B00AG0VMTC EBOK (26 page)

By Charlene Nolan

These are green packs of dynamite and arsenals of health. Prepare a ton of these. They make great hunger-fighting weaponry for lunch or dinner.

1 onion, chopped

2 bok choy stalks, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 cups broccoli, chopped

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 large sweet potato, cooked, peeled, and cut into cubes

½ teaspoon garlic powder

12 collard greens

One 32-ounce jar marinara sauce (or 4 cups Fast and Fresh Marinara Sauce,
here
)

½ cup raw cashews, finely ground

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

¼ teaspoon garlic salt (optional)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a hot nonstick sauté pan, cook the onion until soft. Add the bok choy, bell pepper, broccoli, Italian seasoning, sweet potato, and garlic powder, stir to combine, and cook until warm.

Cut the main vein out of the collard greens about two-thirds of the way up (it should look like a “Pac-Man” with a nearly closed mouth after the stem is removed). Add 1 inch of water to a wide frying pan, and steam the collard greens one at a time for a few seconds on each side until they turn a nice bright green.

Stack the steamed collard leaves flat on the countertop while you cook the remaining leaves. Overlap 2 collard leaves, completely hiding the removed veined section and pairing up similar-size leaves.

Scoop the sweet potato–veggie filling onto the paired collard greens; the amount depends on the size of the collards. Roll up the greens like burritos (fold the bottom over the filling, then the left side, then the right, then roll whole thing over the top) and place in a shallow baking dish (flaps facing down).

Cover the collard burritos generously with the marinara sauce. Cover the whole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make what the recipe author, Charlene, calls ParmesaNO by combining ground cashews, nutritional yeast, and garlic salt. After 30 minutes of cooking, uncover the collard burritos and sprinkle ParmesaNO over the whole dish. Continue baking for 10 minutes, uncovered, until the ParmesaNO turns golden brown. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Tip:
You can Tex-Mex this recipe up by changing the spices to cilantro, ground cumin, and ground coriander, and changing the sauce to salsa! Also, for a lighter dish, top with whole wheat panko bread crumbs and toasted sesame seeds instead of the cashews.

Inspired by Steve Hall

These quesadillas are a regular with the E2 plant-strong Hall family. They are simple to make and very satisfying. The Halls suggest eating them with a big green spinach salad and a red pepper for maximum iron absorption.

1 large sweet potato

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup salsa, plus more for serving

1 cup fresh spinach

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

8 ounces vegetarian, no-added-oil refried beans

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

6 to 8 whole wheat tortillas

1 jalapeño pepper, diced (optional)

Halle’s Guacamole (
here
)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

An hour before you plan to eat, peel and quarter the sweet potato. Bake the sweet potato on the lined pan in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker. Remove the sweet potato from the oven and transfer to a mixing bowl. Mash the sweet potato with the salsa, rice, and fresh spinach. Place the sweet potato mash in a saucepan and mix in the black beans and refried beans and heat the mixture thoroughly over medium heat. Add the onion powder, chili powder, and cumin to taste, and stir to incorporate.

Place a tortilla in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and slather the side facing up with the sweet potato–bean mixture. Add jalapeños, if using. Place a second whole wheat tortilla on top of the first. Press down on the top tortilla with a spatula, then cook in the pan for about 3 minutes. Flip the tortilla with the spatula and cook the opposite side for 3 minutes more. Voilà!

Cut into the desired number of sections. Serve topped with salsa and Halle’s Guacamole or any variation thereof: bok guacamole, edamame guacamole, pea guacamole, etc.

Tip:
Also try this using black-eyed peas or any other favorite beans instead of the black beans.

By Jane Esselstyn

This is the perfect dinner on a clear summer night, sitting on the porch and watching the sunset: beautiful, colorful, and grounding. I often double or triple this recipe, as it is also a smash hit at a crowded potluck.

One 12-ounce package soba noodles (buckwheat, whole wheat, or any combination)

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari sauce

½ red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 mango, pitted, peeled, and cut into cubes

1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into cubes

½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes

1 ounce (half a spice-size jar) sesame seeds

Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles, and rinse under cold running water immediately to stop them from cooking and sticking. Transfer to a large, beautiful bowl, or refrigerate until needed.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, and tamari. Taste-test the sauce by coating a veggie or a few noodles with it once it is mixed. Tweak the sauce with more of whatever you want: vinegar or maple syrup or tamari. Add the sauce to the noodles and toss thoroughly with your hands. Put the sliced and cubed fruit and vegetables around the edge of the noodles in the bowl.

In a pan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until browned and fragrant. Watch closely! Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the entire dish. Serve with large salad tongs in order to grasp a little bit of each ingredient.

By Jane Esselstyn

The Nutty Ginger Sauce combined with the Dino Kale, red pepper, and soba noodles does a bang-up job of sticking to your ribs, yet doesn’t leave you feeling like you have a bowling bowl
in the pit of your stomach (as you do after eating a plate or two of cow meat).

Nutty Ginger Sauce (
here
)

Two 12-ounce packages buckwheat soba noodles

4 to 6 leaves dinosaur (or lacinato or
cavolo nero
) Kale, cut into fine strips

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

Prepare the Nutty Ginger Sauce.

Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Transfer the noodles to a bowl; pour Nutty Ginger Sauce over the noodles, and cover with a heap of the dino Kale strips. Garnish with the bell pepper and serve.

Tip:
You can make soba noodles the day before if necessary. If you are not serving them immediately, rinse them under cool water until cool to the touch. This step prevents them from sticking. When it is time to make the dish, rinse the soba noodles under warm water, separating them gently with your fingers.

By Katherine Lawrence

The sweetness of the roasted corn combines perfectly with the squash and sweet potato to offer a refreshing alternative to a regular old red sauce. This recipe is loaded with all kinds of immune-boosting ingredients, so step on up and get yourself some. No sniffles here!

2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced

2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 cup white onion, peeled and diced

5 garlic cloves, sliced

1 cup corn kernels

2 tablespoons, plus 1 cup vegetable broth

½ to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ to 1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon dried sage

1 pound whole wheat penne or bow-tie pasta

1 cup unsweetened soy or other non-dairy milk

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a nonstick silicone mat.

Place the squash, sweet potato, onion, garlic, corn, 2 tablespoons of broth, and the black pepper, salt, cinnamon, and sage in a large plastic Ziploc bag. Seal and shake until the ingredients are evenly mixed. Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on the lined sheet pan. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain. Transfer the vegetables, soy milk (or non-dairy milk of choice), and 1 cup of broth into a blender and process until smooth. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and mix gently. Serve hot.

By Kreg Sterns

I think we all love a good pie, but how about a “pasta” pie? Well, you are in for a creative treat with this one! I met Kreg when he attended a Whole Foods Engine 2 Immersion seminar. When he’s not cooking up a storm, Kreg’s a sign artist and an indie rocker!

1 pound whole wheat capellini (angel hair pasta)

One 8-ounce package mushrooms, sliced

1 cup peas, fresh or frozen

½ cup Kale Pesto (
here
)

½ cup Kreg’s Cashew Cream or Spread (
here
)

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Cook the whole wheat pasta according to the package directions. Drain and let cool.

Sauté the mushrooms and peas in a nonstick pan over high heat. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, mushrooms, peas, Walnut Pesto (from
The Engine 2 Diet
) or Kale Pesto, and Kreg’s Cashew Cream. Place the mixture in a 9-inch spring form pan or pie plate. In a small bowl, mix together the whole wheat bread crumbs and nutritional yeast. Dust the top of the pasta mixture with the bread crumb–nutritional yeast mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm, cut into wedges.

By Brian Hart, God of Lasagna

This is the god of lasagnas, the lasagna from which the Raise-the-Roof Sweet Potato–Vegetable Lasagna in
The Engine 2 Diet
book was born. A few days before my cooking contest against the award-winning Austin Fire Department chef, Tim Lafuenta, at the new Whole Foods culinary center in Austin, I asked my brother-in-law Brian how I could take my lasagna into the stratosphere. He told me to “lose the beans,” put in a sweet potato for “creaminess,” and sprinkle the top with ground cashews as a finishing touch. The result was a masterpiece. This is the original masterpiece.

1 butternut squash, halved, seeds and fiber removed

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 zucchini, cut into cubes

1 yellow squash, cut into cubes

One 8-ounce package mushrooms, sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 bok choy stalks, chopped

One 16-ounce box frozen spinach

1 tablespoon fresh or dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh or dried thyme

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, about 6 leaves

15 ounces firm tofu

½ cup walnuts

Two 8-ounce boxes whole wheat lasagna noodles

Three 25-ounce jars marinara sauce of choice (with no added

oil) or Fast and Fresh Marinara Sauce (
here
)

1 to 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

¼ to ½ cup nutritional yeast (optional)

cup cashews, ground or finely chopped (optional)

garnish with greens of choice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the butternut squash for about 40 minutes until soft, then peel the skin off and puree the pulp; you should have 2 to 3 cups. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, cook the onion and garlic, then add the zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, bell pepper, bok choy, spinach, oregano, thyme, and basil and cook until soft. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the tofu and walnuts and process until crumbly—this will create a ricotta-like layer. Set aside.

In the base of a 10 × 14-inch lasagna pan, spread a layer of butternut squash (you may not use all the puree you prepped). Place a layer of uncooked noodles on top of the butternut squash. Pour a layer of the marinara sauce on top of the noodles. Lay a thick layer of the cooked veggies on top of the red sauce. Place another layer of noodles on top of the veggies. Pour a layer of red sauce on top of the noodles. Spread the tofu-walnut mixture on top of the red sauce. Place another layer of noodles on top of the tofu mixture. Place a layer of red sauce on top of the noodles. And finally, place the thin tomato slices and a sprinkled layer of nutritional yeast or ground cashews, if using, on top of the last layer of red sauce.

Cover the lasagna with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of the baking time. This lasagna is best if cooled for a bit before cutting and serving. Garnish with greens for an extra WOW factor!