The End of Dieting: How to Live for Life (32 page)

This may also be made with pistachios instead of walnuts for a delicious twist on the classic Italian walnut sauce.

Non-vegan option:
Add 4 ounces shredded cooked chicken to the sauce.

Note:
Explore Asian brand makes several varieties of bean pasta.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 290; PROTEIN 17g; CARBOHYDRATES 28g; TOTAL FAT 15.1g; SATURATED FAT 1.6g; SODIUM 153mg; FIBER 9.5g; BETA-CAROTENE 5,170mcg; VITAMIN C 61mg; CALCIUM 192mg; IRON 6.8mg; FOLATE 390mcg; MAGNESIUM 151mg; ZINC 2.5mg; SELENIUM 8.8mcg

California Creamed Kale

Serves: 4

2 bunches kale, leaves removed from tough stems

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup unsweetened soy, hemp, or almond milk

4 tablespoons onion flakes

1 tablespoon Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest or other no-salt seasoning blend, adjusted to taste

Place kale in a large steamer pot and steam 13 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, place remaining ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Place kale in a colander and press to remove some of the excess water. In a bowl, coarsely chop and mix kale with the cream sauce.

Note:
This sauce may be used with broccoli, spinach, or other steamed vegetables.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 279; PROTEIN 12g; CARBOHYDRATES 26g; TOTAL FAT 16.7g; SATURATED FAT 2.9g; SODIUM 79mg; FIBER 3.8g; BETA-CAROTENE 7,060mcg; VITAMIN C 90mg; CALCIUM 144mg; IRON 4.4mg; FOLATE 47mcg; MAGNESIUM 144mg; ZINC 2.7mg; SELENIUM 10.6mcg

Chickpea and Tofu Curry

Serves: 3

3 prunes, chopped and soaked in 2 tablespoons water for 30 minutes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

8 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes

1½ cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added or low-sodium chickpeas, drained

½ cup water

2 tomatoes, chopped

6 ounces fresh spinach

Remove prunes from soaking water and chop more. Add prunes and the soaking water to a large skillet, bring water to a simmer, and then add onion and garlic. Sauté onion and garlic until tender. Stir in cumin, curry powder, and black pepper. Add cubed tofu and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chickpeas and water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and spinach and continue to cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 315; PROTEIN 24g; CARBOHYDRATES 41g; TOTAL FAT 9.4g; SATURATED FAT 1.3g; SODIUM 70mg; FIBER 12g; BETA-CAROTENE 3,609mcg; VITAMIN C 31mg; CALCIUM 647mg; IRON 6.6mg; FOLATE 294mcg; MAGNESIUM 147mg; ZINC 3mg; SELENIUM 17.2mcg

Black-Eyed Collards

Serves: 6

1 cup low-sodium or no-salt-added vegetable broth

1 large onion, sliced

½ pound collard greens, washed and chopped

¼ cup currants or raisins

1½ cups cooked black-eyed peas,
*
or 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium or no-salt-added black-eyed peas, drained

⅛ teaspoon hot pepper flakes, or more to taste

Heat 2–3 tablespoons of the vegetable broth in a large skillet; add onion slices and sauté until tender. Add collards, remaining vegetable broth, and currants or raisins; bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes or until collards are tender. Stir in black-eyed peas and hot pepper flakes and heat through.

*
You can substitute any white bean for black-eyed peas.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 99; PROTEIN 6g; CARBOHYDRATES 20g; TOTAL FAT 0.4g; SATURATED FAT 0.1g; SODIUM 13mg; FIBER 4.7g; BETA-CAROTENE 1,461mcg; VITAMIN C 15mg; CALCIUM 104mg; IRON 1.9mg; FOLATE 103mcg; MAGNESIUM 36mg; ZINC 0.7mg; SELENIUM 1.2mcg

Stuffed Eggplant Tofenade

Serves: 4

1 cup shelled edamame, fresh or frozen

¼ cup extra firm tofu

⅓ cup water

4 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds, toasted

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

½ cup coarsely chopped carrots

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 ounces baby spinach

2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise into ¼-inch slices

2 cups no-salt-added or low-sodium pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F. Boil edamame for 5 minutes. Combine in food processor with tofu, water, pumpkin seeds, basil, oregano, and black pepper. Set aside.

In 2 tablespoons water, sauté red peppers, onion, carrots, and garlic until tender, adding more water if needed. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Set aside.

Roast eggplant in baking pan lightly oiled with olive oil for about 20 minutes, or until tender and flexible enough to roll up. In baking pan, spread about ¼ cup tomato sauce. Place 1–2 tablespoons edamame puree in center of each eggplant slice. Top with sautéed vegetable mixture. Roll up and place in baking dish, seam side down. Top with remaining sauce. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 356; PROTEIN 16g; CARBOHYDRATES 50g; TOTAL FAT 14.2g; SATURATED FAT 2.2g; SODIUM 85mg; FIBER 18.2g; BETA-CAROTENE 3,868mcg; VITAMIN C 73mg; CALCIUM 250mg; IRON 5.3mg; FOLATE 285mcg; MAGNESIUM 181mg; ZINC 2.5mg; SELENIUM 6.3mcg

Mexican Lentils

Serves: 4

1 cup lentils, uncooked

1 cup frozen or fresh corn

1 cup tomato sauce, no salt added

1 medium onion, chopped

½ teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Boil lentils in 2 cups water for 30 minutes and then drain. Add corn, tomato sauce, onion, cumin powder, and chili powder; simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Serving suggestion:
Serve stuffed into poblano chili peppers. Cut 3–4 peppers in half lengthwise, fill with lentil mixture, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 241; PROTEIN 15g; CARBOHYDRATES 45g; TOTAL FAT 1.0g; SATURATED FAT 0.1g; SODIUM 14mg; FIBER 17.1g; BETA-CAROTENE 243mcg; VITAMIN C 16mg; CALCIUM 47mg; IRON 4.4mg; FOLATE 257mcg; MAGNESIUM 81mg; ZINC 2.6mg; SELENIUM 4.8mcg

Portobellos and Beans

Serves: 2

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 large portobello mushroom caps, sliced thin

½ cup red wine or low-sodium vegetable broth

1 large tomato, diced, or 8 halved cherry tomatoes

1½ cups cooked garbanzo beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added or low-sodium garbanzo beans, drained

Water-sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes, or until onions are soft. Add mushrooms and red wine or broth and continue cooking for 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Add tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Simmer for 5 minutes.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 326; PROTEIN 20g; CARBOHYDRATES 51g; TOTAL FAT 3.9g; SATURATED FAT 0.4g; SODIUM 26mg; FIBER 13.2g; BETA-CAROTENE 828mcg; VITAMIN C 31mg; CALCIUM 103mg; IRON 4.8mg; FOLATE 261mcg; MAGNESIUM 99mg; ZINC 2.8mg; SELENIUM 12.1mcg

Ratatouille over Spaghetti Squash

Serves: 4

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1½ cups no-salt-added or low-sodium spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place both halves, skin side up, on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons water in a large deep skillet. Water-sauté onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, adding more water as necessary to prevent scorching. Reduce heat to low-medium and add tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms, oregano, and basil. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

When squash is done, remove from oven and, using a fork, scrape spaghetti-like strands from the squash onto serving plates. Top with eggplant mixture.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 288; PROTEIN 9g; CARBOHYDRATES 56g; TOTAL FAT 7.2g; SATURATED FAT 1.1g; SODIUM 101mg; FIBER 10.4g; BETA-CAROTENE 1,209mcg; VITAMIN C 78mg; CALCIUM 155mg; IRON 3mg; FOLATE 131mcg; MAGNESIUM 109mg; ZINC 1.6mg; SELENIUM 5.2mcg

Sweet and Smoky Baked Beans

Serves: 4

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup low-sodium or no-salt-added tomato sauce

1 apple, cored and quartered

¼ cup raisins, soaked in hot water to cover for 30 minutes

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons prepared mustard, no salt added or low sodium

1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

3 cups cooked red kidney beans, or 2 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium or no-salt-added red kidney beans, drained

Preheat oven to 350°F. Water-sauté onions and garlic in 2–3 tablespoons water until tender, about 5 minutes. Add small amounts of additional water as needed to prevent burning.

Blend tomato sauce, apple, raisins and soaking water, vinegar, mustard, Bragg Liquid Aminos, and chipotle chili powder in a high-powered blender until smooth. Combine kidney beans, blended mixture, and sautéed onions in a large casserole dish. Cover and bake for 50 minutes.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 249; PROTEIN 15g; CARBOHYDRATES 49g; TOTAL FAT 0.6g; SATURATED FAT 0.1g; SODIUM 121mg; FIBER 15.1g; BETA-CAROTENE 138mcg; VITAMIN C 14mg; CALCIUM 88mg; IRON 5mg; FOLATE 111mcg; MAGNESIUM 77mg; ZINC 1.5mg; SELENIUM 4mcg

Sweet Potatoes Topped with Black Beans and Kale

Serves: 4

4 medium sweet potatoes

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

6 cups chopped kale

1½ cups cooked black beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added or low-sodium black beans, drained

1½ cups diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 cup unsweetened nondairy yogurt

Pierce sweet potatoes in several spots with a fork. Microwave on high until soft, 12–16 minutes. Potatoes can also be baked in a 350°F oven for 50 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons water in a large pan and water-sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add kale and stir until wilted. Cover pan and cook until kale is tender, adding water as needed, about 10 minutes. Add black beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and cumin; bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Cut each potato lengthwise, skin and partially mash, then top with bean mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro. Top with nondairy yogurt.

PER SERVING: CALORIES 342; PROTEIN 16g; CARBOHYDRATES 69g; TOTAL FAT 2.8g; SATURATED FAT 0.4g; SODIUM 159mg; FIBER 13.7g; BETA-CAROTENE 20,928mcg; VITAMIN C 138mg; CALCIUM 295mg; IRON 5mg; FOLATE 162mcg; MAGNESIUM 151mg; ZINC 2mg; SELENIUM 11.4mcg

Szechuan Sesame Stir-Fry

Serves: 4

For the Sauce:

¼ cup unhulled sesame seeds, lightly pan toasted

1 cup unsweetened soy, hemp, or almond milk

6 Medjool or 12 Deglet Noor dates, pitted

½ tablespoon minced ginger

4 cloves garlic, peeled

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

For the Stir-Fry:

2 cups broccoli florets

1½ cups cauliflower florets

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1½ cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

1 cup fresh snow peas

½ cup baby corn, each broken in half

2 cups cooked brown, black, or wild rice

In a high-powered blender, puree all sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

Heat ¼ cup water in a wok or large sauté pan. Add broccoli and cauliflower; cover and steam for 8 minutes. Remove cover and add bell pepper, mushrooms, snow peas, and corn and stir-fry for an additional 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking. Add sauce to veggies and continue to stir-fry for 1–2 minutes to heat through. Serve over rice.