D2d Favorite Recipes

Strawberry Salad with Mozzarella and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Makes 4 servings
Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Salad

• 6-8 cups loose salad greens
• 24 small strawberries
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
• 8 big leaves of basil

Dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Rip clean and dried salad greens into bite sized pieces.
3. Roll the basil leaves into a little tube and slice thin (chiffonade).
4. In a large bowl, toss lettuce greens and basil strips with most of the dressing (you may have to do this in two batches so as not to overfill the bowl), reserving a little to drizzle over the top at the end.
5. Portion greens out onto serving plates.
6. Remove the stem of the strawberry, slicing thin from top to point. Spread evenly over the four servings of salad.
7. Cut mozzarella into bite sized pieces. I used the ovoline (little mozzarella balls in water) and quartered them. Spread evenly over the four servings of salad.
8. Drizzle remaining dressing over the top and enjoy!

Featured in Participant Newsletter #6

Picture and Recipe Source: Nothing Beets Fresh

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Black- Eyed Pea Salad

Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas
• 2-3 bell peppers finely chopped (I use red, green and yellow)
• 2 scallions finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
• 1 TBSP kosher salt
• 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 2-3 slices of bacon (optional, but it gives a nice smoky flavor)
• 5 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Soak peas:

• Place black-eyed peas in a large bowl. Add cold water to cover the peas by 3 inches
• Place in refrigerator for 12 hours.

2. Prepare dressing:

• Whisk together bell peppers, scallions, garlic, olive oil, vinegars, parsley salt and pepper.
• Cover and chill dressing for up to 12 hours.

3. Prepare peas:

• Drain peas from the soaking water.
• If using bacon, cook it in a large pot so that fat renders (5-7 minutes), but it is still soft (if not using bacon continue with recipe).
• Add peas and stir to distribute bacon fat.
• Add broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until peas are tender, approximately 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
• Remove bacon and drain peas.
• Transfer peas to a large bowl and add desired amount of dressing (you may have some extra), stir.
• Chill, and serve cold.

Featured in Participant Newsletter #5

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Arugula Salad with Mandarin Oranges

Ingredients:

Salad

• 5 oz baby arugula
• 4 cooked bacon slices, chopped
• 4 medium fresh mandarin oranges (tangerines or clementines), peeled into segments

Dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried tarragon

Directions:

1. In a salad bowl, mix together all salad ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.

Picture and Recipe Source: American Diabetes Association

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Spiced Pumpkin White Bean Bisque

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of butter or canola oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped sage (or a little dry)
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 2 and 1/2 cups of low-sodium vegetable stock (or chicken broth) — divided into a ½ cup and 2 cups
• 1 can cannelli beans (white kidney beans); well rinsed OR use 2/3 c dry beans*
• 1 can (15oz.) of pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling) OR a small fresh squash**
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper
• dollop crème fraîche (optional — you could substitute plain low fat/no fat yogurt or sour cream)
• 4 pieces of crusty bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Melt butter or heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions, garlic and sage. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
3. Add pinch of nutmeg and the ground cumin. Sauté for about a minute.
4. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock. Scrape down the pan to loosen up the browned bit
5. Combine the onion/spice mixture, up to 2 cups of stock (depending on how thick you like it), white beans and pumpkin purée in a blender. Process until smooth. Use caution when blending hot liquid. Note: if you don’t have a blender, you can use a hand immersion blender or food processor.
6. Return mixture to the pot. Stir in the milk then bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Cook through for about 5 minutes and then stir in the apple cider vinegar. Garnish with a swirl of crème fraîche (optional) and croutons.

Croutons

1. Toss bread cubes with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste.
2. Spread in a single layer on a baking tray. Toast in oven (350° F) until lightly browned (warning: they can go from untoasted to burned quick so keep an eye on them!)

* If using dried beans: soak in water overnight, drain, place in a pot with water (3 times as high as beans), bring to boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer 35-45 minutes until tender.

** If using fresh squash (butternut, acorn, sunshine, carnival), cut in half, and roast (350°F), cut-side down on pan until tender (approximately for 45 minutes), cool, then scoop out flesh and add to recipe.

Featured in Participant Newsletter #4 

Recipe source: The Fig Tree

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Fruit Infused Water

Water infused with fruit, herbs and even vegetables makes a tasty, colorful, refreshing beverage. The D2d study encourages you to consider choosing infused water instead of a soda or other sugary beverages. The D2d Study team at the University of Southern California/LA Roybal Comprehensive Health Center suggests the following combinations and encourages you to come up with some of your own.

Ingredients:

Strawberry, Orange, and Mint:

• 1 Orange
• 10 Strawberries, sliced
• about 8-10 mint leaves

Raspberry, Cucumber, and Lime:

• A handful of raspberries
• 2 limes, thinly sliced
• 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced

Blueberry Orange:

• 6 cups water
• 2 mandarin oranges, thinly sliced
• handful of blueberries

Grapefruit, Cucumber and Mint:

• 2 large grapefruits, thinly sliced
• 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
• 4-8 mint leaves

Directions:

In a large pitcher or container add the fruit and vegetables, gently squeeze, muddle or twist the herb leaves to release the oils (you do not want to tear the leaves), and place them on top of the fruit. Add ice and water and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for the flavors to infuse.

Featured in Participant Newsletter #3

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Oatmeal Pancakes

This recipe was contributed by Patricia Sheehan who is the Project Manager at the D2d Coordinating Center at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. This recipe is modified from a version published in Cooking Light. They are a light, healthy, yummy version of pancakes.  The recipe starts with whole grains and can be enhanced with fruits and nuts.  See notes below.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (Note: I mix half whole wheat, half all-purpose flour)
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk (Note: I never have buttermilk, so I add a tablespoon of white vinegar to regular skim or 1% milk and let it sit for 5 minutes to make ”buttermilk”)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• Optional: consider adding chopped apple, blueberries, finely chopped nuts, flax, bananas, coconut…
• Cooking spray

Note: This recipe serves 3. I usually double the recipe, so I have some leftovers.

Directions:

1. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, with a whisk.
2. Combine buttermilk, butter, and egg in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. It will look soupy but after a few minutes the oats will absorb some of the liquid.  Add any additions (see ideas above).
3. Heat a nonstick griddle or cast iron pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons batter per pancake onto griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles; cook until bottoms are lightly browned. Adjust the heat as needed.

Featured in D2d Participant Newsletter #2

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Basic Hummus

This recipe for healthy hummus was contributed by Ellen Vickery who is a Research Associate at the D2d Coordinating Center at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

Ingredients:

• One 15-ounce can low-sodium chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
• Large garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, blend chickpeas, garlic, and salt for 15 seconds.
2. Stop, scrape down sides, and blend for another 15 seconds.
3. Add lemon juice and olive oil, a blend for 20 seconds.
4. Add any other desired flavors (see variations below).
5. Blend for 20 seconds then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
6. With the blender/processor running, drizzle in the water to reach the desired consistency.
7. Serve with carrot sticks or whole wheat pita chips.

Variations:

Chickpeas from dried beans – dried chickpeas are even cheaper than canned.

1. To make the equivalent of 1 can of canned chickpeas soak 2/3 of a cup of chickpeas in at least 3 cups of water overnight.
2. Dump out water and place in a pot, covering with at least 2 inches of water.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, simmering approximately 45 minutes. Test for tenderness and drain.

Flavor variations – test out other flavors such as vegetables (try roasted red peppers) or using additional spices (such as ½ tsp ground cumin or 2-4 tbsp of tahini). Add at the end of the blending to mix in.

 

Featured in D2d Participant Newsletter #1