Aren’t Fridays the best? You made it through the week, the whole weekend is ahead of you looming with possibilities and endless free time, and last but certainly not least…you get four new HC-approved healthy recipes incorporating the featured fruit and vegetable of the week! T.G.I.F, am I right?
Grapefruit
“Once called a ‘forbidden fruit,’ this citrus delight contains phytochemicals, lycopene, and is another super source of vitamin C—which is a superb immune-boosting and fat-burning nutrient,” Health author-journalist Cal Orey says. To clear the antioxidant air, phytochemicals protect us from and reduce the risk of many diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. As if fighting diseases isn’t enough of a superpower, grapefruits have also been found to aid in weight loss. A Scripps clinic study found that participants who included ½ grapefruit before breakfast, lunch, and dinner lost an average of 3.6 lbs over 12 weeks without making any other changes to their diets or lifestyle. Weight loss without any extra effort? I’ll take it. So dig into a fresh grapefruit if you can handle the tartness, or sweeten them up with these recipes to reap all those health benefits.
Spinach & Quinoa Salad With Grapefruit & Avocado
Courtesy of: skinnytaste.com
You know just by reading the title that this recipe is healthy—all four of those ingredients are superfoods! Quinoa is packed with protein and nutrients, avocado is chock-full of healthy monounsaturated fats, and Orey recommends eating spinach because it is “rich in vitamin A and iron.” Add the grapefruit and it doesn’t get much better than that.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz baby spinach
- 2 ruby red grapefruits, peeled and fruit separated, reserving 3 slices
- 1 haas avocado, diced
- 1 cup cooked quinoa 91/3 cup dry)
- For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp champagne vinegar
- 2 tbsp chopped shallots
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grapefruit juice from 2 reserved grapefruit slices
Directions:
Rinse quinoa well under cold water and cook according to package directions. Drain and let it cool. Peel the skin and white membrane off the grapefruit and separate the pieces. Reserve three grapefruit slices for the vinaigrette and squeeze the juice; set aside. Cut up the remaining grapefruit into small pieces for the salad. In a medium bowl whisk the olive oil, grapefruit juice (from 3 slices of grapefruit), vinegar, chopped shallots, salt and pepper. In a large bowl toss spinach, quinoa, avocado, grapefruit and vinaigrette. Makes 4 servings.
Grapefruit Brulee
Courtesy of: EatingWell
A delicious way to turn a tart fruit into a sweet treat for only 120 calories per serving.
Ingredients:
- 3 large pink or ruby-red grapefruits
- 6 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, cut into tiny pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Directions:
Position oven rack about 5 inches from broiler; preheat broiler. Slice the stem end and opposite end off each grapefruit. Stand the grapefruit, one cut-end down, on a work surface. Cut off the rind and pith with a sharp knife, making sure to remove all the white pith. Cut each fruit into 4 rounds, about 1/2 inch thick, by making slices parallel to the ones you made on the top and bottom. Place the slices in a large baking pan in a single layer. Top each with 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar, dot with butter and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Broil the grapefruit until bubbling and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle pan juices over each serving. Makes 6 servings, 2 slices each.
Sweet Potatoes
The Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked sweet potatoes the number one most nutritious vegetable—of all the vegetables out there! Sweet potatoes are overflowing with vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium (according to Women’s Health magazine, one medium sweet potato has 28% more potassium than a banana] and, if eaten with the skin, fiber. Sweet potatoes are also low on the glycemic index and only pack about 130-160 calories. Enjoy a plain one baked or mashed, toss some roasted chunks on your salad, or test out these tasty recipes.
Rosemary Sweet Potato Wedges
Courtesy of: Women’s Health magazine
Move over, French Fries—these wedges are full of flavor, not fat.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried)
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the rosemary. Cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise into 1 1/2-inch-thick wedges and place in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the butter mixture. Toss gently. Arrange the wedges on a large baking sheet in one flat layer so they don’t touch. Bake in the upper part of the oven, turning once, until softened and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper, and carefully remove from the sheet (the wedges are relatively fragile after cooking). Serve hot.
Gingered Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
Courtesy of: Women’s Health magazine
This recipe is much simpler than the fancy title suggests, so you can easily wow people (and yourself) with your gourmet abilities.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 5 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 Tbsp jarred ginger, chopped
- Plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt (optional)
Directions:
Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock plus 2 cups water, then add sweet potato, carrot, and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Strain out vegetables and put them in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, adding a bit of broth if needed. (If you’re using a standard blender, allow the mixture to cool first; hot liquid may cause the blender to squirt out contents. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in batches.) Pour vegetable puree back into the saucepan and stir until well blended and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of yogurt on top, if desired.
If you haven’t yet already, make sure to read the posts from week one and week two. Don’t forget to check back next week for even more recipes, and until then…stay fresh!