Bean and Artichoke Salad

By Ann Crile Esselstyn, in Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.

AM: No oil and no salt in the dressing and I didn't even miss it! I'm going to be trying a lot of new recipes in this book and all of them will be completely vegan and guilt free.  If you haven't read Esselstyn's book yet, run to your nearest library or book store to get a copy now!

1 large tomato, chopped (2 c)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (1/2 c)
1 small red onion, chopped (1/2 c)
1 c chopped parsley or cilantro
1 19-oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 t spicy brown mustard
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried thyme
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stir with a whisk, and pour over bean mixture. Chill before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Vegistrone

By Weight Watchers, originally called Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup.

AM: This soup was dubbed "Vegistrone" by my good friend Jenn as she felt it needed a more clever name.  I agree, and I have now made this recipe twice. Delicious as is, great with a little parmesan cheese on top, wonderfully satisfying with a hunk of good bread.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

1/2 cup carrots, sliced

1/4 cup onions, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups fat-free beef, chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup green cabbage, diced

1 cup spinach, chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup zucchini, diced

Directions

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray, and heat.

Place carrot, onion and garlic in saucepan. Sauté vegetables over low heat for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add broth, cabbage, spinach, tomato paste, basil, oregano and salt. Bring saucepan to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in zucchini, and cook 3-4 minutes.

Healthy Potato Skillet

By Janae Devika, Cafe Janae.

Ann: Husband approved.  Most potato dishes are accepted by my sweetheart, but this one even received compliments and leftovers didn't last long.

Ingredients:

• 6 potatoes (pre-baked or parboiled)
• 2 avocados - diced
• 3 roma tomatoes - diced
• 3⁄4 cup black olives, sliced
• 2 bunches cilantro - chopped fine
• 2 bunches green onions - chopped fine
• 1 bunch kale - chopped fine
• 1 onion - diced
• 4 cloves garlic - minced
• 2 Tbs. dried seasoning of choice (Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, Mexican seasoning, etc)
• 2 Tbs. raw coconut oil or grape seed oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional:

• 1 cup artichoke hearts
• 1⁄2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper (if you like spicy food)

Directions:

Pre-bake potatoes. Cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Put them in cast iron skillet with 2 Tbs. oil. Fry until golden brown.
In separate pan, caramelize diced onion by putting it in a frying pan with 2 Tbs. oil and cooking it on medium-low heat until it is brown. When onions are caramelized, add garlic, spices, salt, and kale and cook for a few more minutes (with the lid on) until the kale turns dark green and begins to wilt.
Mix hot potatoes, hot onion-kale mixture, and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper and dairy free sour cream (recipe following).
This dish is very good served with fresh salsa or raw nut 'sour cream'. This is also delicious served in crepes like a burrito.

Non-Dairy Sour Cream
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 4 hours
Juice of 1-2 lemons (depending on how tart you like it)
½ tsp salt (or to taste)

Optional:
1 probiotics capsule
¼ tsp. chipotle pepper


Directions:
Soak the cashews for at least 4 hours. Blend cashews in a Vita Mix with lemon and salt until smooth and creamy. Add a little bit of water if necessary to make it blend easier. Scrape into glass bowl and refrigerate until firm. Will last 3 days in refrigerator.

If you want to add active live cultures to the sour cream, add a capsule of probiotics to the bowl of sour cream. Stir with a spoon until well mixed. Cover and allow to sit undisturbed on counter (at room temperature) for 12 hours. Refrigerate and consume within 3 days.

Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Chili

By Julie Hession, 2010 winner of the Aetna Healthy Food Fight.

Ann: Hearty and also great over rice.

Ingredients

2 T olive oil
1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large red sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
3 c peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 T cumin
1 T coriander
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
3 c water
3 15-oz cans garbonzo beans, rinced and drained
2/3 c uncooked bulgur
cilantro
plain Greek yogurt

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven heat oil over medium-high heat. Add next five ingredients; cook, stirring frequently until carrots are tender, about 6 minutes. Add butternut squash and spices; cook and stir for 1 minute.

2. Add the undrained tomatoes, water, beans and bulgur, bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat. Cover; cook 20 minutes or until bulgur and butternut squash are tender, stirring frequently. Ladle chili into bowls and top with cilantro and yogurt, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Six-seed Soda Bread

From 101 Cookbooks, by Heidi Swanson.

Ann: Another bread-making success for me! I really got a kick out of combining all the seeds, although I'm not a big fennel lover so I reduced the quantity of that one a bit, but the loaf came together so easily I'm starting to get a big head about it all.  This recipe calls for buttermilk, but an easy vegan substitute is achieved by adding 1T white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup non-dairy milk, stir and let sit for 5 minutes.

I've been enjoying this combination of seeds, but feel free to experiment with other combinations if you prefer, based on what you have on hand, or what is available in your area. You can also make this with whole-wheat flour in place of the spelt flour.

2 1/2 tablespoons EACH sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds,
poppy seeds, flax seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 3/4 cup / 9 oz / 250 g spelt flour
2 cups / 9 oz / 250 g unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 3/4 cup / 14 oz / 400 ml buttermilk
a bit of extra buttermilk/milk

Preheat your oven to 400F / 205C. Place a rack in the center of the oven. In a small bowl combine all the seeds and set aside. 

Sift the flours, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the seeds. Make a well in the flour, pour in the buttermilk, and stir until the dough just comes together. If you need to add an extra splash of buttermilk because the dough is too dry, you can. As Hugh says, "Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly for about a minute, just long enough to pull it together into a loose ball but no longer - you need to get it into the oven while the baking soda is still doing its stuff." 

Place the dough on a lightly floured baking sheet and mark it with a deep cross across the top, cutting two-thirds of the way through the loaf with a serrated knife. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with the remaining seeds, making sure plenty of seeds make it down into the cracks. 

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the bread is golden crusted on top and bottom (you may want to move the oven rack up for the last 15 minute if you need more color on the top of the loaf). Cool on a wire rack. 

Makes a single loaf.
Adapted from River Cottage everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, published by Bloomsbury.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 40 min

Burundi Beans and Rice

In Making West Home In Idaho, recipe by Josephine Nizigiyimana

Ann: This recipe came from a collection of stories and recipes from Boise's refugee community. Except for a fresh onion, I was able to use all ingredients I had stocked in my food storage. I used olive oil rather than red palm and corn oils, and a can of stewed tomatoes rather than fresh, because I was looking for a recipe I could make with items I had on hand. I also didn't cook the rice in oil before boiling in water, and just sauteed the onion and tomatoes. Loved the result: simple and satisfying.

Serves 8-10

 3/4 c red palm oil
2 pounds dried pinto beans
1 c shallots or onions, thinly sliced
3 large tomatoes
1 1/2 t salt, plus more to taste
4 c Thai jasmine rice
1/2 corn oil

Put the beans in a large saucepan and cover with water (about 7 cups). Add 2-3 T of salt. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook, covered, on a medium low heat until the beans are soft, about three hours. You may need to continue to add water to prevent the beans from drying out.

Rinse and drain the rice 3-4 times. Use your hands to wash the rice thoroughly. Heat a large saucepan on a medium heat for a few minutes, then add the oil. Heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Add 1 T of salt to the oil.  Add rice and fry, stirring constantly for five minutes. Add water to cover (about 8 cups) and stir. Cover and cook at a medium heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done, about 30-40 minutes.

Peel the uncooked tomatoes and slice them into large wedges, removing all the seeds. Heat red palm oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until smoking hot.  Add shallots and cover the pan. Let them cook in the boiling oil for 1-2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and stir. Cover the pot and continue to cook on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Using a metal spoon, break up the tomatoes in the pan and continue to stir until the tomatoes are reduced to the thickness of tomato paste, about five minutes. Add the tomato mixture to the beans and stir until completely combined. Add more salt to taste. Serve the beans in a bowl over rice.

Chickpea Salad Wrap

From Oh She Glows, by Angela Liddon.

Ann: I think Travis ate more of this than I did! I tried it in a wrap and in pita bread, both terrific lunch options.

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas (or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 tbsp chopped red onion
• 3 tbsp chopped dill pickle (~1 pickle)
• 1 tbsp minced fresh dill
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp regular mustard
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds (or pecans/walnuts)
• salt/herbamare and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 325F and toast the sunflower seeds for about 11 minutes.

2. Mix everything into a bowl, mashing up the chickpeas slightly with a fork, and season with salt (I used Herbamare) and pepper, to taste. Stuff into a wrap or pita, or enjoy with crackers or rice cakes.

Nutritional Info (based on 3 servings): 222 kcals, 8 grams fat, 32 grams carbs, 7 grams fibre, 1 gram sugar, 8 grams protein.