Men’s Health Month: 10 More Recipes for Men

To continue Men’s Health Month, Dr. Clower is sharing 10 more recipes that offer up the nutrients men need to be healthy! These recipes are also perfect for Father’s Day if you’re planning to whip dad something special up at home.

Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts

What you’ll need:
1½ pounds Swiss chard (preferably rainbow or red)
¼ cup pine nuts (2½ ounces)
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
¼ cup golden raisins
1 cup water

What you’ll do:
1. Tear chard leaves from stems, then coarsely chop stem and leaves separately.
2. Toast pine nuts in oil in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderated heat, stirring constantly, until golden, 1½ to 2 minutes, and then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt.
3. Cook onion in remaining oil in pot, stirring occasionally, 1 minute, then add chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.
4. Add raisins and ½ cup water and simmer, covered, until stems are softened, about 3 minutes.
5. Add chard leaves and remaining ½ cup water and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until leave are tender, about 3 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

Roasted Cauliflower

What you’ll need:
1 head cauliflower, cut into, 2-inch pieces
¼ to 1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cumin (more if you’d like)
Chopped parsley for garnish

What you’ll do:
1. Heat the oven to 425° F.
2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large roasting pan and toss with the olive oil (enough to coat), salt, pepper, and cumin.
3. Roast until cauliflower is tender and lightly browned approximately, 35 to 40 minutes.

Homemade Sauerkraut

What you’ll need:
1 medium Cabbage (green or red)
2 tablespoons Pickling Salt
Distilled or filtered water (non-chlorinated)

What you’ll do:
1. Shred the cabbage. In a large bowl, mix shredded cabbage and salt together. Pound the cabbage mixture to expel the juices.Place pounded cabbage and juices in a medium sized glass jar (1 Quart Sized). Press down firmly on the cabbage.
2. Add distilled water until cabbage is fully submerged. Solution should be at least one inch from the top of the jar.
3. Cover the jar and let sit for 3 to 7 days at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Smoothie

What you’ll need:
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 teaspoon chopped mint
½ cup orange juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup plain yogurt

What you’ll do:
1. Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. If you would like, add some crushed ice.

Basil Pesto Sauce
Yields approximately 1½ cups

What you’ll need:
1 cup packed basil leaves
½ cup toasted walnuts
1 garlic clove
½ cup Parmesan Cheese
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

What you’ll do:
Mix all in a blender or food processor until an even consistency is reached.

Tips

• You can add more garlic if you would like. You may want to mix it, have a taste and then decide.
• This pesto freezes wonderfully. Place the pesto in ice cube trays and once the pesto has solidified place the blocks in a plastic bag and use it in the future. The ice cube technique it nice because it freezes the pesto in handy portion sizes.
• You can try different nuts such as pine nuts or macadamias or try different herbs such as cilantro or parsley.
• Serve over top of pastas, grilled vegetables, and fish. Or turn a piece of French or Pita bread into a pesto pizza. The options are endless but all are delicious.
• Leave out the Parmesan cheese for a vegan pesto sauce.

Salmon Patties

What you’ll need:
16 ounces canned salmon
1 small onion, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1¼ cups dried bread crumbs, split into ¾ cup and ½ cup
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Butter for cooking patties
Salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:
1. Place the salmon and the liquid that is found in the can into a mixing bowl. Flake it with a fork.
2. Mix in onion, parsley, cayenne, salt and pepper.
3. Mix in beaten eggs.
4. Add ¾ cup of bread crumbs to shape into patties. Then roll the patties in the extra bread crumbs.
5. Melt butter in a skillet over low heat. Then cook patties until browned on both sides.

Asparagus with Red Pepper Sauce

What you’ll need:
2 pounds asparagus stalks
3 large red peppers
3½ Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper

What you’ll do:
1. Cook the asparagus stalks in lightly salted water for 4 to 8 minutes (depending on thickness), or until
tender but still firm. Drain under cold water and set the stalks aside.
2. Broil the peppers on all sides until lightly scorched. Place the cooked peppers in a paper bag for 10 minutes. Remove the peppers and peel off the skin. Cut open the peppers and remove the stem, seeds and white flesh.
3. Puree the peppers in the food processor.
4. Add in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and thyme to the food processor. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired.
5. Top asparagus with red pepper puree.

Cucumber Yogurt Dressing

What you’ll need:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber peeled, deseeded and finely chopped
½ teaspoon of salt plus an additional ½ teaspoon
1 teaspoon sugar
1 to 3 tablespoons fresh chopped mint it depends on your preference (you can substitute with dried mint)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped

What you’ll do:
1. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt on the chopped cucumber and let sit for approximately 30 minutes to pull some of the water out of the cucumber. Then drain off excess water.
2. Add all additional ingredients to cucumber and mix.

There are many ways to enjoy this sauce such: a veggie dip a salad dressing or a sauce for lamb burgers or fish. For a thicker consistency try using Greek style yogurt.

Easy Black Bean Salsa

What you’ll need:
1-14 .5 oz. can black beans, drained (or use cooked beans)
1-14.5 oz can corn, low sodium, drained (or use fresh corn)
1-12 oz. jar salsa
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1½ tablespoon fresh lime juice

What you’ll do:
1. Mix all of the above together and use this as your base.
2. Serve on top of a salad or baked potato, in a wrap or on top of some corn chips.

Variations

• Add some chopped vegetables or fruit such as bell pepper, carrots, yellow onion, green onion, avocado, or tomato.
• Add some cooked chicken, fish or shrimp.
• Add a chopped chili or jalapeno for a spicy flavor, or add some chili powder.

Korean Green Beans

What you’ll need:
2 pounds green beans, stemmed
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

What you’ll do:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Drain and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until well blended.
3. Add the green beans and toss to combine well. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper