Food for Life: How the New Four Food Groups Can Save Your Life (38 page)

Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid. Mash the beans, then add the remaining ingredients and mix well. The texture should be creamy and spreadable. If it is too dry, add enough of the reserved bean liquid to achieve the desired consistency.

Variation: For a fat-free version, replace the tahini with 1 finely grated carrot.

This sauce can be used as a topping on pasta or pizza, or as a dip for vegetables.

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth.

This spread is delicious and easy to prepare, and you don’t risk the mercury and other contaminants often found in tuna fish.

Mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher. Leave some chunks. Add the celery, carrot, green onion, mayonnaise, and relish. Add salt to taste.

Serve on whole wheat bread or in pita bread with lettuce and sliced tomatoes.

For a fat-free version, substitute 2 teaspoons of mustard for the 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise.

This sandwich is somewhat reminiscent of the classic BLT, without the fat, cholesterol, and nitrates of bacon! Here’s what you need:

Slice tofu into ¼-inch-thick slabs. You will need about 1 ½ slabs for each sandwich. Place a small amount of oil in a skillet (preferably nonstick), and fry the tofu on both sides until golden brown. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with soy sauce, and turn to coat both sides.

Spread the bread lightly with mayonnaise and mustard, and top with fried tofu, lettuce, and tomato.

This looks and tastes like egg salad, but without the cholesterol and saturated fat.

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Serve on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato.

Tempeh is a fermented soybean product available in natural food stores. It is high in protein and fiber, and has a more substantial texture than tofu. Guests will insist it must be chicken salad!

Steam the tempeh in a vegetable steamer over boiling water for 20 minutes. Allow it to cool, then grate it and mix in the remaining ingredients. Cover and chill if time allows. Serve on whole wheat bread with lettuce and sliced tomatoes.

Serve with wedges of whole wheat pita bread, or as a topping for falafel.

Mix the tahini, lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and water, using a fork or whisk to remove the lumps. Stir in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to make the sauce pourable.

A chunky, delicious salsa—just barely cooked. The recipe as written produces a very mild salsa. For more zip, add more crushed red peppers or cayenne.

Place onion, garlic, tomato sauce, red pepper, cumin, and vinegar in a kettle and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Wash the cilantro and remove the stems. Chop the leaves and add to the salsa along with the chopped bell pepper and tomatoes.

Combine all ingredients except sweetener in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue cooking, uncovered, until cranberry skins pop and mixture is thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Add sweetener to taste if desired.

Serve hot or cold.

A chutney is a spicy relish, prepared from a variety of fruits and vegetables, served as a condiment with the meal. The following is a simple chutney made with apples. It takes about 1 hour to cook, and may be kept refrigerated for several weeks. It also freezes for longer storage.

Coarsely chop the apples, then combine them with all the remaining ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, until most of the liquid is absorbed.

America’s favorite vegetable is even better when it is served with this delicious fat-free dressing. It’s easy to make, keeps well in the refrigerator, and is tasty on other vegetables as well.

Break the broccoli into bite-size florets. Peel the stems and slice them into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Steam until just tender, about 3 minutes.

While the broccoli is steaming, whisk the dressing ingredients in a serving bowl. Add the steamed broccoli and toss to mix. Serve immediately.

Trim beans and break them into bite-size pieces. Steam until just tender, 5 to 10 minutes, then chill in cold water. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet, then add tomatoes and garlic. Simmer over medium heat 10 minutes. Add beans and basil and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Toasted sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, and soy sauce give these green beans a tasty Asian flair.

Cut ends off beans and break into bite-size pieces. Steam until just tender. Set aside.

In a large skillet, sauté the onion and slivered almonds in oil until onion becomes transparent. Lower heat, add vinegar, and continue cooking until onion starts to caramelize and almonds begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and beans. Cook 1 to 2 minutes before serving.

Collard greens and kale are wonderful sources of calcium, vitamin A, iron, and other nutrients. They can be steamed, like spinach, and their flavor is nicely complemented with the addition of garlic suggested below.

Wash the greens, then remove the stems and chop the leaves into ½-inch-wide strips. Sauté the garlic in the oil or cook it in the stock for 30 seconds (do not let it brown). Add the greens, toss to mix, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to keep the greens from sticking.

I owe my wonderful mother-in-law, Adrien Avis, an eternal debt of gratitude for this recipe. Cabbage was not a part of my childhood, and it was not until she introduced me to it, prepared in this manner, that I knew how delicious it could be.

Cook cabbage over medium heat in vegetable stock until it is just tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and caraway seeds if desired.

A beautiful blend of sweet and tart flavors, this recipe is a perfect addition to any meal, Thanksgiving or otherwise. I buy extra cranberries when they are available in the fall and freeze them so I can make this dish year-round.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cut peeled yams into 1-inch chunks and place in a large baking dish. Top with diced apple, cranberries, and raisins. Sprinkle with sugar or other sweetener, then pour orange juice over all. Cover and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until yams are tender when pierced with a fork.

Peanut sauce is a delicious complement to the slightly sweet flavor of winter squash. Cook the squash by baking or steaming.

Slice the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. To bake, place cut side down on a large baking dish in a 350°F. oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. To steam, place on a vegetable steamer in a large kettle. Cover and steam until fork-tender, 40 to 60 minutes.

Whisk peanut butter with remaining ingredients except the onion in a small saucepan. Heat gently until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Add more water if the sauce seems too thick. When the squash is tender, top with peanut sauce, sprinkle with chopped onion, and serve.

The tangy flavor of sun-dried tomatoes is a wonderful complement to steamed broccoli. Be careful not to overcook the broccoli; it should be bright green and still slightly crisp.

Break or cut broccoli into florets; peel and slice stems into rounds. Steam over boiling water until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. While the broccoli is cooking, cut the tomatoes into small pieces and place in a serving dish. When broccoli is tender, add to the tomatoes, toss, and serve.

By using extra water, and actually cooking rice like pasta, the grains end up separate and slightly crunchy. The liquid that is poured off can be added to soup if you like.

Rinse rice in a saucepan of cool water, then drain off the water as thoroughly as possible. Put the saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly until the rice dries, about 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a boil, then lower heat slightly, cover, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is soft but still retains a hint of crunchiness. Pour off any excess water. Season with soy sauce if desired.

Couscous is somewhat like bulgur, but made from a different type of wheat. It is delicious plain, as a pilaf, or topped with a vegetable sauce. It is one of the easiest grains to prepare: just add boiling water and let it stand. It is one of my favorites for camping and backpacking.