It shouldn't come as a surprise that food can be sexy or that a nice meal can be every bit as lust-inducing as a little black dress. Food can stimulate your senses and satisfy you in many of the same ways that good sex does. But this may be news: You can eat delicious food and still have the most delicious, sexy body imaginable.
No worries if you don't know a mandoline from a mandolin. You can whip your fridge, mind, and butt into shape, starting with these decadent—yet guilt-free!-recipes that balance indulgence with moderation. Plus, they feature natural, unprocessed "foods with benefits," which deliver a powerful one-two punch of nutrition that will keep you naturally gorgeous from the inside out.
Candice Kumai trained at Le Cordon Bleu, California School of Culinary Arts before being cast on Bravo's Emmy Award-winning series Top Chef. She is a former host of Lifetime's Cook Yourself Thin and is featured regularly on Unique Eats.
Adapted from Cook Yourself Sexy: Easy, Delicious Recipes from the Hottest, Most Confident, You by Candice Kamai.
Spaghetti Nests with Meatballs
Marinara Sauce:1 yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans organic diced tomatoes (28 oz each)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 sprigs fresh oregano (or 2 Tbsp dried)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
Meatballs:
6 oz 95% lean ground beef
6 oz lean ground pork
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup finely chopped cremini mushrooms
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
16 oz whole-wheat spaghetti
1. In a saucepan, saute onion in olive oil for about 20 minutes over low heat. Add garlic and saute for another 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and herbs. Mix well and cook on low for approximately 2 hours. 2. When sauce has thickened, add balsamic vinegar or red wine and allow it to simmer for about 5 more minutes, then finish with salt. 3. Mix beef and pork. Stir in garlic, parsley, mushrooms, egg, panko, and salt. Roll the mixture into thirty 1-inch balls and transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 4. Heat oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook meatballs, shaking the skillet occasionally, until they are brown all over, about 6 minutes. Transfer them to the sauce. Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. (Test for doneness by cutting open a meatball.) 5. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti to al dente. Strain. 6. Return cooked spaghetti to the pot. Toss with 1 to 2 cups of marinara sauce to keep the noodles from sticking together (save remaining sauce for another meal). 7. To serve, divide spaghetti among 6 plates and top each nest with 5 meatballs. Makes 6 Servings
Per serving: 457 cal, 8 g fat (2 g sat), 72 g carbs, 584 mg sodium, 11 g fiber, 27 g protein, 9 g sugar
Vegetable Gyoza with Orange Ponzu Sauce
Gyoza:
2 cups finely chopped cabbage
4 cups finely chopped shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger (or 1 tsp ginger powder)
1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp roasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Flour, for dusting work surface
1 package gyoza or wonton wrappers (40 to 50)
1 Tbsp canola oil, plus more, if needed
Orange Ponzu Sauce:
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp fresh orange zest
1 tsp sugar (optional) 1. In a mixing bowl, toss cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, onions, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds. Combine soy sauce, roasted sesame oil, and sugar and add all at once. Stir until well combined. Fold in panko. 2. To assemble the gyoza, dust your work surface with flour and have a small bowl of water ready. Set out 10 wrappers on the floured area and place 2 teaspoons of gyoza filling in the center of each. 3. Use your finger to moisten the edge of 1 wrapper with water, then fold it over the filling (as if you were making a turnover) and press the edges together. Pinch the edge with your index finger and thumb as though you were fluting a piecrust. Repeat with remaining wrappers. 4. Warm canola oil in a skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Working in batches, add gyoza and cover with a lid. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on one side, or until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked gyoza to a plate; keep warm. You may want to wipe out the pan and add more oil as needed between batches. 5. Whisk together all ingredients for the orange ponzu sauce. Serve with hot gyoza. Makes 40 Gyoza
Per serving (5 gyoza with ponzu sauce): 272 cal, 7 g fat (1 g sat), 43 g carbs, 823 mg sodium, 4 g fiber, 9 g protein, 3 g sugar
Whole Roasted Go-To Chicken
Garlic Butter:
3/4 head garlic, peeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 sprigs fresh thyme, stems discarded
1 Tbsp butter, softened
3/4 tsp sea salt
Chicken:
1 roasting chicken (5 to 6 lbs)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 lemon, sliced into thin wheels
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 head garlic, unpeeled, halved, and broken into cloves
1. In a food processor, combine all garlic butter ingredients and blend until a perfectly smooth paste forms. 2. Preheat oven to 400°F. With clean hands, wash the chicken, remove giblets, and pat the bird dry with paper towels. 3. Lightly grease the bottom of a sturdy roasting pan. Salt the inside of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and stuff with lemon wheels, thyme, rosemary, and garlic. 4. Using butcher's twine, truss the chicken (breast side up), making sure to tuck in the wings and legs tightly. Place chicken in the roasting pan and generously baste it with garlic butter. 5. Cover chicken loosely with aluminum foil and roast for approximately 2 hours. (Cook a whole roasting chicken, fully thawed, 20 to 25 minutes per pound.) Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of roasting time. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165°F, the juices run clear, and the flesh is firm to the touch. Makes 6 Servings
Per serving (skin removed): 339 cal, 17 g fat (4 g sat), 3 g carbs, 652 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 43 g protein, 0 g sugar
