Appetite for Reduction (32 page)

Sauté the onion in oil for about 5 minutes. Use a little nonstick cooking spray as needed, or a splash of water if you prefer. Mix in the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and salt. Cover the pot and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

The pasta should be ready now, so drain it.

When the mushrooms have cooked down, add the pasta to the pan, along with the pesto. Use a pasta spoon to stir and coat the linguine. Get everything good and mixed and the pesto heated through, about 3 minutes. The pesto should be relatively thick, but if it’s too thick (not spreading out and coating the pasta) add a few tablespoons of water. Taste for salt.

Serve immediately, garnished with a little chopped fresh basil.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTALTIME: 10 MINUTES

T
his makes a lot of pesto, meaning your pasta won’t feel skimpy in the least, and your veggies will feel nice and smothered.

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup packed basil leaves
1 (14-ounce) package frozen shelled edamame, thawed
½ cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

Place the garlic and basil in a food processor and pulse a few times to get them chopped up. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula to make sure you get everything. Add a little more vegetable broth if it seems too stiff. Set aside until ready to use.

SERVES 2 TO 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 25 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 25 MINUTES

I
love bok choy because it’s like two veggies in one: the crisp, bright stems and the silky, tender leaves. This dish is so simple yet so satisfying, especially on a weeknight when you want something green but steamed veggies are just not going to cut it. It’s also great if you wanna slurp some noodles. The other thing I should mention is that it is extremely customizable. I sometimes add dry-fried tofu, prepared the same way as in the
Hoison-Mustard Tofu
(page 153), or azuki beans or even black beans if I need something just a bit more hardy.

To have this on the table in under half an hour, boil the water for the soba first thing, and begin prepping the veggies. Start sautéing the veggies when you’ve added the soba to the water, for perfect timing. Per the directions, keep the bok choy leaves separate from the stems or all hell will break loose, because they’re added at different times. Serve with extra soy sauce and Sriracha hot sauce.

8 ounces soba noodles
1 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 bunch bok choy, leaves and stems separated, sliced across
in ½-inch pieces (see tip page 187)
1 small red onion, cut into thinly sliced half-moons
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Prepare the soba noodles according to the package directions.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the bok choy stems (not the leaves yet) and the onion in the oil for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Saute for another minute or so. Add the bok choy leaves and soy sauce (and tofu or beans, if using.) Sauté for another minute, until the leaves are wilted.

By this time, the noodles should be ready. Add the drained noodles to the pan and saute for about 2 minutes, using a pasta spoon, making sure everything is nice and coated. Serve immediately.

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 25 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF PASTA)

P
asta goes Mexican! That is, if you consider the flavors of black beans, cilantro, tomato, and lime to be Mexican. As for the recipe P name, not only is this what angels are surely eating in heaven, but all these yummy flavors are tossed with quick-cooking angel hair pasta and a big bunch of spinach. So it’s perfect for busy busy busy halo wearers who need a healthy dinner on the table like now.

8 ounces whole wheat angel hair pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced shallot
3 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
4 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 3 cups)
½ teaspoon salt
Zest and juice from 1 lime
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
(about 1½ cups)
1 bunch spinach, coarse stems removed (about a pound),
washed well

First, bring a covered pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Then prepare the sauce.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallot, garlic, and jalapeño in the oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and let cook for about a minute. Add the tomatoes, salt, and lime zest (reserve the juice). Cover the pan and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. The tomatoes should be nicely broken down and saucy, but some whole pieces remaining are just fine. Add the black beans.

By this time the water should be ready. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, add the spinach to the skillet, tossing to wilt. Once everything is added, cover and cook until the spinach is cooked down, about 3 more minutes. Squeeze in the lime juice. Turn off the heat.

When the pasta is ready, drain and add it to the pan. Use a pasta spoon to toss it, making sure that the pasta is well coated. Serve immediately, garnished with extra cilantro if you like.

SERVES 6 • ACTIVE TIME: 45 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 1½ HOURS

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF LASAGNA NOODLES)

T
oasty, scrumptious roasted cauliflower blends perfectly into tofu ricotta and gives this lasagna so much flavor your head might burst. The sauce cooks right with the lasagna; no need for two billion pots and pans, only one million! A handful of olives is scattered across the top for that salty kick you need, so no expensive and fatty soy cheese required. I know the long cooking time can be scary sounding, but that’s lasagna for you! To make things even easier, prep the ricotta a day ahead. It’s actually an easy recipe to pull off and there is plenty of downtime. Be aware that this is baked in an 8-inch pan and it really fills it up to the top.

The possibilities for variations are endless but I’ll list a few here:

First, we’ll roast the cauliflower. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; that way the cauliflower won’t stick. Place the cauliflower on the sheet and drizzle the oil over it. Spray it with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss it with your hands to make sure everything is salted. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes, then flip it with a spatula. You don’t have to flip each and every one, so don’t get OCD about it. Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned, tender, and toasty.