2. Remove the tomatoes, and use the back of a large spoon to gently press them through a strainer to make “tomato water.”
3. Stir the tomato water together with the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to use.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the cucumbers with the cherry tomatoes, onion, mango and basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Place the salad in the center of a large bowl. Pour enough tomato water around the salad to come approximately halfway up the sides. Drizzle the salad lightly with olive oil and serve.
NOTE: If you do not own a microwave, the beefsteak tomatoes can be prepared using a large sauté pan. Cut the tomatoes in half across, and place them cut side down in the pan in a single layer. Turn the heat on low and cook the tomatoes until they soften and begin to lose their shape, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Yield: 8 servings
Sliced tomato and mozzarella cheese (approx. 1 ½ ounces)
140 calories
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2 servings (2 cups) of Cucumber-Mango Salad
140 calories
VEGETABLE STOCK
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
15 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons canola oil
5 celery stalks, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 leeks, white parts only, chopped
1 large fennel bulb, chopped
1 garlic head, halved across
Vegetarian chefs have long known that vegetable stock is a great way to flavor soups and sauces without the addition of any meat products. In addition, it is filled with vitamins and other important nutrients. I actually prefer using vegetable stock over chicken stock when preparing lighter soups and sauces.
1. Make a sachet with the parsley, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns. Heat a Dutch oven on low; add the canola oil and sauté the celery, onion, carrots, leeks and fennel until they begin to soften, approximately 10 minutes. Add 4 quarts of cold water, garlic and the sachet, and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Strain and cool down the liquid. This stock can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen in pint containers for up to 2 months.
Yield: 16 cups
MUSHROOM LENTIL SOUP
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped celery
2 teaspoons chopped carrot
2 garlic cloves, chopped
15 to 20 white button mushrooms, chopped (2 cups)
1 cup green or brown lentils
Mushroom stock (see below)
1 tablespoon crème fraîche
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
25 to 30 white button mushrooms, chopped (3 cups)
1 bunch thyme
Cooked French green lentils hold their shape well, making them a good choice for this soup. Brown lentils may be substituted, however, as they are usually easier to find in supermarkets.
1. In a saucepot over medium heat, heat the grapeseed oil and then add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are tender but not brown, approximately 4 minutes, lowering heat if necessary.
2. Add the mushrooms, lentils and stock. Cover the pot and simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, approximately 30 minutes.
3. Remove the mixture from the pot and transfer to a blender. Add the crème fraîche, salt and pepper, and process until smooth. Taste the mixture, and add additional seasoning if necessary.
NOTE: Before using lentils in a recipe, it is important to rinse them well and check closely for pebbles with your fingers.
Yield: 8 servings
MUSHROOM STOCK
1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the grapeseed oil. Add onion, celery and carrots, and cook until the onion becomes translucent, approximately 4 minutes (stir occasionally to keep the vegetables from browning).
2. Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme, and continue cooking and stirring to soften the vegetables, an additional 15 minutes.
3. Cover the vegetables with 2 quarts of cold water, bring just to a boil and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and allow the ingredients to sit in the pot for 30 minutes more. Pour the mushroom stock through a fine mesh strainer, and discard the solids.
VARIATION: This stock can be made with just about any mushrooms you have available, although different types will produce different flavors.
CAULIFLOWER ALMOND PUREE
2 heads cauliflower
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 leek, white part only, cleaned and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons almond oil
¼ cup crème fraîche
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly milled white pepper
A key ingredient in this recipe is almond oil, available at most gourmet retailers and some online food Web sites. Nut oils, including almond oil, walnut oil, hazelnut oil and pistachio oil, are monounsaturated, helping raise desired HDL cholesterol and lower “bad” LDL cholesterol…and they taste great, too.
1. Cut off the thick stem from the cauliflower and discard. Separate the cauliflower heads into individual florets with your hands or a knife, and rinse under cold water to clean.
2. Place the cauliflower, garlic, leeks and olive oil in a Dutch oven, and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer. Cook vegetables until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the vegetables over a bowl, reserving the liquid for later use.
3. Add the vegetables to a blender, along with the toasted almonds, almond oil and crème fraîche, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and adjust the consistency using the reserved liquid until the desired consistency is achieved.
NOTE: To toast almonds or almost any dried nuts, place on a baking sheet in an oven or toaster oven in a single layer, and cook at 350°F until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Shake the tray periodically to avoid uneven cooking, and check the nuts often to make sure they do not burn.
Alternatively, you can cook the almonds in a dry sauté pan on medium heat, tossing them every minute or so to ensure even browning.
Yield: 4 servings
STEAMED MUSSELS HOTPOT WITH SAKE BROTH
1 tablespoon bonito flakes
1 sheet kombu, rinsed
2 cups water
1 cup light soy sauce
½ cup sake
2 tablespoons sweet cooking rice wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound Prince Edward Island mussels, cleaned
2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2½ cups sake broth
2 tablespoons chopped scallions, green parts only
Kosher salt
Freshly milled white pepper
Prince Edward Island (PEI) mussels, which are far less expensive than clams, oysters or shrimp, are one of my favorite varieties. Imported New Zealand mussels are also excellent and have an attractive green shell, but they normally cost more than PEI mussels and can be harder to find.
BROTH
1. Slowly bring all of the sake broth ingredients to a simmer (be sure not to boil the broth, or it will become cloudy). Simmer for 20 minutes, and then remove from heat. Let the broth steep off the heat for another 20 minutes before straining through a piece of cheesecloth.
MUSSELS
1. To clean the mussels, soak them briefly in cold water to remove any grit; mussels with shells that remain open after cleaning are dead and should be discarded.
Just before using the mussels, rip out the inedible “beard” (a tangle of threads that sticks out of the shell).
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan. Add the mussels and toss to coat. Add the lemongrass, ginger and sake broth, and simmer, covered, until the mussels open, approximately 4 minutes.
3. Add the scallions and the remaining butter, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.
Yield: 2 servings
GRILLED CALAMARI WITH MEDITERRANEAN CUCUMBER SALAD
12 calamari, tubes and tentacles
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly milled white pepper 2 medium tomatoes, seeded
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons chopped basil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Calamari (squid) is very inexpensive—especially when compared with the cost of shrimp or scallops—and, like any other seafood, it is high in protein and low in fat.
1. Marinate the calamari tubes and tentacles with 3 tablespoons olive oil, rosemary, thyme and shallots in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours before cooking.
2. To make the vinaigrette, combine 6 tablespoons olive oil and the vinegar in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
3. For the Mediterranean cucumber salad, cut the tomatoes and cucumbers into medium dice. Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, basil and red pepper flakes together with the vinaigrette.
4. Season the calamari lightly with salt and pepper, and grill at medium heat on a grill pan or outdoor barbecue until opaque, 1 to 2 minutes per side (be careful not to overcook the calamari, or they will become tough and rubbery).
5. Spoon the cucumber-tomato salad onto a plate, and place the grilled calamari around the salad. Pour some of the remaining vinaigrette over the calamari.
VARIATION: A combination of grilled scallops, shrimp or a mixture of these plus the calamari will work well for this dish. In addition, frozen calamari may be used in place of fresh in this recipe.
Yield: 4 servings
Chicken Caesar Salad 500 calories
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2 servings (2 cups) Grilled Calamari with Mediterranean Cucumber Salad 500 calories
GRILLED SHRIMP WITH SHAVED FENNEL
15 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
2 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3 oranges, segmented, plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly milled black pepper 2 fennel bulbs, shaved thin
Chiffonade ½ bunch mint leaves
I created this dish while working as the chef of a popular restaurant in Brooklyn. It employs the basic philosophy of Italian cooking: use the freshest ingredients possible, and let their natural flavors shine through clearly. Here, the licorice taste of the fennel, combined with mint and citrus, brightens and enhances the shrimp.
1. Marinate the shrimp with 3 tablespoons olive oil, rosemary, thyme and shallots in a bowl for approximately 1 hour in the refrigerator.
2. To make the shaved fennel, combine 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar with the lemon juice, lime juice and orange juice in a separate bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Add the orange segments, fennel and mint.
3. Season lightly with salt and pepper and grill at medium heat on a grill pan or outdoor barbecue until cooked through, approximately 2 minutes per side.
4. To serve, place the shaved fennel in the center of the plate, reserving the liquid. Place the shrimp on top, and drizzle the liquid around the plate.
VARIATION: The shrimp can also be prepared in a sauté pan on medium heat until cooked through, approximately 2 minutes per side.
Yield: 5 appetizer servings
QUINOA LINGUINI WITH WHITE CLAM SAUCE
1 dozen littleneck clams
1 dozen Manila clams
1 dozen cockles
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
8 ounces quinoa linguini (or any other whole-grain pasta)
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup white wine
1 8-ounce can clam juice
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Freshly milled white pepper
While this recipe calls for littleneck clams, Manila clams and cockles, it is fine to use only littleneck clams if the others are unavailable. Cherrystone clams may also be substituted without any loss of flavor, but they will be chewier.
1. Scrub the clamshells well with a brush and rinse under cold water to remove any grit.
2. Bring 1 gallon water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt to the water. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, approximately 10 minutes, and then strain through a colander.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan. Add all the littleneck clams, Manila clams and cockles to the pan. Add the onion and garlic and toss everything together.
4. Slowly pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Add the clam juice and return the liquid to a boil; cover the pan until the clams and cockles open, approximately 2 to 4 minutes.
5. Remove and reserve the clams and cockles in their shells and return any remaining liquid to the pan.
6. Add the pasta to the broth and cook 2 minutes longer. Add the clams, butter (if using) and parsley to the pan just before serving, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
VARIATION: To make your own clam juice at home, purchase 6 to 8 chowder clams, scrub the shells thoroughly with a brush and steam them in a pot with ¼ cup water until they open, approximately 10 minutes. Discard the shells and strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer wrapped with cheesecloth to remove any remaining grit. The chowder clams may be chopped up and added to the dish, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings
RED SNAPPER IN TOMATO-SAFFRON BROTH
Artichoke Oreganata Puree
10 plum tomatoes
1 cup tomato juice
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 tablespoon saffron
Kosher salt
Freshly milled white pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 6-ounce red snapper fillets, skin on
Saffron may be the most expensive spice, but it usually only requires a few pinches to flavor a dish, and the results are always impressive. Saffron is the stigma of a certain type of crocus, and these stigmas must be picked by hand and then dried before packaging. No wonder it’s so expensive!
1. For the tomato broth, cut the tomatoes into quarters lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a knife; discard the seeds. Puree the tomatoes in a blender, and then add the tomato juice and 1 cup water.
2. Pour the puree into a pot and add garlic, saffron and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then transfer to a clear plastic container.
3. Cool the liquid until it begins to separate. Slowly strain through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving the liquid.
4. Heat a stainless steel sauté pan on medium-high until very hot, approximately 5 minutes. Pour the olive oil into the pan; immediately add the red snapper fillets, skin side down. Cook until the bottom of the fish begins to curl up around the edges, approximately 5 minutes. Turn the fish over and continue cooking until the flesh is opaque throughout, about 2 minutes more.
5. To serve, place a dollop of the artichoke oreganata puree in the center of the bowl. Spoon some broth around the bowl, and place the fish on top.
VARIATION: Red snapper is one of the more common fish available t
oday in most parts of the United States, but other fish that will work just as well in this dish include black sea bass and striped bass.
Yield: 6 servings
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ tablespoon chopped onion
1 teaspoon chopped celery
1 teaspoon chopped carrot
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup fresh artichoke bottoms (2 to 3 artichokes), or 1 cup frozen artichoke hearts
1 lemon
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup vegetable stock
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sour cream, or 1 tablespoon low-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
¼ cup dried Italian seasoned bread crumbs
ARTICHOKE OREGANATA PUREE
1. Warm a sauté pan on medium heat for approximately 3 minutes. Add the canola oil and then the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary.
2. To prepare fresh artichoke bottoms (if using), follow these steps:
a. To prevent the artichokes from browning, fill a bowl with cold water, and squeeze the juice from the lemons into the bowl. Prepare the artichoke bottoms one at a time, placing each one in the lemon water as soon as they are trimmed.
b. Cut off the stem of the artichoke, followed by the top of the leaves above the heart.
c. Snap off the outer leaves, and use a paring knife to remove the remaining leaves.
d. Cut the artichoke bottom in half, and scoop out the hairy inner choke with a small spoon and discard.
3. Add the fresh artichoke bottoms to the pan, if using, and continue cooking until completely tender, approximately 10 minutes more. (If using frozen artichoke hearts, add them to the pan at this point and cook until hot, approximately 5 minutes.)
4. Deglaze with white wine. Add stock and vinegar and simmer until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated, around 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan and transfer to a blender along with sour cream, salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Blend and serve beneath red snapper.
SESAME TOFU AND VEGETABLE STIR-FRY
1 tablespoon canola oil
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