The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet (30 page)

2 cups cubed Cornbread (page
163
) or just use an additional 2 cups bread cubes if pressed for time

1–1
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cups vegetable broth

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cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Basting Liquid

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons shoyu

One hour before cooking, mash or crumble the tofu and pack it into a medium, rounded colander lined with cheesecloth or a clean dish towel. Place a small plate on top of the tofu and weight it with a heavy object such as a can or jar. Place the colander on a plate or tray to catch the draining liquid and set it aside for 45 minutes.

While the tofu drains, combine the onion, celery, and sesame oil in a large skillet and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the herbs and salt and pepper, and sauté 1 minute longer or until the onions are translucent. If the pan becomes dry, add a little water. Combine the sauté with the cubed breads and enough vegetable broth to moisten. Stir in the nuts.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using your hands, press the tofu onto the bottom and sides of the colander, creating a hollow space for the filling. Pack the stuffing mixture into the tofu shell, and press down firmly.

Oil a baking sheet and place it over the colander. Quickly invert the baking sheet and colander, then carefully lift off the colander and cheesecloth. Stir together the basting liquid ingredients, and use a pastry brush to baste the entire tofu dome with the mixture (see Note). Cover the tofu with foil, and bake for about 1
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/
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hours. After 1 hour, remove the foil, baste again with the remaining basting mixture, and return to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes longer or until golden. Watch to make sure the tofu does not burn. Use 2 large spatulas to transfer the tofu dome to a serving platter. Cut into wedges, and serve.

Note:
If you need more basting liquid, add more oil and shoyu; just be careful not to use too much or the tofu can end up a little oily.

Thanksgiving Options:

These also make good entrées for a Thanksgiving feast: Pecan-Crusted Seitan (page
154
), Seitan Piccata with White Wine and Capers (page
156
), and Gardein Veggie Chick’n Breasts.

Cranberry Sauce

I am a sucker for maple syrup, so I use it to sweeten my cranberries, but feel free to experiment with agave syrup or rice syrup to see what you prefer. This recipe is so quick and easy that you’ll never buy premade cranberry sauce again.

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

4 cups raw cranberries

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cup maple syrup

Juice from 1 orange

Rinse and clean berries well. Transfer to a large saucepan, and add the syrup, orange juice, and
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/
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cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and boil gently until the berries pop, about 10 minutes. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Cornbread

Everyone needs cornbread in their life; it goes great with soups, stews, or just by itself. This recipe is my personal favorite. It uses sorghum, which is a type of molasses, and I think it tastes great. You can bake it in a pan to cut into cubes for stuffing, or bake in muffin tins and serve as corn muffins with Earth Balance spread. Mmmm . . . Either way, this cornbread recipe comes out golden brown and slightly sweet. You will love it.

SERVES 12

1 cup sorghum
or
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cup sorghum plus
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cup maple syrup

1
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cups soy milk (or soy/rice blend)

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/
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cup safflower oil

1
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/
₂
cups cornmeal

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/
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cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

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/
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teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a 9" x 9" (or similar size) baking dish or 12-cup muffin tin. Combine the sorghum, soy milk, and oil in a medium bowl and mix well. In another bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, and mix just until well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread or a muffin comes out clean. They will be golden brown and crazy delicious.

Muffin Notes:

• Stir the batter just enough to combine the ingredients. Muffins can become heavy and tough if the batter is overmixed.
  
• Work quickly with muffin or cake batter. Baking powder will lose its effectiveness if it sits for too long in the batter.
  
• Make sure your baking powder is fresh. Obey the expiration date on the tin, as old powder will no longer be able to leaven your breads and muffins properly. You can test your baking powder by putting 1 teaspoon in half a glass of hot water. Fresh baking powder will bubble vigorously.
  
• Restrain yourself from peeking at your baked goods in the oven. Opening the oven will cause the temperature to fluctuate, which messes with the baking process. Even if it means sitting on your hands, wait until the end of the recommended cooking time.
  
• Muffins can become gummy in the refrigerator, so store them at room temperature for the first couple of days. After 3 days, I recommend you freeze them.
  

Black Soybean and Kabocha Squash Stew

I’ve never served this dish to anyone who didn’t freak out about how delicious it was. Warm, nourishing, and great for winter, serve these beans with a simple bowl of rice and steamed greens. If you can’t find kabocha, butternut squash will do, but kabocha is just so good. This also tastes great the next day.

SERVES 4

1 cup dried black soybeans

1" piece kombu seaweed

About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2–3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 red onion, diced

1 teaspoon chili powder

Fine sea salt

Generous pinch crushed red-pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2
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cups canned diced tomatoes

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kabocha squash, halved, seeded, and cut into 1" pieces (peel only if the kabocha squash is not organic)

1 cup mirin

2 teaspoons white miso

2 celery stalks, diced

3–4 fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped

Rinse the soybeans, then turn them out onto a kitchen towel and rub to remove as much moisture as possible. Place the beans in a dry, medium skillet, and pan-toast them over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until they puff up a little and their skins begin to split.

Transfer the beans to a large pot, and add the kombu and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 90 minutes or until the beans are tender.

While the beans cook, combine the oil, garlic, onion, and chili powder in a large skillet over medium heat. When you hear the onion start to sizzle, add a pinch of salt, red-pepper flakes, and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, squash, mirin, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the squash is tender, about 35 minutes. Remove a small amount of the broth from the skillet and use this to dissolve the miso. Once dissolved, stir the miso into the vegetables.

Once the beans are fully cooked, drain them of any leftover liquid. Add the beans to the vegetables, and simmer over low heat until all remaining liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat, stir in the celery and cilantro, and serve hot.

Eggplant Chana Masala

Because it uses canned beans and chili, this recipe is quick and convenient. It tastes so good it’s downright dirty!

SERVES 8

3 large onions, roughly chopped

4–5 garlic cloves, minced

1–2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon curry powder or to taste

1–2 teaspoons cumin or to taste

1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped into
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" pieces

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained

2 (14-ounce) cans peeled tomatoes, drained

1 can vegetarian chili (Health Valley and Amy’s make good ones)

1 large handful chopped fresh cilantro (about
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/
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cup)

Sauté the onions and garlic with the oil, curry powder, and cumin in a large pot until the onions are soft or translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, and sauté for 5 minutes longer, until lightly browned and softened. Sometimes the eggplant will absorb a lot of oil, so you might need to add more to prevent sticking. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and chili. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. It will get watery, but then reduce to a thick, stewy chana masala. Add more spices to taste. Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.

Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew

Served on its own or as a soupy stew over brown basmati rice or couscous, this dish is hearty and filling. It’s also great with steamed collard greens and a corn muffin (page
163
). If you worship sweet potatoes like I do, add another half or whole potato.

SERVES 4 TO 6

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cup safflower oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1
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/
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teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

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teaspoon ground cinnamon