Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet (38 page)

4.
Brazilian Evening

Menu:

Feijoada (Tangy Black Beans)

Rice with Green Chili Sauce

Greens with Sesame Seed Topping and Orange Slices

Feijoada (Tangy Black Beans)

6 servings

This recipe was one of my favorites from the last edition. A Brazilian friend embellished it for this edition.

Oil for sautéing

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon cilantro (optional)

1 cup black beans

3 cups Seasoned Stock (or substitute wine for up to half the stock)

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon vinegar (omit if using wine)

1 orange, washed but unpeeled, whole or halved

½ teaspoon salt

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 carrot, chopped (optional)

½ sweet potato, diced

Heat oil in a large heavy pot and sauté onion, garlic, green onions, green pepper, tomato, and cilantro until onion is translucent. Add beans, stock, bay leaf, pepper, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Take off stove and let sit, covered, for 1 hour.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer, with lid ajar, for 2 to 3 hours more, until beans are tender. Remove a ladleful of beans, mash them, and return them to the pot to thicken the mixture.

I have done the whole thing in a pressure cooker, after first sautéing the onion and garlic. It is much quicker and still
very
good.

Rice with Green Chili Sauce

Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped

About 4½ cups cooked brown rice (2 cups uncooked)

Heat oil and sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes and simmer a few minutes. Stir in the cooked rice and keep warm over low heat.

Sauce

1 tomato, peeled and seeded

California green chiles, seeded, to taste (start with half a 2-ounce can)

1 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1 onion, cut in chunks

Scallions and parsley to taste

¼ cup vinegar

In a blender, purée tomato, chilies, salt, and garlic until smooth. Add lemon juice, onion, scallions and parsley, and vinegar, and blend coarsely (do not purée).

Just before serving, stir in a little liquid from the Feijoada pot.

Greens with Sesame Seed Topping and Orange Slices

1½ pounds trimmed greens (turnip or mustard greens, col lards, etc.)

Olive oil for sautéing

1 clove minced garlic

½ cup toasted sesame seedmeal

Garnish: T orange, sliced

Steam greens until barely wilted. Heat oil and briefly sauté greens with garlic. Sprinkle 1 heaping tablespoon sesame seed meal on each serving and garnish with orange slices on top or around edges.

Serve the rice with sauce along with the beans and greens for a splendid three-course Brazilian dinner.

Complementary protein: beans + rice

5.
Greek Gala

Menu:

Greek salad (lettuce, black olives, tomatoes ber, onions, feta cheese, lemon juice, oil, dillweed, pepper)

Moussaka

Easy Apple-Cheese Pie (
this page
)

Moussaka

6 servings

The flavor of this dish improves overnight in the refrigerator; reheat before serving. Note: Eggplant can absorb an awful lot of oil if you’re not careful. Use as little as possible—just enough to keep the eggplant from sticking as you stir—or brush eggplant slices with oil and bake at 350°F until quite soft.

Oil for sautéing

1 large eggplant, sliced

½ inch thick

6 tablespoons margarine

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1½ cups cooked brown rice (½ cup uncooked)

1 cup cooked soybeans (1/3 cup uncooked), seasoned to taste with salt and puréed (or cook ¼ cup soy grits with the rice)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

½ cup red wine

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon each basil and rosemary (optional)

⅛ teaspoon cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2 cups low-fat milk

2 eggs (omit 1 yolk if you want to reduce cholesterol)

1 cup part-skim-milk ricotta cheese or low-fat cottage cheese, blended smooth

⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (or more to taste)

Heat oil and sauté eggplant slices until softened but not mushy. Set aside. In a separate skillet heat 2 tablespoons margarine and sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add rice, beans, tomato paste, wine, herbs, cinnamon, and salt and pepper and stir to mix. Put eggplant slices in a casserole and top with bean-rice mixture. Sprinkle on bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons margarine in a saucepan and stir in the flour with a wire whisk. Gradually stir in the milk, and continue stirring over low heat until the mixture thickens and is smooth. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and stir in the eggs, ricotta, and nutmeg.

Pour custard sauce over casserole layers and bake until top is golden and a knife comes out clean from the custard, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 20 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Complementary protein: soybeans + rice + milk

6.
Mexican Banquet (Version One)

Menu:

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Mexican fried rice (sauté precooked rice with onions, green pepper, garlic, etc.)

Fresh fruit salad (try a dressing of lime juice, yogurt, and honey)

Vegetarian Enchiladas

4 servings

Warning: The sauce for this is very hot. You may want to reduce the amount of hot sauce and chili powder.

Olive oil for sautéing

1½ cups chopped onions

2 cups canned tomatoes

One 8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch cayenne pepper

10 drops hot sauce

½ tablespoon plus

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon honey

Salt to taste

¼ teaspoon ground cumin seed

¼ pound black olives, pitted and sliced (reserve some for garnish)

1½ cups cooked pinto beans (½ cup uncooked), mashed or ground

8 soft corn tortillas

¼ pound Monterey jack or other cheese, grated

Heat oil and sauté two-thirds of the onions until translucent. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, half the garlic, the cayenne pepper, hot sauce, ½ tablespoon chili powder, honey, salt, and cumin seed and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Heat olive oil and sauté remaining onions and garlic and black olives until onions are translucent. Add remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, taste for salt, and add beans (and some sauce if mix seems too sticky). Stir well.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Fill each tortilla with 2 to 3 tablespoons filling and 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Roll up and put in a shallow baking pan. Cover with sauce, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and garnish with reserved olives. Bake until bubbling hot, about 30 minutes.

Complementary protein: beans + corn

7.
Mexican Banquet (Version Two)

Menu:

Guacamole (avocado, garlic, lemon juice dip) with toasted tortillas

Rice con Queso

Lettuce and red cabbage salad

Lemon sherbert with Tofu Apple Nut Loaf (
this page
)

Rice con Queso

6 servings

This is an ideal dish for a buffet dinner. My guests always ask for the recipe.

3 cups cooked brown rice (1½ cups uncooked), cooked with salt and pepper

1 1/3 cups cooked black beans or black-eyed peas, pinto beans, etc. (½ cup uncooked)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 small can chiles, chopped

½ pound ricotta cheese, thinned with a little low-fat milk or yogurt until spreadable

¾ pound shredded Monterey jack cheese

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Garnishes (optional): chopped black olives, onions, fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together rice, beans, garlic, onion, and chilies. In a casserole, spread alternating layers of the rice-beans mixture, ricotta cheese, and jack cheese, ending with a layer of rice and beans. Bake for 30 minutes. During the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top. Garnish before serving.

Complementary protein: rice + beans + milk products