The DASH Diet with Marla Heller MS, RD

Recipes

Cinnamon-Almond French Toast with Raspberry Sauce

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: Raspberry Sauce

2 (6-ounce) containers fresh raspberries (about 2 2/3 cups), or 1 (12-ounce) bag thawed
frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon amber agave nectar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, as needed

To make the sauce: Pulse the raspberries, agave, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender just
until the berries are smooth. (Dont puree until the raspberry seeds are crushed, or the sauce could be
bitter.) Strain through a fine-meshed wire strainer to remove the seeds. Set aside at room temperature.
Ingredients: French Toast

1 large egg plus 1 large egg

white
teaspoon ground cinnamon
cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 tablespoon amber agave
nectar
teaspoon vanilla extract
teaspoon almond extract
Canola oil in a pump sprayer
8 slices whole-wheat or multigrain bread
cup sliced natural almonds, toasted, for serving
1 (6-ounce) container fresh raspberries (about 1 1/3 cups), for serving (optional)

To make the French toast: Preheat the oven to 200 F.

In a large, wide bowl, whisk together the egg and the egg white. Whisk in the cinnamon until it is well
distributed. Whisk in the milk, agave, vanilla, and almond extract.
Spray a large griddle or nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. In batches, dip a bread slice
into the egg mixture to moisten, but not soak, the bread. Place on the griddle and reduce the heat to
medium-low. Cook until the underside is browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the French toast with a wide
spatula and cook until the other side is browned, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet and
keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining French toast.
For each serving, place 2 slices of French toast on a plate. Top with 3 tablespoons of the sauce and
sprinkle with 2 tablespoons almonds. Add a few fresh raspberries, if desired, and serve immediately.
Note: In this recipe, if you would like to cut the added sugar content, you could skip the agave nectar for
both the berries and the French toast.

The DASH Diet with Marla Heller MS, RD

Recipes

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: Baked Tortilla Strips

Olive oil in a pump sprayer

3 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into strips about inch wide and 1 inch long

To make the tortilla strips: Preheat the oven to 400F.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Spread the tortilla strips on the baking sheet and spray with oil.
Bake, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
Ingredients: Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed, cut into bite-sized
pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into -inch dice
1 large zucchini, trimmed and cut into -inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3 cups homemade chicken broth or canned low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juice, undrained
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
Lime wedges for serving

To make the soup: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. In two batches, add the chicken
and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the onion, red pepper,
zucchini, garlic, and jalapeno and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion
softens, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the broth, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Stir in the
water and tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Simmer until the chicken is opaque in the center when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 35
minutes. During the last 5 minutes, stir in the corn and the 2 tablespoons cilantro.
Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with about 1 tablespoon of tortilla chips and additional
cilantro. Serve hot with the lime wedges for squeezing into the soup as desired.

The DASH Diet with Marla Heller MS, RD

Recipes

Chopped Greek Salad

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients

1 small red onion, cut into very thin half-moons

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1
/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in halves
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into thin half-moons
cup diced (-inch) green bell pepper
2 ounces ( cup) crumbled regular rindless goat cheese

Soak the red onion in a small bowl of cold water from 30 minutes; drain and pat dry. (This step is
optional, but it helps mellow the onions strong flavor.)
In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, oregano, garlic, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the
oil. Add the drained onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper and toss well. Sprinkle with the goat
cheese and serve at once.
Variation: You could also make this salad with regular feta cheese in place of the goat cheese.

The DASH Diet with Marla Heller MS, RD

Recipes

Tilapia with Salsa

Ingredients

2 diced tomatoes (in winter, you can use no-added-salt diced tomatoes)
medium Vidalia onion, diced
1 medium jalapeno, veins and seeds removed, minced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon red vinegar
4 tilapia filets

To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients except the tilapia. The fish can be cooked either on the
grill or in a saut pan. To grill, use a fish grill pan and cover with vegetable oil spray, to prevent excessive
sticking. Top with salsa and cook about 3 minutes. Then flip the fish, top again with salsa, and cook for
another 3 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
Hint: If you are pressed for time, a commercial salsa can be used. This is a great way to add flavor to a
very mild-tasting fish.

The DASH Diet with Marla Heller MS, RD

Recipes

Baked Apples Stuffed with Cranberries and Walnuts

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients

4 baking apples, such as Braeburn or Rome

lemon
1
/3 cup dried cranberries
1
/3 cup chopped walnuts
6 tablespoons grade B maple syrup (dark, strong maple flavor)
teaspoon ground cinnamon
teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350F.

One at a time, cut off the top inch of an apple to make a lid. Scoop out the core with a melon baller,
stopping about inch from the bottom of the apple. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the top half of
the apple skin. Rub the exposed flesh all over with the lemon half.
In a medium bowl, mix the cranberries, walnuts, 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup, cinnamon, and
nutmeg. Stuff the apples with the mixture. Top each with 1 teaspoon of butter. Replace the apple lids.
Transfer to a baking dish just large enough to hold the apples. Squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon
half over the apples. Pour in the boiling water and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
Uncover and baste with the liquid in the baking dish. Continue baking until the apples are tender when
pierced with the tip of a small, sharp knife, 20 to 30 minutes more, depending on the size of the apples.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
Transfer each apple to a dessert bowl and drizzle each with 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Serve warm.