Healthy Recipes


Penne with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Nell's Cauliflower and Parmesan Soup
Nell's Spicy Raisin Walnut Bread
Tuna Potato Salad with Dill
Bow-Ties with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Pineapple Orange Cookies
Mini Whole Grain Banana-Nut Muffins
Rise and Shine Strawberry Banana Smoothie



Penne with Fresh Tomato Sauce
This is the perfect pasta sauce for a lazy late-summer day. Just toss chopped tomatoes into a simple vinaigrette and let them marinate all day. No cooking! A final grating of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese makes a nice touch.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 pound penne or other shaped pasta, preferably whole-grain
8 ounces fontina cheese, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil


Directions:
In a large bowl (large enough to hold the pasta), combine the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and tomatoes. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours.
When you're almost ready to eat, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and add the hot pasta to the tomatoes along with the fontina and basil. Toss to mix. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.


Helping Hand: A semifirm yet creamy Italian cheese, fontina has a mildly rich, almost nutty flavor. It's a superb melting cheese. If you can't find it, use cubes of good-quality mozzarella.

Grilled vegetables make a wonderful addition to the mix here. Try cutting zucchini into thick slabs, coating them with oil, salt, and pepper, then grilling the slabs for about 5 minutes per side. Coarsely chop, then add along with the fontina.



Nell's Cauliflower and Parmesan Soup
This soup originated during one of Nell's refrigerator-cleaning sprees, in which she throws all her leftovers into a pot, heats them, and waits to see what happens. The result here is a fantastically fresh-tasting, slightly lemony cream soup. Use fresh green peas if you can. They make a world of difference flavor-wise.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup millet or rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
Salt and pepper


Directions:
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the millet or rice. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the grain is soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, melt the butter or heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the broth and cauliflower. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor in batches and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and heat gently over low heat. Stir in the Parmesan, lemon juice, peas, and millet. Cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Makes 8 servings.

Helping Hand: A high-protein staple grain in Asia and Africa, millet looks like a tiny oval, ivory-colored seed. Look for it in the rice aisle of your supermarket or health food store. If you can't find it, rice makes a fine substitute.

If you have a hand-held stick blender, by all means use that instead of transferring the soup to an upright blender to puree.

Like most soups, this one tastes great reheated after a day or two in the refrigerator.



Nell's Spicy Raisin Walnut Bread
You'll be surprised how good this recipe is without any eggs or butter. This makes a wonderful snack or breakfast bread.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole grain pastry flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup organic low-fat milk
1/4 cup very strong brewed coffee
2 cups raisins
2 cups chopped walnuts



Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350¡F. Coat a 9" x 5" loaf pan with spray oil.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, molasses, milk, and coffee. Stir into the flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in the raisins and walnuts.

Scrape into the prepared pan and bake until the top is browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack.

Makes 12 servings.


Helping Hand: To save time, replace the spices with 2 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.

To make a vegan version of this cake (no animal products), use soy milk instead of cow's milk.




Tuna Potato Salad with Dill
The subtle, aroma of fresh dill makes this a wonderful springtime salad. Serve it on a bed of lettuce for lunch or alone as a side dish. Health bonus: Potatoes contain an anti-cancer compound called chlorogenic acid, which is concentrated in the peel.

Ingredients:
3 pounds red-skinned potatoes
3 hard-cooked eggs
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon brown mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (6 ounces) water-packed tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp dried

Directions:
Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, let cool, and cut into bite-size chunks.
Grate the eggs into a large bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the tuna, potatoes, pickles, and dill. Mix well. Taste and add more salt and mustard, if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Helping Hand: To hard-boil eggs, place them in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set aside for 15 minutes. Drain and run cold water over the eggs to cool. To save time in this recipe, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, then use the same water to cook the potatoes.

Nutrient Boost: Add 1 cup thawed frozen green peas to boost the folate, fiber, and vitamin C. For a bigger shot of vitamin C, add 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper.



Bow-Ties with Broccoli and Chickpeas
The king of cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is a good source of calcium and beta-carotene. It can help boost your immunity, fight off cancer, and protect against heart disease. No wonder broccoli is low in pesticide residues. It can fight off pests naturally! Here, it stars along with chickpeas in a simple, flavorful pasta toss.

Ingredients:
12 ounces bow-tie pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large heads broccoli, cut into florets (about 5 cups)
3/4 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
3/4 cup dry white wine or another 3/4 cup broth
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, stir in the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the broccoli, broth, and wine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the broccoli is just tender, 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas and pepper.
Drain the pasta and add to the broccoli along with the butter. Toss to mix. Serve sprinkled with the Parmesan.

Makes 6 servings.

Helping Hand: To quickly cut a head a broccoli into florets, cut off the stalk just at the base of the florets. Cut crosswise again, just at the base layer of florets, cutting through the stems of the florets. The florets will fall away from the stalk. Continue cutting across the stems of the florets until all are removed.



Pineapple Orange Cookies
Simple and sunny-tasting, these cookies make good company with a cup a tea.

Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups whole-grain pastry flour or unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons orange extract
1/2 cup crushed pineapple in juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with oil spray.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light. Beat in the eggs and orange extract. Stir in the pineapple with a spoon. Stir in the flour mixture until moistened.
Drop by teaspoonsful onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer to cooling racks.

These moist mini-muffins are perfect for the lunch box or as an after-school treat. They are delicious at breakfast or brunch. (Makes 36)


Mini Whole Grain Banana-Nut Muffins
These moist mini-muffins are perfect for the lunch box or as an after-school treat. They are delicious at breakfast or brunch. (Makes 36)

Ingredients:
2 cups whole-grain pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Coat thirty-six 1 3/4” x 3/4” muffin cups with oil spray.
2) In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3) In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Stir in the bananas, milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Stir in the walnuts.
4) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Transfer the muffins to cooling racks to finish cooling.

Helping Hand: To make standard-size muffins, replace the mini-muffin pans with 2 12-cup muffin pans. To freeze these muffins, cool completely and freeze in a zip lock freezer bag. Reheat at 350ºF for 10 minutes, or until heated through.



Rise and Shine Strawberry Banana Smoothie

This scrumptious smoothie is named after one of children's singer Raffi’s most popular albums, “Rise and Shine.” Sliced frozen bananas and strawberry yogurt give it an extra-rich and creamy texture. For those who don’t like to eat in the morning, this refreshing shake may be a good compromise. (Makes 1 serving)

Ingredients
1 container (6 ounces) organic strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup organic milk
1 frozen banana, sliced
2 to 4 ice cubes

Directions:
In a blender, combine the yogurt, milk, banana, and ice cubes. Blend just until smooth and creamy.

Helping Hand: To make this shake even easier to whip up in the morning, cut a ripe banana into slices, toss with a little lemon juice, and freeze in a zip lock freezer bag.