Recipes - arthritis

Savory Carrot Soup

Yield: 4 servings
4 cups sliced carrots
2 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups skim milk
3 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon curry

• In a medium saucepan combine carrots and broth. Cover. On high heat bring to a boil and reduce heat until broth simmers. Add milk and cook slowly for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
• Process carrot mixture, one cup at a time, in a blender until smooth. Add lemon juice and curry, and blend well.
• Serve chilled.

Nutrition facts (per serving): Calories 93, Carbohydrate 18 grams (g), Fiber 4 g, Protein 10.2 g, Total fat 1 g, Cholesterol 0 milligrams (mg), Sodium 99 mg

Chickpea Soup

Yield: 9 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
6 cups unsalted vegetable broth
2 cans (2 pounds) chickpeas, drained
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon instant vegetable bouillon granules
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1½ cups ziti

• Spread olive oil over the bottom of a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, or until the garlic begins to turn color.
• Add the remaining ingredients, except the pasta, to the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Remove the bay leaves, and discard them.
• Remove 4 cups of the soup—including vegetables and hot broth—from the pot. Place 2 cups in a blender, and blend at low speed until the mixture is smooth. Return the puréed mixture to the pot, and stir to mix well. Repeat with the remaining 2 cups of soup that was removed from the pot.
• Add the pasta to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. (Don’t overcook, as the pasta will continue to soften in the hot soup.)
• Serve hot.

Nutrition facts (per 1-cup serving): Calories 172, Carbohydrate 30.8 grams (g),
Fiber 4.4 g, Protein 7.9 g, Total fat 1.9 g, Cholesterol 0 milligrams (mg), Sodium 386 mg

Chicken Couscous

Yield: 4 servings
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup whole-wheat couscous
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

• Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook chicken until no longer pink inside and
lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
• Put onion, cumin, and cinnamon in the same saucepan used to cook the chicken, and sauté the onions until they are lightly browned.
• Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in couscous and chickpeas. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Return chicken to saucepan, combine with the couscous, and serve.

Nutrition facts (per serving): Calories 320, Carbohydrate 32 grams (g), Fiber 6 g, Protein 33 g, Total fat 6 g, cholesterol 82 milligrams (mg), Sodium 400 mg

Fish Bake

Yield: 4 servings
4 fish fillets or steaks (about 5 ounces each), such as cod, salmon, or tuna
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
2 large tomatoes, skin removed and sliced (about 12 slices)
12 thin slices onion
¼ cup sliced black olives
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

• Rinse the fish with cool water, and pat it dry with paper towels.
• Cut four 12-by-12-inch pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil and lightly oil one side of each. Center a fillet on each piece. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the lemon pepper over each fillet. Top with tomato and onion slices, olives, and a sprinkling of dill.
• Fold the foil over the fish, pressing the edges securely together. Allow space within foil for heat circulation and expansion.
• Arrange the pouches on a baking sheet, and bake at 450° F for about 20 minutes, or until the thickest part of the fish is easily flaked with a fork. Open each packet carefully. Slide fish off foil onto dish. (A spatula will help.) Serve hot.

Nutrition facts (per serving): Calories 171, Carbohydrate 13 grams (g), Fiber 2.8 g, Protein 23 g, Total fat 3.1 g, Cholesterol 28 milligrams (mg), Sodium 295 mg

Orange Juice–Roasted Veggies

Yield: 4 servings
1 cup zucchini, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into thin slices
1½ cups broccoli florets
½ cup green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, quartered
4 tablespoons orange juice
1¼ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Fresh basil leaves, to garnish

• Preheat oven to 400º F. Place the zucchini, pepper, broccoli, onions, and garlic on a lightly oiled baking tray and pour the orange juice over them. Cover with foil and bake for 25
minutes.
• Increase the heat to 450º F. Remove the foil and add the tomatoes, oil, and rosemary. Bake, turning the vegetables frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are browned. Garnish with the basil when serving.

Nutrition facts (per serving): Calories 120, Carbohydrate 9 grams (g), Fiber 2 g, Protein 3 g, Total fat 8 g, Cholesterol 0 milligrams (mg), Sodium 15 mg

Walnut-Date Loaf

Yield: 16 slices
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1¼ cups pineapple juice
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

• Place dates in a bowl.
• Bring juice to a boil, then pour over the dates. Set aside and cool.
• Put the flour, sugar, baking soda, and
baking powder in a large bowl, and stir to mix. Set aside.
• Stir the oil and vanilla extract into the cooled date mixture, and add it to the flour mixture. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the walnuts.
• Lightly oil an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, and bake at 300º F for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
• Remove the loaf from the oven, and let sit for 15 minutes. Take the loaf out of the pan and let it cool on a wire rack. Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and refrigerate them for safe-keeping.

Nutrition facts (per serving): Calories 148, Carbohydrate 25 grams (g), Fiber 3 g,
Protein 3.7 g, Total fat 4.9 g, Cholesterol 0 milligrams (mg), Sodium 111 mg