B00AG0VMTC EBOK (28 page)

By Dick DuBois

These are so tasty it is tempting to eat spoonfuls right out of the pan. Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers for an easy and convenient meal any time.

1 onion, chopped

4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped (about 2 tablespoons minced)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

One 8-ounce package mushrooms, sliced

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup dry split peas

½ cup brown rice

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder (garam masala is especially delicious)

1 cup plain, dry, whole-grain bread crumbs or whole wheat panko

¼ cup chia seeds

Freshly ground black pepper

Twelve 100 percent whole-grain buns

Condiments of choice: mustard, ketchup, relish, tomato slices, red onion slices, spinach, romaine, guacamole (optional)

In a casserole dish or pot, stir-fry the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms for 4 minutes, or until softened. Add the broth, split peas, rice,
coriander, cumin, and curry. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, or until the rice and peas are tender and the water has mostly evaporated. Check the pot after 30 minutes: If there is a lot of liquid, remove the lid and let cook, uncovered, for the second half hour.

Transfer the pea and rice mixture to a bowl and, using an immersion blender, blend until just combined—do not puree! If you do not have an immersion blender, mix with a few pulses in a food processor. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add ¾ cup of the bread crumbs, the chia seeds (the chia help hold these together), and black pepper to taste to the rice and pea mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes until it stiffens.

Shape the mixture into patties and coat each side with the remaining ¼ cup bread crumbs. Fry in a nonstick pan or, better, bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. After baking, turn and broil 2 minutes on each side or until the patties are just beginning to brown—be careful NOT to burn the patties. (Dick says he likes to broil his because it dries them out a little so they hold together better.)

Serve either open-faced or on whole-grain buns with all your favorite condiment options, a plate full of your favorite veggies, and a salad.

Tip:
To make bread crumbs, place bread slices in a 200°F oven for about 15 minutes, or until dried out. Then transfer to a food processor and blend.

By Jane Esselstyn and the Roofer

Jane’s roof had sprung a leak, so she called the local roofer. After he finished fixing the leak, he mentioned that he knew all about the Esselstyns because he had read
The Engine 2 Diet
! Then he asked Jane what she was serving for dinner. When Jane said onion rings, he asked if she dipped them in a beer batter. Jane said she wasn’t planning on it but she loved the idea and would break out the beer. You never know where the next great idea will come from!

1 onion, sweet or Vidalia

½ cup white whole wheat flour

¾ cup beer

½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs

½ cup corn flake crumbs (available in a canister—not from the cereal)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone mat, or use a nonstick sheet pan.

Cut the onions crosswise into ½-inch-thick rings. Pop the little onion rings out of the bigger ones—these are some of my favorites because they end up being so crunchy.

In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and beer and stir. In a separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, corn flake crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, Cajun seasoning, and nutritional yeast. Follow the next set of instructions in assembly line fashion—if possible, it’s nice to have one person at each of the bowl stations.

Dip the onion rings into the beer batter, coating all the surfaces well. Place the batter-coated rings one at a time into the bread-crumb bowl one at a time and toss crumbs all over the rings. Place coated and crumb-covered onion rings into the pan. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then flip the rings and bake 15 minutes on the opposite sides for crispy rings, or less than 15 minutes for softer rings. Remove from the oven and enjoy with ketchup or other dipping sauces.

By Jane Esselstyn

I have never liked eggplant as much as other people—there’s something about its consistency and chewiness that doesn’t appeal to me. Yet these eggplant fries defy all that; they are the exception to the rule for anyone who feels the way I do about the purple plant.

1 medium eggplant

2 cups almond milk

2 teaspoons flaxseed meal

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone mat, or use a nonstick sheet pan and set aside.

Peel the eggplant and cut lengthwise into strips about the thickness of chopsticks and as long as you like.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond milk, flaxseed, and vinegar.

In a separate bowl, mix the whole wheat bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, if using, onion powder, and garlic powder. Follow the next set of instructions in assembly line fashion—it is nice to have one person at each of the bowl stations.

Dip the eggplant strips into the almond milk mixture, coating all surfaces well. Place the coated eggplant strips into the bread-crumb bowl and toss crumbs all over the strips. Place the coated and crumb-covered eggplant strips onto the pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then flip eggplant strips and bake for 15 to 20 minutes on the opposite sides. Remove from the oven and enjoy with ketchup or other dipping sauces.

Variation:
If you are not a fan of eggplant, make Zucchini Fries by substituting zucchini for the eggplant and following the same recipe instructions.

By Lindsay Nixon

This is a whole ’nother twist on healthy fries—thanks, Bugs Bunny!

1 pound baby carrots

Onion powder (granulated, not flour-like)

Salt (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut the baby carrots in half lengthwise (if you come across any large ones, cut them in half again). Place carrots in a colander and rinse under cold running water, shaking to remove excess water, but don’t dry them completely.

Sprinkle the carrots generously with onion powder, salt, if using, and pepper, then toss with your hands to distribute the seasonings. Add more seasonings to taste and repeat until the carrots are well coated.

Transfer the carrots to your prepared baking sheet. Make sure there is no overlap, and use your fingers to reposition the carrots as necessary. Bake for 20 to 35 minutes until the carrots are fork-tender. Serve with your favorite ketchup or dip.

Tip:
Try this recipe with zucchini, yellow squash, or parsnips.

By Jane Esselstyn

One of the things I remember while growing up was gobbling up fish sticks hot out of the oven, dipped in ketchup. These are delicious and take me back to our kitchen in Cleveland, Ohio. Feed these to your kids instead of the “real” thing.

One package firm tofu, drained (for 24 hours if possible)

1 to 2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 to 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Kelp flakes (optional; for adding a fishy flavor)

Salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone liner and set aside.

Cut the drained tofu into fries, little fish shapes, or whatever shape you desire.

Pour the almond milk into a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic salt, and nutritional yeast.

Follow the next set of instructions in assembly line fashion—as always, it’s nice to have one person at each of the bowl stations.

Dip the tofu into the almond milk, coating all surfaces well. Place the coated tofu into the bread-crumb bowl and toss the crumbs all over the strips. Place the coated and crumb-covered tofu onto the lined pan. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the tofu, and bake for 15 minutes on the opposite sides.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the Kale flakes and/or salt, if using, and enjoy with ketchup or other dipping sauces.

By Jane Esselstyn

Load these spicy little numbers onto your plate to complement any plant-strong burger. They are a crisp and fiery kick in the pants.

1 store-bought tube polenta

1 to 2 cups almond milk

2 cups corn flake crumbs (from a canister, not from your old cereal boxes!)

2 teaspoons garlic powder or garlic salt

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

¼ cup taco seasoning or Southwestern spice

2 shakes crushed red pepper flakes

Hot sauce or ketchup, your favorite

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut the polenta lengthwise into fry-size strips.

Pour the almond milk into a bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the corn flake crumbs, garlic powder or garlic salt, nutritional yeast, Southwestern spice, and pepper flakes.

Follow the next set of instructions in assembly line fashion—as always, it’s nice to have one person at each of the bowl stations.

Dip the polenta strips into the almond milk, coating all surfaces well. Place the polenta strips into the corn flake crumb bowl and toss the crumbs all over the polenta. Place coated and crumb-covered polenta strips onto the lined pan.

Bake for 15 minutes, flip polenta strips, and bake for 15 or more minutes on the opposite sides for crispy strips.

Remove from the oven and enjoy with ketchup or other dipping sauces.

By Polly LaBarre

This salad dressing was created by the one and only Polly LaBarre, the love of my brother, Zeb. They fit together like rice and beans. In fact, they fit together like the below ingredients to form a refreshingly superb, no-nonsense dressing.

2 large garlic cloves, crushed and minced

¼ cup Olive Tap Black Currant Balsamic Vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons hummus

1 teaspoon dried thyme or chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 twist freshly ground black pepper

1 twist freshly ground sea salt

Ready a lidded jar or container. Crush the big garlic cloves into the jar.

Add the vinegar to the jar or container. Add the Dijon, hummus, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Close the jar and shake vigorously to emulsify (it’s a mini arm workout). Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Tip 1:
Double this recipe so you’ll have more on hand when needed!

Tip 2:
Polly strongly recommends the Olive Tap brand vinegars because they are creamy and less sharp than conventional balsamics—totally worth it! Find them at a store near you or online (
www.OliveTap.com
). It will revolutionize the way you eat salads.

Inspired by Jill Nussinow, aka the Veggie Queen

The Veggie Queen was the first person to send Austin’s Engine 2 firefighters a copy of her cookbook after an article about us appeared in the
New York Times
back in early 2006. We loved making her recipes because, well, she’s the queen of veggies!

1 cup ripe berries, your choice

2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons mustard, your choice

Freshly ground black pepper

Place all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend well. Serve over a salad or any other veggies.