Eat, Drink, Be Beautiful

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 4 minutes

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon grated lime peel
½ garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 pound dry sea scallops,
halved crosswise
4 large Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled,
and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 medium mango, pitted, peeled,
and sliced ¼-inch thick
¼ red onion, very thinly sliced
into rounds

1. To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lime juice and peel, garlic, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Set aside.

2. Combine the scallops, the remaining ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper in a bowl; toss to coat. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the scallops. Cook until they have a rich brown crust, about 2 minutes; turn and repeat. Set aside.

3. Place a lettuce leaf on each serving plate. Alternate 4 or 5 slices each of avocado and mango in a row in each lettuce cup. Top with a few onion rounds. Add scallops, and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Serves 4

Prep time: 8 minutes (if you buy shrimp pre-peeled)
Cooking time: 6 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1¼ pounds large shrimp (20 to 25
per pound), peeled and deveined
3 garlic cloves, minced
1⁄8 teaspoon red pepper flakes,
or more to taste
¾ cup dry white wine
1½ cups grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked orzo, preferably
whole wheat

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shrimp and cook, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

2. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the oil remaining in the skillet, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and basil; season the sauce with salt and pepper. Return the shrimp to pan, and cook just until heated through. Serve with the orzo.

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Cooking spray
2 acorn squash (about 1 pound
each)
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup uncooked quinoa
1⁄3 cup raw, natural almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1⁄3 cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground
pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut side of each squash half with ½ teaspoon honey; place squash, cut side down, onto the baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes, or until tender.

2. Meanwhile, put the quinoa and 1 cup water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover; cook until all the water is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. In a dry medium-size skillet, toast the nuts over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes. Allow them to cool, then chop them.

4. Heat the oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and cook until they are softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon and ginger. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice.

5. Add the onion mixture to the cooked quinoa, stirring until well
combined. Stir in the almonds, apricots, parsley and mint; season with salt and pepper. To serve, place a squash half on a serving plate then fill each piece of squash with one quarter of the quinoa mixture. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon of honey, and serve.

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: About 20 minutes

4 skinless salmon fillets, preferably
wild (5 to 6 ounces each)
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 Ruby Red grapefruits
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon peeled and grated
fresh ginger
2½ teaspoons honey
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons thinly sliced
fresh basil
Lemon broccolini (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Season the salmon with the salt, place in a
baking dish, and roast until just cooked through, about 18 minutes.

2. While the salmon is cooking, prepare the sauce. Peel and cut one of the grapefruits into sections by removing each segment from its membrane with a paring knife; cut the segments in half and set aside. Juice the other grapefruit, and set the juice aside.

3. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot; cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, grapefruit juice, honey and cayenne; bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Right before serving, toss the grapefruit and basil into the sauce.

4. Spoon the sauce over the salmon, and serve with lemon broccolini.

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

1 pound broccolini
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black
pepper

Wash and trim the broccolini. Steam until it is crisp yet tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, zest, and salt and pepper. Add the broccolini, and toss to coat.

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

1 15.5-ounce can cannellini or other
small white beans, preferably
low-sodium, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, diced
(about ½ cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (about ½ cup)
1 small zucchini (about ½ pound)
diced (about 1½ cups)
1 garlic clove, minced (about
1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
or ½ teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper, plus more to taste
4 cups low-sodium chicken or
vegetable broth
1 14.5-ounce can no-salt added
diced tomatoes, with their juices
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (2 cups
lightly packed), chopped
1⁄3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a small bowl, mash half the beans. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach; cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve topped with the Parmesan.

Serves 6

Prep time: 12 minutes
Cooking time: 6 minutes

1¼ pounds thin-cut skinless boneless
chicken breasts
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large bunch watercress, tough stems
removed, coarsely chopped
(about 4 cups)
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers,
rinsed, drained and sliced
8 slices whole-grain baguette

1. Combine the chicken, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the garlic and ½ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper in a bowl; toss to coat. Preheat the grill, or a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until the meat is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

2. In a large bowl, toss the watercress and red peppers with the remaining 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and lemon juice, and the remaining salt and pepper. Divide the chicken among 4 serving plates, and top each with salad and 1 to 2 tablespoons of accumulated liquid from the salad. Serve with baguette slices.

Serves 4

Prep time: 12 minutes
Steeping time: 30 minutes

2 6-ounce containers of
blackberries, rinsed
½ cup honey
8 large sage leaves
8 white tea bags

1. Six hours before serving, make 24 ice cubes by placing a blackberry in
each of 24 compartments of two ice cube trays. Fill with water, and freeze.

2. Place the honey, 3 cups water and sage leaves in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and add the tea. Let mixture steep at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Strain.

3. Meanwhile, put the remaining blackberries in a blender with ½ cup water, and puree. Pour the mixture into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, and press to strain the liquid. Discard the blackberry solids.

4. In a pitcher, combine the honey-tea liquid with the blackberry liquid
and 6½ cups water. Serve chilled.

Makes 10 cups

Prep time: 5 minutes
Steeping time: 5 minutes

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves,
plus more for garnish
6 green tea bags
4 tablespoons honey

Bring 8 cups water to a boil. Meanwhile, tear the mint leaves, and place in a large pot. Using a wooden spoon, crush the mint leaves slightly. Add the tea bags to the pot, then pour in the boiling water. Stir in the honey; let steep 5 minutes. Strain; serve garnished with fresh mint leaves.

Makes 8 cups

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