Read THE 1,500-Calorie-a-Day Cookbook Online

Authors: Nancy S. Hughes

THE 1,500-Calorie-a-Day Cookbook (41 page)

BOOK: THE 1,500-Calorie-a-Day Cookbook

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Excellent source of fiber and vitamin C

Good source of vitamin A and calcium

Makes 6 cups fruit and about 1⅓ cups sauce total

Serves 4
(1½ cups fruit and about ⅓ cup sauce per serving)

Watermelon-Cranberry Splash

Calories 150; total fat 0g (saturated fat 0g); protein 2g; carbohydrates 27g; fiber 1g; cholesterol 0mg; sodium 5mg; vitamin A 25%; vitamin C 50%; calcium 2%; iron 4%

1 cup cranberry-raspberry or pomegranate juice

⅓ cup rum, vodka, or diet ginger ale

⅓ cup orange juice

1½ tablespoons lime juice

1½ tablespoons pourable sugar substitute, such as Splenda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups watermelon cubes (about ¾ inch each)

Combine all ingredients, except the watermelon, in a small pitcher or a 2-cup measuring cup with a spout and stir until well blended. Spoon equal amounts of the watermelon into each of four large goblets or dessert bowls. Pour equal amounts of the juice mixture over each serving.

TIME-SHAVER TIP:
You can purchase precut melon in your supermarket's produce section, but you may need to cut the pieces a bit smaller. They need to be bite size to soak up the great flavors properly.

Excellent source of vitamins A and C

Makes 6 cups watermelon cubes plus about 1¾ cups juice mixture total

Serves 4
(1½ cups watermelon cubes and scant ½ cup juice mixture per serving)

Chai-Poached Pears and Blueberries

Calories 150; total fat 0g (saturated fat 0g); protein 1g; carbohydrates 41g; fiber 7g; cholesterol 0mg; sodium 0mg; vitamin A 2%; vitamin C 20%; calcium 2%; iron 2%

2 cups water

2 spiced chai teabags

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 firm medium pears, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cored (1½ pounds total)

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1 cup fresh, or frozen and thawed, blueberries

Bring all but 2 tablespoons of the water to a boil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, add the teabags, and steep 3 minutes, moving the bags around frequently. Remove the teabags, squeezing excess liquid from the teabags into the skillet.
Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the pear halves, cut side down; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 8 minutes or until just tender, turning occasionally. Place the pear halves on a rimmed platter or in a shallow pasta bowl.
Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons water with the cornstarch and stir until completely dissolved; add the lemon rind and stir into the liquid in the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 1 minute, stirring frequently. Pour evenly over the pear halves and sprinkle berries on top. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.

TIME-SHAVER TIP:
Grated lemon rind may be stored in plastic wrap in the freezer to keep on hand for dishes like this one.

Excellent source of fiber and vitamin C

Makes 8 pear halves plus ¾ cup sauce total

Serves 4
(2 pear halves, 3 tablespoons sauce, and ¼ cup blueberries per serving)

Hot Butterscotch Apples and Ice Cream

Calories 150; total fat 0g (saturated fat 0g); protein 3g; carbohydrates 37g; fiber 3g; cholesterol 0mg; sodium 85mg; vitamin A 6%; vitamin C 6%; calcium 8%; iron 2%

3 medium tart apples, such as Granny Smith, sliced (3 cups)

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons water

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons butterscotch or caramel ice-cream topping

1⅓ cups fat-free vanilla ice cream

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and coat the skillet with cooking spray. Add the apples and raisins, coat them with cooking spray, and cook 8 minutes or until beginning to brown lightly, stirring frequently with two utensils as you would a stir-fry.
Remove from heat, add the water and vanilla, and toss to blend. Drizzle the ice-cream topping evenly over all (do not stir), cover, and let stand 3 minutes to absorb flavor and soften slightly.
Spoon equal amounts of the ice cream into each of four dessert bowls and top with equal amounts of the apple mixture.

COOK'S NOTE:
Using a tart Granny Smith rather than a milder, sweeter apple variety gives a bit of contrast, boosting and defining the flavors instead of blending them.

Good source of fiber

Makes 2 cups apple mixture and 1⅓ cups ice cream total

Serves 4
(⅓ cup ice cream and ½ cup apple mixture per serving)

Sour Cherry–Almond Pear Parfaits

Calories 150; total fat 2.5g (saturated fat 0g); protein 5g; carbohydrates 28g; fiber 3g; cholesterol 0mg; sodium 55mg; vitamin A 15%; vitamin C 10%; calcium 15%; iron 10%

1 14.5-ounce can sour pitted cherries in their own juice, undrained

1 large ripe pear, peeled, halved, cored, and diced (about 1¼ cups)

3 tablespoons pourable sugar substitute, such as Splenda

¼ teaspoon almond extract

2 6-ounce containers light vanilla yogurt (1½ cups total)

2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted and crushed

Combine the cherries and juice, pear, sugar substitute, and almond extract in a medium bowl; toss gently yet thoroughly to blend. Let stand 5 minutes to absorb flavors.
To serve, place equal amounts in each of four parfait glasses or dishes, top with equal amounts of the yogurt, and sprinkle evenly with the almonds.

COOK'S NOTE:
Crushing the almonds helps distribute the rich flavor more evenly, giving an overall nutty flavor rather than a chunky texture to the dish.

Good source of fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron

Makes 2½ cups cherry mixture, 1½ cups yogurt, and 2 tablespoons almonds total

Serves 4
(scant ⅔ cup cherry mixture, about ⅓ cup yogurt, and 1½ teaspoons almonds per serving)

Appendix
Converting to Metrics

Volume Measurement Conversions