Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook (40 page)

Brush the cauliflower “steaks” with
Barbecue Sauce
, or
Easy Miso Sauce
in the last 3 to 4 minutes of grilling. Serve on a bed of rice or quinoa pilaf with a salad.

NOTE
The spicy lentil sauce makes a great topping for baked potatoes, too.

EGGPLANT WAS BORN to be grilled. The skin holds it together while the flesh inside becomes almost creamy as it cooks, and, of course, it adapts well to whatever marinade you have on hand. Serve this dish over your favorite grains or a bed of wilted greens like spinach or arugula.

SERVES 4

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 large eggplant, stemmed and cut into ¾-inch slices

1.
Prepare the grill.

2.
Combine the balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, and pepper in a small bowl.

3.
Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with the marinade.

4.
Place the eggplant on the hot grill and cook on each side for 4 to 5 minutes, brushing periodically with additional marinade.

SUMMER’S PERFECT STEW gets an oil-free makeover without losing flavor. Serve this over your favorite cooked grain or pasta.

SERVES 4

1 medium red onion, peeled and diced

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium eggplant, about 1 pound, stemmed and diced

1 small zucchini, diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

½ cup chopped basil

1 large tomato, diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the onion in a medium saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Add the red pepper, eggplant, zucchini, and garlic. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the basil and tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.

VARIATION

To make this into Ratatouille Lasagna, which will serve 6 to 8, cook 1 pound of whole-grain or Jerusalem artichoke–flour lasagna noodles according to package directions, drain, and rinse until cool. Prepare 3 cups
Tomato Sauce
and 3 cups
No-Cheese Sauce
(about 1½ batches). Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Place a layer of cooked noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the ratatouille on top of the noodles. Add another layer of noodles, then the remaining ratatouille. Top with one more layer of lasagna noodles and the No-Cheese Sauce. Bake for 30 minutes until the lasagna is bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT AND BELL peppers are cooked in a spicy pineapple sweet-and-sour sauce. Serve this dish with brown rice. If you aren’t able to use fresh pineapple, make sure to use pineapple canned in juice, not syrup.

SERVES 4

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large eggplant, stemmed and cut into ½-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups pineapple chunks, or one 20-ounce can, drained

1 batch
Pineapple Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

Place the onion, red and green peppers, and eggplant in a large skillet and sauté over medium-high heat for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, pineapple, and sweet-and-sour sauce and cook for 5 minutes.

DENGAKU IS A traditional Japanese broiled dish, but one night I threw together some leftover stir-fried vegetables and sauce and found that the flavor combination was similar to the original broiled version. Making my version from scratch is just about as easy as throwing leftovers together. This dish is excellent served over brown rice.

SERVES 4

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch strips

1 large eggplant, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup
Easy Miso Sauce

3 green onions (white and green parts), chopped

Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the onion and pepper and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the eggplant and cook for 5 to 6 minutes longer, stirring frequently, or until the eggplant is tender. Add the miso sauce and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve garnished with the green onion.

THE ORIGINAL VERSION of this recipe has almost ½ cup of oil in it. This version is far healthier, but maintains all of the flavor with fresh vegetables and toasted spices. Serve this over brown rice for a complete meal.

SERVES 4

2 medium onions, peeled and diced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 medium eggplants, stemmed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch dice

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

3 tablespoons grated ginger

2 teaspoons cumin seeds,
toasted
and ground

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Pinch cloves

Salt to taste

½ bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

Place the onions and red pepper in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the eggplant, tomatoes, ginger, cumin, coriander, crushed red pepper flakes, and cloves and cook until the eggplant is tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and serve garnished with the cilantro.

MOST VERSIONS OF this potato and cauliflower curry call for frying the vegetables and spices in plenty of oil. Here the potatoes and cauliflower are first steamed and then cooked with the spices just enough to bring out their flavors. Serve this dish over brown rice or your favorite grain.

SERVES 4

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 pound Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 bay leaves

1 cup green peas

¼ cup chopped cilantro or mint

1.
Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onion from sticking to the pan. Add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeño pepper and cook 3 minutes. Add the tomato, cauliflower, potatoes, cumin, coriander, crushed red pepper flakes, turmeric, cloves, and bay leaves and cook, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the peas and cook five minutes longer.

2.
Remove the bay leaves before serving. Serve garnished with the cilantro or mint.

Recipe by Darshana Thacker

THIS IS A sweet and spicy dish that goes well with a salad, as a filling in a wrap, or as a side with lentil soup and rice. Asafetida, a spice used often in Indian cooking, smells very pungent raw but has a milder earthy flavor when cooked. There are as many versions of garam masala, a spice blend used in Indian cooking, as there are curries, and its flavor tends to be pungent but not necessarily hot.

SERVES 4

3 medium white yams, cut into ½-inch dice (about 2 cups)

½ cup green peas

¾ teaspoon cumin seeds,
toasted

1 pinch asafetida, optional

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

½ tablespoon lime juice

½ tablespoon
 finely chopped
 cilantro

1.
Steam the yams in a double boiler or steamer basket for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.

2.
In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add the peas and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the peas are soft. Drain and set aside.

3.
In a large skillet over medium heat, place the cumin seeds, asafetida, white yam, green peas, cayenne pepper, garam masala, coriander, cumin, and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of water, mix well, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the water has evaporated. Stir in the lime juice and mix well. Serve garnished with the cilantro.

BRAISED CABBAGE IS often served as a side dish with pork, but it is equally good as a main course when cooked with beans. You can substitute any kind of white beans and your favorite type of apple, but make sure you pick a tart variety; the apples and red wine are what give the dish its pleasant sweet-and-sour flavor.

SERVES 4

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 teaspoons thyme

1½ cups red wine

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 large head red cabbage, cored and shredded