Skinny Bitch_ Ultimate Everyday Cookbook - Kim Barnouin [53]
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1¼ (300 ml) cups water
½ teaspoon salt, plus pinch, to taste
1 cup (175 g) uncooked whole wheat couscous (equals 3 cups cooked)
1 (15-ounce/430 g) can white beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup (40 g) shaved fennel, including some of the green part
½ cup (50 g) shaved radishes
½ cup (30 g) chopped Oven-Dried Tomatoes (see recipe on page 128)
2½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
2½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup (20 g) finely chopped red cabbage, steamed
¼ cup (35 g) peeled and finely chopped carrot, steamed
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pepper, to taste
In a medium saucepan bring the water and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat. Stir in the couscous, and turn off the heat. Cover immediately and move the saucepan to a cool burner. Let sit 5 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff with a fork. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the beans, fennel, radishes, tomatoes, parsley, basil, cilantro, cabbage, carrot, and onion. Stir until well combined. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, pinch of salt, and pepper. Add the cooled couscous to the bowl of vegetables and stir together. Pour in the oil mixture and stir together. Chill and serve cold.
Srv: 216 g | Cal: 340 | Fat: 15 g | Sat Fat: 2 g | Col: 0 mg | Carb: 47 g | Fib: 11 g | Pro: 12 g
BITCHWORTHY: MEYER LEMONS
WITH THE TANG OF REGULAR LEMONS BUT NOT THE BITTER PUCKER, MEYER LEMONS ROCK MY FRUIT BOWL. THEY ARE GREAT IN SOUFFLÉS AND MAKE AN UNBELIEVABLE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING. FOR DESSERTS, THEIR PEEL IS SLIGHTLY SWEETER THAN OTHER LEMONS AND THE COLOR AND JUICE JUST POP. LOOK FOR THEM IN SEASON FROM NOVEMBER TO APRIL.
The Chronicles of the Common Flu
THE CAUSES OF AND CURES FOR A WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM
Some hussy sneezes on you at the movie theater. Kleenex is on back order at your local grocer. Your friends are dropping like flies, their sick days slipping away faster than their youth. Then you start to feel it coming on. The body aches, itchy throat, splitting headache. Damn it. I can’t afford to get sick right now.
You, my friend, actually play a bigger role than you think. Try to picture your immune system as an army—a big, bad, don’t-take-shit-from-nobody army. That army’s primary goal is to fight and destroy the scum that invades the body. When that army is sluggish, it leaves our bodies open to attack. Now, why in the world would the immune system go and do that? I thought you would never ask.
Exhibit A, please:
SUGAR HIGH: When you overdose on sugar, it reduces the ability of infection-fighting white blood cells to kill germs and invades the immune system. Even just two sodas a day can lower the power of your cold-busting immune system by 40 percent. Treat sugar like your ex-boyfriend. Tell yourself the relationship is over; dump it and move on.
OBESITY: Your pot belly and cankles can lead to a depressed immune system. This means your white blood cells are so busy throwing a pity party for one, they forgot to multiply and produce antibodies. Oh, spare me the melodrama!
DRINKING: Chugging one too many cocktails not only packs on more cushion for the pushin’ but too much can also produce an overall nutritional deficiency.
STRESS: Chill out! Overwhelming evidence shows that stress negatively impacts your health. No shit.
POOR DIET: Your body needs a daily boost of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and enzymes to protect the immune system. What are you eating? 106
Exhibit B: Eat Your Way to Good Health
LEMONS: Lemons are the ideal food for restoring acid-alkali balance in the body. It helps maintain the body’s natural pH levels, which