Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet (32 page)

1 cup cooked soybeans (½ cup uncooked) or 1 cup soybean sprouts

½ cup peanuts

½ cup walnuts (optional)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 onion, cut in chunks

½ cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons oil (optional)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon chopped chili pepper Juice of 1 lemon or 1 tablespoon vinegar

½ to ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 egg, beaten

Up to ½ cup water

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Coating: bread crumbs or wheat germ

Mash soybeans. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Leaving some chunks for texture, in a blender process the peanuts, walnuts, tomato paste, onion, bread crumbs, oil, soy sauce, garlic, chili pepper, lemon juice, parsley, egg, and water. Remove from the blender and stir in sesame seeds and mashed soybeans. Mold into burgers, roll in bread crumbs, and put on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Serve in pita bread with lettuce and tomato, or shredded cabbage with guacamole or hot tomato sauce (salsa). Before they’re all gone, stick some of the burgers in the freezer for a quick meal later.

Complementary protein: soybeans + peanuts + sesame + wheat

Broiled Falafel Patties

About ten 3-inch patties

Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern food. We added the complementary protein (milk) without losing the special original flavor.

2 cups cooked gárbánzos (¾ cup uncooked)

½ cup parsley clusters

¼ cup sesame butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup dry milk

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

Celery salt to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Worcestershiresauce

Oil as needed

Preheat oven to 350°F. Purée the beans and parsley in a blender, then put mixture in a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients except oil. Mix well and spoon by tablespoonsful onto an oiled baking sheet. Flatten each patty and brush with oil. Bake until crusty and golden, about 15 minutes, or broil for a few minutes on each side, basting with more oil if necessary. Serve with lettuce and tomato and tahini (seasame butter), or put in warm pita bread (or any sandwich bun) that has been slit open, with lettuce on top and a little mayonnaise-ketchup or Thousand Island dressing. (Make bite-size patties for great hors d’oeuvres.)

Complementary protein: beans + sesame + milk

Savory Stuffed Peppers

6 servings

Pinto beans are good in this.

2¼ cups cooked beans (1 cup uncooked)

2 tablespoons oil for sautéing

½ onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

¾ cup bean sprouts (optional)

2 cups canned tomatoes (drain and reserve liquid) or 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped

One 12-ounce can corn

½ teaspoon basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon each dillweed and cayenne pepper (or less, to taste)

¼ teaspoon cumin

Salt to taste

6 green peppers, seeds and membranes removed

2/3 cup grated Monterey jack or other cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mash beans. Heat oil in a skillet and sauté onion, celery, and bean sprouts. Stir in tomatoes, tomato liquid, corn, mashed beans, herbs, cayenne pepper, cumin, and salt; add additional liquid if the mixture is very dry. Fill the peppers with the stuffing, top with cheese, and put in a pan, adding an inch of water (to keep peppers from burning). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, replenishing water in pan if necessary.

Complementary protein: beans + milk product

Garbanzo Bake

4 servings

This hearty, rich-tasting loaf is easy to prepare. A favorite from the 1975 edition, it goes well with any steamed or sautéed vegetable and is good hot or cold, or as a sandwich spread. For a really hearty meal, serve it with your favorite cooked grain.

2 cups cooked garbanzos (2/3 cup uncooked)

2 cups bread crumbs (preferably whole wheat; stale bread is fine)

1½ cups hot Seasoned Stock

2 tablespoons oil for sautéing

2 onions, chopped

1 small can water chestnuts (optional)

½ cup sesame seed meal

2 tablespoons sesame butter

¼ teaspoon each thyme, coriander, and nutmeg

1 bay leaf

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons soy sauce

⅔ cup grated Monterey jack or other cheese

Preheat oven to 325°F. Mash beans and set aside. Soak bread crumbs in hot stock. Heat oil in a skillet and sauté onions and water chestnuts until onions are translucent. Add sesame seed meal and sesame butter and sauté until lightly browned. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs with sauté mixture and add herbs, salt, soy sauce, and mashed beans. Put in a loaf pan and bake for 20 minutes, sprinkle cheese on top, and bake another 10 minutes.

Complementary protein: beans + sesame seeds + wheat + milk product

Pasticcio

4 servings

A favorite recipe of Sue Pohl, Hillsdale, Michigan. Serve with a Greek salad or your favorite tossed salad.

½ pound macaroni

1 cup lentils

1 small onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped or grated

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon rosemary

2¼ cups water

2 cups low-fat cottage cheese

¼ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 cup low-fat milk

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping: wheat or bran flakes or bread crumbs

Cook macaroni until al dente, drain, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a saucepan, cook lentils with ½ cup onion, carrots, garlic, soy sauce, rosemary, and water until water is absorbed (about 20 minutes). In a bowl, combine cottage cheese and flour and add the rest of the onion and the Parmesan cheese, egg, milk, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Pour half the macaroni into a 9×9-inch baking pan or casserole. Pour over it a third of the cheese sauce, then make a lentil layer, topped with another third of the sauce. Add remaining macaroni and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle on topping for a crusty texture. Bake for 35 minutes or until browned.

Complementary protein: wheat + milk and milk products + legume

Greek Cheese and Spinach Wedges

6 to 8 servings

Simpler than a quiche, this dish has a distinctive and rich taste. It was improved from the 1975 edition by Myra Levy and Charles Varon of San Francisco.

2 or 3 egg whites

2 cups part-skim-milk ricotta cheese

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

¼ pound feta cheese, crumbled

1 pound spinach, washed and chopped or torn

Garnish: black olives, halved

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat egg whites, ricotta cheese, and flour until smooth. Add feta cheese and spinach and mix thoroughly. Pack into a large pie plate or baking dish and garnish. Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Complementary protein: wheat + milk products

Noodle-Cheese “Souffle”

6 to 8 servings

This is a delicious and elegant dish. Serve it with green peas and a fresh fruit salad (chopped apples, bananas, oranges, etc.) with a yogurt and honey dressing.

½ pound whole wheat or wheat-soy noodles

3 eggs, separated

¼ cup butter, melted (optional)

2 tablespoons honey

1 pound cottage cheese (about 2 cups)

1 cup yogurt

½ to 1 cup raisins (optional)

Topping: whole wheat bread crumbs or wheat germ

Butter

Cook noodles, drain, and set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat egg yolks and mix with butter, honey, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into yolk-cheese-yogurt mixture, along with raisins and noodles. Sprinkle on topping and dot with butter. Bake for 45 minutes.

Complementary protein: wheat + milk products

Golden Parsley Potatoes

4 servings

For a light dinner, I serve this with a spinach salad containing red onion, sliced beets, and other leftover cold vegetables. This simple dish is easy to prepare and beautiful to see.

1 pound potatoes, unpeeled

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 onions, sliced

1 or 2 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Topping: chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook potatoes until tender and slice. In a small casserole, layer potatoes, cheddar cheese, and onions. In a blender or by hand, thoroughly mix the egg, cottage cheese, dried parsley, and salt and pepper. Pour sauce over potatoes and cheese. Bake until golden, about 20 to 30 minutes. Top with chopped fresh parsley.

Complementary protein: potatoes + milk products

^*
Steaming is not necessary, but otherwise the baking time must be increased.

3.
International Meals from the Top of the Stove

Indian curry flavors

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Sabji (Lentil Curry)

*
Summer Curry

   
Song of India Rice

*
Fried Spiced Tofu

Chinese style

*
Sweet and Sour Tofu

   
Super Sweet and Sour Tempeh

*
Chinese Cabbage, Northern China Style

Latin style

*
Joan’s Brazilian Rice

   
Spanish Bulgur

Other cultures

*
Mjeddrah

   
Greek-Style Skillet with Mint

   
Roman Rice and Beans

   
Potato Latkes

   
Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage

All-American

*
Homemade Tofu Burgers

   
Creamed Celery Sauté

*
New recipe.

T
HESE MEALS ARE
simple to prepare. Many take very little time at all (especially if you have leftover rice and/or beans in the refrigerator or freezer). They underline my advice given earlier: the real trick in saving time (besides using a pressure cooker) is always to cook at least twice the amount of beans that you are going to use for the recipe and freeze what you don’t use. Grains will keep for several days in the refrigerator. If, however, you have a pressure cooker, you can cook the rice in the 20 minutes or so that it will take you to sauté the vegetables, set the table, etc. I’m sure that if you use a pressure cooker or use already cooked grains and legumes, none of these recipes will take more than 30 minutes.

To guide you in your own creations, here are the easiest ways to get more usable protein into your top-of-the-stove dishes: with grains, use soy grits (just cook them along with the grain), any milk product (milk, nonfat dry milk, yogurt, cheese, etc.), or sunflower or ground sesame seeds. With grain, beans, peas and lentils, use any milk product or seeds. With peanuts, use seeds.

Sabji (Lentil Curry)

4 servings

A favorite recipe of Deborah Wheeler of Mar Vista, California. She writes: “Have a curry party—you supply the rice and curry and have each guest bring several condiments. Once we had 23 different condiments!”

Deborah Bridge of Orono, Maine, sent a similar recipe (she added the cauliflower)—and the Indian name, Sabji. She learned the recipe from Indian friends, and writes that it evokes memories of “long evenings discussing Indian culture, disarmament, reform, revolutionary movements, chatting and watching TV … That was the real beginning of my political education and commitment to hungry people here and in developing nations. This recipe is a favorite from that year.”

1 cup lentils or waxed dahl (yellow split peas)

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup brown rice

¼ cup soy grits

3 tablespoons oil for sautéing

2 cups chopped onions

½ head cauliflower, broken into pieces and coarsely chopped (optional)

1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Indian curry powder

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

Cayenne pepper to taste

1 cup yogurt

½ cucumber, chopped

Condiments: chutney, raisins, chopped nuts, coconut

Cook lentils and salt in 2 cups water until they lose their distinct shape, about 25 minutes. In another pot, cook rice and soy grits in 2 cups water, about 30 to 45 minutes. Heat oil in a large skillet and sauté onions, cauliflower, and garlic until onions are translucent. Stir in curry powder, sauté briefly, and add lentils, peas, cayenne pepper, and water as needed, about ¼ cup. Simmer about 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and cucumber.

To serve, put condiments in bowls on the table. Serve lentils over rice, with a generous dollop of yogurt-cucumber sauce for coolness. Everyone chooses their own condiments.

Instead of prepared curry powder, Deborah Bridge adds to the sauté mixture 2 teaspoons each coriander, mustard, and cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon whole red chili peppers, and stirs in 1 teaspoon turmeric before the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Complementary protein: lentils + rice

Summer Curry

4 servings

A favorite of Ping Ho and Doris Harkson of Palo Alto, California.

5 cups cooked brown rice (2 cups uncooked)

1 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1 cup raisins

1½ cups orange juice

¾ teaspoon nutmeg

1½ teaspoons Indian curry powder (or more to taste)

3 zucchinis, sliced

3 carrots, sliced

3 Pippin or tart apples, cored and chopped

3 bananas, sliced

1 cup yogurt

Grated rind of 2 oranges

Mix rice, sunflower seeds, raisins, orange juice, nutmeg, and curry powder and heat just to warm through. Steam zucchinis, carrots, and apples until barely tender and add bananas. Serve vegetable-fruit mixture over rice. Top each serving with yogurt and orange rind.

Complementary protein: rice + sunflower seeds + milk product

Song of India Rice

3 to 4 servings

Green peas make a good accompaniment to this dish; or, to be traditional, serve cooked yellow lentils (dahl).

1 tablespoon margarine

1 tablespoon curry powder

½ cup cashews and raisins

1 onion, sliced

1 apple, cored and sliced

3 cups cooked brown rice and soy grits (granules) (about 1¼ cups uncooked rice and 2 tablespoons soy grits)

Salt and pepper to taste

Yogurt

Heat margarine and sauté curry powder, cashews and raisins, onion, and apple. Add rice and grits and salt and pepper and mix well. Serve with yogurt.

Variations:
Cook rice and soy grits with the raisins and part of the curry powder; the raisins plump up and the rice absorbs the flavor of the curry.

Add 1 teaspoon coriander seeds.

Instead of cashews, raisins, and apple, try 1 cup chopped mixed dried fruit and 1 cup mixed nuts, including some ground sesame seeds. Reduce curry powder by ¼ to ½ teaspoon and substitute the same amount of cloves.

Complementary protein: rice + nuts + soy + milk product

Fried Spiced Tofu

3 to 4 servings

A favorite of Eric Dunder of Greenbush, Maine. We served this at an Institute potluck while testing recipes for the Tenth Anniversary Edition. It was gone in minutes.

1 pound tofu

1 tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon each sweet basil, thyme, ground cumin, and curry powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

⅛ cup nutritional yeast

Drain tofu, pat dry, and cut into ½-inch cubes. Heat oil (in a wok, if you have one) and sauté tofu over high heat for 5 minutes. Pour out excess water, reduce heat, and add turmeric; stir until tofu is uniformly yellow and add basil, thyme, cumin, and curry powder. Add garlic (and perhaps a little more oil to prevent sticking) and increase heat; then add soy sauce and yeast. Sauté until golden brown. Taste and add more soy sauce, if desired.

Good hot or cold in sandwiches or tacos, or as a side dish.

Complementary protein: soy (tofu) + grain

Sweet and Sour Tofu

4 servings

Diane Brenner of Greenbush, Maine, submitted this recipe in a special recipe contest at the University of Maine, held to help find great meals for this edition.

1 cup pineapple juice

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup vinegar

¼ cup crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1 teaspoon ginger

2 pounds tofu

3 tablespoons sesame or other oil

2 green peppers, sliced in 2-inch strips

1 carrot, thinly sliced

One 20-ounce can pineapple chunks

Drain pineapple, reserving 1 cup of the juice, and set aside. In a bowl, mix pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, tomatoes, cornstarch, and ginger. Drain tofu, pat dry, and slice into 1-inch cubes. Heat oil and sauté tofu for 10 minutes. Add peppers and carrots and sauté for 3 minutes. Add sauce to the sauté mixture and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens but carrots are still somewhat crisp, about 5 minutes. Add pineapple chunks and heat through. Serve over brown rice.

Complementary protein: soy (tofu) + grain

Super Sweet and Sour Tempeh

4 servings

Less well known to Americans than tofu, tempeh is a fermented soy food with a firmer texture and, many think, a more interesting taste. Not only is this sweet and sour sauce different from the preceding one, but the cooking method is different. Coating the tempeh before frying locks out some of the frying oil and locks in the seasoning. This recipe, from Akiko and Bill Shurtleff of the Soyfoods Center in Lafayette, California, converted the staff of the Institute to tempeh fans.

½ cup water

2 teaspoons salt (reduced to 1, if desired
*
)

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 clove garlic, minced

10 ounces tempeh

¼ cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Oil for deep frying

Mix water, salt, coriander, and garlic in a bowl. Cut tempeh into chunks, 1×1×½ inch thick, and dip quickly in mix. Drain in a colander or on paper towel. Coat tempeh pieces with cornstarch. Heat oil in a wok, skillet, or deep fryer and deep-fry tempeh until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain briefly on paper towel.

*
Much of the salt is not absorbed by the tempeh.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 tablespoon oil (plus 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, if desired)

1 onion, chopped

1¼ cups water

2½ tablespoons honey

4 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon tahini (sesame butter)

½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 green onion, finely chopped

2 to 3 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Heat oil in a medium skillet and sauté onion for 4 to 5 minutes. Add water, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, tahini, ginger, and green onion and bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water and stir into sauce; cook until sauce thickens.