Recipe: Crazy Crunch Cannellini Salad

If you're following the Volumetrics approach, this salad will be a great option for a filling meal. Packed with tons of fresh, healthy veggies, along with beans for protein, and some tasty herbs for great flavor, you can pretty much eat as much as you want of this delicious salad!

Crazy Crunch Cannellini Salad

Ingredients:

4 small cucumbers, scrubbed clean and diced small
1 sweet red bell pepper, cleaned and diced small
2 green onions, chopped small
1 celery stalk , chopped small
1 radish, chopped small (optional)
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped fine
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained well
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp grated sweet onion
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

• Put all the prepared vegetables in a large bowl and toss together, then add the beans and lightly toss just to combine.
• In a small bowl put the remaining ingredients and whisk vigorously until blended well and dressing gets lighter in color and becomes frothy.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
• Drizzle about half the dressing into the bowl with the vegetables, toss, and add more if desired, tossing again.
• Serve immediately or chill slightly (about 20 minutes) before serving if you wish.
• If your diet doesn't allow cannellini beans, you can substitute another form of protein such as diced cooked turkey or chicken.  This is a very refreshing salad that can take a lot of tweaking.
• This makes a nice side dish for a grilled fish, chicken, or other meat dish.  You can also serve it as a light supper, lunch, or even a brunch dish.
• Use a variety of herbs in the dressing to make this dish different every time you make it. You can also change the beans to others you may prefer.

 Check These Out for More Tasty Volumetrics Recipes:

   

Recipe: Pomegranate & Cantaloupe Salsa

The Fat Resistance Diet emphasizes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially in Phase 1. This delicious salsa makes a wonderfully flavorful topping for grilled fish or chicken, and is packed with healthy vitamins and fats, along with lots of flavor! Give this one a try to add some zest to your meals.

Pomegranate Seed Cantaloupe Salsa

Ingredients:

1 lime, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1 cup diced cantaloupe
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

• In a glass bowl, add all the ingredients and lightly toss.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Lightly toss again before serving.
• Serve as a dip with whole-wheat tortilla chips or as a relish with grilled fish or chicken, depending on your diet.

For more information and recipes, check out The Fat Resistance Diet: Unlock the Secret of the Hormone Leptin to: Eliminate Cravings, Supercharge Your Metabolism, Fight Inflammation, Lose Weight & Reprogram Your Body to Stay Thin, by Dr. Leo Galland.

In this book, you'll find cutting-edge research showing that losing weight is not about carbs, calories, fat, or even willpower.  Weight loss is all about a hormone called leptin and how it functions in your body. Leptin curbs your appetite, jump-starts your metabolism, and when working properly makes you literally fat resistant. If your body no longer responds to leptin, it may be impossible for you to slim down. This diet reprograms your body to start melting away the pounds. Using a combination of anti-inflammatory and hormone-balancing foods, the 3 phase regimen claims a quick weight loss, then an easy to maintain steady reduction as you enjoy over 100 delicious recipes designed to transform your body into a lean, fat-fighting machine.

Recipe: Sweet Maple Green Beans

Mmmmm...few summer vegetables are more delicious and healthy than fresh green beans. They're also easy to grow, so if you've got a hankering to try your hand at gardening, green beans are a great place to start!

This recipe makes a special treat out of green beans that the kids will absolutely love. Sautéing green beans in butter and maple syrup makes them tender, sweet and delicious.

Sweet Maple Green Beans

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

2 cups green beans
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and pepper

Directions: 

• Steam green beans until starting to soften. 
• Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. 
• Add the maple syrup and green beans saute for a few minutes. 
• Add salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
• Makes a great side dish for a potluck or barbecue!

Recipe: Feta Bean Dip

This flavorful dip is packed with protein, so it makes a great, healthy snack for busy kids to munch on between school and sports activities. It only takes a few minutes to put together, and is great when made a few hours ahead so the flavors can meld.

Purely Perfect Feta Bean Dip
Ingredients:

1 can (15 oz) (or 1 1/2 cups cooked) Navy beans, drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash cumin
3/4 cup fresh herbs, your choice mixture of parsley, dill, and chives

Directions:

• Get out your food processor or blender. (I like the Ninja - it will whip this up for you in about 30 seconds.)
• Put everything in the vessel and hit puree, pulsing until mixture is smooth.
• Scoop out into a bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Serve with vegetables as a dip for a healthy snack or light lunch or dinner. You may also use as a spread on hearty crackers.

Recipe: Fresh Tomato & Zucchini Turkey Stew

This healthy recipe works great as a one-pot meal, and includes lots of tasty veggies, plus brown rice and turkey, with flavors of the Southwest. Prepare the rice and chop the veggies ahead of time, and it's extra-easy to throw together a fast, healthy dinner in a jiffy.

Fresh Tomato Zucchini Turkey Stew
(Serves 4-6.)

Ingredients:

1 lb organic ground turkey
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (6 oz) tomato sauce
1 tomato sauce can of water
6 small zucchini, rough chopped
6 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups cooked brown rice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Put a large pot on medium heat, add the turkey and olive oil, breaking the turkey up as it cooks. When turkey is no longer pink, add the oregano, cumin, and onion and cook until onion is just softened, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Add the tomato sauce to the pot plus the same can filled with water, stir to combine, then add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, then turn heat to low, cover pot, and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve hot in big bowls.

Recipe - Quick Spinach Basil Stir-Fry With Pine Nuts

If you're looking for a quick and healthy recipe with gourmet appeal, check this one out and you won't be disappointed. It only takes a few minutes, but is packed with nutrients and fresh flavor. This easy recipe makes a great side-dish for a fancy dinner, or just adds a missing veggie to round out a quick meal.

Quick Spinach Basil Stir-Fry With Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

3 tsp high heat cooking oil, like safflower oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bags (12 oz total) fresh spinach
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh basil leaves, torn
optional: fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. In a very large skillet, add cooking oil over medium-low heat. Add pine nuts and cook, shaking skillet gently, until just starting to brown a little, about 2 minutes.
2. Add minced garlic and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 1 more minute.
3. Turn heat up to medium and add spinach, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
4. Toss spinach around in skillet for about 3 minutes or until it just starts to wilt.
5. Add fresh basil leaves, tossing to combine, and continue cooking for 1 minute.
6. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
7. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top of each serving if desired.

Recipe: Almond Crusted Chicken Cutlets With Fennel Tomato Salad

Here is a slightly more advanced recipe, full of great healthy fresh flavors and nutrients. Fill up on this one and you'll give your body a special treat! Whole, fresh ingredients provide your body with the fuel it needs to have lots of energy to get some great exercise to support your weight-loss efforts. And it's so tasty, it can satisfy even the most gourmet palate.

Almond Crusted Chicken Cutlets With Fennel Tomato Salad
(Serves 4.)

Fennel (Photo credit: Satrina0)

Ingredients:

2 fennel bulbs, cleaned and sliced thin
1 Tbsp fronds from the fennel
4 stalks celery, chopped
12 grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 lemons, zested and juiced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
1 lb chicken cutlets
2 cups almond meal
2 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a glass bowl, put the fennel, fronds, celery, grape tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss together.  Add the Parmesan cheese and toss together once more gently. Set aside.
2. Divide the almond meal evenly between two shallow dishes, and salt and pepper both to taste. Put beaten eggs in a separate shallow dish.
3. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the following order: almond, egg, almond.  Put each on a platter.
4. Pour about 1/4 inch of olive or other healthy cooking oil into a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  When oil sizzles, take coated cutlets and gently lay a few in, cooking until nice and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, removing to a cooling rack covered with paper towels. Continue cooking cutlets, making sure not to over-crowd the skillet.
5. Serve by putting a cutlet on a plate and spoon generous amounts of fennel salad next to and over the cutlet.

The almond meal replaces the use of flour or cornmeal to make the crust, which may be more suitable for your diet.

Healthly Spring Recipe - Crabby Asparagus Frittata

Here is a great one full of healthy, fresh, spring ingredients. For the healthiest meal, be sure to use fresh and organic ingredients where possible, and fresh farm eggs from pasture-raised poultry, as these contain the most Omega-3 fatty acids for heart and brain health, and are lower in cholesterol and full of additional vitamins. You'll be able to tell, as the yolks will stand tall, and be bright orange! (You can find more info on healthy eggs in our previous blog post here.)  For fewer people, this recipe can be easily cut in half or scaled down.

Crabby Asparagus Frittata

Eggs I (Photo credit: Keith Marshall)

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh asparagus, cut small
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup green onions, chopped small
1/2 cup red bell pepper, cleaned and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup flaked crab meat
8 fresh eggs
1/4 cup water (or milk)
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning (or other mixed seasoning)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray or rub oil into a 10 inch oven-proof skillet.
• Put skillet on stovetop burner set to medium-high heat. When skillet gets hot, add asparagus, mushrooms, onions and bell pepper and cook until just tender but still somewhat crisp. This will take about 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Add the crab meat and stir to combine ingredients.
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, water, and Italian seasoning until mixture is well blended, then stir in the mozzarella cheese.
• Pour this mixture over the crab and veggies in the skillet, just shaking the skillet a little to combine; do not stir.
• Put skillet back on stovetop over medium heat and cook just until eggs set up around the edges, about 5 to 6 minutes, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in 375 degree oven until top is lightly browned, eggs are completely set, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let sit at room temperature for 3 to 5 minutes, then serve by cutting into wedges.

Serves 4 to 6 people depending on whether this is served as a dinner, breakfast, or lunch, and whether or not you're serving with sides.