PINEAPPLE ALMOND SHAKE

The almonds in this invigorating shake make it a terrific source of protein, and blanching your own almonds is a great kitchen activity for kids.

1/4 cup blanched almonds
1 cup roughly chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup ice, crushed or cubes
1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1/4 cup rice milk or soy milk
1/2 cup pineapple juice

Grind the almonds in a blender to a fine powder, as for making Andy’s nut milk (pages 34–5). Add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into 3 large drinking glasses. (If you want to make more, repeat the recipes. Most blenders will accommodate only enough for 3.)

Serves 3

Per serving:
Calories 96.7
Fat 5.2 g
Saturated fat 0.5 g
(45.5% of calories from fat)
Protein 2.5 g
Carbohydrate 11.6 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Fiber 1.3 g


GREEK SALAD WITH MILD RED-CHILI DRESSING

I love this salad because of all the prominent tastes in the dressing. Here, the dressing is tossed with fresh spinach leaves and topped with crumbly and tangy feta cheese, but you can toss this dressing on any mixed-green combination or vegetables and it would taste excellent!

Citrus and Mild Red-Chili Dressing
8 sun-dried tomatoes (dried in a package, not in oil)
3/4 cup hot purified water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, or 1/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon natural soy sauce (such as tamari), or low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper

Salad
11/2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and stems removed (about 9 cups)
3 ounces feta cheese, finely cubed
Freshly ground black pepper

Garnish
12 Kalamata olives, pitted
1/8 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in the bowl of hot water for 20–30 minutes until they become soft and plump. Pour the water and the tomatoes into a food processor and process until blended. Pour in all the remaining dressing ingredients and continue to process until creamy. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

Toss the spinach leaves together with the dressing until the leaves are completely coated. Sprinkle in the feta cheese and pepper and serve. Garnish each salad with 2 olives and a dash of sunflower seeds.

Tips from Rosie’s Kitchen
Toast your own sunflower seeds by placing them in a medium sauté pan over low heat for 1 minute until browned.

Serves 6

Per serving:
Calories 374.7
Fat 18 g
Saturated fat 3.9 g
(38.7% of calories from fat)
Protein 15.5 g
Carbohydrate 49.3 g
Cholesterol 13 mg
Fiber 11.5 g


MIXED-BEAN MINESTRONE STEW

This Italian vegetable soup with pasta and beans is a great way to warm and fill you up during the cold winter months. You can always exchange other vegetables for the ones listed or leave a few out and give your minestrone your own accent. After all, the greatest soups are simply medleys of whatever’s on hand in your kitchen! This Mixed-Bean Minestrone Stew is an ample lunch or supper entrée with slices of Whole Wheat Baguette with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Herbs (page 255).

2 cups mixed dry beans (navy, garbanzo, kidney are all good)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bay leaf

1 cup chopped onion
3 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup peeled and cubed eggplant (or cabbage, squash, broccoli)
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or 32 ounces canned)
1 large Idaho or baking potato, cubed (about 1 cup)
6 cups purified water (or vegetable stock for added flavor—and see Tips)
1 cup chopped fresh green beans or frozen peas
11/2 cups alphabet pasta or prepared barley (see Tips)

Garnish
Fresh cracked pepper (optional)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pesto

Soak the beans in a large pot with 6 cups of water and the baking soda overnight. Add the bay leaf to the pot, place over medium-high heat, and boil the beans for 45 minutes until tender (they should pierce easily with a fork). Meanwhile, you can prepare the vegetables.

In a separate large pot, sweat the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in the olive oil on low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to bring out the natural vegetable juices as a base for the soup. Stir in the Italian seasoning, chili flakes, rosemary, and salt, along with the eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and any other vegetables you’d like to use, then pour in the water or stock and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Add the cooked beans, green beans or peas, and pasta or cooked barley to the soup and cook on medium heat for another 15 minutes.

Serve in a large soup bowl and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper (optional) and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Or you could add a small dollop of pesto, if you have some on hand.

Tips from Rosie’s Kitchen

This recipe uses a cooking technique known as sweating, which means cooking something over low heat in a little oil in a covered pot or the oven in order to bring out the juices without browning.

You can use the already cooked barley remaining from the Cranberry Barley Tonic (page 38) along with the pasta in this recipe. For additional flavor you can use vegetable stock, if you have it on hand, instead of water. If you really want to add some flair, add 1/4 cup pesto to the soup right before you’re ready to serve.

Cooled leftover soup should be stored in small airtight containers or zip-lock bags in the freezer to make it easy to take to work. It will keep for up to 3 weeks.

Makes 24 cups
Serves 6

Stew with Garnish
Per serving:
Calories 571
Fat 21.1 g
Saturated fat 5.3 g
(33.2% of calories from fat)
Protein 24.6 g
Carbohydrate 75.4 g
Cholesterol 11.8 mg
Fiber 17.5 g


SAVORY ROASTED CORNISH HENS WITH ROASTED GARLIC

Small, free-range chickens can be substituted for the Cornish game hens. Cornish hens are small, hybrid chickens. Free-range chickens are raised with room to move about both indoors and outdoors as opposed to being raised in a cage. They are free of growth hormones and antibiotics, and because of this some people believe they have a richer flavor.

The roasted garlic head tastes wonderful squeezed onto slices of crusty French bread, making a good accompaniment to the poultry. Or you could squeeze the bulbs over Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips (page 231).

4 Cornish hens or 2 free-range chickens
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 teaspoons lemon pepper
Salt
4 cups quartered plum tomatoes, or whole cherry tomatoes (about 2 pints)
8 large shallots
4 large cloves garlic
2 cups chopped fennel (1 small bulb)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lightly packed chopped fresh basil
1 cup red wine
4 bay leaves
4 lemon slices
4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Roasted Garlic
8 whole garlic bulbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 tablespoons water

Garnish
8 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 lemon, cut into 8 slices

Rinse the Cornish hens thoroughly, letting the water gush inside each cavity and drain back out. Rub the lemon juice, lemon pepper, and a little salt over the birds and let marinate for 1 hour or overnight. Put the tomatoes, shallots, garlic, fennel, a pinch of salt, basil, and red wine together in a medium bowl and stir until everything is thoroughly mixed.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place 1 bay leaf, 1 lemon slice, 1 rosemary sprig, and equal portions of the tossed tomato filling inside each hen. Each cavity should be full. Spoon the remaining filling over the bottom of a roasting pan. Set the birds on top, spacing them evenly apart, spoon the lemon marinating juice over them, then sprinkle a little salt over them. Roast for 11/4 hours. (For chicken, roast 11/2 hours.) The skins will be golden brown, and the juices will run clear when they are done.

Meanwhile, prepare the roasted garlic: Cut 1/2 inch off the top of each garlic bulb so that the cloves can be easily squeezed out after roasting. Put the olive oil and water in the bottom of a 9-inch baking pan. Arrange the garlic bulbs in the pan, cut side on top. Cover the pan with a lid or foil. After the hens have been roasting for 30 minutes, place the garlic dish in the same oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the hens from the oven to a platter or board and let them rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. When all the hens are cool, scoop the filling out from each hen and put it into the roasting pan with the remaining filling. Remove all the bay leaves and discard. Set the pan over low heat and simmer, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, for 3–4 minutes.

Split each hen in half by cutting directly down the middle of the spine, slicing completely through to the other side. If you wish, remove and discard the skins. Place all the hens on a serving dish or half a hen on each of 8 plates, with the breasts lying flat, and spoon the warm filling on top. You may put everything in the oven for a couple of minutes to keep warm until ready to serve. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of lemon.
Serve with slices of warm crusty bread to squeeze the roasted garlic onto.

Tips from Rosie’s Kitchen

If you have time, marinate the hens or chickens in the lemon juice, pepper, and salt overnight. It is worth it, because the flavors of the marinade are sealed into the meat, and then baked in it, along with the meat’s own juices. What you get is juicier and more flavorful meat. Just stuff the birds as directed, marinate them in a large pot, cover, and refrigerate.

If you want to remove the bones of the hens before serving, open the cavity slightly and pull them out gently. Discard the bones and repeat this process for the remaining 3 hens. I usually pull the bones out, but if you find this to be a hassle, leave them in.

Polenta (page 76) is also a great accompaniment to this dish. Spoon the hot polenta on individual serving plates, top with a Cornish hen, and serve immediately.

Makes 8 half-hen servings

Per serving:
Calories 376.1
Fat 14.4 g
Saturated fat 4.2 g
(35.4% of calories from fat)
Protein 30.8 g
Carbohydrate 28.2 g
Cholesterol 153 mg
Fiber 2.5 g


LINGUINE WITH STEAMED CLAMS AND MUSSELS

Although this pasta dish consists of fairly basic and quick cooking ingredients, you can give it a formal presentation. I steam just the clams or mussels if I’m serving this dish as an appetizer, or I pair the entrée with a mixed-green salad and warm slices of Whole Wheat Baguettes with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Herbs (page 255) for a full meal.

2 pounds mussels or clams, or 1 pound each
1 pound linguine
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup purified water
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 shallots, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Soak the clams or mussels in a pan full of cold water for 5 minutes. Scrub the shells to remove any seaweed or mud using a vegetable scrubber or the abrasive side of a clean sponge.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the linguine into it, add the salt, and cook until it is al dente.
Meanwhile put the clams or mussels in a large, lidded pot with enough space to hold them without them being cramped. Add the white wine, water, garlic, and shallots. Cover and cook over high heat, shaking the pot occasionally, until the shellfish open, about 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta in a colander, then toss it with the shellfish. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and olive oil, and toss again. Squeeze the lemon over everything, toss in the zest, and garnish with parsley.
Serve immediately.

Andy Suggests

In order to get a more intense flavor, I would increase both the garlic and red pepper flakes.

Serves 6

Per serving:
Calories 494.1
Fat 8.3 g
Saturated fat 1.2 g
(16.1% of calories from fat)
Protein 29.3 g
Carbohydrate 67.9 g
Cholesterol 47 mg
Fiber 2.5 g


HUMMUS PINWHEELS WITH RAW VEGGIE CRUDITÉS

I love tortillas, especially when they are wrapped around something good. Here they are topped with a thick garbanzo bean spread alive with the taste of orange, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic, and lemon, then layered with fresh spinach, carrots, cucumbers, or sunflower sprouts.

These are great to take to work or for a packed lunch if you’re on the run. Wrap them in parchment paper and seal them closed with a fancy toothpick.

2 cups garbanzo beans, soaked overnight in 6 cups of water to cover and 1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon miso paste
2 tablespoons natural soy sauce (such as tamari)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup tahini
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup roasted bell pepper purée (optional) (page 76)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried
6 tortillas, flavored or whole wheat

Filling
3 cups spinach (about 1/2 pound), washed with tough stems removed
1 1/2 cups peeled and grated carrots
1 1/2 cups sunflower sprouts or 1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise

Do not drain the water that the beans have been soaking in overnight. Bring the water to a boil and cook the beans, covered, for 45 minutes. The beans should be easily pierced with a fork.

After the beans are cooked, drain them in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the water. Mix the water with the miso in a bowl. Put all the remaining ingredients including the red pepper purée if you are using it, but not the tarragon, in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour in the miso and process again. Fold in the tarragon.

Trim the round sides off the tortillas to make a square and spread 1/4 cup hummus over each of the 6 tortillas. Starting 1/2 inch up from one side of the tortilla, lay 1/4 cup of each of the filling ingredients on top of each other, in thin layers. Roll the tortillas up. When you get to the end of the roll, use the hummus on the inside edge of the tortillas to act as a sealer to keep the tortilla closed. When you are ready to serve, cut the rolled tortillas in half at an angle.

Tips from Rosie’s Kitchen
After you’ve made hummus once, you won’t underestimate the number of ways it can be enjoyed.

Hummus Dip
I like to serve hummus as a dip with raw vegetables. All you need is 2 carrots, 1/2 jicama, 2 celery stalks, 1 medium cucumber, and 1 zucchini or yellow squash, cut into thin sticks. You can also cut the florets off a 1/2 head of broccoli or use cherry tomatoes, radishes, or any of your favorite vegetables. Serve the hummus in a bowl in the center of a platter and arrange the cut vegetables around it.

Serves 12

Per serving:
Calories 157.3
Fat 4.9 g
Saturated fat 0.7 g
(27.9% of calories from fat)
Protein 5.9 g
Carbohydrate 23 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Fiber 3.9 g


PEACH AND BLUEBERRY COBBLER

This is an old-fashioned dessert that most people thoroughly enjoy eating. The baked fruit filling is crowned with a thin biscuit topping. It can be eaten warm or cold, plain or topped with vanilla ice cream.

Filling
5 peaches, peeled and sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch nutmeg (less than 1/8 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Biscuit Topping
5 tablespoons softened butter or Spectrum Spread
2 cups flour plus 1/4 cup flour for rolling out
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

Glaze
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Bring all the filling ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan, then turn down heat and simmer until the filling becomes thick. Spoon the thickened fruit filling into a medium (at least 10 x 8–inch) baking or casserole dish, and spread it around evenly until it meets all sides of the dish.

Using clean hands, pinch the butter and the flour together between your thumbs and forefingers until the flour and butter become crumbly. Mix in the sugar, baking powder, and salt and slowly stir in the milk to make a soft dough. Sprinkle a work surface with the 1/4 cup flour, knead the dough lightly a few turns on the floured surface, and roll out to a perimeter approximately the size of your baking dish. With a cookie cutter or a glass cut out 10 biscuits and lay them slightly overlapping on top of the fruit filling, using scraps of leftover dough to fill in any uncovered spots. Sprinkle the top with the sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until biscuit topping turns golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes. To serve, scoop out a biscuit and fruit filling and transfer to a dessert bowl or plate.

Tips from Rosie’s Kitchen

The topping on our cobbler tastes delicious baked on its own as scrumptious herb biscuits.

To Make the Herb Biscuits: Just replace the sugar with fresh herbs (I use 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, and a pinch of cayenne). Prepare the dough as you would for the cobbler, form 6 biscuits, lay them on a greased baking sheet, and bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes at 400°F.

Serves 8

Per serving:
Calories 386.8
Fat 17.7 g
Saturated fat 10.9 g
(40.6% of calories from fat)
Protein 4.8 g
Carbohydrate 53.5 g
Cholesterol 46 mg
Fiber 2.9 g

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Excerpted from The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil, M.D., and Rosie Daley Copyright 2002 by Andrew Weil, M.D., and Rosie Daley. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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