The Starch Solution (43 page)

PREP: 1 HOUR | COOK: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES • SERVES 8

2 cups vegetable broth

1 onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 bay leaves

1½ teaspoons ground oregano

Freshly ground black pepper

3 carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1″ pieces

2 ears corn, cut into 1″ pieces

2 yams, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 white potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 bag (10 ounces) frozen petite whole onions

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles

8 ounces seitan, cut into bite-size pieces

1 pumpkin (14–15 pounds)

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Put ¼ cup of the broth into a large saucepan and add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, bay leaves, oregano, and pepper to taste. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1
³
⁄
₄
cups broth and the carrots, corn, yams, potatoes, petite onions, chiles, and seitan. Cook over low heat, covered, for 30 minutes.

While the stew simmers, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cut the top off the pumpkin, as you would to make a jack-o’-lantern, and set it aside. Use a large spoon to clean out and discard the seeds and strings from inside the pumpkin. Brush the inside of the pumpkin with the maple syrup and replace the top of the pumpkin. Put the pumpkin into a baking dish large enough to hold it and pour ½ inch of water into the bottom. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pumpkin top and ladle the hot stew into the pumpkin. Replace the top, then continue to bake for 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop out bits of the pumpkin along with the stew and serve in large bowls.

Once you have sampled this intoxicating combination of sweet potatoes, peanut butter, and spices you will wonder why you never thought to combine these ingredients. This hearty stew is delicious served over rice or other cooked starches. Couscous is the national dish of Tunisia and the traditional choice in this Northern African country.

PREP: 20 MINUTES | COOK: 40 MINUTES • SERVES 6 TO 8

1 onion, chopped

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped (wear plastic gloves when handling)

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

5 cups peeled and coarsely chopped sweet potatoes or yams

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) coarsely chopped tomatoes

2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup green beans, cut into 1″ pieces

1½ cups vegetable broth

¼ cup natural peanut butter

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Put the onion, peppers, ginger, and garlic into a large saucepan. Stir in
¹
⁄
₃
cup water and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the cumin, cinnamon, red pepper, and coriander. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the sweet potatoes or yams, tomatoes, chickpeas, green beans, vegetable broth, and peanut butter. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, then let the stew rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Serve hot.

This may be made with other cooked grains, such as bulgur, kasha, millet, or rice, or even with whole wheat couscous (which is not a grain, but a pasta). Most natural food stores sell prepared low-fat hummus, or you can easily make your own by pureeing cooked chickpeas with a small amount of broth, garlic, and salt. You may also substitute chickpeas for the white beans. If you can’t find baby potatoes, use larger red potatoes and chop them into bite-sized chunks. If you want to use chard or kale instead of the spinach, it will need to cook about 5 additional minutes. We like this plain in a bowl over brown rice or scooped up with baked tortilla chips.

PREP: 25 MINUTES | COOK: 1 HOUR • SERVES 6

3 cups vegetable broth

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups coarsely chopped baby potatoes

2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1½ cups prepared hummus

1½ tablespoons parsley

1½ tablespoons regular or low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¹
⁄
₈
–¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ cup cooked quinoa

1½ cups thinly sliced fresh spinach

Place ½ cup of the broth in a large pot. Add the onion, celery, carrots, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add remaining broth, potatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and cook for 30 minutes. Add tomato sauce, hummus, and seasonings. Cook an additional 10 minutes. Add quinoa, mix well, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook an additional 2 minutes.

While this cooks, it will thicken as the yams break apart and become part of the broth. This is a delicious, surprisingly sweet vegetable stew, sure to become a favorite. It can be made ahead and reheated before serving.

PREP: 20 MINUTES | COOK: 50 TO 60 MINUTES • SERVES 8

4 cups vegetable broth

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 leeks, sliced (white parts only)

2 yams, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2½ cups broccoli florets

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon regular or low-sodium soy sauce

1½ teaspoons pure prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Dash of ground red pepper

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Pour 2 cups of the broth in a large pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, leeks, and yams. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the chickpeas, broccoli, remaining vegetable broth, and seasonings. Mix well. Return to a boil, reduce heat, and cook an additional 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over brown rice or other whole grains, whole wheat toast, or potatoes, or in a bowl by itself.

When people first adopt a starch-based diet, they often fear that it will demand a lot from them in the kitchen. That doesn’t need to be the case. If you keep your meals simple as we do, you won’t find yourself overwhelmed with piles of vegetables waiting to be chopped or complicated preparations requiring every pan and utensil in the kitchen, hours of work, and burdensome cleanup. In fact, we eat mostly one-dish meals that can be prepared using just one or two pots and pans.

Another frequent misconception is that a complete dinner calls for putting several different dishes on the table. At first, I thought that too. But time has taught me that some of the best meals are composed of a casserole or pot of soup with a simple green salad and a loaf of whole grain bread.

We rely on convenient foods made of simple, fresh ingredients to keep things easy. These are not the convenience foods filled with long lists of chemicals you’ve never heard of and can’t pronounce. Instead, they are typically one- or two-ingredient packaged foods: canned tomatoes, perhaps with a little added basil; canned beans packed in their cooking water; frozen corn kernels; vegetable broth in aseptic containers; prechopped onions and carrots; a bottle of hot sauce. Stocking these foods in your pantry and freezer makes cooking a breeze. When you have them on hand, feel free to substitute your home-cooked equivalents: cooked beans, fresh corn kernels, homemade vegetable stock, and the like. (For more on how to stock your pantry, see
Chapter 13
.)

The following section includes the dishes we eat day in and day out and also serve to our family, guests, and McDougall Program participants in residence. Most of the recipes can be made ahead and refrigerated for 2 or 3 days before serving, or refrigerated as leftovers for lunch the following day. Many taste great at room temperature, or can also be easily reheated in the oven, in a microwave oven, or in a saucepan on the stovetop.

Served with mashed potatoes (made with vegetable broth or a nondairy milk) and
Golden Gravy
, this tofu loaf evokes memories of a favorite comfort food from childhood. Slices of the loaf also make terrific sandwiches.

PREP: 15 MINUTES | COOK: 1 HOUR | COOL: 5 MINUTES • SERVES 6 TO 8

30 ounces firm tofu, drained well and mashed with a fork

1
²
⁄
₃
cups quick-cooking oats

³
⁄
₄
cup whole wheat bread crumbs

½ cup ketchup or barbecue sauce

¹
⁄
₃
cup regular or reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have on hand a nonstick standard or silicone loaf pan.

Put the tofu into a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix with your hands to combine everything well.