Here is a an American adaptation of a Vietnamese dish. I came up with the recipe because someone requested it. This soup has lots of protein, and tastes really good. It should fit into almost any diet.

A comforting soup with an Asian flavor!

If you usually have a glass of fruit juice in the morning, try having a piece of the actual fruit instead. Skip the apple juice and have a sliced Fuji or Gala, sprinkled with cinnamon and your favorite sweetener.

Instead of orange juice, try broiling half a grapefruit, sprinkled with the above flavorings.

Tomatoes are fruits, too, and are good halved, baked, and sprinkled with just a bit of sea salt.

If you must have your glass of juice, try getting the kind with the pulp included. Or, better yet, make your own juice with a juicer, and — if it is the type of juicer that removes the pulp — add some of the expelled pulp back into the juice.

Why does it matter whether you have fruit juice or whole fruit? There are many important nutrients in fruit, some of which do not survive the processing that turns fruit into juice.

This Asian-style stir-fry can be made with chicken, beef, tofu, or any protein you like. It is tasty and nutritious… and it is very colorful and attractive.

Serve it with brown rice or whole-grain noodles, a cup of broth, and some tea.

This is an ideal lunch or supper for weight-loss. It has everything — protein, fiber, carbs, and plenty of vitamins and minerals — AND, it is satisfying, filling, and delicious. What a deal!

You can sometimes find these flavored tofu products in health food stores or Asian markets, but here are recipes to make your own versions of these tasty, protein-packed foods. Prepare a batch or two ahead of time, and keep them in your fridge or freezer. Then, just take out a few pieces as needed, and use to add protein and texture to soups, stews, stir-frys, sandwiches, casseroles, or any way you desire.

NOTE: If you freeze water-pack tofu before using it in these recipes, the resulting tofu will be chewier, and more "meat-like" than if you use fresh water-pack tofu (same stuff, only frozen and thawed before you use it). Try it both ways, and see which you prefer. Both have their special qualities, so you may like them equally!

Normally a fancy meal like this would take a long time to prepare. With good preparation and planning, using various tips and tricks, you can make this entire feast in about an hour. And it’s amazingly delicious!

One tip is to use an Indian heat-and-serve packet to season the peas. Another is to use store-bought pickled peppers. To make it vegetarian, use crumbled tofu or chopped seitan in place of the ground beef.

The Menu

• Beef Curry with Apples
• Peas Paneer
• Brown Rice-Oat-Pilaf
• Pickled Pepper Rings (or other pickle)
• Mango Lassi
• Chai Masala

Have you ever noticed that fruit from the supermarket often looks great, but doesn’t have much flavor? There is a reason for this.

Fruit is often shipped vast distances. It has to be able to withstand drastic variations in temperature, and it bounces around all over the place. As a result, nowadays commercial fruit is, much of the time, bred for durability rather than deliciousness. The apples look lovely, but they aren't very sweet. People eat them, seeking the health benefits, but they are disappointed with the taste.

So what do they do? In many cases, they buy an apple pie or something like that. If the fruit had been tastier, they might have been happy with it, and been able to resist the pastry.

When I talked about basic soup stocks, I mentioned that having a good soup base on hand helps you in many ways. You can use it to whip up a great meal in just a few minutes.

This is a vegetable stock. If at all possible, use organic vegetables. If that is not an option, then use the best quality vegetables that you can get. Try to avoid veggies with obvious bruises, mold, or other visible defects. However, since they will be used to make soup, any bad parts can — and should — be cut away, being sure to get all the bad bits.