Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet (33 page)

Put tempeh chunks in a serving dish and pour sauce over it. Serve as is, or over cooked rice or noodles. Nice hot or cold.

Complementary protein: soy (tempeh) + sesame + rice (or wheat)

Chinese Cabbage, Northern China Style

4 servings

A favorite of Julya Ripsam of Alamosa, Colorado. Use a Chinese wok or simply your favorite big skillet.

2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

1 head Chinese cabbage, cut in 1×2-inch pieces

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons soy sauce (or more or less, to taste)

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or crushed peppers

10 to 16 ounces tofu, cut in 1-inch squares

Heat oil and saute ginger briefly. Add Chinese cabbage and mushrooms and sauté a few minutes. Add soy sauce and cayenne pepper and cook for a few minutes. Add the tofu and cook 5 to 10 minutes.

That’s it. Serve over brown rice for a quick and unusual dinner.

Complementary protein: soy (tofu) + grain

Joan’s Brazilian Rice

6 servings

A favorite of Joan Francis of Boscobel, Wisconsin, this turns out to be more than just rice with peppers and onions. Toasting makes the rice nuttier. Sprinkling feta cheese on top would be great, too. For a delicious variations, you may wish to substitute this rice dish for the Rice with Green Chili Sauce recipe in Brazilian Evening.

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup sesame seeds

2 cups uncooked brown rice

2 tablespoons margarine

2 to 3 hot chiles (or to taste), chopped (1 small can)

1 onion, chopped

3 cups water

2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes

½ cup lemon juice

With the olive oil, in a deep skillet or Dutch oven, briskly stir sesame seeds and rice for a few minutes, until slightly translucent and toasty-smelling. In another skillet, heat oil and margarine and sauté peppers and onion until the onion is translucent. Add vegetables to the seeds and rice and add water; bring to a boil, turn flame down, and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Add tomatoes and lemon juice, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Complementary protein: sesame seeds + rice

Spanish Bulgur

2 servings

This dish is lighter than Spanish rice and just as tasty. The beans make it into a whole meal. A good accompaniment is sliced cucumber and tomato salad with Vinaigrette Dressing.

2 tablespoons oil

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup chopped green onions

½ green pepper, diced

1½ cups bulgur

1 cup cooked kidney or pinto beans (about ¼ to ½ cup uncooked)

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt to taste

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Dash cayenne pepper

1 No. 2 can tomatoes

Heat oil and sauté garlic, green onions, green pepper, and bulgur until bulgur is coated with oil and onions are translucent. Add beans, paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and tomatoes. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 15 minutes, adding more liquid if necessary.

Complementary protein: wheat + beans

Mjeddrah

3 to 4 servings

This is the favorite recipe of Jennifer Raymond of
The Best of Jenny’s Kitchen
. She writes, “Don’t let the name [pronounced
mi-jed-rah]
put you off. This is a wonderful, basic food—one of the most popular dishes in the Middle East. No wonder! According to Biblical scholars, Mjeddrah is the ‘mess of pottage’ for which Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. When you taste its simple, hearty flavor, you’ll see why.”

1½ cups lentils, rinsed

4 cups water

3 to 3½ tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup brown rice

Bring lentils and water to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet and sauté onions and salt until onions are translucent. Heat remaining oil in another skillet and sauté rice for 3 minutes. Combine lentils, onions, and rice, cover tightly, and simmer until lentils and rice are tender, about 1 hour. Up to 2 cups more water may be needed to cook the rice. Stir occasionally. Add more salt, if necessary.

Mjeddrah is traditionally eaten with a salad and the following dressing on top (like a tostada without the tortilla). Choose among lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, radishes, bell pepper, and sprouts. For the dressing, combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon dry mustard, 1 clove garlic, minced, ¼ teaspoon honey, and salt to taste, and toss with salad.

Complementary protein: lentils + rice

Greek-Style Skillet with Mint

3 to 4 servings

This combination of foods and seasonings is typically Greek or Turkish. For a very special dinner, serve with a Greek salad combining lettuce, tomatoes, Greek olives, anchovies, and feta cheese.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small or medium eggplant, peeled and diced (1-inch cubes)

¼ pound green beans or other green vegetable (optional—adds a beautiful touch)

½ to 1 teaspoon mint
*

½ to 1 teaspoon dillweed
*

1 tablespoon parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup canned tomatoes

One 8-ounce can tomato sauce

3 cups cooked brown rice and soy grits (1 cup uncooked rice and ¼ cup uncooked grits)

2 cups yogurt

Heat olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add eggplant and green beans and sauté 5 minutes. Add herbs and sauté 1 minute. Add lemon juice, tomatoes, and tomato sauce, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Heat up rice and serve vegetables over it. Put a large dollop of yogurt on or beside each serving.

Complementary protein: rice + soy

*
If fresh herbs, use larger amount. Adjust to taste.

Roman Rice and Beans

8 to 10 servings

This dish has been one of my family’s favorites since the 1971 edition. With a green salad and Italian bread, it is a satisfying meal. (It’s great for serving large gatherings, too.)

Olive or other oil for sautéing

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large onion, chopped

1 to 2 carrots, chopped

1 stalk celery or 1 green pepper chopped

2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 to 3 teaspoons basil

2 teaspoon oregano

2 to 3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups cooked pea or kidney beans (¾ cup uncooked)

5 cups cooked brown rice (cooked with 1 teaspoon salt)

½ cup or more grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil and sauté garlic, onion, carrots, celery, parsley, and dried herbs until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, and beans. Combine rice and Parmesan cheese. Add bean mixture to rice mixture. Garnish with more fresh parsley and grated cheese.

Complementary protein: beans + rice

Potato Latkes

2 to 3 servings

Kids love potato pancakes. They make a quick supper when the cupboard seems bare.

1 large potato

½ onion

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 egg whites, beaten stiff Salt and pepper to taste
*

5 tablespoons instant dry milk

Oil for frying

*
I find that by adding extra pepper I can reduce the salt a lot.

Grate potato and drain liquid, grate onion, and combine with flour, parsley, egg whites, salt and pepper, and milk. Drop spoonfuls of batter into hot oil in a skillet, flatten with the back of a spoon, and brown well on both sides. Top with applesauce, or serve with a cottage cheese and tomato salad.

Variation:
Make Potato Corn Cakes by adding 1 small can drained whole-kernel corn.

Complementary protein: potato + milk

Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage

4 servings

The contrast of the green cabbage and red tomato sauce makes this dish quite beautiful. It is especially good topped with yogurt.

12 whole cabbage leaves