Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook (53 page)

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets, steamed for 4 minutes, and rinsed until cool

One 6-ounce can diced mild green chiles, drained

Zest of 1 lime and juice of 2 limes

4 cups cooked
navy beans
, or two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed

One batch
No-Cheese Sauce

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2.
Combine the cauliflower, diced chiles, lime zest and juice, and beans in a large bowl. Spoon the mixture into the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

3.
Combine the No-Cheese Sauce with the ancho chile powder and crushed red pepper flakes. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower mixture and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

HERE, THE CLASSIC beans and rice combination gets a kick with ancho chile powder and cumin, the
No-Cheese Sauce
adds a creamy texture, and the health benefits are bumped up with zucchini, black beans, and corn.

SERVES 4

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon cumin seeds,
toasted
and ground

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

2 cups cooked
brown rice

2 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch dice

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

3 ears corn, kernels removed (about 2 cups)

One batch
No-Cheese Sauce

Chopped cilantro

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Place the onion and red pepper in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the onion starts to brown. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Add the cumin and chile powder and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Add the cooked rice, zucchini, black beans, corn, and No-Cheese Sauce and mix well.

3.
Spoon the mixture into an 8 × 8-inch baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve garnished with the cilantro.

VARIATION

To turn this recipe into enchiladas, wrap 12 corn tortillas in aluminum foil and heat for 15 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven, or until warmed and softened. Place a tortilla on a flat surface and spread
⅓
cup of the bean and rice filling along the center of the tortilla and roll it up, then set it, seam side down, in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Repeat until all of the tortillas are used. (You will have leftover bean and rice filling; reserve for another purpose.) Pour 1 batch
Enchilada Sauce
over the enchiladas and bake for 20 minutes. Serve garnished with 4 thinly sliced green onions, ½ cup chopped cilantro, and dollops of
Tofu Sour Cream
.

Enchilada Sauce

MAKES 2½ CUPS

½ small yellow onion, peeled and diced small

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

¼ cup ancho chile powder,
toasted

1 teaspoon ground cumin,
toasted

1 cup
Tomato Sauce

1½ cups
Vegetable Stock
, or other low-sodium vegetable broth

Salt to taste

Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and toasted spices and cook for another minute. Add the tomato sauce and vegetable stock and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt.

TIP
Toast the ancho chile powder and the cumin together in the same pan to save yourself time and meld the flavors. Be sure to toast until fragrant, but not burnt.

ANASAZI BEANS CAN be found in gourmet markets, but if you can’t find them, use pinto beans instead. You can also make this dish with
Salsa Verde
instead of the bean sauce.

SERVES 4

FOR THE BEAN SAUCE:

1 cup anasazi beans,
soaked

1 small onion, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds,
toasted
and ground

1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

Salt to taste

¾ cup to 1 cup
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth, as needed

FOR THE VEGETABLE FILLING:

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced small

1 medium zucchini, diced small

2 ears corn, kernels removed (about 1 cup)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

Salt to taste

8 to 10 corn tortillas

Chopped cilantro

TO MAKE THE BEAN SAUCE:

1.
Add the beans to a large pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the beans until tender, about 2 hours, adding water as necessary to keep immersed. Drain and set aside.

2.
Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Add the beans, garlic, jalapeño pepper, cumin, chile powder, and salt and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

3.
Puree the beans until smooth using an immersion blender or a blender, adding as much of the vegetable stock as needed to achieve a creamy consistency.

TO MAKE THE VEGETABLE FILLING:

4.
Place the onions and peppers in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the zucchini, corn, garlic, jalapeño pepper, cumin, oregano and chile powder and cook for 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender. Season with salt.

TO ASSEMBLE THE ENCHILADAS:

5.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

6.
Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and heat them in the oven for 15 minutes.

7.
Place a tortilla on a flat surface and spoon ¼ cup of the vegetable filling in the center of the tortilla. Wrap the tortilla around the filling and place it, seam side down, in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour the bean sauce over the enchiladas and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Serve garnished with the cilantro.

CASSEROLES AREN’T THE usual fare in the summer, since they require lots of time around a hot oven, but this dish of creamy polenta on top of a stew of summer’s peak produce cries out for the making. Save this dish for a rainy summer day when it’s not sweltering outside.

SERVES 6 TO 8

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 large eggplants (about 3 pounds), stemmed and diced

8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 large tomatoes, diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup chopped basil

1 batch
Basic Polenta
, kept warm

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Place the onion in a large 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, and garlic. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more water as needed. Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another 10 minutes.

3.
Add the basil and spoon the mixture into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Spoon the polenta over the eggplant mixture and bake for 30 minutes.

CREAMY POLENTA STANDS in for mashed potatoes atop this otherwise simple bean dish.

SERVES 4

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon minced rosemary

1 teaspoon minced thyme

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

2 cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth

4 cups cooked
cannellini beans
, or two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 batch
Basic Polenta
, kept warm

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Place the onion, carrot, and celery in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, and thyme and cook for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and vegetable stock and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the beans, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 5 minutes longer.