Authors: Rip Esselstyn
Inspired by Anne Iannerelli
Anne is an amazing cook and massage therapist. While giving massages, she often talks about food and recipes, not realizing the impact her words have on a ravenous belly and very relaxed mind! Anne suggests using Cilantro-Lime Pesto as a topping for sweet potatoes.
Prep time: 5 minutes • Makes about 1 cup pesto
2 cups fresh cilantro, packed
Juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves, minced
Crushed red pepper flakes
Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is the texture of pesto. Use the pesto as a topping for sweet potato or anything that needs a party on top!
By Jane Esselstyn
Nutty! Just nutty! And utterly delicious. Top any pasta with this luscious sauce, or make the Dino Kale over Buckwheat Soba Noodles with Nutty Ginger Sauce recipe (
here
).
Prep time: 10 minutes • Serves 6
cup walnuts
cup raw cashews
cup sunflower seeds
1 fresh garlic clove, peeled
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari sauce
3 to 4 dashes crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup water, or more for desired consistency
2 teaspoons apricot jam (no-sugar-added) or apricot puree (i.e., dried apricots soaked overnight, then pureed in a food processor)
Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Tip:
Serve over whole wheat pasta, buckwheat soba noodles, Kale, etc.
By Kreg Sterns
We suggest making this a bit thick so it’s spreadable. This “cream” is a key ingredient in the Pasta Pie recipe (
here
), which is one beauty of a dish. It may also be used on pizzas and flatbread creations!
Prep time: 5 minutes • Makes 2 cups cream
1½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water for a few hours or overnight
2 to 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 fresh garlic clove or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt or 1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or low-sodium tamari sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender. Add water, as needed, to reach the desired consistency: thinner for more of a sauce or thicker for more of a spread.
Orange-Chipotle Glazed Tofu in Butter Lettuce Nests
Red Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Corn
Grape Tomato, Fresh Mint, and Watermelon Ball Salad
By Ann Esselstyn
This is a family favorite. A version of this is in my father’s book,
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
. We could eat this every day, and you can be confident everyone will love it.
Prep time: 10 minutes • Serves 4 to 6
One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 mango, pitted, peeled, and cut into cubes
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into cubes
¼ red onion diced, or more as desired
1 bunch fresh cilantro (or arugula or spinach)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Be sure to use enough lime; if there is not a lot of juice in your lime, use two.
Serve immediately, or chilled.
Adapted from the Superfood Salad by Whole Foods Market
Do you want your body to feel as fresh as the food you eat? Of course you do! This amazing super salad is inspired by a Whole Foods Market recipe by chef Brad Matthews that I first encountered at the Colorado Springs store. When I give presentations across the country and abroad, I let everyone sample this salad, and people unanimously go Kale krazy for it. All the ingredients come together magically with the accompanying Super-Duper Dressing (
here
) to create one Super-Duper Salad.
Prep time: 20 minutes • Serves 10 or more
1 bunch Kale, leaves stripped of spines, spines discarded
½ head napa cabbage, finely shredded or finely chopped
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
3 to 4 carrots, peeled and grated
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup raw edamame, shelled
1 cup fresh blueberries
½ cup raw, unsalted cashew pieces (optional)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted and unsalted
Finely chop the Kale leaves.
In a large salad bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
Dress the salad with plenty of your favorite dressing—we recommend Super-Duper Dressing (
here
).
By Brad Matthews
This colorful blend of flavors can also be served within spears of romaine lettuce or over a bed of greens—or on its own. As Chef Brad likes to say, “It plates very well.” If you are not a fan of chipotle peppers, just don’t use them; if you love them, add more.
Prep time: 10 minutes (if using jam) • Cook time: 30 to 40 minutes • Serves 6
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons no-sugar-added apricot jam or apricot puree (to make apricot puree: soak dried apricots overnight, drain, and then puree in a blender until smooth)
2 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon low-sodium tamari sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
12 ounces firm tofu
1 to 2 chipotle peppers, finely chopped
½ green bell pepper, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 head butter lettuce, leaves detached
Place the orange juice, ginger, apricot jam or puree, tamari, and rice vinegar in a container large enough to hold the tofu. Cut the tofu in 1-inch squares and marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Remove the tofu from the marinade and transfer to the lined pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until browned.
Save the marinade and pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce by half to create a glaze. Add the chipotles to the glaze and refrigerate until chilled.
Toss the tofu together with the bell peppers, scallions, cilantro, and glaze.
Scoop about ¼ cup of the mixture into the curve of a butter lettuce leaf. Eat with a fork or, better yet, your hands and a big napkin!
By Wendy Solganik of
Healthy Girl’s Kitchen
Wendy is from one of the best-kept secrets going in Cleveland, Ohio! She is a kindred spirit in the plant-strong world and also has one of the best blogs: Healthy Girl’s Kitchen. Wendy loves creating delicious and gorgeous food, photographing her wonders, and then blogging about it.
Prep time: 20 minutes • Serves 8
1 cup red quinoa (or 2 cups cooked quinoa)
2 cups vegetable broth
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups roasted corn
½ large avocado (or 1 small), cut into small pieces
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup red onion, finely diced
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or low-sodium tamari sauce
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Greens of your choice: arugula, mesclun, spring mix, spinach, or romaine
Cook the quinoa as directed on the package, using vegetable broth instead of water, or use precooked quinoa and eliminate the broth.
Meanwhile, place the black beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion together in a large bowl.
In a blender or food processor, blend together the orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, maple syrup, and tamari to make the dressing.
Add the dressing to the vegetables in the bowl and toss gently. Add the chopped cilantro and toss again.
When the quinoa is cool, place it in a bowl and top with the dressed bean-and-corn salad mixture.
Serve over a bed of greens, if desired, or just as is—YUM!
By John Mercer
John, from the mighty Park Lane Whole Foods Market store, is the first person we know to get a “Forks Over Knives” tattoo on his
neck! He is obviously one passionate and enthusiastic plant-strong chef. This recipe comes from his core, and I would expect nothing less from this cross-fit enthusiast. He loves schooling all the Paleo diet lovers he works out with: Paleo vs. Plant-eo. Go, John!
Prep time: 30 minutes • Serves 8 to 10
8 ounces dried green lentils
2½ cups water
1½ tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in quarters
3 scallions, thinly sliced
½ small red onion, diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
½ bunch fresh curly parsley, finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
1 bunch mint, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
In a small pot, cover the lentils with 2½ cups water and add garlic and the Bragg Liquid Aminos. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the lentils are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
Prep the vegetables, parsley, and mint and toss in a large bowl with the lemon juice and garlic.
Drain the cooked lentils and add to the bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve cold, plain, or over a bed of baby spinach.
Tip:
This salad is best made far enough ahead of time that the flavors have a chance to blend.
By Adrienne Hart
This simple recipe tastes complex. Prepare the beets ahead to save time on this dramatic, colorful, phytochemical-filled feast.
Cook time for beets: 20 minutes • Prep time: 15 minutes • Serves 6
4 medium beets, cooked, peeled, and cut into ½-inch chunks
4 navel oranges or blood oranges, segmented
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup champagne vinegar
1 shallot or ½ white onion, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1½ lemons (about 6 tablespoons)
Combine the beets, oranges (sectioned by cutting off ends and peeling, then removing the white pith from each section), mint, and parsley in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, add the vinegar, shallot, lemon zest, and lemon juice and whisk to combine.
Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. Serve chilled.