The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet (46 page)

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the phyllo dough sheets lengthwise into four equal strips. Lay 1 phyllo strip on a dry work surface, covering the remaining phyllo with a damp towel. Brush the phyllo strip with oil and sprinkle with some of the ground almonds. Lay another strip on top, brush with oil, and sprinkle with some of the ground almonds. Lay a third sheet on top. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the arame mixture onto one corner. Fold the phyllo around the filling as you would fold a flag, forming a layered triangle. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling to make 4 turnovers.

Brush each turnover lightly with oil, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the phyllo is crisp and golden brown. Serve warm.

Arame with Carrots and Onions

I know a lot of people are grossed out at the idea of seaweed, but I promise you this is a really delicious vegetable dish. Serve it in small portions—maybe
¹
/
₄
to
¹
/
₂
cup—and I really think you’ll like it. Arame is great for your hair, skin, nails, and bones. Try to have an arame dish at least once a week.

SERVES 4 TO 6

1 ounce dried arame (about one large handful)

1–2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

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/
₂
cup onion, cut into half-moon slices

Fine sea salt

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cup carrot, cut into fine matchstick pieces

Shoyu to taste

Chopped scallion for garnish

Soak the arame in water to cover for 5 minutes. Lift the arame out of the soaking water, leaving any grit behind. If the arame strands seem long, cut them into approximately 2" pieces.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a tiny pinch of sea salt. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrot to the skillet, and then scatter the arame on top. Without stirring, add enough water to the skillet to just cover the vegetables, leaving the arame just above the liquid. Add about 1 teaspoon shoyu or less. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover the skillet. Simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle in a few more drops of shoyu. Cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes longer, then remove the cover and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Stir the vegetables and arame to combine, and cook another minute or two, or until the liquid is entirely evaporated. Garnish with scallion, and serve.

Baby Bok Choy Drizzled with Ume Vinaigrette

I’ve highlighted (and photographed) the bok choy version of this dish because it’s so pretty, but this same recipe made with cabbage and leeks is just as delicious and worthy of equal attention. Christopher and I absolutely
lived
off cabbage and leeks for years. I beg you to try both versions. There’s something about the combination of the flaxseed oil, the sour of the vinegar, the freshness of the green and the seeds. . . .
Oh my God
.

SERVES 2

1–2 small heads bok choy (left intact) or
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large head bok choy (chopped into bite-size pieces)

1 tablespoon umeboshi vinegar

1 tablespoon flaxseed oil (if you can’t get flaxseed oil, substitute extra-virgin olive oil, but the flaxseed oil is way yummier)

1 teaspoon Gomashio (page
232
, optional)

Bring water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer or a pot fitted with a steamer basket. Add the bok choy and steam for 1 to 2 minutes until the vegetable is just starting to wilt. Transfer to a serving platter.

Mix the vinegar and oil together in a small bowl, and drizzle over the steamed bok choy. (You may not need it all.) Serve sprinkled with the gomashio.

Variation:

You can serve lightly steamed leeks and cabbage the same way. Be sure to steam the leek and cabbage separately, as it’s nice to keep their flavors pristine and their cooking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of the vegetables. Top with toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds seasoned with a few drops of shoyu (page
215
).

Notes:

• People tend to throw greens in a steamer and just walk away, so it’s alarmingly easy to overcook bok choy. I recommend you always err on the side of undercooking it, since it’s so water-dense that it continues to cook a little after being removed from the steam. What you’re aiming for is crunchiness without bitterness.
  
• After you get familiar with this recipe, you may decide you want to use less vinegar. Find the oil to vinegar ratio that works best for you.
  

Cuban-Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ahh, the sweet potato! I make this recipe with yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes (not garnet yams, which have a totally different flavor). Though they are not related to white potatoes botanically, they have the same satisfying texture and they’re sweet! When I eat a sweet potato, I feel like I’m getting away with something. Feel free to cut it in any shape you want for this recipe, but I prefer it in big pieces.

SERVES 4

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 3 pounds)

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Fine sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1
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/
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tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet, and roast until they can be pierced easily with a knife but still offer some resistance, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes or so.

Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, and toss with the garlic, lime juice, parsley, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Scarlet Roasted Vegetables

I call these scarlet vegetables because the beets bleed into the others, making everything red, messy, and yummy. This is a pretty dish, perfect for Thanksgiving or any time.

SERVES 4 TO 6

4–6 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise

3 large beets, cut into 1" chunks

2 parsnips, quartered lengthwise

1 large fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thickly sliced

1–2 cups kabocha squash, cut into big chunks (peel only if the squash is not organic)

3–4 celery stalks, cut in 1" pieces

3–4 dried bay leaves

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cup pecan halves

6–8 dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1–2 teaspoons shoyu

Grated zest of 2 lemons

2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a large, shallow baking dish.

Combine all of the vegetables, bay leaves, pecans, apricots, shoyu, lemon zest, and oil in a mixing bowl. Mix the vegetables to coat them well.

Transfer the vegetables to a prepared baking dish, and spread out evenly. Cover with aluminum foil, and roast for 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft when pierced.

Remove the aluminum foil, and roast for 15 minutes longer to let the vegetables brown a little. Remove from oven, and toss with the lemon juice. Garnish with the parsley.

Maple-Roasted Lotus Root, Sunchokes, and Leeks

This recipe sounds exotic, but it tastes like candy to me . . . savory candy. You must try it.

SERVES 4 TO 6

4" piece of lotus root (about
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of a medium root), sliced into thin rounds

3 sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes), thinly sliced

2 small or
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/
₂
of a large, thick leek (white part only), sliced into thin half-moons

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon shoyu or 3 pinches fine sea salt

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place all the vegetables and garlic in a bowl. Add the oil, and toss to coat. Spread the veggies onto a baking sheet.

Roast the vegetables for 12 minutes, then sprinkle with the shoyu and syrup; stir to coat. Return the vegetables to the oven, and roast an additional 10 minutes. At this point, check to see if the vegetables are tender and becoming golden; if not, return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve warm.

Braised Daikon in Mirin and Shoyu

This dish smells ridiculously good and should be eaten relatively soon after it is prepared. It was inspired by John Medeski—of the amazing musical trio Medeski, Martin, and Wood—a wine connoisseur and foodie.