The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet (40 page)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil an 8" x 8" casserole dish.

While the cauliflower mixture cooks, arrange the sliced seitan in the casserole dish. Layer the corn kernels on top, and then add the asparagus.

Remove the polenta mixture from the heat. Add the tahini, milk, shoyu, and umeboshi vinegar and mash with a potato masher or fork until the mixture resembles mashed potatoes. Add the chopped parsley and peas (if using frozen) and mix well. Spoon the mashed mixture into the casserole dish over the vegetables and smooth the top. Poke a few small holes in the surface, and sprinkle with a little extra shoyu (this makes the top crispy).

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let the casserole cool for 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Garnish with the basil, and serve.

Quinoa with Basil and Pine Nuts

Quinoa is a funky, crazy little grain that’s really high in protein, but I love its unique and wonderful flavor. You’ll see when you make this dish; it’s perfect for a light lunch served with some steamed greens or as the complement to a hearty bean dish. To give the quinoa a richer, nuttier flavor, pan-roast the rinsed quinoa until it’s golden before boiling.

SERVES 2

1 cup quinoa

Pinch of fine sea salt

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cup pine nuts or cashews

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 generous handful fresh basil leaves, chopped

Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse well. Combine the quinoa with 2 cups of water and the salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the quinoa cooks, heat the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Toast until the nuts are just starting to turn golden, about 6 to 7 minutes, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning. Transfer to a serving bowl to cool.

Add the quinoa to the serving bowl with the pine nuts and fluff with a fork. Add the olive oil and basil, stir to combine, and serve.

Dolma with Tofu Cream

I love this dish because it’s light yet satisfying. The cabbage leaves, yummy filling, and Tofu Cream complement each other perfectly.

SERVES 6

2 cups brown rice

1 small head green cabbage for wraps or 1 jar grape leaves, drained

1 cup diced seitan

1
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cups diced onions

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cup diced carrots

1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves

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cup olive oil

1 tablespoon umeboshi plum paste

3 tablespoons dark miso

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teaspoon shiso powder

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cup fresh lemon juice

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cup Tofu Cream (opposite)

Combine the rice and 3
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cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Set aside to cool.

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Separate 12 or so leaves from the cabbage head and add to the boiling water. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice, seitan, onions, carrots, parsley, garlic, oil, and umeboshi plum paste. Dissolve the miso and shiso powder in a small amount of water and add to the vegetable mixture, mixing well.

Take a green cabbage leaf, fill it with approximately
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cup of the filling, and roll up burrito-fashion to enclose. Repeat with the remaining cabbage leaves and filling, making about 12 rolls in all. Arrange the cabbage rolls in layers in a medium-size pot. Pour the lemon juice and
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cup of water over the rolls, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the flame to low, and simmer (over a flame deflector if you have one) for 30 minutes. If all the liquid hasn’t evaporated, keep the pot over low heat, covered, until all of the water is gone. Serve the cabbage rolls hot or at room temperature with a dollop of tofu cream on top.

Tofu Cream

SERVES 8

1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu

1
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tablespoons umeboshi plum paste

3
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–4 tablespoons Vegenaise

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Rinse the tofu and place on a plate with a second plate on top. Place a heavy weight (like a kettle full of water) on top of the plate. Set aside for 10 minutes to press out the excess liquid.

Transfer the pressed tofu to the basket of a steamer set over a pot of boiling water. Cover the pot, and steam the tofu for 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool.

Place the steamed tofu, umeboshi plum paste, Vegenaise, and lemon juice in a food processor and puree until smooth, pulsing the processor on and off and using a spatula to scrape down the sides often. Transfer to a tightly sealed container, and chill for an hour before serving. The Tofu Cream will keep for 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator.

Kim’s Red Radish Tabbouleh

Kimberly Stakal is a cool vegan chef who lives in Chicago. While helping me test some of these recipes, she came up with this tabbouleh dish. It’s fresh, light, and a great way to eat bulgur wheat. Rock on, Kimberly!

SERVES 2

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teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup bulgur wheat

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

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cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 scallions, white and green parts minced

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cup thinly sliced radishes

Bring 1
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cups of water and the salt to a boil in a saucepan. Place the bulgur and boiling salted water in a heatproof bowl. Stir once, then cover the bowl with a plate and set aside until the grain has absorbed all the water, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice, oil, parsley, scallions, and radishes and mix well. Add more lemon juice and salt to taste.

Risotto with Oyster Mushrooms, Leeks, and Peas

I found a version of this dish at every French restaurant I visited while shooting a film in Lithuania. When I got back home, I re-created my own healthier version that’s now one of my favorite things to serve for a light lunch. White rice is less Superhero than brown rice, so if you want to eat this kind of dish more than once or twice a week, substitute brown rice for the Arborio.

SERVES 4 OR 5

3 tablespoons olive oil

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–1 cup oyster mushrooms or 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced

2 pinches of fine sea salt

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cup thinly sliced leeks

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cup fresh or thawed frozen peas

1–2 garlic cloves, minced

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–1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

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cup mirin or white wine

Bring 5 cups of water just to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and stir until the mushrooms soften (this will happen quickly for oyster mushrooms, longer for other varieties). Add the leeks and a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute, or until the leeks soften. Add some water to the pan, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the vegetables become dry or start to stick to the pan.

If you are using fresh peas, blanch them for 1 minute in a small pot of boiling water, and then add them to the sautéed vegetables. If using thawed frozen peas, just mix them straight into the sautéed vegetables. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and, when the onion begins to sizzle, add a dash of salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and toast the grains until they are opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium-low and begin adding the warm water by ladlefuls, stirring it into the risotto, and adding more liquid only when the previous addition has been absorbed. After the rice has cooked for 20 minutes, season to taste with salt. The total cooking time should be 25 to 30 minutes. The risotto will be creamy, but the rice should retain some firmness.

Add the sautéed vegetable mixture to the risotto and stir together until hot. Serve warm.

Fried Udon Noodles

Udon noodles generally turn up in a big bowl of broth, but I like the texture of these soft noodles when they’ve been fried briefly. You can mix them up with anything else you want: broccoli, ‘shrooms, tofu . . . whatever makes you salivate. Get creative and clean out your fridge!

SERVES 2

1 (8-ounce) package udon noodles

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups sliced green cabbage

1 cup half-moon onion slices

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

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teaspoon fine sea salt

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teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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tablespoons sweet paprika

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the udon noodles and cook just until al dente; drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 15 minutes. Add a tablespoon or so of water to the pan if the cabbage begins to stick or burn.