CONTENTS Negative Calorie Diet Recipe Index Introduction PART I THE NEGATIVE CALORIE DIET CHAPTER ONE It’s Not About the Calories CHAPTER TWO Meet the 10 Negative Calorie Foods CHAPTER THREE Eat Real, Feel Great, Lose Weight CHAPTER FOUR The 10-Day Negative Calorie Cleanse CHAPTER FIVE The 20-Day All You Can Eat Plan PART II THE NEGATIVE CALORIE RECIPES CHAPTER SIX Smoothies CHAPTER SEVEN Breakfast CHAPTER EIGHT Soups and Salads CHAPTER NINE Mains CHAPTER TEN Snacks CHAPTER ELEVEN Desserts PART III THE NEGATIVE CALORIE LIFESTYLE CHAPTER TWELVE Going Meatless CHAPTER THIRTEEN The Family Plan CHAPTER FOURTEEN Eating Out and On the Go CHAPTER FIFTEEN Maintain—The Negative Calorie Way Index About the Author Also by Rocco DiSpirito Credits Copyright About the Publisher NEGATIVE CALORIE DIET RECIPE INDEX SMOOTHIES Cucumber-Strawberry Green Smoothie Spinach, Pineapple, Lime, and Mint Smoothie Apple-Lime-Cilantro Protein Smoothie Green Goddess Smoothie Tropical Sunrise Smoothie “Dillicious” Green Smoothie Lemon-Ginger Smoothie Orange Greensicle Smoothie Sangrita Tomato, Orange, and Red Pepper Smoothie The Virgin Mary Smoothie Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie Almond Vanilla Protein Smoothie Spiced Apple Pie Smoothie Blueberry-Basil Smoothie Citrus-Berry Smash Smoothie BREAKFAST Apple and Cinnamon Breakfast “Risotto” with Oat Bran and Almonds Blueberry and Quinoa Porridge with Mint Breakfast Citrus Salad with Cucumbers and Basil Breakfast Pizza with Mushrooms and Broccoli Kale, Red Onion, and Tomato Frittata Avocado Toast with Spinach and Tomatoes Mexican Cauliflower Chili Scramble Breakfast Bowl with Quinoa and Berries Spinach and Mushroom Omelet SOUPS AND SALADS Charred Thai-Style Broccoli Salad with Almonds and Lime Crabmeat Salad with Apple, Celery, and Leafy Greens Chicken Soup with Escarole and Leeks Shrimp and Cucumber Salad with Red Onion and Poblanos Flank Steak Salad with Horseradish and Apple Mixed Leafy Green Soup “Caldo Verde” with Chickpeas Rocco’s Chef Salad Seared Tuna Tataki Salad with Citrus, Tofu, and Watercress Asian Curry Mussel Soup Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Warm Toasted Garlic, Almond, and Lemon Dressing Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Almonds and Basil Swiss Chard Turkey Salad with Golden Raisins and Capers The Grate Salad Bowl with Chia Seed Dressing Mushroom Bouillon with Leeks, Tofu, and Wasabi Leafy Green Salad with Creamy Almond Dressing and Radishes MAINS Almond-Encrusted Flounder with Chopped Spinach and Clam Broth Baked Chicken with Sweet-and-Sour Red Cabbage Vegetable Pot-au-Feu Beef-Stuffed Cabbage with Pepper and Tomato Goulash Chicken with Mustard Greens, Quinoa, and Oranges Eggplant Roll-Ups Filet of Beef with Braised Kale and Black Olives Flounder “a la Plancha” with Catalonian Eggplant Relish Grilled Shrimp with Marinated Cucumbers, Kale, and Cauliflower Meatballs with Mushroom and Spinach Gravy “Pappardelle” of Chicken with Winter Pesto Roasted Cauliflower with Green Peppers, Almond Curry, and Lime Shiitake and Bok Choy Stir-Fry Shrimp and Cabbage Hot Pot with Chile Peppers Shrimp with Mustard Greens, Mushrooms, and Miso Sliced Pepper Steak with Swiss Chard and Mushrooms Spinach Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes SNACKS Cucumber and Almond Rice Sushi No-Sugar-Added Organic Cranberry Sauce Cauliflower and Apples with Thai Almond Butter Sauce Eggplant and Almond Dip with Celery Peanutty Apple Slices Red Ants on a Log Apple, Cranberry, and Almond Bars Rocco’s Raw Applesauce DESSERTS Chocolate and Almond Butter Truffles Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries with Crushed Almonds Cocoa-Dusted Almonds Instant Almond Cake with Mixed Berries Crepes Suzette with Oranges and Vanilla Cream Citrus and Mixed Berry Bowl with Whipped Topping INTRODUCTION Many years ago, I made a kerplunk in the cooking world by re-creating “comfort foods” like fried chicken, cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, and ice cream, devising recipes that were still delicious but lower-calorie, lower-fat versions of the originals. I didn’t think anything of using processed cheese, artificial sweeteners, packaged pudding mixes, and zero-calorie additives to do so. The results tasted fantastic. Then I was hit with some major backlash from my readers and clients: “It’s not okay to cook with fake sweeteners, fake fat, or fake anything!” they protested. I heard everyone loud and clear. I educated myself about what goes into processed foods and began to dismantle my nutritional orthodoxies faster than a car thief stripping a Porsche on a New York City side street at three a.m. I realized that I needed more than my longtime strategy of downsizing calories and fat in order to stabilize my own weight and achieve excellent health. So I started to incorporate more organic, whole foods into my diet, namely in the form of fresh veggies and fruit and lean, clean sources of protein. The arrival point of my adventure turned out to be a whole new way of cooking that is even more delicious and satisfying than the “fake food” methods I had relied on in the past. Not only did I finally lose the extra 10 pounds I’d been carrying around, but I’ve found that eating whole foods actually makes me feel better than ever. With every book I write, my food philosophy continues to evolve. My nutritional recommendations have become a bit purer. I’ve become a stronger proponent of eating organic foods rather than mass-produced stuff grown in toxic soils, adulterated with chemicals, and concocted mostly for profit by our nation’s big food manufacturers. In many ways, I’ve come full circle: The way I cook now is a total throwback to how I watched my mother and grandmother cook when I was a kid, using home-grown foods picked from our family’s garden. Soon after I started eating this way, people I met through television