The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet (31 page)

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teaspoon cayenne

Fine sea salt

2–3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into
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" cubes

7 cups vegetable broth

1 cup brown lentils

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the tomatoes and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and a small pinch of salt. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then taste for seasonings; try to use only enough salt to heighten the flavors.

Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and lentils. Stir well, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are soft.

Sugar Snap Peas, Radishes, and Edamame with Lemon Butter

This pretty, sophisticated spring dish is perfect for a ladies’ luncheon or a light supper. Leave out the Earth Balance butter and it qualifies as a Superhero recipe. This is lovely made with fresh English peas when they are in season; substitute 2 cups of shelled peas for the sugar snaps.

SERVES 6

2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced shallots

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teaspoon fine sea salt

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon Earth Balance butter

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teaspoon umeboshi vinegar

Juice of
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lemon

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teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the snap peas, edamame, and radishes in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water immediately to stop the cooking process.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft. Add the drained snap peas, edamame, radishes, and salt and cook for 1 minute or until heated through.

Remove from heat, and stir in the zest, butter, vinegar, lemon juice, and pepper. Serve warm.

Summertime Succotash

This dish is pretty, fresh, and delicious. Try it with the Hot Rice with Cold Lemon, Basil, and Tomato (page
151
) or Kim’s Red Radish Tabbouleh (page
226
). It’s also great with white jasmine rice topped with toasted sunflower seeds. Complete the meal with some steamed bok choy or watercress.

SERVES 6

1 tablespoon Earth Balance butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup diced red onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby lima beans, thawed (see Note)

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon white or red balsamic vinegar (White is best, but who has white? I use red.)

Heat the butter and oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onion begins to brown. Add the garlic, and cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in the lima beans, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the corn and tomatoes, and sauté 1 minute longer or until just heated through. You don’t want the tomatoes to collapse and release their juices. Remove from the heat, and stir in the parsley, basil, and vinegar. Serve warm or chilled.

Note:
If you can get your hands on fresh lima beans for this, by all means use them! You will need about 2 cups of shelled beans, or about 2 pounds in the pod. Soaking them in water before using makes the end product less gas-producing. Blanch the fresh beans in a large pot of salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender but not soft.

Hearty Pinto Bean Stew

Remember eating beans ’n’ franks? This dish reminds me of that. Great for kids, husbands, and boyfriends, these beans deliver tons of flavor. Add a tofu dog and serve with a salad for a family-style meal, or serve with Hot Rice with Cold Lemon, Basil, and Tomato (page
151
) and collard greens to go the more sophisticated route.

SERVES 2

1 cup pinto beans, soaked overnight in water to cover

2 cups tomato soup (Imagine makes a good one)

2 teaspoons shoyu

1 teaspoon olive oil

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onion, cut into chunks

1–2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or
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teaspoon dried

Dash of dried oregano

Dash of red-pepper flakes

Fine sea salt to taste

Combine the tomato soup, 1 cup of water, shoyu, and oil in a large soup pot. Place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Drain the soaked beans and add them to the stock. When the liquid returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes of simmering, add the onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and red-pepper flakes. If the stew seems too thick, add more tomato soup or water. Place cover slightly askew over pot, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes longer or until the beans are very tender. Season to taste with salt.

Lentil Stew

This stew is hearty, healthy, and simple. It keeps well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.

SERVES 6

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teaspoon garlic powder

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teaspoon paprika

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teaspoon fine sea salt

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teaspoon ground cumin

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teaspoon dried oregano

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teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large onions, cut into chunks

2 celery stalks, diced

1 carrot, sliced

1 potato, cut into chunks

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cup shoyu

5 cups vegetable broth

3 tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1
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cups brown lentils

2 slices of your favorite bread, cubed

Extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a large soup pot (you’ll be adding a lot of liquid later, so make sure it’s big enough) over medium-high heat, and add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and potato. Stir in half the seasoning mixture and the shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Add 5 cups of water, the broth, tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes. Add the remaining seasoning mixture, and cook for 20 minutes longer or until the lentils are soft. Meanwhile, pan-roast the cubed bread in a dry skillet until nice and toasted. Ladle stew into the bowls, and garnish with croutons and a drizzle of olive oil.

SOUPS, SALADS, AND VEGETABLE DISHES

Be sure to eat plenty of vegetables every day—preferably with every meal. It doesn’t have to be fancy; a serving of simple steamed greens like collards, watercress, or bok choy, or whichever vegetables you usually serve with your meals is just fine. A salad is another easy way to get vegetables into your meal, and as far as add-ins go, the sky’s the limit. Whatever I have in the fridge qualifies: carrot shavings, avocado, cucumber, celery, sprouts, toasted sunflower seeds, even raisins.

For dressings, you have some great choices. I love Annie’s Goddess Dressing or Shiitake & Sesame Vinaigrette. They’re both vegan and incredibly tasty. Or mix up a double batch of My Basic Vinaigrette so you’ll always have some on hand for a quick salad. I vary the ingredients every time I make it, using more or less citrus or adding flaxseed oil—I’ve even used truffle-infused olive oil in my more decadent moments.

Other veggie ideas:

• Steamed artichokes are an elegant, delicious option in the spring. My mother served them all the time when I was growing up. We dipped the leaves in butter and mayonnaise, and it was such a treat to eat the heart. As an adult, I’ve traded in the butter for Earth Balance and the mayo for Vegenaise, and I think they taste even better. Incredibly easy to make, you can simply walk away while the artichokes steam or use the time to cook the rest of your meal.
  
• Simple steamed broccoli dipped in Vegenaise is so good.
  
• Sweet potatoes: Bake one like a potato, slice it in half, and either serve plain or with a filling: Earth Balance with salt and pepper is great, as is vegan sour cream.
  

My Basic Vinaigrette

MAKES ABOUT
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CUP, ENOUGH TO DRESS A BIG SALAD FOR TWO PEOPLE

2 teaspoons olive oil

Scant
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teaspoon umeboshi plum vinegar

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teaspoon shoyu

Juice of
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orange

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teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Place the oil, vinegar, shoyu, and juices in a bowl or cup. Stir vigorously with a fork to mix. Pour onto the salad, and toss. If you feel it needs more salt after tasting the salad, add a drop more vinegar or shoyu.