Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook (24 page)

2.
Combine the brown rice vinegar, mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk well. Add the warm potatoes and asparagus, beans, green onions, and chives and mix well.

VARIATION

Leave out the Dijon mustard, brown rice vinegar, and chives and instead add up to ½ cup
Coriander Chutney
.

BLACK BEANS MAKE this dish a filling meal, but it’s also a great side dish for a summer picnic, as an alternative to the same old potato salad. Arugula makes an intense pesto, as its spicy flavor is heightened by pureeing it. You could also use cilantro in the pesto for more of a southwest flavor, or kick it up a notch further and use
Spicy Cilantro Pesto
instead.

SERVES 4

2 pounds red-skin potatoes, scrubbed, trimmed, and diced

Salt to taste, optional

1 small red onion, peeled and diced small

Juice of 1 lemon

2 cups cooked
black beans
, or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed

¾ cup
Basil Pesto
made with arugula

Add the potatoes to a medium pot and add water to cover by 1 inch. Add salt if desired, bring to a boil, and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes and add to a large bowl. Add the onion, lemon juice, beans, and pesto and mix well.

Recipe by Darshana Thacker

THIS IS A colorful and richly flavored salad that’s fun to serve—the purple potatoes really give the dish a surprising look.

SERVES 4

5 to 6 small purple potatoes

2 cups 
chopped 
kale

½ cup 
chopped 
tomatoes

1¾ teaspoons lime juice

1 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1.
Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and let them cool. Once cooled, peel if desired and cut into ½-inch cubes.

2.
Place the kale and tomatoes in a skillet or saucepan and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the kale has softened slightly. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add ¼ teaspoon lime juice and let cool.

3.
In a blender, combine the cilantro, garlic, tahini, salt, cayenne pepper, remaining lime juice, and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until smooth.

4.
To serve, prepare a bed of the cooked kale and tomatoes in a large salad bowl, top with the boiled potatoes, and spoon the dressing over the top. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.

NOTE
If you’d like an especially pretty salad, peel the potatoes; with the skins left on, the potatoes will be a bit harder to cut neatly but will still taste great.

THIS SALAD ALSO makes a great filling for spring rolls made with rice paper wrappers.
Ponzu Sauce
works equally well as a dressing for this salad and as a dipping sauce for spring rolls.

SERVES 4

Zest of 1 lime and juice of 2 limes

¼ cup brown rice syrup

Low-sodium soy sauce to taste, optional

2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

4 cups 
coarsely chopped 
Napa cabbage

1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned

1 bunch green onions (white and green parts), finely sliced on the diagonal

1 cup
mung bean sprouts

½ cup 
chopped 
cilantro

½ cup 
chopped 
basil

1 serrano chile, thinly sliced on the diagonal (for less heat, remove the seeds)

2 tablespoons chopped mint

Ponzu Sauce

Combine the lime zest and juice, brown rice syrup, and soy sauce (if using) in a large bowl and whisk well. Add the brown rice vinegar, cabbage, pepper, green onion, sprouts, cilantro, basil, chile, and mint to the bowl and toss to mix well. Serve accompanied by the Ponzu Sauce.

Recipe by Julieanna Hever

ONE OF THE best ways to enjoy salad is with a rich and tasty dressing. This dressing is oil-free, but it’s filled with flavor and can be whipped up in 5 minutes. It’s a versatile dressing that can also be served over other types of salad, steamed veggies, baked potatoes, cooked whole grains, or legumes. Kale is delicious with the maple and mustard flavors in this dish, but free to vary the recipe to use any types or mixtures of greens you like.

SERVES 4 TO 6

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 cup cooked
cannellini beans

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons stone-ground or Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 to 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

FOR THE SALAD:

6 cups kale, ribs removed, then shredded

1 cup 
shredded 
r
ed cabbage

1 cup 
shredded 
carrots (from 2 to 3 medium carrots, peeled)

1 cup finely chopped 
broccoli florets

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:

1.
In a blender, combine the cannellini beans, tahini, mustard, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, maple syrup, lemon zest and juice, and ¼ cup water, and blend on high until smooth. Add more water as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.

TO ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:

2.
Place the kale, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, and chickpeas into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss to combine.

MAKE THIS SALAD when your favorite apples are in season. Honey crisp and Gala apples contrast well with the tart cranberry vinaigrette. Cut the apples just before serving to maintain their color, or store them in water with a little lemon juice if you need to prepare them ahead of time. Serve this dish as is for a light lunch or with
Pumpkin and Anasazi Bean Stew
for a heartier meal.

SERVES 4

¼ cup brown rice syrup

Zest and juice of 1 orange

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pinch cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons fruit-sweetened dried cranberries, reconstituted in 6 tablespoons of boiling water, plus 3 additional tablespoons dried cranberries

6 cups mixed salad greens

½ cup pecan halves,
toasted
, optional

2 crisp apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice

1.
Blend the brown rice syrup, orange zest and juice, balsamic vinegar, mustard, cayenne pepper, and the reconstituted cranberries in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

2.
Add the salad greens to a large bowl with pecans (if using), apples, and remaining dried cranberries. Just before serving, add the dressing to the bowl and toss well.

S
OUPS
 

Recipe by Julieanna Hever

FOR THOSE TIMES when you’re alone, hungry, and craving something nutritious and easy, this soup is perfect to whip up. Just throw everything in the pot, cook until ready, and voila—dinner is served!

SERVES 1 TO 2

½ medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

4 cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped