Recipe: Spring Veggie + Grain Bowl.@ClevelandClinic

An easy way to lighten up your diet






Cleveland Clinic

@ClevelandClinic


This clean, light, flavorful meal is perfect any time of day! Look for local veggies, and you’ll know spring has truly sprung.
Ready for a spring-cleaning that doesn’t involve baseboards or windows? After a chilly winter filled with hearty soups and stews, there’s nothing like spring vegetables to lighten your, err, load.
Our Spring Veggie + Grain Bowl features ribbons of tender, sweet asparagus and carrots on a bed of fluffy quinoa. Radishes and jalapeño, plus a simple, light dressing of tahini, lemon juice and garlic, add zing and tang — plus loads of nutrients. This vegan dish makes a clean, light, flavorful lunch or dinner — or even breakfast. Look for local veggies, and you’ll know spring has truly sprung.
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
3 tablespoons tahini, well stirred
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
12 asparagus spears
3 carrots
6 radishes
1 jalapeño, seeds removed if desired
½ cup fresh parsley leaves
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 cups of water over medium-high heat and let come to a boil. Stir once, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes more.
In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic and salt.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the asparagus and carrots into long ribbons. Thinly slice the radishes and jalapeño.
Divide the quinoa among bowls and add the vegetables. Drizzle on the dressing and scatter the parsley leaves over the top.
Nutritional information (per serving)
Makes 4 servings.
376 calories, 20 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 13 g protein, 39 g carbohydrate, 6 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar, 0 g added sugar, 0 mg cholesterol, 112 mg sodium
Source: Developed by Sara Quessenberry for Cleveland Clinic Wellness

Recipe: Asparagus, tomato and red pepper French bread pizza

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Are you craving the taste of a pizza but not the guilt and all the calories? Consider trying this healthy remake of French bread pizza that could turn into your new favorite Friday night treat. It’s easy, delicious and approx. 265 calories per slice.

Dietitian’s note: For a crispier pizza, bake on a pizza stone — a heavy, round plate that simulates the brick bottoms of some commercial pizza ovens. For best results, put the pizza stone on the lowest oven shelf.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup diced asparagus
  • 1 cup diced Roma tomatoes
  • 1 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 loaf French bread, about 8 inches long, sliced in half and cut into 4-inch sections
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, add the asparagus, tomatoes and pepper. Add the garlic and toss gently to coat evenly. Arrange the French bread on the baking sheet. Add 1/4 cup of the pizza sauce and 1/4 of the vegetable mixture to each section. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Bake until the cheese is lightly browned and the vegetables are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serving size: 1 4-inch section

Calories 265
Total fat 5 g
Saturated fat 2 g
Trans fat 0 g
Monounsaturated fat 0.5 g
Cholesterol 12 mg
Sodium 660 mg
Total carbohydrate 40 g
Dietary fiber 4 g
Added sugars 0 g
Protein 15 g
Nutritional analysis per serving

This recipe and many others can be found on Mayo Clinic’s website.