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Diana's Healthful Recipes

Recipes Sorted By Category

Diana's Healthful Recipes Sorted by Category

Watermelon-Barley Greek Salad

A beautiful and delicious summer salad, perfect for Labor Day, a Fourth of July picnic or any buffet table,

Dave’s Zucchini “Pasta” with Shrimp

3-4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, crushed 4 anchovy filets (optional) 1/2 pound peeled shrimp 1/2 cup chopped onions 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces 2 medium zucchini, "spiralized" into pasta (see note below) or cut into matchstick strips Fresh oregano to taste, or about 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Freshly ground black pepper to taste Shredded parmesan cheese (optional) Heat the...

Diana Makes her Southwestern Bean Salad

Diana shows you how to make one of her favorite salads using cooked whole grains. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmyV1yYhIdY Here's the recipe: Southwestern Bean Salad This salad keeps well for several days, so make a large quantity and store the leftovers in your refrigerator. Guidelines for Dr. Mirkin's modified DASH diet Enjoy! Checked 11/22/19

Oatmeal for a Healthful Breakfast

Diana explains why oatmeal make such a healthful and satisfying breakfast, and shows you her easy way to make a batch for 3-4 days worth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTFx2NErpIQ Try your own variations using whatever additions you like: raisins or other dried fruits, pinenuts or any other nuts, cinnamon and so forth Read the full instructions for the two-week SHOW...

Diana Cooks her Extra-Quick Chili

Watch Diana put together the fastest possible pot of chili, to serve over your cooked brown rice or other whole grains for a one-dish meal. Add a tossed green salad if you like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLwzlND5wn0 Now that you've seen how easy it is, try the recipe yourself! Extra Quick Chili

Diana Cooks Grains in a Steamer

You can cook any whole grains in a pot on your stovetop, but it's much easier in a countertop steamer. Diana shows you how. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKgNsp7mu7w You'll find more details on kinds of whole grains, quantities and cooking times in How to Cook Whole Grains

Diana Cooks Whole Grains

Diana shows you how simple it is to cook any kind of whole grains on your stovetop. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on7G0PXaAUg For lots more information see How to Cook Whole Grains You can use cooked whole grains any way you would use cooked pasta or cooked white rice: Top them with your favorite sauce, stir them into a soup...

Diana’s Cooking Videos

Diana Mixes a Salad Diana Cooks Whole Grains Diana Cooks Whole Grains in a Steamer Diana Cooks Extra-Quick Chili Diana Cooks Oatmeal for a Healthful Breakfast Diana Makes her Southwestern Bean Salad More coming soon

Diana Mixes a Salad

Diana shows you how easy it is to make one of her quick mix-and-match salads:

How to Prepare Spaghetti Squash

spaghetti squash cooking instructions

Roasted Veggie Soup Starter

If you do this 3 or 4 times a year, you will always have the makings of great soups, veggie stews or chili on hand. Your choice -- any or all: Onions Celery Peppers-red, green Carrots Fennel Turnips Garlic Potatoes Sweet potatoes Winter squash Mushrooms etc. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice or chop all the vegetables into about ½" pieces. Pile into a large roasting pan. Roast, uncovered,...

About Clementines

Clementines are the small citrus in boxes or mesh bags that appear in markets during the winter months. This year's crop is tasty, juicy and plentiful (prices are low!). They're great for snacking, dessert or in fruit salads. Clementines also make a wonderful addition to almost any green salad, or in my recipes for salads...

About Lentils

Lentils are small legumes, from the plant family that includes beans and peas. The ordinary greenish-brown variety is available in every supermarket, usually in the dried-bean section. At sixty-nine cents for a one-pound bag, they are a nutritional bargain. They are a good plant source of protein, fiber, and several vitamins and minerals. You may...

Basic Wild Rice

1/2 pound wild rice 6 cups bouillon Bring the bouillon (or salted water) to a boil, stir in the wild rice and return to boiling. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Drain off any excess liquid. Don't overcook;...

Basic Quinoa

Note: Quinoa is a whole grain that is quick to cook, so you don't need to plan ahead; you can cook it while you prepare the rest of your meal. It comes in boxes and is available in many supermarkets. 1 box (12 ounces) quinoa 4 cups bouillon Bring the bouillon to a boil, stir in the...

Basic Millet

1 cup millet 2 cups bouillon Bring the bouillon to a boil, stir in the millet and return to boiling. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. The millet should be tender but not mushy. Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand, covered, for...

Basic Kasha (Buckwheat Groats)

1 cup kasha 2 cups bouillon Bring the bouillon to a boil, stir in the kasha and return to boiling. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the kasha is tender and the liquid is absorbed. If you wish, you can toast the kasha in a dry frying pan before...

Basic Brown Rice

1 cup brown rice 2 1/2 cups bouillon Bring the bouillon to a boil, stir in the brown rice and return to boiling. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 40 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Don't overcook brown rice; it tastes best when the grains are...

Basic Barley

2 cups uncooked barley 6 cups bouillon Bring the bouillon to a boil, stir in the barley and return to boiling. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the barley is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Drain off excess liquid if necessary. Yield: About 6 cups Detailed cooking instructions...

How to De-Gas Beans

If you're bothered by gas when you eat beans, try this cooking method.

Microwaving Eggplant

This is the easiest way to prepare eggplant and no oil is required, so you don't add unnecessary calories! Select a shiny, firm eggplant. Cut off the stem end. Pierce the skin in several places with a sharp knife. Set the plate on a microwave-safe dish and cook it on high for 7-10 minutes, or...

About Bouillon and Stock

You'll notice that lots of my recipes list bouillon as an ingredient. That's my shorthand for using a flavored liquid instead of water. When one of my recipes calls for bouillon, here's what to use: Bouillon cubes, granules or paste. The easiest method is to add one bouillon cube or one teaspoon of bouillon granules...

SPICE BLENDS AND SPICE PASTES

spice blend recipes from Diana Mirkin

Introduction to the Recipes

It's hard to go wrong when you cook with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. You don't need to worry about precise measurements, cooking times or ingredient preparation. The recipes give you general guidelines, but if you do things a little differently, chances are your dish will still be delicious! Measurements: Most cooks don't do...

Zippy Black Bean Dip

1 16-ounce can black beans, drained 1 clove garlic A few dashes of bottled hot sauce or chopped pickled jalapeno peppers, to taste 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or wine vinegar 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon mild chili powder Mash the ingredients together or puree in a blender. Serve with raw vegetable dippers. Yield: About 2 cups

Vera Mirkin’s No-Liver Chopped Liver

Gabe's mother lived to 106, so she must have done something right! This really does taste a lot like chopped chicken liver and it is yummy. 3 onions, chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 hard boiled eggs 2 cups walnuts cayenne and salt to taste (you may add other seasonings if you wish) Saute the onions in oil until soft. Combine with...

Tri-Color Salsa or Dip

1 16-ounce can small red beans, drained 1 10-ounce can shoepeg corn, drained 2-4 tablespoons hot red pepper relish, or to taste 1 bunch green onions, white part only, sliced thin 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped Mix all ingredients together and chill. Yield: About 3 cups

Tex-Mex Bean Dip

an easy bean dip recipe

Spinach-Artichoke Dip or Dressing

1 10-ounce bag spinach leaves 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 can white beans, drained 1 bunch green onions, sliced (white part) 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves or flat-leaf parsley, chopped pinch cayenne, to taste juice of one lemon 2 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, chopped fine (including the liquid) Place all ingredients except the artichokes in a blender or food processor and...