Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook (51 page)

PILAFS ARE TRADITIONALLY rice or bulgur dishes made with the grain toasted in fat before any other liquid and spices are added. I leave out the fat but use other ways of adding flavor to the dish. With quick-cooking quinoa you can have a meal ready in less than 30 minutes. Eat this dish with a salad for a delicious light meal, or in a lettuce wrap with
Hummus
. The mint and orange add brightness to the dish, but you could also use cilantro and lime for a nice change.

SERVES 4

2 shallots, peeled and diced small

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced small

2 cups cooked
quinoa
, made with 4 cups
Vegetable Stock
 or low-sodium vegetable broth

¾ cup dried unsulfured apricots, chopped (see
more
on sulfites and sulfur dioxide)

Zest and juice of 1 orange

3 tablespoons chopped mint

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

¼ 
cup pistachios,
toasted

Place the shallots and red pepper in a medium saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the quinoa, apricots, orange zest and juice, mint, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and garnish with the pistachios.

FRESH GINGER AND orange brighten the earthy black bean and the mild, nutty quinoa.

SERVES 4

1½ cups quinoa, rinsed and drained

1½ teaspoons cumin seeds,
toasted
and ground

2 cups cooked
black beans
, or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed

1½ teaspoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Zest and juice of 1 orange (about ¼ cup juice)

4 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.
Add 3 cups of water to a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa and return the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the quinoa, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.

2.
Place the quinoa in a large bowl and add the cumin, black beans, ginger, vinegar, orange zest and juice, and green onions. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

LEEKS AND MUSHROOMS add an earthiness to this dish. Porcini mushrooms are expensive, but a little goes a long way in adding flavor to your favorite mushroom recipe.

SERVES 4

⅓
 ounce porcini mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in 1 cup of water that has just been boiled, and roughly chopped

2 large leeks (white and light green parts), diced and rinsed

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon thyme

2 cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more as needed

1½ cups quinoa

6 cups baby spinach, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup pine nuts,
toasted
, optional

1.
Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms and set aside.

2.
Place the leeks and cremini mushrooms in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds.

3.
Combine the porcini mushroom soaking liquid and vegetable stock. Add more vegetable stock as needed to make 3 cups. Add the liquid, quinoa, and chopped porcini mushrooms to the pan with the sautéed mushrooms and bring the pan to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the quinoa, covered, for 15 minutes, or until it is tender. Stir in the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with the pine nuts if desired.

FRESH HERBS LIKE basil and thyme are easy to grow, making them an inexpensive addition to the garden pantry. As a bonus, thyme is a perennial, so you plant it once and it comes back to visit you year after year.

SERVES 4

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon 
minced
 thyme

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch slices

1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into ½-inch slices

2 cups cooked
chickpeas
, or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed

2 cups cooked
bulgur
, 
made with 4 cups
Vegetable Stock
 or low-sodium vegetable broth

¼ cup
 minced
 basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 3 minutes more. Stir in the zucchini, yellow squash, and chickpeas and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the cooked bulgur and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the basil, season with salt and pepper, and cook for another minute.

I MAKE THIS dish a lot because I always have these ingredients in my pantry, they come together easily, and they taste great together. Sometimes I make it with quinoa for gluten-free friends, and for a Southwestern version, I make it with 2 teaspoons of cumin, lime instead of the lemon, and garnished with ½ cup finely chopped cilantro (in addition to the green onions).

SERVES 4

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1½ tablespoons grated ginger

1½ cups bulgur

3 cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth

2 cups cooked
chickpeas
, or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed

1 Roma tomato, chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

1.
Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the bulgur and vegetable stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the bulgur is tender, about 15 minutes.

2.
Stir in the chickpeas, tomato, and lemon zest and juice and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with the green onions.

THIS IS A sweet and savory pilaf with a hint of cinnamon.

SERVES 4

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 cups bulgur

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup dried unsulfured apricots, chopped (see
more
on sulfites and sulfur dioxide)

1 cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons ground coriander

3½ cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth

2 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup walnuts,
toasted
and coarsely chopped

Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté over a medium-high heat until golden, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the bulgur, raisins, apricots, cinnamon stick, and coriander. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the bulgur is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, pick out the cinnamon stick, and stir in the green onions. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with the chopped walnuts.

A HINT OF orange and fresh dill make unusual flavoring partners in this hearty pilaf with delicious results.

SERVES 4

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced

1½ cups pearled barley

2-inch piece orange peel

1 cinnamon stick

3 cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth

2 cups cooked
navy
or other white beans, or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed

¼ cup
 finely chopped
 dill

Place the onion, celery, and carrot in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the barley, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and vegetable stock and bring the pan to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 35 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 10 minutes until the barley is tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the dill.

BARLEY IS UNUSUAL in pilafs, but it works well when you want a change from rice. Tarragon has a flavor similar to fennel but milder. Serve this on a bed of spinach for a filling meal.

SERVES 4

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3½ cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth

1½ cups pearled barley

1 large sweet potato (about ¾ pound), peeled and diced small

¼ cup
 minced
 tarragon

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 6 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and cook 3 minutes more. Add the vegetable stock and barley and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. Add the sweet potato and cook for 15 minutes longer, or until the potatoes and barley are tender. Remove from the heat, stir in the tarragon and lemon zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper.

RISOTTO MADE FROM barley is a heartier version of the traditional one, made from Arborio rice, and it’s higher in fiber, an added bonus.

SERVES 3 TO 4

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms soaked for 30 minutes i
n 1 cup of water that has just been boiled

3 large shallots, peeled and finely diced

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 sage leaves, minced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1½ cups pearled barley

½ cup dry white wine

3 to 4 cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth

¼ cup nutritional yeast, optional

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.
Drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms and set aside.