The Starch Solution (48 page)

PREP: 30 MINUTES | REST: 20 MINUTES | COOK: 20 MINUTES • MAKES 16

2 cups masa harina

1¼ cups hot water

In a large bowl, stir together the masa harina and water. Knead the dough with your hands for several minutes until it is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. While you form one tortilla, keep the remaining balls covered with plastic wrap.

Flatten a ball between two pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap with a rolling pin, by pressing down with a heavy skillet, or using a tortilla press. You are looking for a circle that is about 5″ in diameter and about
¹
⁄
₁₆
″ thick.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat until a drop of water bounces on the skillet when you flick your wet hands over it.

Peel off the waxed paper or plastic wrap and place the tortilla in the hot pan. Cook until it browns lightly on one side, then flip over and lightly brown the second side. Place the tortilla in a cloth-lined basket, cover, and repeat with the remaining dough balls.

The tortillas are best shortly after they are made.

This is a delicious way to eat one of my favorite starches. The seasonings can be adjusted slightly to suit your tastes. For example, if you don’t like spicy foods, eliminate the red-pepper flakes. If you are not fond of cumin, just leave it out. Use different oil-free dressings to change the flavor.

PREP: 10 MINUTES | COOK: 15 MINUTES • SERVES 4

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks

¼ cup chopped scallions

¼ cup oil-free salad dressing

³
⁄
₄
teaspoon chili powder

½–
³
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)

In a large pot, add potatoes and water, cover, and boil for about 20 minutes, or just barely fork tender. Drain. Whisk together the remaining ingredients including red-pepper flakes, if using, and place in a nonstick frying pan. Add potatoes and cook until coated with spices, about 5 minutes.

With just a little prep earlier in the day, these potatoes will be all ready in the slow cooker when the dinner bell rings. All you need to round out the meal is a fresh vegetable or a green salad. Thinly slice the potatoes using a mandoline or a knife. (We leave the skins on.) You can use any combination of toppings—I’ve suggested a few of our favorites. They will be ready in 6 hours but can cook up to 8 hours if you wish to make them in the morning and return to them after a day of work.

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

4 cups jarred or homemade marinara or pizza sauce

4 cups thinly sliced potatoes

2–3 cups toppings (any combination of sliced onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes, frozen or water-packed artichoke hearts, black olives, spinach, or your own favorites)

Put the sauce in a bowl and stir in ¼ cup water. Set aside.

Layer half of the potatoes in the bottom of a slow cooker. Layer toppings over the potatoes. Pour half of the sauce over the toppings. Top with the remaining potatoes and then the remaining sauce. Cook on the lowest setting for at least 6 or up to 8 hours.

Serve hot.

We serve this colorful rice dish alongside beans, with a big salad, or with the
Tex-Mex Potatoes
. It’s also a great accompaniment to the
Bean and Corn Enchiladas
. Cilantro and spinach give it a burst of fresh flavor.

PREP: 15 MINUTES | COOK: 50 MINUTES • SERVES 4

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

½ cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)

1–2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup long-grain brown rice

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles

1 jar (4 ounces) chopped pimientos

1¼ cups fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups (packed) chopped fresh spinach

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper

Put the onion, bell pepper, scallions, and garlic in a large saucepan and add
¹
⁄
₃
cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the broth, rice, chiles, pimientos, corn, parsley, and cumin. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in the spinach, cilantro, and black pepper to taste and cook for about 2 minutes.

Serve hot.

Dessert is the punctuation that makes a meal feel complete. We often enjoy a simple piece of fresh fruit for dessert, but so long as you stick with sweets that have little or no fat, there’s no harm for most people in occasionally indulging in a dessert that leaves you feeling satisfied. These recipes also provide a way to enjoy special holidays and occasions with family and friends without feeling left out.

Bananas provide the sweet and starchy base for this moist and delicious bread. Substituting white whole wheat or even regular whole wheat flour for the pastry flour yields a slightly denser but perfectly delicious result.

PREP: 25 MINUTES | COOK: 1 HOUR | COOL: 1 HOUR • SERVES 8 TO 10

1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer

³
⁄
₄
cup soy milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup mashed ripe bananas

³
⁄
₄
cup granulated sugar or Sucanat

¹
⁄
₃
cup Sunsweet Lighter Bake

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have on hand a 9″ × 5″ nonstick loaf pan or a flexible silicone pan.

In a small bowl, whisk the Egg Replacer with ¼ cup warm water until frothy. Pour the soy milk into another small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice. (The mixture will thicken as it sits.) In another small bowl, mix together the bananas, sugar, Lighter Bake, and vanilla. Set the three bowls aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry and all-purpose flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Stir in the walnuts.

Use a spatula to mix the Egg Replacer, banana mixture, and soy milk mixture into the flour mixture just until everything is combined. Pour and spread the batter into the loaf pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Set the pan on a rack until it is completely cool, about 1 hour.

To unmold the bread from a nonstick pan, run a butter knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the loaf, then invert the loaf directly onto the wire rack. If using a flexible silicone pan, bend and flex the sides of the pan all around to loosen the loaf, then invert to release it.

Cut into slices after the loaf is completely cool.

This quick ice “cream” is the perfect way to use up extra bananas. When your bananas are ripe but you don’t feel like eating them, peel them, break them into pieces, and store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the freezer.

To vary the flavor, add a handful of frozen berries or a tablespoon of fat-free cocoa powder along with the bananas.

PREP: 10 MINUTES • SERVES 2

2 frozen bananas, peeled

Soy milk

Combine the frozen bananas in a food processor with just enough soy milk to get them moving. Process until smooth. Serve in small bowls, topped with fruit, if desired.

We serve these brownies topped with vanilla soy ice cream on the first night of every McDougall Program. They are a rich treat best reserved for special occasions. We especially like them cold from the fridge, so we sometimes make them ahead, cut and arrange them on a platter, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a day before serving them. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, but I doubt they’ll be around that long.

PREP: 15 MINUTES | COOK: 30 MINUTES | COOL: 30 MINUTES • MAKES 9

2 tablespoons Ener-G Egg Replacer

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

²
⁄
₃
cup Wonderslim Wondercocoa Fat-Free Cocoa Powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped cashews or walnuts (optional)

1 cup Sunsweet Lighter Bake

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, whisk the Egg Replacer with ½ cup warm water until frothy. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the nuts, if using. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the Lighter Bake, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the Egg Replacer. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture just until the ingredients are combined.

Spread the batter evenly into a nonstick or silicone 8″ × 8″ baking pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Set the pan on a rack until cool, about 30 minutes. Cut the brownies into 3 equal strips in one direction, then 3 in the other, to make 9 brownies. (If using a silicone pan, flex and invert the pan to release the brownies onto a platter before cutting them.)

Some occasions demand a cake, and this is a perfectly delicious solution.