Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook (37 page)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon mellow white miso, dissolved in 3 tablespoons hot water

½ cup golden raisins

Large pinch saffron, soaked for 10 minutes in water that has just been boiled

1 pound whole-grain linguine, cooked according to package directions, drained, and kept warm, ½ cup cooking liquid reserved

3 tablespoons pine nuts,
toasted

Chopped parsley

1.
Steam the cauliflower in a double boiler or steamer basket for 6 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse until cool. Set aside.

2.
Place the onions in a large saucepan and sauté over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are browned. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the dissolved miso, raisins, and saffron with its soaking liquid. Simmer the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the steamed cauliflower, stirring until heated through, then add the cooked linguine. Toss well, adding reserved pasta cooking water as needed if the mixture is too thick. Serve garnished with the pine nuts and parsley.

PUREED VEGETABLES MAKE great sauces. They are creamy without the cream, and full of flavor. Butternut squash is readily available all year long, but look for other varieties of this popular autumn vegetable when it’s in season, especially at farmers’ markets. Acorn, kabocha, and Hubbard are all interesting varieties and worth trying as well.

SERVES 4

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cubed (about 3 cups)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pound whole-grain spaghetti

2 large shallots, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons minced sage

¼ cup dry white wine

Unsweetened plain almond milk, as needed

Chopped parsley

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Season the cut side of the squash with salt and pepper, and place the squash, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Remove the squash from the oven and let it cool. When the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Set it aside.

3.
While the squash is baking cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

4.
Place the shallots in a large skillet or saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the shallots from sticking to the pan. Add the sage and white wine and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the pureed squash and mix well. If the sauce is too thick, add almond milk a few tablespoons at a time to achieve the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

5.
To serve, divide the cooked pasta between four individual plates. Spoon some of the sauce over the pasta, and garnish with the parsley.

RAGU IS USUALLY a richly flavored meat sauce served with pasta. This far healthier version, made with lentils, captures the all the flavor of the traditional sauce without the heaviness of a meat-based sauce.

SERVES 4

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small

1 large carrot, peeled and diced small

1 large celery stalk, diced small

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon
 minced
 rosemary

1 tablespoon
 minced
 thyme

1 cup green lentils, rinsed

3 cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 pound whole-grain spaghetti, cooked according to package directions, drained, and kept warm

2 large tomatoes, diced small

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Chopped parsley

1.
Place the onion, carrots, and celery in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme and cook for another minute.

2.
Add the lentils, vegetable stock, and bay leaf. Increase the heat to high and bring the pan to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 35 minutes.

3.
Add the tomatoes to the lentil mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

4.
Serve the lentil ragu over the cooked spaghetti and garnish with the parsley.

THE CLASSIC ITALIAN-AMERICAN dish gets a healthy makeover with millet standing in for the meat. Make sure to shape these into balls immediately after mixing the millet with the onion mixture, since millet loses its binding power as it cools. Add the “meatballs” just before serving, as they fall will apart if left in the warm sauce too long.

SERVES 4

2 cups
Vegetable Stock
, or low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup millet

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced small

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

½ cup minced basil

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

¼ cup tomato puree

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch

1 pound whole-grain spaghetti, cooked according to package directions, drained, and kept warm

2 cups
Tomato Sauce
, heated

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the millet and salt and bring the mixture back to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the millet is tender. Drain any excess water and keep warm.

3.
Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic, basil, and pepper and cook for another minute. Add the tomato puree and ¼ cup of water and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.

4.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5.
Add the cooked millet and the arrowroot power to the onion mixture and mix well. Using an ice cream scoop, shape the millet mixture into 2-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

6.
To serve, divide the spaghetti between four individual plates. Top with some of the “meatballs” and pour some of the tomato sauce over the prepared plates.

ADD CHOPPED FRESH dill to this dish for a little variation, or use shiitake or any other wild mushrooms in place of the button mushrooms. If you are not a mushroom lover, try this dish with fresh spinach or asparagus instead.

SERVES 4

½ medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small

1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon
 minced
 thyme

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup dry white wine

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 batch
No-Cheese Sauce

1 pound whole-grain penne, cooked according to package directions, drained, and kept warm

1.
Place the onion and mushrooms in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Add water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onion from sticking to the pan. Add the garlic, thyme, and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the wine and lemon zest and juice, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper.

2.
Add the No-Cheese Sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Toss with the cooked pasta.

Warm Noodle Dishes

GARLIC CHIVES ARE a gardener’s favorite springtime herb, and they taste of both garlic
and
chives, just as the name implies. If you don’t grow them and can’t find them in your local market, use regular chives instead.

SERVES 4

½ medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

½ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1½ cups snow peas, trimmed

1 batch
Chinese Brown Sauce

½ pound brown rice noodles, cooked according to package directions, drained, and kept warm

½ cup chopped garlic chives

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for 4 minutes, adding water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onion from sticking to the pan. Add the carrot, asparagus, and snow peas and cook for 3 minutes. Add the Chinese brown sauce and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the rice noodles and garlic chives, tossing well, and cook for another minute. Season with pepper.

VARIATION

For a Thai variation, replace the Chinese brown sauce with a sauce made with ¼ cup
Chinese Brown Sauce
, 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, and 3 tablespoons lime juice. Instead of the garlic chives, substitute 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves and ½ cup chopped cilantro.

NOODLES ARE VERY popular in Japanese cooking, whether served cold with dipping sauces or warmed in broth, like in this dish. The shiitake mushrooms and leeks in this recipe add richness to the broth, so if you can’t find fresh shiitake mushrooms, use dried ones and soak them in warm water for about 15 minutes to reconstitute them. For a gluten-free option, seek out soba made from 100 percent buckwheat flour, or use brown rice noodles instead.