruit is usually eaten raw and has a wonderfully soft, butter-like consistency and a sugary musky taste.

Ingredients:

1 large carrot

1 papaya

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 red chiles, chopped (adds heat and flavor, contains high amounts of vitamin C and carotene)

1 lime, juiced, seeds removed

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon iodized salt (the iodine in salt has healing properties)

Preparation:

1
Dice the carrot into bite-size pieces. Pit the papaya and slice it lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Place all the pieces in a small bowl.